Jam 4:14 | RWP | e4.org | Whereas ye know not ( οιτινες ουκ επιστασθε ). The longer relative οστις defines here more precisely (like Latin qui ) ο λεγοντες (ye who say) of verse in a causal sense, as in , "who indeed do not know" (present middle indicative of επισταμα ). What shall be on the morrow ( της αυριον ). Supply ημερας (day) after αυριον . This is the reading of B (Westcott) "on the morrow" (genitive of time), but Aleph K L cursives have το της αυριον ("the matter of tomorrow"), while A P cursives have τα της αυριον ("the things of tomorrow"). The sense is practically the same, though το της αυριον is likely correct. What is your life? ( ποια η ζωη υμων ). Thus Westcott and Hort punctuate it as an indirect question, not direct. Ποια is a qualitative interrogative (of what character). As vapour ( ατμις ). This is the answer. Old word for mist (like ατμος , from which our "atmosphere"), in N.T. only here and with καπνου (vapour of smoke (from ). For a little time ( προς ολιγον ). See same phrase in , προς καιρον in , προς ωραν in . That appeareth and then vanisheth away ( φαινομενη επειτα κα αφανιζομενη ). Present middle participles agreeing with ατμις , "appearing, then also disappearing," with play on the two verbs ( φαινομαι, αφανιζω as in , from αφανης hidden ) with the same root φαν ( φαινω, α-φαν-ης ).

‏ James 4:14

Whereas ye know not ( οιτινες ουκ επιστασθε ). The longer relative οστις defines here more precisely (like Latin qui) ο λεγοντες (ye who say) of verse 13 in a causal sense, as in Ac 10:47, "who indeed do not know" (present middle indicative of επισταμα ).

What shall be on the morrow ( της αυριον ). Supply ημερας (day) after αυριον. This is the reading of B (Westcott) "on the morrow" (genitive of time), but Aleph K L cursives have το της αυριον ("the matter of tomorrow"), while A P cursives have τα της αυριον ("the things of tomorrow"). The sense is practically the same, though το της αυριον is likely correct.

What is your life? ( ποια η ζωη υμων ). Thus Westcott and Hort punctuate it as an indirect question, not direct. Ποια is a qualitative interrogative (of what character).

As vapour ( ατμις ). This is the answer. Old word for mist (like ατμος, from which our "atmosphere"), in N.T. only here and Ac 2:19 with καπνου (vapour of smoke (from Joe 2:30).

For a little time ( προς ολιγον ). See same phrase in 1Ti 4:8, προς καιρον in Lu 8:13, προς ωραν in Joh 5:35.

That appeareth and then vanisheth away ( φαινομενη επειτα κα αφανιζομενη ). Present middle participles agreeing with ατμις, "appearing, then also disappearing," with play on the two verbs ( φαινομαι, αφανιζω as in Mt 6:19, from αφανης hidden Heb 4:13) with the same root φαν ( φαινω, α-φαν-ης ).