# Commentary on The Letter of Saint James **1:1 James:** A Greek form of the Hebrew name \"Jacob\". He is probably James of Jerusalem, known as \"the Lord\'s brother\" (Gal 1:19). *See introduction: *Author.** **servant:** Or \"slave\". This title is used for other apostolic writers, such as Peter (2 Pet 1:1) and Paul (Rom 1:1), just as it was for earlier biblical figures, such as Jacob (Ezek 28:25), Moses, (Mal 4:4), Joshua (Josh 24:29), David (2 Sam 7:8), and the Prophets (Jer 7:25; Ezek 38:17). **Jesus Christ:** Mentioned by name only here and in 2:1. **the twelve tribes:** Descendants of the twelve sons of Jacob (Gen 35:22-26) who have accepted Jesus as the Messiah (Jas 2:1). These Israelites may have been residents of Jerusalem who were dispersed throughout Palestine and neighboring territories because of persecutions in the city. For this and other interpretations, see introduction: *Destination.* • The opening address recalls the Greek version of Is 49:1-6, where *Jacob* is the *servant* of the Lord who calls out to the *tribes* of Israel in their *dispersion* with a message of salvation **1:2-27** Chapter 1 is an overview of the themes developed in the rest of the letter. These include encouragement during trial (1:2-4; 5:7-11), the need for wisdom (1:5; 3:13-18), the necessity of faith (1:5-8; 5:13-18), the treatment of the rich and poor (1:9-11; 2:1-7; 4:13-5:6), the call to put faith into action (1:22-25; 2:14-26), and the need for a controlled tongue (1:26; 3:1-12) **1:2 my brethren:** Nineteen times James addresses his readers as spiritual brothers (1:9, 16, 19; 2:1, 5, etc.). This high concentration of kinship language shows that James viewed himself and his readers as a family of spiritual siblings gathered around God as their Father (1:17) (CCC 1, 1655). **various trials:** A reminder that every hardship and suffering in life can be a cause to rejoice (Mt 5:11-12; Rom 5:3). These trials are part of God\'s plan to strengthen our faith, prove our fidelity, and bring us closer to perfection (1 Pet 1:6-7). Similarities between the Greek text of Jas 1:3-4 and 2:21-22 hint at how this process was played out in the life of Abraham when his own faith reached perfection in the difficult ordeal of sacrificing Isaac **1:5 wisdom:** Not human insight or ingenuity, but a heavenly gift that gives us a right understanding of life in relation to God (3:13-18). It is given generously to those, like Solomon (1 Kings 3:5-12), who ask for it with sincere faith (Jas 1:6-8) (CCC 2633) **1:8 double-minded:** Literally, \"having two souls\". Such a person holds back from a complete trust in God because inside he wavers between conviction and doubt (Sir 1:28). This makes prayer less fervent and answers to prayer less certain (CCC 2734) **1:9-10** The prospect of \"eschatological reversal\" is in view. The poor and humble of the Lord look forward to **exaltation,** while the rich and prosperous of the world face future **humiliation** unless God is embraced as their true wealth (Lk 1:52-53; 6:20-26) **1:10 the rich:** Material wealth is destined to wither away like the beauty of a wild flower. The same is true of the wealthy person whose heart is attached to his belongings (5:16; Prov 11:28). • Isaiah used this imagery to contrast the eternal word of God with the temporal life of man, who is destined to wilt and die like grass (Is 40:6-8). This allusion to Isaiah explains why James goes on to say that God\'s \"word\" brings us unending life and blessedness (Jas 1:18, 21; 1 Jn 2:17) **1:12 the crown of life:** The Greek is appositional (\"the crown which is life\"). It refers to the eternal life that awaits the saints who have patiently and faithfully endured the trials of life (2 Tim 4:8; Rev 2:10). **those who love him:** A biblical description of those who keep God\'s commandments (Deut 5:10; 7:9; Jn 14:15). James will later stress that salvation and life are for those who not only believe in the Lord, but who love and obey him through faithful deeds (Jas 2:14-26) **1:13 God . tempts no one:** God tests us by putting us in situations that invite us to trust him (Gen 22:1). However, he never tempts us to turn away from him as Satan does (Mt 4:1). James is adamant that God is neither the author nor the promoter of evil, nor can he himself be tempted or overpowered by it. Sin is our own doing; it is conceived when we desire evil and is born when we act upon those desires (Jas 1:14-15) (CCC 2846-47) **1:17 the Father of lights:** I.e., the Creator of the sun, moon, and stars (Gen 1:14-19). Unlike these heavenly luminaries, which are constantly changing in brightness and position due to eclipses, lunar cycles, and the alternation of days, God is eternally unchanged and is ever consistent in blessing those who love him (Jas 1:12) (CCC 212) **1:18 word of truth:** The gospel of new life in Christ (Eph 1:13; 1 Pet 1:23-25). **first fruits:** James compares believers of the first generation (1:1) to the first sheaf of spring wheat that was cut from the field and offered to God in the Temple (Lev 23:9-11). This first portion was meant to thank the Lord for his gifts and to seek his blessing for an abundant harvest. Paul uses this image for Israelite believers (Rom 11:16) **1:19-25** Two kinds of hearing are distinguished: in conversation, listening is more important than speaking (Sir 5:11-12), but in responding to the gospel, obeying is more important than merely listening (Lk 11:28; Rom 2:13) **1:20 the anger of man:** In biblical wisdom literature, anger is vented, not by the wise, but by the foolish (Prov 29:11; Eccles 7:9). Meekness is the virtue of gentleness and inner strength that restrains it (Jas 3:13; Mt 11:29) **1:21 implanted word:** The gospel is compared to a seed that is planted in the soul, where it can sprout and bear fruit for salvation. This may be an allusion to Jesus\' parable of the Sower (Mt 13:1-9, 23) **1:23 a mirror:** One who merely hears the gospel is like one who merely *glances* at his reflection and soon forgets what he has seen (1:24). One who hears and obeys the gospel is like one who *gazes* into the law of Christ and sees there the path to blessing and life that he desires to follow (1:25) **1:26 bridle his tongue:** A warning treated in detail in 3:1-12 **1:27 Religion:** The Greek term is *thrēskeia,* which generally denotes religious acts of worship. For James, proper service to God is not reducible to a set of beliefs or liturgical rites; it includes prudent speech (1:26) as well as practical service to others. **visit orphans and widows:** Pure religion reaches out to the needy and takes practical steps to provide for their welfare. Charity of this sort was expected of Israel (Deut 14:29) and is exemplified most perfectly by Yahweh (Ps 68:5) (CCC 2208). • Religion involves two kinds of acts. Some are directed immediately to God, such as sacrifice, adoration, etc. Others are directed to honoring God by means of the virtues he commands. Thus, visiting the fatherless and widows is an act of religion, as is the effort to keep oneself unstained by the world (St. Thomas Aquinas, *Summa Theologiae,* II-II, 81, 1) **2:1-7** James cautions believers not to favor the rich and discriminate against the poor. Though the world despises and oppresses the poor, God honors and blesses them with abundant faith (2:5; 1 Cor 1:26-31). These verses are followed by a warning that partiality and prejudice against the less fortunate violate the Levitical law of charity (Jas 2:8-13) # Word Study > [!NOTE] Word Study > *Assembly* (Jas 2:2) ^mo65f8 - *Synagōgē* (Gk.): can refer to a \"gathering\" of people or to a building used as a \"synagogue\". The word is used 56 times in the NT; it is also commonly found in the Greek OT, where it often refers to the assembled \"congregation\" of Israel (Num 16:3; Josh 22:16; Ps 74:2). Though the word is never wholly disconnected from gatherings of people, by NT times the term can also refer to the physical structure where religious gatherings took place. Synagogues in this sense were built both in Israel (Lk 7:5) and in the Diaspora (Acts 13:14; 17:17). These were houses of Jewish worship and instruction in the Scriptures (Mt 6:5; Lk 4:16; Acts 15:21), as well as places of judicial deliberation and discipline (Mt 10:17; 23:34; Lk 12:11). The use of the word in Jas 2:2 is ambiguous. It may to refer to a synagogue building as the *place* where early believers assembled, either as a church community or as a Jewish Christian presence alongside non-believing Jews (Acts 9:2). Or, too, it may refer to a congregation of *people* gathered for worship and prayer but without direct reference to the physical location as such. In any case, language traditional to Judaism is here employed with reference to Christian believers. **2:5 heirs of the kingdom:** Echoes the beatitude spoken by Jesus in Lk 6:20. The point is not that poverty itself is a blessing, but that those with little in the world are better prepared to rely on God for their needs. It is the attitude of a child who trusts in his heavenly Father (Jas 1:17) that secures our inheritance in the kingdom of heaven (Mt 18:1-4) (CCC 2546-47) **2:7 that honorable name:** Presumably the name is \"Christ\", on account of which believers are called \"Christians\" (Acts 11:26; 1 Pet 4:16) **2:8 the royal law:** The law of Christ\'s kingdom (2:5), which incorporates the Mosaic laws of charity (2:8; Mt 22:34-40) and the commandments of the Decalogue (2:11; Mt 19:16-19) into the gospel teaching of Jesus (Mt 5-7; CCC 1972). **You shall love your neighbor:** A citation from Lev 19:18. • The precept of love is the summation of every commandment in the Torah dealing with our neighbor (Rom 13:8-10). Beyond the quotation here, there are several allusions to Lev 19 throughout the Letter of James. This is clearest in the warnings against partiality (2:9; Lev 19:15), slander (4:11; Lev 19:16), withholding wages (5:4; Lev 19:13), and oath swearing (5:12; Lev 19:12) **2:10 fails in one point:** To trespass even a single commandment makes one a transgressor of the royal law of Christ and a sinner in the eyes of the Lawgiver. The challenge is to follow the laws of charity comprehensively, not selectively, realizing that God will judge both our speech and our actions by this standard (2:12) (CCC 578, 2069) **2:11 Do not commit adultery . kill:** Two of the Ten Commandments (Ex 20:13-14) **2:13 mercy triumphs:** Our conduct in this life sets the terms for our judgment in the next. Thus, the extent to which we have shown mercy to others is the extent to which we will receive mercy from the Lord (Mt 5:7; 6:14-15; 18:21-35). The following verses show that mercy is more than an attitude ---it is expressed concretely through works of mercy and charity (Jas 2:14-16; Sir 16:14; Mt 25:34-40) (CCC 2447) **2:14 Can his faith save him?:** The form of the question in Greek implies a negative answer. It makes explicit what James teaches implicitly throughout the rest of the chapter: that our willingness to put faith into action has a direct bearing on whether or not we will be saved in the end (CCC 162) **2:18 some one will say:** James makes use of a teaching style called \"diatribe\", where an imaginary conversation partner poses questions and raises objections that the author answers for his audience (2:20; 4:13-16). It cannot be assumed, given the use of this literary device, that James is debating an actual opponent who was harassing his readers. See also note on Rom 2:1-3:20. **You have . I have:** The issue is whether faith and works represent two different but equal ways to be justified before God. James denies the proposition and insists that faith that is not expressed in works is dead faith, not saving faith (2:26). If one has faith but no good works, he is no better off than the demons, who believe yet face the certainty of condemnation rather than justification (2:19). • Just as faith apart from works is dead, so works apart from faith are dead. If we have right doctrine but fail in right living, our doctrine is useless. So too, if we are careful about life but careless about doctrine, that will not benefit us either (St. John Chrysostom, *Homilies on Genesis* 2, 14) **2:19 God is one:** The monotheistic faith of Israel (Deut 6:4). The demons are proof that it is possible to have merely intellectual faith without works of charity (Mk 3:11) (CCC 1814-16) **2:21 justified:** The doctrine of justification includes an initial action, whereby God makes the believer righteous by an infusion of grace, and an ongoing process, whereby the believer grows in righteousness by exercising his faith through good works. The latter sense is highlighted here (CCC 1987-95). See word study: **Justified** at Rom 2. **offered his son:** A reference to the sacrifice of Isaac in Gen 22:1-19. • Abraham had long believed in the Lord (Gen 15:6) before his faith was tested by the command to burn Isaac on the altar (Gen 22:12). This was not the first test he had faced as God\'s servant (1 Mac 2:52), nor was it the first time he had put his faith into action (Heb 11:8-9). It was rather the high point of Abraham\'s spiritual journey and the climactic ordeal that tested his trust in Yahweh like never before (Heb 11:17-19). Having passed the test in heroic fashion, his faith was at last \"completed\" (Jas 2:22). See note on Jas 1:2 **2:23 Abraham believed God:** A quotation from Gen 15:6. • This is the one explicit text in Genesis that refers to Abraham\'s faith, though his belief and trust in God are evident throughout. Here he believes in the promise of a son, despite his old age and the barrenness of his elderly wife (Gen 16:1; 18:11). Reading the passage in light of Abraham\'s willingness to sacrifice Isaac, James concludes that belief and behavior go together. So *faith* in God is inseparable from *faithfulness* to God, even in the most trying circumstances of life. **friend of God:** The background of this title is probably found in 2 Chron 20:7 and Is 41:8 **2:24 faith alone:** Faith by itself is \"dead\" (2:17), \"barren\" (2:20), and has no power to \"save\" anyone (2:14). In the NT, the expression \"faith alone\" occurs only in James, where it is rejected as false teaching. Paul often stresses the importance of \"justification by faith\", but he nowhere speaks of justification by faith alone (Rom 3:28; Gal 2:15-16) **2:25 Rahab:** The heroine of Josh 2:1-21. • Rahab of Jericho I offered hospitality and protection to Israelite scouts spying out the land of Canaan. Her assistance, coupled with a confession of faith in Yahweh (Josh 2:11), was rewarded as she and her family were rescued from the violent destruction of the city (Heb 11:31) **3:1-12** An appeal for prudent and wholesome speech (1:19). Several illustrations are marshaled to demonstrate how an unbridled tongue can cause considerable damage in the world (Prov 16:27; Sir 28:17-26). Examples of misusing the tongue include blasphemy (Jas 2:7), cursing (3:9), slander (4:11), boasting (4:16), grumbling (5:9), and illicit oath swearing (5:12) (CCC 2148, 2479-81). • James shows how great an evil is man\'s tongue, so great that it cannot be tamed, even though men have tamed wild animals. He spoke, not with the intention that we should tolerate this evil, but in order that we might ask God for the grace to tame our tongues (St. Augustine, *On Nature and Grace* 15) **3:1 teachers:** Christian educators bear great responsibility for their teaching and influence. Since their mission involves extensive speaking, they are at greater risk than most for making \"mistakes\" in what they say (3:2). The prospect of a stricter judgment should restrain them from uttering careless words (Mt 12:33-37) and teaching what they themselves do not understand (Sir 5:11-13) **3:6 unrighteous world:** The tongue is a microcosm of the fallen world, where sin and hurt prevail. It is extraordinarily difficult to bring under control. **cycle of nature:** Every stage of life, from youth to old age. **hell:** Literally, \"Gehenna\". See word study: **Hell** at Mk 9:43 **3:9 we bless . we curse:** Using the tongue in worship is contradicted by abusing the tongue in conversation. Despite our praise, the Father is not truly honored when our neighbor is dishonored and discouraged by harmful words **3:13-18** These verses continue to address the teachers mentioned in 3:1. The teacher who claims to be wise but is controlled by \"jealousy and selfish ambition\" (3:14) is really a fool whose wisdom stems from the world (3:15). True wisdom transforms the mind and heart of the teacher and is manifest through a pure and peaceable life (3:17). It is a divine gift that comes down from the Father above (1:17). See note on Jas 1:5 **4:1-2** Wars among men are a symptom of the spiritual war within man, whose incessant drive for power and possessions spreads envy and violence throughout the world. The root problem is that our members too easily yield to the inclinations of our fallen nature (1 Pet 2:11). See note on Rom 7:23 **4:3 You . do not receive:** Prayers go unanswered when we seek what will gratify our cravings instead of the help we need to better ourselves. Corrupt motives impede our petitions in the same way that doubt does (1:5-8) (CCC 2737) **4:4 Unfaithful creatures!:** Literally, \"Adulteresses!\" • The Prophets used this epithet for the idolaters of Israel, whose infidelity to the covenant was considered spiritual adultery against Yahweh (Jer 3:6-10; 31:32; Hos 3:1). James charges some of his own readers with idolatry because their love for created things has overpowered their love for the Creator (see 1 Jn 2:15). Their **friendship with the world** stands in stark contrast to righteous Abraham, who became a \"friend of God\" because he was willing to surrender even his most beloved possession (Isaac) to please the Lord (Jas 2:21-23) [[faith-and-works|Faith and Works]] # Topical Essay **4:5 He yearns jealously:** This saying is not found verbatim in any extant text of the OT. It is probably a paraphrase of several biblical verses and ideas. • According to the RSV translation of the passage, God has given us a spirit to inhabit our bodies (Gen 6:3), and he jealously forbids allegiance to any other gods besides him (Ex 20:5). Another, perhaps preferable, translation is the following: \"The spirit he has made to dwell in us yearns enviously.\" Read in this way, the passage stresses that envy corrupts the spirit of man and makes it a friend of the world rather than a friend of God, who gave it (4:4; Gen 8:21) **4:6 God opposes the proud:** A citation from Prov 3:34. The point is that pride, because it blinds us to our deepest needs, keeps us from the grace that is necessary to meet those needs (1 Pet 5:5). • God punishes thieves, perjurers, gluttons, and other sinners because they despise his commandments. However, he resists the proud in a special way, because they rely on their own strength as if they could save themselves without help from above. On the other hand, God gives grace to the humble because they recognize their need and ask God for help in overcoming their sins (St. Bede, *On the Seven Catholic Epistles* at Jas 4:6) **4:7 Resist the devil:** Resistance is possible only because the power of God within us is greater than the power of the Evil One present in the world (1 Jn 4:4). For similar exhortations, see Eph 6:11-17 and 1 Pet 5:8-9 **4:8 Draw near to God:** A call to return to the covenant and reestablish friendship with God (Zech 1:3; Mal 3:7). **Cleanse your hands:** The priests of Israel used to wash their hands before ministering in the sanctuary (Ex 30:17-21). James speaks, not of cultic purity, but of moral purity, exhorting readers to wash themselves of evil deeds and intentions. Purification is demanded of everyone who approaches the all-holy God (Ps 24:4-5; Is 1:15-16) **4:9 mourn and weep:** A call to shed tears of repentance (Mt 5:4). Catholic tradition refers to this as \"compunction\" of heart **4:10 Humble yourselves . exalt you:** Echoes the saying of Jesus in Mt 23:12, which is likewise paraphrased in 1 Pet 5:6 **4:11 Do not speak evil:** Believers are forbidden to malign each other with either true (detraction) or false information (calumny). This behavior is injurious because it uses words to put others down and lift oneself up. James warns that one who speaks evil vaults himself above the law and therefore into the place of God, who alone is the \"lawgiver and judge\" of our neighbor (4:12) (CCC 2477). • This is probably an allusion to the prohibition against slander in Lev 19:16. See note on Jas 2:8 [[the-teaching-of-james-and-jesus|The Teaching of James and Jesus]] # **4:14 you are a mist:** A rebuke for those who plan their lives without consideration of God\'s will. Such behavior is actually arrogant (4:16), because it fails to acknowledge how short and uncertain life really is and how God alone has the absolute power to determine whether our plans come to pass or fall apart **4:17 Whoever knows . and fails:** Knowledge of the truth makes one responsible for acting in accord with it (1:22; 2:14-26). Failure to act on the truth is a sin of omission (CCC 1853) **5:1-6** James rails against wealthy landowners who love their belongings more than God (1 Tim 6:9). The disastrous end of their wealth is so near and so certain that James describes it as already perishing (5:2-3). • Echoes can be heard of sayings from the OT (Job 13:28; Is 51:8), as well as the teaching of Jesus (Mt 6:19-21; Lk 12:15-21) **5:3 for the last days:** Literally, \"in the last days\", an expression that refers to the Christian age (Acts 2:17) as it builds up toward a time of widespread chaos and deception (2 Tim 3:1; cf. 2 Pet 3:3; Jude 18). James is alarmed that the rich are senselessly hoarding wealth for themselves in the final calm before the storm of divine judgment (CCC 675-77) **5:4 by fraud:** A warning that economic injustice does not go unnoticed or unpunished by the Lord. • This is probably an allusion to Lev 19:13, which forbids the exploitation of hired workers and demands that their wages be given by the end of the day (CCC 1867, 2434). See note on Jas 2:8 **5:5 day of slaughter:** An expression taken from Jer 12:3. • Jeremiah prayed that the corrupt of Israel would no longer prosper and grow strong but would meet the end they justly deserved. His petition was answered the day Yahweh sent Babylon to slaughter the rebels of Judah and Jerusalem in 586 B.C. Judgment likewise awaits the oppressive and over-indulgent who have fattened themselves on moneys unjustly withheld from workers **5:6 you have killed:** Graphic but figurative language for the oppression of the poor and defenseless (Wis 2:10-20). To deprive them of their pay (5:4) is to take away their living (Sir 34:21-22) (CCC 2446) **5:7-11** An appeal for patient endurance in the midst of suffering. Encouragement is drawn from the past experience of Job (5:11) and the Prophets (5:10), the present experience of farmers (5:7), and the future coming of Christ (5:7-9) **5:7 the coming of the Lord:** The return of Christ as Judge (5:9). Perhaps James is referring to the Second Coming of Jesus at the end of history (Acts 1:11; 1 Thess 4:16-17). It is also possible, given his stress on the nearness of judgment (Jas 5:8), along with the image of Jesus \"standing at the doors\" (5:9, alluding to Mt 24:33 and Mk 13:29), that James is referring to the coming judgment of Israel and Jerusalem within the first Christian generation (A.D. 70). If so, this may suggest that the \"suffering\" (5:10) endured by readers was caused by the unbelievers of Israel. Suffering at the hands of others is also a possibility. **the early . The late rain:** The fall and winter rains that were necessary to make the spring (grain) and summer (olives, grapes) harvests abundant in Palestine (Deut 11:14; Jer 5:24; Joel 2:23-24) **5:10 the prophets:** The suffering of the Prophets was proverbial (Mt 5:12; Acts 7:52; Heb 11:32-38) **5:11 the steadfastness of Job:** This example is part of the warning against grumbling (5:9). • James may be thinking of how Job endured even the most crushing misfortunes without cursing God or sinning with his lips (Job 2:9-10) **5:12** James cautions readers against the abuse of oath swearing, echoing the words of Jesus recorded in Mt 5:33-37 (CCC 2153-55). Condemnation results when oaths, which are intended for sacred and public contexts, are sworn in secular and private settings. The gravity of this sin is not lessened when the binding force of an oath is thought to be reduced by invoking **heaven** and **earth** instead of God\'s holy name. See note on Mt 5:33 **5:14 anointing:** Oil was used as a medicinal agent in Jewish antiquity (Is 1:6; Lk 10:34). However, James envisions something more than a simple healing rite: the invocation of the Lord\'s **name,** which results in forgiveness (Jas 5:15), makes the anointing a truly sacred and sacramental action. Its institution goes back to Jesus and is hinted at in Mk 6:13. • The Council of Trent (1551) interprets this text as a reference to the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, which is administered by priests (presbyters) to the aged and seriously ill. Its purpose is to cleanse them of sin, to strengthen them through the spiritual struggles that come with illness, and, in some cases, to prepare them for death. Restoration to health can also result if God wills it (CCC 1510-20) **5:15 save the sick man:** Probably refers to eternal salvation. James uses the verb \"save\" consistently in this fashion throughout the letter (1:21; 2:14; 4:12; 5:20) **5:16 confess . to one another:** This command must be interpreted within the context of the anointing rite, where the elders (i.e., priests) presumably hear the confession of the sick person before his sins are remitted through the sacrament (5:14-15). • Such confession has its roots in the liturgical practice of Israel (Lev 5:5-6; Num 5:5-10) and is implicitly mandated by the teaching of Jesus (Jn 20:23) **5:17 Elijah:** An example of personal righteousness and powerful prayer (Sir 48:1-3; Rev 11:6). • James recalls how the prophet Elijah, who remained faithful to Yahweh when most of Israel went astray, caused a three and a half year drought (Lk 4:25) by his petitions to God (1 Kings 17:1; 18:1, 41-46). The point is that God hears and answers the prayers of a humble and upright heart (Sir 35:17) but refuses to listen to the petitions of an evil and divided heart (Jas 1:6-8; 4:3) (CCC 2582-83, 2738) **5:20 brings back a sinner:** Fraternal correction is a work of mercy that is sometimes awkward but is urgently necessary for one who has strayed from the truth (Gal 6:1). The language of \"turning back\" signifies repentance both in the OT (Hos 6:1; Joel 2:12) and in the NT (Lk 1:16; Acts 3:19). **his soul:** I.e., the soul of a person who has formerly gone astray but has come to repentance. **cover a multitude of sins:** Perhaps an allusion to Prov 10:12 (similar wording appears in 1 Pet 4:8). The notion of \"covering\" sins is a Hebrew idiom for forgiveness (Neh 4:5; Ps 32:1) > [!NOTE] Word Study > *Elders* (Jas 5:14) - *Presbyteros* (Gk.): an \"elder\", \"elderly man\", or \"presbyter\". The word is used 66 times in the NT. It has its primary background in the OT and Jewish tradition, where \"elders\" (Heb., *zeqenim*) referred to the tribal leaders of Israel appointed by Moses (Ex 24:1; Num 11:16) and to the members of a city\'s judicial council (Josh 20:4). By the first century, it was a collective name for Pharisaic teachers (Mt 15:2), for a group within the Jewish high court, the Sanhedrin (Mt 26:3), and for the senior officials of a Jewish synagogue. This notion of ruling and religious elders carried over into Christian tradition and was applied to its own appointed leaders (Acts 14:23; 15:2; 20:17; 21:18). An \"elder\" or \"presbyter\" thus came to refer to an ordained shepherd of the Church who preached the gospel and administered the sacraments (1 Tim 5:17; Tit 1:5; Jas 5:14). The English word \"priest\" is derived from this Greek term. ^l0fneu --- > Scott Hahn and Curtis Mitch, *The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: New Testament*, Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2010).