New American Standard Bible 1995

Back to Reader

James

1

:

25

But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.

Lexicon

Verse part Definition: Part of speech: Strong's: Greek: Transliteration:
But one who looks intently to stoop sideways, to stoop to look V-APA-NMS H3879 παρακύψας parakupsas
Analysis:

One: God

Refers to HaShem (God), Who is One. This number can also refer to unity. The first place the number "one" occurs is in Genesis 1:5. There one reads, "And there was an evening and there was a morning— one day". Later on in this same book of Genesis, it is stated concerning the man and his wife, "And they became one flesh" (Genesis 2:24). It is very significant that in both of these examples there was a multiplicity for the subject. In the first example, the evening and the morning became one day and in the second example, it was Adam and Eve who became one flesh.

One of the most famous passages in the Torah concerning HaShem is Deuteronomy 6:4 which states, "Hear O Israel the Lord your God the Lord is One." The question that a person must ask himself is what is the connection between the use of the Hebrew word אחד "one" which identifies a multiplicity being one and the fact that the Lord God of Israel is One? The answer is that the Hebrew word אחד can relate to the concept for one as in "unification". There is another Hebrew word that would have been possible to be used if the author wanted to refer to an absolute oneness or singleness. This is the Hebrew word יחיד. In fact, there is a well-known prayer in Judaism which states, "אחד ואין יחיד כיחודו". This phrase should be translated as, "(God is) One and there is no singularity as His singularity." The idea that is being expressed in this prayer is that the Lord God of Israel is One; but not an absolute One; rather there is a uniqueness and a complexity to His Oneness.

The number one is frequently employed to express in the Scriptures one object, such as one man or one tabernacle. This usage would be the simple or common purpose that the number one or for that matter any number, would appear in a Biblical text. Often the appearance of a number does not contain any of the significance that Hebrew numerology might offer. Therefore, the reader must always consider when coming across a verse which contains a number, that the number only expresses an amount and no additional significance. 

Because the number one is often associated with God, there is a unique phenomenon in the Scriptures concerning this number. Sometimes the number one is employed to express a unique relationship that the object has to HaShem. For example,

"And it will be one day, it will be known to HaShem..." Zechariah 14:7

In the text above, Zechariah could have stated simply, "And it will be a day…" The fact that the prophet said "one day" is to convey that this day is uniquely related to God. Similarly, it is stated by the prophet Ezekiel in chapter 37, "one King", "one nation" and "one Shepherd" (see Ezekiel 37:22, 24). Each of these objects—King, nation and Shepherd—has a connection to HaShem. The King and Shepherd is Messiah Yeshua, the Son of God and the one nation is Israel, the people of God.

Loveisrael.org - Baruch Korman, Ph.D. - All Rights Reserved - Used with Permission 2016

at the perfect having reached its end, i.e. complete, by ext. perfect Adj-AMS H5046 τέλειον teleion
law, that which is assigned, hence usage, law N-AMS H3551 νόμον nomon
the [law] of liberty, liberty, freedom N-GFS H1657 ἐλευθερίας eleutherias
and abides to remain beside or near V-APA-NMS H3887 παραμείνας parameinas
by it, not having become to come into being, to happen, to become V-APM-NMS H1096 γενόμενος genomenos
a forgetful forgetfulness N-GFS H1953 ἐπιλησμονῆς epilēsmonēs
hearer a hearer N-NMS H202 ἀκροατὴς akroatēs
but an effectual work N-GNS H2041 ἔργου ergou
doer, a maker, a doer N-NMS H4163 ποιητὴς poiētēs
this man this DPro-NMS H3778 οὗτος outos
will be blessed blessed, happy Adj-NMS H3107 μακάριος makarios
in what he does. a making, a doing N-DFS H4162 ποιήσει poiēsei

Parallel Verses

Removed text
Added text
New American Standard Bible 1995 But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.
King James Bible But one who looks intently at whoso looketh into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, continueth therein, he being not having become a forgetful hearer hearer, but an effectual doer, a doer of the work, this man will shall be blessed in what he does.his deed.
Berean Bible But the one who looks having looked intently at into the perfect law, the law that of liberty, freedom, and abides by having continued in it, not having become been a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man a doer of the work—this one will be blessed in what he does.his work.
Hebrew Greek English But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.