Tag Archives: Wisdom literature

James 3: 13-18 What Wisdom Looks Like in Action

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Creation: Lady Wisdom in Creation by Connor White (Cover image for Creative Words)

James: 3: 13-18 What Wisdom Looks Like In Action

  13 Who is wise and knowledgeable among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be arrogant and lie about the truth. 15 This is not wisdom that comes down from above but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish. 16 For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. 18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

James has been talking about wisdom throughout the letter, and just as faith requires faithful works for James, so wisdom requires works done in gentleness. Faithful behavior and speech is shaped by humble wisdom that seeks peace. The bible often uses wise and knowledgeable as a shorthand for teaching (McKnight, 2011, p. 299) and Deuteronomy, for example, begins with seeking wise and knowledgeable ones who can serve alongside of Moses and Joshua together:

Choose for each of your tribes individuals who are wise, discerning, and reputable, and I will make them your leaders.’  You answered me, ‘The plan you have proposed is a good one.’ So I took the leaders of your tribes, wise and reputable individuals, and installed them as leaders over you, commanders of thousands, commanders of hundreds, commanders of fifties, commanders of tens, and officials, throughout your tribes. Deuteronomy 1: 13-15.

James continues to have his gaze centered on those who are leaders of the community and instructs them on the type of fruit that leaders are expected to bear. Like Jesus, James believes that wisdom will be vindicated by her deeds (Matthew 11:19). Those deeds of gentleness emerge from the vine of wisdom.

For James wisdom and foolishness are not a passive way of thinking but are demonstrated by a life of goodness or wickedness. Like faith, for James, wisdom and or foolishness are about what they generate rather than some cognitive content. As in wisdom literature, wisdom is always tied to practices and actions. Foolishness bears envy and selfish ambition, wickedness and disorder. Jesus would rebuke Peter for putting his mind on earthly things instead of divine things (Matthew 16:23 and parallels) and here James shows the difference between an earthly, unspiritual, and devilish (or demonic) foolishness of envy and selfish ambition bearing the fruit of wickedness and disorder and wisdom from above. These earthly, unspiritual, and devilishly oriented people generate words and actions which distort and falsify the truth.

In contrast, the wisdom from above is described with seven ‘fruits’ of wisdom similar to Paul’s fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5: 19-23). Purity only occurs here in James and in 4:8 in a verbal form (to cleanse) yet James has been seeking a faith and wisdom whose life is ethically and morally completed in mercy and humility. Peace is a central idea to this section and goes back to the Hebrew concept of shalom which is more than the absence of conflict but reflects a wholeness and harmony with God’s will for the world. In contrast to the envy and self-ambition of the earthly foolishness is the gentleness and willingness of yield of the heavenly wisdom. Mercy is strongly connected for both James and Jesus with their understandings of righteousness, and here it is connected to the fruits of wisdom. The final two characteristics are in Greek adiakritos and anypokritos. When you place an ‘a’ at the front of a Greek term it negates it or turns it into its opposite. Diakritos is to judge and so it becomes without judgement and anypokritos is ‘without hypocrisy.’ While the fruit of the earthly, unspiritual, and devilish foolishness is disorder and wickedness, the fruit of wisdom is sown in peace by peacemakers.

Another inspiration for James may be the personification of wisdom and foolishness in Proverbs 7 and 8. James has frequently utilized the patterns and language of wisdom literature in his letter and although he does not explicitly allude to the adulterous woman and lady wisdom, the contrast between this earthly, unspiritual, and devilish antiwisdom in contrast with the pure, peaceable, truthful, prudent knowledgeable, orderly, just and righteous lady wisdom of Proverbs eight. Even if James does not intend to evoke this specific image he demonstrates confidence in utilizing the practical wisdom of Proverbs and other wisdom literature to help his audience shape their lives.

The brief descriptions of James in the book of Acts describe him as a peacemaker. As Martha L. Moore-Kiesh states:

The emphasis on peacemaking comports well with the image of James, the brother of the Lord, in the book of Acts. Named there as a leader of the church in Jerusalem, James offers a compromise on an important controversy about how to respond to the “Gentiles who are turning to God” (Acts 15:19). In Acts 21, he also works to diminish conflict between Paul and certain Christian Jews in Jerusalem who are spreading rumors that Paul is teaching Jews living among the Gentiles to “forsake Moses” (Acts 21:21) (Moore-Keish, 2019, p. 135)

James was likely struggling with divisive forces in his society and within the rapidly evolving community of Jesus followers. If the letter of James was written in the late 50s or early 60s of the first century, the time between the crucifixion and resurrection and the Jewish War, when Paul and other apostles are doing successful if controversial ministry among the Gentiles, and the followers of Jesus are trying to navigate their place in Judea and the diaspora, he likely encountered several leadership struggles that threatened to divide the community. But the church of Christ in every age has struggled with those who mistook earthly for divine things, who distort and falsify the truth with their words and actions, who are driven by envy or selfish ambition and who bear fruits of wickedness and disorder. Jesus would tell his followers, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” (Matthew 5: 9) and James points to a heavenly wisdom which bears the fruit of righteousness sown in peace by those who make peace. Just as a good tree is known by the fruit it produces, so wisdom is vindicated by its peaceful deeds.

James 3: 1-12 On the Danger of Being a Teacher and the Destructive Power of the Tongue

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Harsh Bit Use on a Horse CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2904985

James 3: 1-12

1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, for you know that we who teach will face stricter judgment. 2 For all of us make many mistakes. Anyone who makes no mistakes in speaking is mature, able to keep the whole body in check with a bridle. 3 If we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we guide their whole bodies. 4 Or look at ships: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, yet they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great exploits.
  How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is placed among our members as a world of iniquity; it stains the whole body, sets on fire the cycle of life, and is itself set on fire by hell. 7 For every species of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species, 8 but no one can tame the tongue—a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse people, made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth comes a blessing and a curse. My brothers and sisters, this ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and brackish water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers and sisters, yield olives or a grapevine figs? No more can salt water yield fresh.

Words matter. For those entrusted with the authority to speak on behalf of a community, to shape its life and actions, those words they speak in teaching and leadership can shape both the faithful and the perception of the faithful in the world around them. Yet, in an age where words have increased exponentially and everyone through the existing technology can have a platform to broadcast their opinions as facts, James’s warning is even more prescient. As a person who attempts to use my words carefully, I also see the way the tools of the information age have created an age of misinformation. I saw this firsthand during the week I was writing this reflection which I will share below, but I share Luke Timothy Johnson’s view that, “We dwell in a virtual Babel of linguistic confusion and misdirection.” (NIB XII: 206) In the United States we have often highlighted the value of free speech, but I fear that we have rarely emphasized the responsibility of utilizing of freedom of speech in a way that builds up the community of faith and our surrounding world.

James’s words about the tongue are likely intended for his entire audience, but he is intentional in his decision to begin this section by addressing teachers in the community. Teachers, to utilize James’s metaphors, can be the bit and bridle which guide the community, the rudder that steers the ship of the church through the strong winds of the world or they can be the fire which burns the community to ash and ruins. They are not to be like some of the religious leaders that Jesus spoke against in Matthew’s gospel:

They love to have the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to have people call them rabbi.  But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers and sisters. Matthew 23: 6-8

If James is writing in the time leading up to the Jewish War where conflict was in the air and the wood is dry and easily kindled for revolution, it is probable that James, particularly with his words in the next section, is resisting those leaders in his community and in Judea who were using words to inflame. There have always been teachers who have used their words in irresponsible, uncaring, and hurtful ways but in times of conflict we often mistake cruelty and confidence for faith. James’s earlier words where faith is contrasted with doubt may lead some readers to mistakenly believe James advocates for this type of faith, but this chapter shows how mistaken that reading of James would be. Any leader who can bless God and curse people has missed what faith is for James. Faith for James does works born of gentleness and wisdom as the following section will highlight.

James can acknowledge that we all make mistakes, and that mistakes in speaking are perhaps the most difficult to restrain. James continues to utilize the Greek teleios (NRSVue mature, NRSV perfect)[1] which is a word of goal or destination. If you can restrain your words you are complete or whole or mature, and while words are important they need to be well chosen. James introduced this in chapter 1,[2] and now focuses his writing on several commonly used images for speech. Scot McKnight shows the way the metaphors that James uses are present in the writings of other ancient authors:

Plutarch compares words let loose to boats caught by winds that shipwreck and sparks caught by winds that set off fires…Philo connects horses and bits but what strikes the reader of his On the Creation is that these are set in a context of humans being made in God’s image and having the capacity to train animals. (83-86). In his Allegorical Interpretation of Genesis, Philo connects the rudder and boat to a mind set ablaze by irrational sense like fire (3.224). (McKnight, 2011, pp. 276-277)

Yet, James is also tapping into wisdom literature’s concern for the tongue. For example:

Lying lips conceal hatred, and whoever utters slander is a fool.  When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but the prudent are restrained in speech. The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; the mind of the wicked is of little worth. The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of sense. Proverbs 10: 18-21

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits. Proverbs 18:21

A person may make a slip without intending it. Who has not sinned with his tongue? Sirach 19:16[3]

Or in Matthew’s gospel:

I tell you, on the day of judgment you will have to give an account for every careless word you utter, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” Matthew 12: 36-37

Speech is important throughout both scripture and imagery related to speech and tongues abounds in the ancient world, but James’s words about the tongue still can shock. In James’s imagery the tongue seems to have a will of its own. As Joel Green notes:

We hear James’s charge that horses and ships can be controlled by the tongue seems out of control. Notice again James’s wording: “It boasts of great things” (and not, say, “With it we boast of great things”)—as if the tongue had a mind of its own. (Green, 2025, p. 102)

The word the NRSVue translates as ‘tame’ (damazo) is a word for subduing or restraining, and tame is probably a little weak in a context where the tongue is unrestrainable. The tongue can set ablaze, is a restless evil and full of deadly poison in what may be an echo of Psalm 140:3,       “They make their tongue sharp as a snake’s, and under their lips is the venom of vipers.” I’m writing this in the week before Pentecost when tongues of fire rested on the first apostles, but as Martha L. Moore-Keish aptly states:

at Pentecost, the tongues of fire were sent by God, empowering people to speak by the power of the Spirit. The question is: Whose fiery tongues are inspiring us? Whose words are we speaking? (Moore-Keish, 2019, p. 125)

Unrestrained tongues which can curse those made in God’s image are not inspired by the wisdom from above (as the next section discusses) but are earthly, unspiritual, and devilish. They are set on fire by hell/Gehenna[4] and bring death instead of life. Many may have grown up with the proverb, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” But James knows better, as does scripture. As Proverbs says, death and life are in the power of the tongue.

James has earlier discussed a double-minded faith and now talks about a contradictory action by the tongue which should be as impossible as both fresh and brackish water coming from the same spring at the same time. Here the tongue is used to bless God and curse people made in the likeness of God. Just as faith of Jesus is incompatible with favoritism to the rich, it is incompatible with cursing another person. James does not limit this cursing to the community of faith, for Jewish thought would say that all humanity, male and female, are formed in God’s image. Just as fig trees cannot bear olives or vineyards figs, so the tongue of a person of faith should only flow with blessings for both God and those formed in God’s image.

As I have sat with James’s words through this week, I have also had to sit with a heartbreaking image of how true James’s words are. My congregation is in Frisco, Texas a very diverse suburb of Dallas of approximately 250,000 people. Unlike many parts of Texas, the diversity in Frisco in heavily Asian, particularly Indian, in background and I will see people from my community playing cricket across the street from my church instead of football or baseball most Sunday mornings. Our congregation is situated next to a very large Hindu temple, and our communities have had an ongoing relationship and dialogue for eighteen years. But Frisco was also on the front page of the Dallas Morning News this morning for a contentious city council meeting on Tuesday night, which I was present for, where several individuals and groups unleashed their tongues in ways that were both painful and hateful. Some of these were people with authority over a church, others were people who called themselves Christian. Much of it was political theater and may have been motivated by envy or selfish ambition, and it did bring disorder and wickedness. It did not look like the fruits of wisdom that James discusses below. In James’s time and in ours not many should be leaders and those who are must continually learn to restrain their tongues and speak words of blessing instead of cursing.

[1] For a fuller discussion of teleios see my reflection on Perfection and Blamelessness in the Bible.

[2] James 1: 19, 26.

[3] See also Proverbs 12:18; 13:3; 16:27; 18:7, 21; 26: 21; Sirach 28: 13-14, 18-22.

[4] See my reflection on Gehenna, Tartaros, Sheol, Hades, and Hell for a fuller discussion of these terms in the New Testament.

James 2:14-26 Faith Without Works is Dead

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Stained Glass in Norwich Cathedral depicting St Paul, Christ (as Saviour of the world), and St James the Less. The lower panels show St Paul dictating, Jesus in the Temple, and St James at the Council of Jerusalem. The glass is by Wailes, 1852, and is in memory of James and Barbara Hales.

James 2: 14-26

  14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works? Surely that faith cannot save, can it? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,” and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? 17 So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.
  18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from works, and I by my works will show you faith. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder. 20 Do you want to be shown, you senseless person, that faith apart from works is worthless? 21 Was not our ancestor Abraham justified by works when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and by works faith was brought to completion. 23 Thus the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,” and he was called the friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 Likewise, was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by another road? 26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is also dead.

“Do this and you will live.” In Luke’s gospel these words come between the lawyer’s answer to what scripture says one must do to inherit eternal life[1] and Jesus’s parable commonly known as the Good Samaritan (Luke 10: 25-37). I reference the beginning of this well-known parable since it quotes both the commandment to love God and the love of neighbor, both of which occupy James’s attention throughout this chapter. A faith that merely knows about God for James is useless, impotent, empty, and ultimately dead.

Joel Green quotes the novelist Ursula Le Guin at the beginning of his commentary on James:

The fantasy novelist Ursula Le Guin wrote, “To learn a belief without belief is to sing a song without the tune.” She goes on: “A yielding, an obedience, a willingness to accept these notes as the right notes, this pattern as the true pattern, is the essential gesture of performance, translation, and understanding.” (Green, 2025, p. 1)

A faith that does not work on behalf of the vulnerable sister or brother may know the words of the song but it lacks the notes and the action to perform it faithfully. It may be able to echo the words of the Shema, that God is one, (Deuteronomy 6:4) but knowing God is one and loving God with all of one’s being are two different things. Stating one loves one’s neighbor and being unwilling to help the naked and hungry brother or sister would be the double-minded faith of the previous chapter.

I appreciate the inclusive goal of the NRSVue (and the NRSV that came before it) in translating the Greek adelphos as brothers and sisters, since James intends his words for both male and female listeners. Unfortunately, in verse fifteen we have one of the rare instances where the Greek does have both brothers and sisters (adelphos e adelphe) and it is likely that James wants us to intentionally focus on both men and especially women who are hungry and naked. Women had far fewer opportunities in the ancient world to provide for their needs and this is why widows in particular are linked with orphans and resident aliens throughout scriptures as a vulnerable and easily oppressed population.  James who previously stated that undefiled religion includes caring for the widows and orphans now links faith to the practices of neighbor love which provide for the needs of the naked and hungry men and women in their midst. Just as religion that does not care for widows and orphans is defiled for James, faith that merely says keep warm and eat your fill without acting in response to the needs of the neighbor is unable to save and dead.

James contrasts a faith which is merely knowledge with a faith that involves practices/works/ and deeds of mercy in a stark manner. Like wisdom literature often does we are given a choice between a wise path and a foolish path. For James the wise path is the path of the royal law of liberty, of Jesus, of Abraham and Rahab while the foolish path is that of demons. The demons know that God is one and tremble but they do not act in mercy or love toward the neighbor. James is trying to hammer the point home that faith merely as knowledge is worthless/ineffective[2] and reveals an empty[3] (NRSVue senseless) person.

James proceeds to his two examples: Abraham and Rahab. One man and one woman, one a central figure in the story of Israel and one an outsider who becomes a part of the community, but both who are reflected on in the Hebrew tradition as people who showed hospitality. Abraham is an obvious choice because of his central position in the story of the Jewish people and the likely use by people who James directs his letter at (see below). By referencing the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac to God in obedience to God’s instructions James may be attempting to link this action with loving God with all of one’s being. Abraham was a man of wealth who had slaves and flocks, but Rahab was a woman who lived on the edge of Jericho, a prostitute, and not a part of Israel when she shows hospitality to the Israelite spies in Joshua 2. Like the Samaritan in Jesus’s parable, she is the one who shows hospitality and mercy to God’s people in a moment of need and binds herself to God and God’s people by her actions. It is her actions (works) of hospitality (including protecting the spies) which link her to God’s community.

I want to be careful how I say this next piece because it could easily be misread, but I do think one of our mistakes as people who live in the aftermath of the optimistic view of the enlightenment, where we strive to create a better world and better society, is that we focus more on the systems that surround us than the vulnerable ones in our midst. As a Lutheran Christian I am a part of the magisterial reformation which attempted to have the church partner with the government to shape a better world. This is not a bad thing, but it is also not what James is thinking of. Luke Timothy Johnson is worth quoting at length here:

James does not rail against an economic system that oppresses the poor. Instead, he calls precisely for the formation of communities gathered by the faith of Jesus in which the poor are honored and cared for by others who are themselves “poor” in the eyes of the world. Nor does James suggest the those who are impoverished need to be relieved of their poverty before they can claim human dignity. Just the opposite. The poor have been chosen by God to be the heirs of the kingdom. To say that the poor need to get possessions to become more fully human is to accept the equation of being and having characteristic of the world. For James the hope of the poor is the God who gives every perfect gift without grudging, and a crown of glory to those who love God (1:12). (NIB XII: 200-201) emphasis mine.

Or in the words of José Antonio Olivar’s song “Cuando el pobre (When the Poor Ones”:

           When the poor ones, who have nothing, still are giving;

          when the thirsty pass the cup, water to share;

when the wounded offer others strength and healing:

          We see God, here by our side, walking our way;

          we see God, here by our side, walking our way.[4]

James does not wait for the members of his community to be wealthy before they care for the needs of the hungry, naked, and vulnerable. In James’s view this community which may have nothing still is giving and God is there providing in their poverty and walking with them in the way.

This is also the appropriate spot to discuss the different ways Paul and James deploy similar vocabulary in a very different manner for different communities and issues. Paul in Galatians 2 mentions James (along with Cephas/Peter and John) as one of the pillars of the community that sends him to the Gentiles (Galatians 2:9) only asking that he remember the poor. Some time afterward “some people from James” cause Cephas to stop eating with the Gentiles (for fear of the circumcision faction) which leads Paul to confront Cephas. In Galatians 3, along with Romans 4, Paul argues for faith in contrast to the works of the law. It is worth noting that the ‘works’ Paul is arguing against are the boundary markers like circumcision and dietary restrictions, items which James never addresses in his letter. Just as Paul dealt with ‘people from James’ it is likely that James is dealing with followers of Paul whose language of faith without works, and even Paul’s utilization of Abraham as an example of this saving faith may be causing a different problem among the Christians in the communities James is addressing. Paul and James would agree that the poor and the vulnerable are both worthy of respect[5] and should be cared for within the community. The differences between Paul and James in their language have often obscured the strong resonances that both share. These two early church leaders conducted their ministry in different communities, and both were concerned in shaping practices of faith with different challenges.

[1] The Greek zoea ion which is rendered ‘eternal life’ in most English translations, but I do not believe that is what the gospels are trying to communicate. See my discussion on Afterlife, Eternal Life, and the Kingdom of God.

[2] The Greek arge is the opposite of the Greek word erge (work/deed) [a + erge] and this is part of the wordplay that James is utilizing

[3] Kenos primary meaning is empty. It can be used metaphorically for senseless or foolish.

[4] Translated by Martin A. Seltz in Evangelical Lutheran Worship. Hymn 725.

[5] See for example Paul’s condemnation of those in Corinth whose practices at the Lord’s Supper, “show contempt for the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing.” 1 Corinthians 11: 22.

James 1: 9-15 Blessings in a World of Reversals

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Texas Bluebonnets South of Dallas, TX in 2012. Photo by Jeffrey Pang, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=26289586

James 1: 9-15

  9 Let the brother or sister of humble means boast in having a high position 10 and the rich in having been humbled, because the rich will disappear like a flower in the field. 11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the field; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. It is the same way with the rich; in the midst of a busy life, they will wither away.
  12 Blessed is anyone who endures temptation. Such a one has stood the test and will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. 13 No one, when tempted, should say, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted by evil and he himself tempts no one. 14 But one is tempted by one’s own desire, being lured and enticed by it; 15 then, when desire has conceived, it engenders sin, and sin, when it is fully grown, gives birth to death.

The message of Jesus in the gospels is full of reversals where the lowly are brought high and the mighty are brought low. The song of Mary, the Magnificat, in Luke 1:46-55 is a prime example of this theme:

He has brought down the powerful from their thrones and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty. Luke 1: 52-53

Scot McKnight makes an interesting note on the childhood experience of Jesus and James, assuming James the brother of Jesus as the author of the letter:

If there is any truth to the tradition that Joseph died and left Mary a widow, James would have been part of a family in stress, and that might help explain why James sees pure religion as caring for the poor and widows (James 1:26-27). (McKnight, 2011, p. 16)

Jesus would continually use the language of reversal where the first are last and the last are first,[1] and the exalted are humbled and the humbled exalted.[2] This section also resonates strongly with Jesus’s teaching not to worry about food and drink and clothing in the Sermon on the Mount.[3] The rich disappear like the flowers of the field, just as Solomon in all his glory is not clothed like the flowers of the field. For James’s wisdom does not trust in the position and grandeur that comes from wealth, these are only transitory things which are untrustworthy and wither away. Just as Jesus could tell his disciples that one cannot serve God and wealth (Mammon), James tells the recipients of this letter that the rich will be humbled but the humble will be lifted up to a high position. The God who provides for the birds of the air and the flowers of the field provides for the brother and sister of humble means while the rich are tempted to serve wealth as their master and order their lives according to the kingdom of Mammon.

The word ‘blessed’ in verse twelve continues to indicate that James is following the pattern of Hebrew wisdom literature. The Greek Makarios is the same term used in the Beatitudes of the Sermon on the Mount and is the Greek term which translates the Hebrew ‘asre (or ‘ashrei) often rendered ‘happy’ in most translations. The word means blessed, happy, or contented and is frequently used in wisdom literature. Here those who endure temptation or testing (Greek periasmos)[4] are happy/blessed. In a similar pattern to the Beatitudes, James lifts up something that normally is not considered blessed (enduring temptation/testing) and then indicates the reward (receiving the crown of life). Yet, James is also concerned that people understand that, in his view, God is not the cause of the temptation but instead the temptation comes from a misdirected desire. On the one hand there are points in the Old Testament where God clearly does test God’s people, and throughout many portions of the Old Testament God is responsible for both the good things that happen and the bad things that happen. As I mention in my reflection on A Split in the Identity of God this perspective evolves and by the time of the New Testament there are forces, like the devil and demons, actively opposed to God’s will for the world. Yet for James the temptation is due to one’s own desire. The word translated by the NRSVue as ‘desire’ (epithumias) in moral discourse has a negative sense of ‘evil desire’ or ‘craving.’ (Green, 2025, p. 40) This is a misplaced desire. Desire can be rightly placed on God, like in Psalm 42, “As the deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you.” Here desire has been corrupted and longs for things that are not God. Like the adulterous, loose, dangerous woman in Proverbs 5,6, and 7 who is opposed to lady wisdom and lures the growing child into a dangerous liaison, now a personified desire seduces the unwise and gives birth to a child names sin who births a child named death. In contrast to the temptations/testing of faith which leads to endurance and endurance completes its work so that the person may be complete, the temptation/testing of one’s desire leads to sin which leads to death. One path leads to wisdom, completion, and life while the other leads to foolishness, sin, and death. James, like Paul, personifies sin, death, and desire. Despite the sexual metaphor of desire conceiving sin which conceives death it is telling that in James’s letter sexual activity is not an area where he counsels his audience.

[1] Matthew 20:16.

[2] Matthew 23:12; Luke 14:11; 18:14.

[3] Matthew 6: 25-34.

[4] The NRSVue is consistent in translating periasmos as temptation, while many translations alternate between testing and temptation for the word.

James 1: 1-8 The Wisdom of the Letter of James

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Jan Hus Memorial at Old Town Square in Prague built in 1915. Photo by Jorge Royan. Shared under CC BY-SA 3.0

James 1: 1-8

Words highlighted have notes below on translation.

 1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
  To the twelve tribes in the dispersion:
  Greetings.
  2 My brothers and sisters, whenever you face various trials, consider it all joy, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance complete its work, so that you may be complete and whole, lacking in nothing.
  5 If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you. 6 But ask in faith, never doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. 7, 8 For the doubter, being double-minded and unstable in every way, must not expect to receive anything from the Lord.

James, the author of the letter, has traditionally been understood as James the Just or James the brother of our Lord who was one of the influential early leaders of the church in Jerusalem.[1] Throughout this reflection my assumption will be that this is an early Christian letter, written in a similar time period to the letters of Paul, from a leader of the church in Jerusalem to the Jewish followers of Jesus scattered throughout the world. James introduces himself as a servant (literally slave in Greek) of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. Although the translation of the Greek doulos as ‘servant’ in most English translations makes sense, especially with the history of how slaves were treated in the United States, it is worth noting that most of the apostles claim to be slaves/servants of Christ or God. In the ancient world a slave could exercise authority on behalf of their master, yet unlike a servant who is employed and can quit a slave was owned by the household. From a contemporary perspective in an individualistic society where personal freedom is highly valued it is worth being reminded that in the ancient world you were always bound to your family or the household you served. I do think for James the sense of obedience and servitude are an important part of how he sees the life of wisdom.

James and the author of 1 Peter are the only two New Testament authors to address their letters to the diaspora. Although at the time of the writing of James, assuming that the biblical James is the author, Israel and Jerusalem are not yet in rebellion against Rome, there are still more Jews living outside of Palestine in the diaspora than who live inside it. (Moore-Keish, 2019, pp. 20-21) At this early time, prior to 62 CE when James the Just is killed, the boundaries between Judaism and Christianity are still porous and many of the early followers of the way of Jesus Christ considered themselves a part of the Jewish people. Yet, there is also throughout the New Testament an adoption of the titles and language used for the Jewish people throughout the Old Testament to speak about the role of the new followers of Jesus throughout the church. Although James is writing in a manner that is highly reflective of the Hebrew Scriptures and Torah obedience, it is also likely that his audience may also include the churches of Paul and others among the Gentiles. James never mentions Sabbath-keeping, circumcision, or diet. Like the Gospel of Matthew, James attempts to write about a faith that is connected with Torah observance the letter is also shaped by a merciful reading of scripture which is shaped by both the teachings of Jesus and the prophetic witness before him.

Most modern translations will translate the Greek adelphos/adelphoi with ‘brothers and sisters’ rather than the generic ‘brother/brothers’ since James was addressing both men and women with the letter. What immediately strikes me as we enter into the letter of James is the way many of the early Christian writers are sharing a common vocabulary as they address the new followers of the way of Jesus Christ. James’s brief encouragement to find joy in their trials echoes Jesus’s words in the Sermon on the Mount:

“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5: 11-12

Although James has been often read in opposition to Paul, his language throughout this letter often uses the same language and rhythms as Paul. Here in verses three and four you can see a similar pattern in Paul’s letter to the Romans:

And not only that, but we also boast in our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance,  and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,  and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. Romans 5: 3-5[2]

In verse four we have the first appearance in the letter of the Greek teleios (NRSVue ‘mature’/NRSV ‘perfect’). This is an important word for James; the word is used twenty times in the New Testament; five of those uses occur in this short letter. Additionally, James utilized both the verbal form teleo twice and the substantive telos once. (Moore-Keish, 2019, p. 28) When I was working through Matthew’s gospel this was a word I wrestled with because I don’t believe that the word intends the sense of moral perfection that is often read into it.[3] Teleios is a word of destination and completion, and I like the NRSVue’s adoption of ‘mature’ for this word. James does want his readers to live a complete and mature life shaped by the path of God’s wisdom.

The letter of James shares many similarities with the wisdom literature in the Old Testament with its interest in shaping a life that is faithful to God’s intent as outlined in the law. Wisdom literature often contrasts the path of wisdom with the opposing path of foolishness. James contrasts the single-minded way of faith with the double-minded way of doubt. Faith and doubt are opposing ideas in James, and I believe that Joel B. Green captures the essence of James’s thought when he states that for James, “faith has more the sense of confidence.” (Green, 2025, p. 30) In the Gospel of Matthew ,faith had more the sense of openness and in Matthew’s gospel worship and doubt often coexisted, but James is approaching faith and doubt as opposites. James’s definition of faith is, ironically, incredibly close to Luther’s famous explanation of the first commandment, “We are to fear, love, and trust God above all things.” Faith and wisdom are a single-minded confidence in God and God’s ways. For those lacking in wisdom they are told to ask God confidently for the wisdom they need to lack nothing. The parallel use of ‘lacking nothing’ in verse four and ‘lacking wisdom’ five form an interesting parallel between ‘enduring trials’ and ‘asking God for wisdom.’

James targets those among his readers whose practice does not match their profession. They are double-minded because they want to be friends of God and friends of the world at the same time. (NIB XII:182) James’s thoughts echo Jesus’s words contrasting between those who try to serve two masters,[4] and it is telling that Jesus is contrasting those who serve God and wealth as James is about to contrast those of humble means and the rich.  

Martha L. Moore-Keish quotes a portion from the final letter of the Jan Hus, a reformer in Czechoslovakia (1369-1415) before he was burned at the stake that I want to close this portion of the reflection with because it wrestles with the themes of James in the concrete moment of temptation/trial:

Surely it is difficult to rejoice without perturbation, and to esteem it all joy in various temptations. It is easy to talk about it and to expound it, but difficult to fulfill it. Even the most patient and valiant soldier, knowing that on third day He would rise, conquering by His death the enemies and redeeming the elect from damnation, after the Last Supper was troubled in spirit…O most kind Christ, draw us weaklings after Thyself, for unless Thou draw us, we cannot follow Thee! Give us a courageous spirit that it may be ready; and if the flesh is weak, may Thy grace go before, now, as well as subsequently. For without Thee we can do nothing, and particularly to go to a cruel death for Thy sake. Give us a valiant spirit, a fearless heart, the right faith, a firm hope, and perfect love, that we may offer our lives for Thy sake with the greatest patience and joy. Jan Hus, from a letter written just prior to his being burned at the stake on July 6, 1415. (Moore-Keish, 2019, p. 25)

[1] Mark 6:3 indicates that Jesus has two brothers, James and Joses. James as a leader of the early church is mentioned in Acts 12:17; James plays a pivotal role in the Jerusalem council in Acts 15 (see verse 13) as well as meeting with Paul when he returns to Jerusalem in Acts 21: 17-26. Throughout Acts James is one of the leaders of the church and he often acts in a conciliatory manner between the church in Jerusalem and the Hellenistic mission of Paul and others. In Paul’s letter to the Galatians, James seems to have enough influence and power to make Peter change his behavior.

[2] See also 1 Peter 1: 6-7:  In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith—being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

[3] See my reflection on Matthew 5: 33-48 and Perfection and Blamelessness in the Bible.

[4] Matthew 6:24.

Psalm 128 A Blessed Life for the Man, His Family, and His Society

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Parents with child statue, Hrobákova street, Petržalka, Bratislava By Kelovy – Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1622776

Psalm 128

A Song of Ascents.

1 Happy is everyone who fears the LORD,
  who walks in his ways.
 2 You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands;
  you shall be happy, and it shall go well with you.

 3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
  within your house;
 your children will be like olive shoots
  around your table.
 4 Thus shall the man be blessed
  who fears the LORD.

 5 The LORD bless you from Zion.
  May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
  all the days of your life.
 6 May you see your children’s children.
  Peace be upon Israel!

Bolded words have notes on translation below.

In contrast to the individualistic ways that most people of the modern west conceptualize their world, for most ancient societies and religions the primary unit is not the individual but the family. A good life started with a prospering family and then extended to the prosperity of the city and then to the nation. This way of thinking is reflected in this psalm about a blessed life for a man, his family, Jerusalem, and all Israel. This is a wisdom psalm as the key word happy (Hebrew ‘asre) should alert us.[1] Psalms 127 and 128 share several frequently used wisdom words along with the conception that following the path of wisdom leads to a prosperous household.

Fearing the LORD and walking in the way of the LORD leads to happiness/contentment and enjoying the fruit of their labor. Ecclesiastes may believe that the labor/toil we do is vanity, but even Ecclesiastes can state:

There is nothing better for mortals than to eat and drink and find enjoyment in their toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment? For to the one who pleases him God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he gives the work of gathering and heaping, only to give to one who pleases God. This also is vanity and a chasing after wind. Ecclesiastes 2: 24-26

The contentment is not merely for the man (literally mighty one, Hebrew gibbor)[2] but for the entire household. Grape vines and olive trees are two of the critical agricultural products of Israel. The metaphorical linking of the fruitfulness of the land to the wife (or wives) and children of the man coincides with the view that children are a sign of blessing and barrenness is a sign of disfavor.

The blessing of this ‘mighty one’ and their family now is extended to Jerusalem and Israel. Jerusalem is the place where the temple of the LORD resides and where the hoped for blessing would originate from on earth, and the psalmist desires to hearer to see the prosperity (Hebrew tob, literally goodness) of the city throughout their life. Seeing grandchildren is a sign of old age acquired and a family which continues to grow. The psalm ends with the desire of peace (shalom) resting on Israel. The man (mighty one) has received a blessed life for himself, his family, and for his society.

Psalm 128 shares a common worldview with Martin Luther’s explanation of the first commandment as, “We are to fear, love, and trust God above all things.” Fearing the LORD and walking in the ways of the LORD in biblical thought leads to prosperity. There are righteous people who suffer, who may be barren, and the wicked do sometimes prosper, but for the psalms the belief that God will provide for the faithful is fundamental. The stated blessing in this psalm echoes the idea of peace represented in the words of the prophet Micah:

but they shall all sit under their own vines and under their own fig trees, and no one shall make them afraid, for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken. Micah 4:4

It sharply contrasts with the judgment on Cain in Genesis 4:

And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you till the ground, it will no longer yield to you its strength; you will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.” Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is greater than I can bear! Today you have driven me away from the soil, and I shall be hidden from your face; I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and anyone who meets me may kill me.” Genesis 4: 11-14

At a fundamental level what the scriptures consider wisdom is simple: fearing the LORD and walking in his ways. Following this path entrusts one’s life, one’s family, and one’s society into the hands of God. The faithful one’s throughout the Jewish and Christian story have entrusted God can care for their life, their family and the world around them.

[1] The Hebrew ‘asre is frequently an indicator of wisdom literature. We may not think of happy or blessed in this way, but for Hebrew writers this is a common word when talking about the path of wisdom. Wisdom writers can interchange the idea of happiness and wisdom, see for example the way Psalm 110:10; Proverbs 1:7; 9:10 can pair wisdom with the fear of the LORD. Walter Brueggemann and William Bellinger, Jr. say of ‘asre, “The term introduces an observation about living: one who walks or lives in ways in line with YHWH’s purposes find wholeness. (Bellinger, 2014, p. 545)

[2] Hebrew gibbor which can refer to physical strength or the economic strength to equip oneself and a group for combat. Ruth 4:11 uses this term for economic ability in reference to Boaz.

Psalm 125 A Place Where Righteousness Can Flourish

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The Judean Hills viewed from the Dead Sea By Kreecher at Russian Wikipedia – Transferred from ru.wikipedia to Commons., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4241172

Psalm 125

A Song of Ascents.

1 Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion,
  which cannot be moved but abides forever.
 2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
  so the LORD surrounds his people
  from this time on and forevermore.
 3 For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest
  on the land allotted to the righteous,
 so that the righteous might not stretch out
  their hands to do wrong.
 4 Do good, O LORD, to those who are good
  and to those who are upright in their hearts.
 5 But those who turn aside to their own crooked ways,
  the Lord will lead away with evildoers.
  Peace be upon Israel!

Bolded words have notes on translation below.

Underlying the wisdom of the psalter is the conviction that God is trustworthy. Those who trust in the LORD become like the one that they trust in the metaphors of this psalm. Jerusalem, the temple, and Mount Zion were viewed as being a place protected by God an idea echoed by Psalm 46: 5,” The LORD is in the midst of the city, it shall not be moved.” Zion as a focal point of hope was likely increased in the aftermath of Sennacherib’s unsuccessful siege of Jerusalem in the time of King Hezekiah/Uzziah (2 Kings 18–20). Mount Zion is in the psalm an immovable object and now those who trust in the LORD in the metaphor are also immovable. Yet they are not immovable because they stand on their own but instead, they are surrounded by the LORD’s presence perpetually just as Mount Zion is surrounded by even higher mountains particularly in the east. God is trustworthy and those who trust in God are able to stand fast because they are surrounded by God’s protection and strength.

The Hebrew particle ki which begins verse three indicates a strong contrast between the forces of wickedness and the righteous. I like Nancy deClaissé-Walford’s translation of this verse as “Surely the tribe of the wicked ones will not rest upon the inheritance of the righteous.” (Nancy deClaisse-Walford, 2014, p. 901) which captures several elements of the Hebrew. Some scholars have viewed verse three as indicating a post-exilic era since might indicate a time when ‘the wicked’ dominated the inheritance of ‘the righteous’ but I think the easier reading is to assume a pre-exilic time among a people who believe that God’s defense of the land and the city will never change. The land was a breathing space for the righteous to learn how to live free from the pressures of the wicked world around them. Jerusalem and Mount Zion became a safe space where the righteous were protected from the wicked.

The basic wisdom themes of the LORD watching over the life of the good and leading away the wicked and evildoers is a central theme of the psalms beginning with Psalm 1. The sovereignty, strength, and protection of God over the city was to create a space where righteousness could flourish. Yet the practice of life in Jerusalem in 1&2 Kings and 1&2 Chronicles tells a less rosy story of the city of peace which rested on Mount Zion. As I was thinking about this psalm I was reminded of the opening lines of a Paramore song from 2009 “Turn it Off.” “I scraped my knees while I was praying/ And found a demon in my safest haven.” The people of God have often dreamed of space of safety and well-being, and it is shattering when those places become corrupted. For the prophets that was their understanding of why Jerusalem did not endure on Mount Zion forever, and it is a warning for any place of God that allows the scepter or tribe of wickedness to have power over the righteous ones. The pilgrims of the Songs of Ascent have come seeking a safe space where they can live in righteousness surrounded and protected by the LORD. Those charged with leading places where people gather to worship bear a responsibility in partnership with God to make these places of peace where the righteous are protected. Israel has rarely known peace and as I write these words it is currently at war along with the United States against Iran. Yet I long, along with these pilgrims from long ago, for shalom (peace) for Israel, shalom for those who gather to seek the LORD in churches and synagogues and other holy spaces, and peace for the righteous and the upright in heart.

Psalm 112 An Authentic Life Shaped by Wisdom

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The Presentation of the Torah By Édouard Moyse – Own work Musée d’art et d’histoire du Judaïsme, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=41893002

Psalm 112 

1Praise the LORD! Happy are those who fear the LORD, who greatly delight in his commandments.
2Their descendants will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.
3Wealth and riches are in their houses, and their righteousness endures forever.
4They rise in the darkness as a light for the upright; they are gracious, merciful, and righteous.
5It is well with those who deal generously and lend, who conduct their affairs with justice.
6For the righteous will never be moved; they will be remembered forever.
7They are not afraid of evil tidings; their hearts are firm, secure in the LORD.
8Their hearts are steady, they will not be afraid; in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.
9They have distributed freely, they have given to the poor; their righteousness endures forever; their horn is exalted in honor.
10The wicked see it and are angry; they gnash their teeth and melt away; the desire of the wicked comes to nothing.

Psalm 112 and Psalm 111 share a lot of commonalities. Both are acrostic poems with each cola beginning with successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. They share commonalities in vocabulary[1] with each other and with wisdom literature in general. If Psalm 111 is the beginning of wisdom then Psalm 112 would be a life lived in wisdom. The fear of the LORD[2] here leads to a delighting in the commandments of the LORD and a life that is authentic and in harmony with God, society, and the creation.

Like Psalm 111 and 113, the first word of the psalm is Hallelujah (NRSV Praise the LORD). The acrostic poem begins with the second word asre (NRSV happy) which is a common indicator of wisdom literature. Like Psalm 1, which also begins with asre we are examining the contrast between a righteous life in harmony with God’s will for the world and a wicked life in conflict with God’s will. The Hebrew asre often translated ‘happy’ or ‘blessed’ or even ‘contented’ but the concept in Hebrew thought is closer to ‘wholeness’ or ‘completeness.’ This integrated life is a life of shalom, itself a word that has a much larger function than the standard English translation of peace. The way of wholeness and completeness is the way of wisdom. Those who ‘fear’ the LORD greatly delight in the LORD’s commandments. This is not a burdensome set of commands but the boundaries which provide the safe space where an individual can live a whole and integrated life.

The blessings of this whole person reflect the ideals of Hebrew thought. Abraham when he begins his journey with God is promised descendants, a blessing, house, land and prosperity and through his household all the nations will be blessed. For the ‘happy’ ones who follow the way of wisdom their descendants are mighty, their generation is blessed, their households are prosperous, and their righteousness endures. The Hebrew scriptures trust that God will provide for the righteous ones who follow God’s ways. Those who fear, love, and trust the LORD above all things will find that they have enough and even an abundance beyond what they need.

These wise and righteous ones reflect the God who they worship and serve. In Psalm 111 the LORD’s righteousness endures forever, and in verse three now the righteousness of these ‘happy’ ones endures forever. In Psalm 111 God was characterized as gracious and merciful and now these ones who fear the LORD are also gracious, merciful, and righteous. They become the image of the LORD they fear, obey, and worship. They become a light that reflects the light of the LORD for the upright in the darkness of the world.

This life of faithfulness is a life of generosity. They do not hoard what they have but deal generously and lend. They distribute freely and give to the poor trusting that God will provide what they need. They conduct their affairs in justice/righteousness[3] and that justice/righteousness has a gracious and merciful character. Their practices remain constant throughout their lives and they are examples who are remembered of a life well lived. They trust in the LORD and even in evil/wicked times they remain secure in their trust. Their horn, which is reflective of power and status, is exalted in honor.

In classical wisdom literature duality these ‘happy’ ones are contrasted with the wicked. The wise and the wicked are opposing ways of life. The wise life is generous and merciful while the wicked one does not care for the poor, does not live generously, and may aggressively attempt to take advantage of both the vulnerable and the generous righteous ones. Yet, the anger and aggression of the wicked melts away before the sustaining power of the LORD that the wise ones fear. The desire of the wicked comes to nothing.[4]

The way of wisdom in the Hebrew scriptures is a way of life that lives in harmony with God’s commandments. The law and wisdom are connected in Hebrew thought. The law provides the vision of a society where the weak are protected and harmony and peace are possible. A way that is wise fears and reverences the LORD, the God of Israel and reflects the generous and merciful nature of that God. It trusts that even when the wicked seem to prosper that their foolish path will lead to their demise.

[1] Nancy deClaissé-Walford notes eleven key terms and phrases that occur in both relatively short psalms including: fear, delight in, upright, good, gracious, merciful, righteousness, remember, steady, give, and for all time. (Nancy deClaisse-Walford, 2014, p. 843)

[2] See the discussion of the Hebrew word yare translated fear in English in my notes on Psalm 111.

[3] The Hebrew tsaddik is a key idea in the Hebrew Scriptures. Both justice and righteousness emerge from the family of terms in Hebrew, like the Greek dikaios/dikaisune.

[4] This is the same word that ends Psalm 1, ‘abad which means to perish.

Psalm 111 The Beginning of Wisdom

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An Old Woman Reading, Probably the Prophetess Hannah by Rembrandt (1631)

Psalm 111

1Praise the LORD! I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation.
2Great are the works of the LORD, studied by all who delight in them.
3Full of honor and majesty is his work, and his righteousness endures forever.
4He has gained renown by his wonderful deeds; the LORD is gracious and merciful.
5He provides food for those who fear him; he is ever mindful of his covenant.
6He has shown his people the power of his works, in giving them the heritage of the nations.
7The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy.
8They are established forever and ever, to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness.
9He sent redemption to his people; he has commanded his covenant forever. Holy and awesome is his name.
10The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever.

The next three psalms all begin with the word Hallelujah.[1] Psalms 111 and 112 are also acrostic poems with each cola[2] beginning alphabetically with the next letter of the Hebrew alphabet (after the initial Hallelujah). Most previous acrostic poems have been by verse, but here there are twenty-two cola after the initial word. The acrostic form was used in the book of Lamentations to provide a sense of order to the disordered world of the poet, but in the Psalms acrostic poems are often used to focus on wisdom, describing how life should be lived. For most Hebrew people the organizing center of wisdom is the law (torah) which will be the focus of the acrostic of acrostic poems, Psalm 119. For Psalm 111 the beginning of wisdom is the fear (see below) of the LORD and that is organized around the ‘works of the LORD’ and the ‘works of the people’ in response to the LORD.

A key word for the poem is ‘works’ (Hebrew ma’asim) which occurs in verses 2, 6, and 7 with the same root being used in 4 (NRSV wonderful deeds) and a synonym being used in verse 3. Then the same word is used in verse 8 and 10 (NRSV practice, perform) for the faithful ones responding to the work of the LORD. Wisdom here is recognizing the ‘works of the LORD’s hands’ which are established ‘forever and ever’ and ‘working’ in faithfulness and uprightness. The psalmist when referring to the ‘wonderful deeds’ of God likely has in mind the defining story of the Hebrew people, the exodus where God brings the people out of Egypt and into the promised land.[3] Yet, God’s provision of food, mindfulness to the covenant, demonstrating God’s power before the nations, and granting the people a heritage or inheritance from the nations is an ongoing action. God is known by what ‘works’ God has done, or as Philip Melanchthon would famously say in the 1500s, “that to know Christ is to know his benefits.” (Melanchthon, 2014, p. 24)

The best-known line of this psalm is “the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.” The Hebrew word for fear (yare’) encompasses a larger meaning than our English fear. As Nancy deClassé-Walford states it also means:

“awe, reverent, respect, honor.” It appears in Hebrew as a synonym for “love.” (‘ahab, Deut 10:12); “cling to” (dabaq, Deut 10:20); and “serve” (‘abad, Deut 6:13; Josh 24:14) (Nancy deClaisse-Walford, 2014, p. 841)

Knowing the ‘works’ of God and performing these works should lead to honor and awe, respect and honor, service and love. Wisdom that has good understanding can, to use Martin Luther’s explanation of the first commandment, “fear, love, and trust God above all things.” The ‘fear of the LORD’ leads the poet to ‘give thanks to the LORD with their whole heart.’ This is what a wisely practiced life looks like.

[1] ‘Praise the LORD” (NRSV). Hallelujah is a compound word of the verb to praise (hallel) and the first half of the name of God (yah from Yahweh). Some scholars believe that the final verse of Psalm 113 was originally the opening verse of Psalm 114 which would make four psalms which begin with Hallelujah, but as we have received the text we have three psalms beginning with Hallelujah and with Psalm 113 opening and closing with the word.

[2] Hebrew poetry breaks lines into cola. This is often reflected in the printing of poetic portions of scripture in how they are displayed. Psalm 111 in most bibles is easily divided this way because each on begins alphabetically with the next letter of the Hebrew alphabet (excluding verse 1a ‘Hallelujah’). In this poem the cola are marked by punctuation (comma, semi-colon, or period).

[3] Wonderful deed (Hebrew nipla’ot) is often used to refer to God’s works at that time (Exodus 3:20; 15:11; Psalm 77: 11, 14). (NIB IV:1133)

Ezekiel 33 The Beginning of Ezekiel’s Role After Jerusalem’s Fall

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Poole, Paul Falconer; Sketch for ‘Vision of Ezekiel’; Tate; http://www.artuk.org/artworks/sketch-for-vision-of-ezekiel-201293

Chapter 33 of Ezekiel functions structurally as a hinge between the judgment of the previous thirty two chapters and the messages of hope that much of the remaining fourteen chapters involve. This chapter rearticulates numerous themes from throughout the early chapters but also helps to prepare us for the changed situation as the majority of the people find themselves in exile. Like the other biblical prophets, the movement to hope does not mean an abandonment of their message God’s desired repentance.

Ezekiel 33: 1-9 The Sentinel for the People

1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 O Mortal, speak to your people and say to them, If I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take one of their number as their sentinel; 3 and if the sentinel sees the sword coming upon the land and blows the trumpet and warns the people; 4 then if any who hear the sound of the trumpet do not take warning, and the sword comes and takes them away, their blood shall be upon their own heads. 5 They heard the sound of the trumpet and did not take warning; their blood shall be upon themselves. But if they had taken warning, they would have saved their lives. 6 But if the sentinel sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any of them, they are taken away in their iniquity, but their blood I will require at the sentinel’s hand.

7 So you, mortal, I have made a sentinel for the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. 8 If I say to the wicked, “O wicked ones, you shall surely die,” and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from their ways, the wicked shall die in their iniquity, but their blood I will require at your hand. 9 But if you warn the wicked to turn from their ways, and they do not turn from their ways, the wicked shall die in their iniquity, but you will have saved your life.

This rearticulation of Ezekiel’s role as a sentinel to the people of Israel echoes a similar passage in Ezekiel 3: 16-20. The word for sentinel in Hebrew (sopeh) comes from the shofar (trumpet/horn) which the watcher would blow. Ezekiel’s warning to the wicked and even the righteous may not be heeded, but he is under an obligation to sound the alarm announcing God’s judgment regardless. Both Hosea and Jeremiah[1] have performed this role of sounding a trumpet in the land or acting as a sentinel before and even if the people do not heed the trumpet call. Yet the prophet’s calling is to raise the alarm even if the people ignore the sound.

The wicked and the righteous are a common polarity used throughout wisdom literature, and Ezekiel who likely grew up schooled to be a priest was likely familiar with this way of engaging the world. Ezekiel uses the term wicked (rasa) more than any prophetic book, but the character of God is to desire repentance even among the wicked. The prophet is not to judge the worthiness of the recipients of God’s alarm but to raise the sound that they may hear. Even those who were once righteous but who commit iniquity are not exempt from God’s judgment. The ‘stumbling block’ (miksol) is “not an occasion for sin but a cause of downfall and ruin.” (NIB VI: 1135) As Katheryn Pfisterer Darr states about Ezekiel’s task,

His life depends solely on his performance of the task; it does not hang on the people’s response. Lives may be saved as a result of his warning. But Ezekiel is not told to hold that possibility before his audience. (NIB VI: 1135)

Like his older contemporary Jeremiah[2] he is charged with bearing an unpopular message to resistant people. Yet, as mentioned above the prophet is not in control. Ezekiel is called as a sentinel to the people, but his call does not come from the people. The words he is to speak are not his words, he is animated by a spirit not his own, and God’s hand will be upon him. Any unfaithfulness of Ezekiel will not save the wicked or righteous, but they will endanger the prophet.

Ezekiel 33: 10-20 The Justice of God’s Ways

10 Now you, mortal, say to the house of Israel, Thus you have said: “Our transgressions and our sins weigh upon us, and we waste away because of them; how then can we live?” 11 Say to them, As I live, says the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from their ways and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways; for why will you die, O house of Israel? 12 And you, mortal, say to your people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not save them when they transgress; and as for the wickedness of the wicked, it shall not make them stumble when they turn from their wickedness; and the righteous shall not be able to live by their righteousness when they sin. 13 Though I say to the righteous that they shall surely live, yet if they trust in their righteousness and commit iniquity, none of their righteous deeds shall be remembered; but in the iniquity that they have committed they shall die. 14 Again, though I say to the wicked, “You shall surely die,” yet if they turn from their sin and do what is lawful and right — 15 if the wicked restore the pledge, give back what they have taken by robbery, and walk in the statutes of life, committing no iniquity — they shall surely live, they shall not die. 16 None of the sins that they have committed shall be remembered against them; they have done what is lawful and right, they shall surely live.

17 Yet your people say, “The way of the Lord is not just,” when it is their own way that is not just. 18 When the righteous turn from their righteousness, and commit iniquity, they shall die for it. 19 And when the wicked turn from their wickedness, and do what is lawful and right, they shall live by it. 20 Yet you say, “The way of the Lord is not just.” O house of Israel, I will judge all of you according to your ways!

This is the first time we have a confession of sin from the house of Israel in Ezekiel. The people have come a long way from when Ezekiel and other prophets were mocked for their words of doom that had not transpired. Now we hear, through Ezekiel, of a realization by the people that their actions have led to the deathlike state they inhabit.  They are weighed down by their sin and it has caused them to waste away[3] and they openly ask how they can live under the weight of their actions. This plaintive cry fits within the Hebrew tradition of lament to attempt to mobilize the God of Israel to bring about their deliverance from the deathlike state of exile. The answer that God grants through the prophet has a hopeful element to it that is often missed.

God’s response begins with the ‘oath of denial’ (NIB VI: 1446) “As I live” which places the trustworthiness of these words in connection with God’s life. The God of Israel immediately declares that God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked and argues in a manner similar to Ezekiel 18. This may indeed be good news for people who are finally willing to accept responsibility for their previous actions and who are willing to turn from their past wickedness and embrace the way of righteousness. There is an opportunity for those who previously ignored their sentinel and continued in the ways of wickedness to turn and have their sins no longer remembered against them.

Throughout the book of Ezekiel the prophet has argued for the ‘justness’ of God. The current generation look at God’s patience with previous generations who continued to live in the land while they sinned and may have viewed their generation as bearing the judgment of their ancestors. Yet, for Ezekiel, God is just. God has repeatedly sent sentinels for the people, God has desired their repentance, and even now the judgment of God is not eternal. For Ezekiel the ways of God are simple: if the people turn from wickedness and live in righteousness there is a future. If they turn from righteousness to wickedness there is death. It is the classic pattern of wisdom literature in the bible.

Post Reformation Protestant readers often read scripture through the lens of God’s mercy, but the Hebrew Scriptures are probably better understood through being at the mercy of God. Both individuals and the people as a whole are dependent upon God for their protection and provision. There are times where they will protest the perceived injustice of God’s ways, but this is to provoke God to action rather than as a lack of faith. Ezekiel perceives the people’s future as dependent upon God’s action, and God’s action is tied to the people’s righteousness or wickedness.

Ezekiel 33: 21-29 The Fall of the City and Those Who Remain

21 In the twelfth year of our exile, in the tenth month, on the fifth day of the month, someone who had escaped from Jerusalem came to me and said, “The city has fallen.” 22 Now the hand of the LORD had been upon me the evening before the fugitive came; but he had opened my mouth by the time the fugitive came to me in the morning; so my mouth was opened, and I was no longer unable to speak.

23 The word of the LORD came to me: 24 Mortal, the inhabitants of these waste places in the land of Israel keep saying, “Abraham was only one man, yet he got possession of the land; but we are many; the land is surely given us to possess.” 25 Therefore say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: You eat flesh with the blood, and lift up your eyes to your idols, and shed blood; shall you then possess the land? 26 You depend on your swords, you commit abominations, and each of you defiles his neighbor’s wife; shall you then possess the land? 27 Say this to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: As I live, surely those who are in the waste places shall fall by the sword; and those who are in the open field I will give to the wild animals to be devoured; and those who are in strongholds and in caves shall die by pestilence. 28 I will make the land a desolation and a waste, and its proud might shall come to an end; and the mountains of Israel shall be so desolate that no one will pass through. 29 Then they shall know that I am the LORD, when I have made the land a desolation and a waste because of all their abominations that they have committed.

Ezekiel reports the community in exile receiving the news of Jerusalem’s fall. The dating system makes the best sense if it follows the dating system referred to in Ezekiel 24, which follows the dating of 2 Kings and Jeremiah, rather than Ezekiel’s normal dating system. This allows the word to reach the exiles just under five months after the fall of Jerusalem, which seems like a long time for us, but if this is a person traveling with the first wave of new exiles traveling with families and animals by foot, the slow passage from Judah to Babylon is understandable. Travel in the ancient world was a slow and arduous process, especially when we are talking about moving entire communities. This confirmation of the destruction of the city now opens the possibility of Ezkiel opening his mouth to intercede for the people. Previously the prophet was not to intercede for the people, God no longer wanted to listen, but now the prophet’s mouth is opened.

Yet not all the inhabitants of Judah are deported. There is a remnant of people in the country and the poorest in the land. Now this remnant believes that they can now inherit the land, just as Abraham’s descendants did. This reference back to Abraham may involve a return to the story of the people, but the prophet’s words indicate that the actions of these remaining in Judah have not changed. The evocation of Abraham’s name has not brought about a reformation of practices. They still eat meat with blood in it, like the Gentiles, shed blood, and lift up their eyes to idols. The practices of the people have not changed. They depend on their ability to force their will by the sword, they commit the abominations that Ezekiel has protested throughout his time as a prophet, and they do not respect the boundaries of relations between neighbors. They have continued to practice wickedness and although they may have avoided punishment previously, their actions have not gone unseen by God. They stand under the same judgment that their neighbors enroute to Babylon or deceased in Judah endured. The evocation of Abraham’s name do not make them the heirs to the land.

If the people remaining in the land began appropriating the land, resources, and wealth left behind by the exiles and the dead they did not endear themselves to the exiles in Babylon or those enroute. Like the villainous Thenardiers couple in Les Misérables looting the corpses of the dead to ensure their prosperity, these remaining Judeans who benefited from the looting of Judah would likely be viewed in a similar way to the nations which took advantage of Jerusalem’s precarious position during and after the siege of the city. Ezekiel is one of our windows into this time in the life of the people of Judah, and we see a shattered and conflicted community. Sometimes the vultures picking over the corpse of the nation are not from outside the community, but those who see an opportunity for profiting off their neighbors’ misfortune.

Ezekiel 33: 30-33 The Toleration of the Prophet

30 As for you, mortal, your people who talk together about you by the walls, and at the doors of the houses, say to one another, each to a neighbor, “Come and hear what the word is that comes from the LORD.” 31 They come to you as people come, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear your words, but they will not obey them. For flattery is on their lips, but their heart is set on their gain. 32 To them you are like a singer of love songs, one who has a beautiful voice and plays well on an instrument; they hear what you say, but they will not do it. 33 When this comes — and come it will! — then they shall know that a prophet has been among them.

Even the people who now listen to Ezekiel’s words have not changed. The prophet may be the talk of the community, his words have not caused them to change. They like to listen to his words, they may have enjoyed his metaphors or sign actions, but they are entertained, not challenged to change. There will come a time when they understand this strange messenger is indeed a prophet among them, and many of Ezekiel’s words have come to pass. At this point, but for now the heart of the people has not changed. Their words may be kind or flattering. They may appreciate the prophet’s artistry, but they miss the point of the art.

[1] Hosea 9:8, Jeremiah 4: 5, 19, 21; 6: 1, 17; 51:27

[2] As Daniel Block notes (assuming that the thirtieth year at the beginning of Ezekiel reflects his age) Jeremiah would begin his ministry about the time Ezekiel was born. (Block, 1997, p. 148) It is likely that Ezekiel may have grown up knowing Jeremiah’s voice or message and both prophets share the challenging job of dismantling the theology that had grown up around Jerusalem, the temple, and the Davidic kings. Both were probably never popular but proved to be essential voices to make sense of the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple by Babylon.

[3] The Hebrew maqoq (NRSV waste away) is used elsewhere of gangrenous flesh. (Block, 1997, p. 246)