‏ James 1:6

 In faith ( εν πιστε ). Faith here "is the fundamental religious attitude" (Ropes), belief in God's beneficent activity and personal reliance on him (Oesterley).

 Nothing doubting ( μηδεν διακρινομενος ). Negative way of saying  εν πιστε (in faith), present passive participle of  διακρινω, old verb to separate ( κρινω ) between ( δια ), to discriminate as shown clearly in Ac 11:12, 15:9, but no example of the sense of divided against oneself has been found earlier than the N.T., though it appears in later Christian writings. It is like the use of  διαμεριζομα in Lu 11:18 and occurs in Mt 21:21; Mr 11:23; Ac 10:20; Ro 2:4; 4:20; 14:23. It is a vivid picture of internal doubt.

 Is like ( εοικεν ). Second perfect active indicative with the linear force alone from  εικω to be like. Old form, but in N.T. only here and verse 23 (a literary touch, not in LXX).

 The surge of the sea ( κλυδων θαλασσης ). Old word (from  κλυζω to wash against) for a dashing or surging wave in contrast with  κυμα (successive waves), in N.T. only here and Lu 8:24. In associative instrumental case after  εοικεν. In Eph 4:14 we have  κλυδονιζω (from  κλυδων ), to toss by waves.

 Driven by the wind ( ανεμιζομενω ). Present passive participle (agreeing in case with  κλυδων ) of  ανεμιζω, earliest known example and probably coined by James (from  ανεμος ), who is fond of verbs in  -ιζω (Mayor). The old Greek used  ανεμοω. In Eph 4:14 Paul uses both  κλυδονιζω and  περιφερω ανεμω. It is a vivid picture of the sea whipped into white-caps by the winds.

 Tossed ( ριπιζομενω ). Present passive participle also in agreement with  κλυδων from  ριπιζω, rare verb (Aristophanes, Plutarch, Philo) from  ριπις (a bellows or fire-fan), here only in N.T. It is a picture of "the restless swaying to and fro of the surface of the water, blown upon by shifting breezes" (Hort), the waverer with slight rufflement.

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