Edinost in dialog Unity and Dialogue 75 (2020) 2: 95-118 Izvirni znanstveni članek Original scientific paper (1.01) Besedilo prejeto Received: 20. 9. 2020; Sprejeto Accepted: 28. 10. 2020 UDK27-277-248.76 DOI: 10.34291/Edinost/75/02/Marecek © 2020Mareček CCBY4.0 Petr Mareček A Crux Interpretum in Jas 4,5 Crux Interpretum v Jak 4,51 Abstract: Verse Jas 4,5 poses two problems for exegetes. On the one hand, it is not easy to identify the apparent quotation from Scripture, and on the other hand, it is difficult to determine the meaning of this verse as a whole, as well as each statement in it. This text begins with a rhetorical question (»Or do you think it doesn't make sense what Scripture says?«, Jas 4,5a) and is followed by a statement (»He [God] jealously longs for the spirit which [God] dwelt in us«, Jas 4,5b). The statement Jas 4,5b, which is presented as a biblical quote, is not found in the Old Testament or in the surviving unbiblical writings as a literal quote. It is not entirely possible to exclude the option that James cites an unknown work in Jas 4,5b, but it is more likely that he created a biblical quote from various elements of Scripture on the subject of God's jealousy, which is linked to the idea of Israel's chosen people as the bride of their God. Key Words: Biblical exegesis, The Catholic Epistles, The Letter of James, Crux interpretum, The Old Testament Izvleček: Vrstica Jak 4,5 predstavlja za eksegete dva problema. Po eni strani je ni enostavno prepoznati kot citat iz Svetega pisma, po drugi strani pa je težko določiti pomen tega verza kot celote in vsake izjave v njem. Besedilo se začne z retoričnim vprašanjem (»Ali mislite, da Pismo v prazno pravi?«, Jak 4,5a), sledi pa mu izjava (»Bog do ljubosumnosti hrepeni po Duhu, ki gaje naselil v nas«, Jak 4,5b) Dobesedne izjave Jak 4,5b, kije predstavljena kot svetopisemski citat, ne najdemo v Stari zavezi niti v ohranjenih nebiblijskih spisih. Ni mogoče povsem izključiti možnosti, da Jakob v 4,5b citira neznano delo, zdi pa se verjetnejše, da je iz različnih elementov Svetega pisma ustvaril biblijski citat na temo Božjega ljubosumja, kije povezano z idejo o izbranem ljudstvu Izraela kot nevesti svojega Boga. Ključne besede: biblijska eksegeza, pisma, Jakobovo pismo, Crux interpretum, Stara zaveza 1 This study is a result of the research funded by the project IGA_CMTF_2020_005 »Cruces interpretum of the Letter of James«. 96 PETRMARECEK Introduction The Letter of James, which has been generally overlooked in the history of the Church, is in many ways a unique work of the New Testament. Although, in terms of discussing socio-ethical doctrine and sociology, it lacks explicit reflections on the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, it can be ranked among the most interesting and inspiring books of the New Testament. The Letter of James, which provides instructions for the practical preservation of faith, a wise life, and sympathetic ethics, is considered »one of the most enigmatic writings of the New Testament« (Hartin 2003, 1). Donald A. Hagner even claims that it is »the most puzzling book of the NT« (2012, 671). The Letter ofJames has caused difficulties for the New Testament researchers for as long as one can remember because it contains a large number of enigmatic textual places (Meyer 1930, 1). One of these places is Jas 4,5, which has been called crux interpretum (De Ambroggi 1949, 64; Konradt 1998, 81; Popkes 2001, 269) and described by many New Testament scholars as one of the most difficult texts in the entire epistle (Burdick 1981, 193; Martin 1988, 149).2 It has even been suggested that this may be the most difficult verse in the New Testament (Witherington III 2007, 514). Some researchers who presented their interpretations often felt compelled to admit that »no interpretation is free from problems« (Blomberg and Kamell 2008, 192). It is no surprise that Greek patristic tradition, apart from commentaries and anthologies, does not seem to quote Jas 4,5 even a single time.3 The difficulty of interpreting Jas 4,5 is due to two facts: the identification of the apparent quotation of Scripture, and the interpretation of the meaning of Jas 4,5 itself, as it can be argued that in this verse each expression gets its meaning from its relation to the others and the overall context. The purpose of this article is to offer an interpretation of Jas 4,5 and to identify the »Scripture« to which the author of the Letter ofJames refers. The article is divided into three parts. The first part will discuss the question of the use of different traditions in the Letter of James. The second 2 Moffatt (1953, 59) states: »The fifth verse is extremely obscure.« Davids (1982, 162) denotes the verse »one of the thorniest problems in the epistle« Carpenter (2000, 189) calls it an »exegetically thorny passage«. 3 Allison, jr. (2013, 611) points to this fact. Edinost in dialog 75 (2020) 2: 95-118 A CRUX INTERPRETUM IN JAS 4,5 97 part will offer an interpretation of Jas 4,5 within its context. Finally, the third part will try to identify the »Scripture« to which Jas 4,5 refers. 1 The Use of Various Traditions in James With a careful reading of the Letter of James, we can observe that hardly a verse can be found in the work that has no connection with tradition. In the Letter ofJames we constantly encounter ideas, motives, formulations or words that have their origins in the Old Testament, Jewish tradition, Greco-Roman tradition4 and early Christian tradition.5 The author of this letter did not only take over material from various traditions, but also compiled it and brought it together. This gives the Letter of James a certain »internationally and interdenominationalism« (Dibelius 1984, 36). From the Septuagint, which was the Bible of the Letter ofJames and which influenced its language,6 its author draws direct quotations, allusions and examples of persons.7 However, when he quotes Scripture directly, he always introduces the biblical text using the citation formula. We can see that the Old Testament, as the »Scripture«, is referenced three times in the Letter ofJames. Jas 2,8 uses the introductory formula xara t^v ypa^v »according to the Scripture« to introduce a verbatim quotation of Lev 19,18, while Jas 4,8 employs the formulation 5to Asysi »therefore it says« to introduce a verbatim quotation of Prov 3,34. Jas 2,23 uses the extended formula xai snXypudy) ) ypacpy ) Xsyouaa »and the Scripture was fulfilled that says« to introduce a quotation of Gen 15,6. In none of the citations does James denote the biblical location of the quotation. He does not even say »in the Law« or something similar. Two of the citations come from the Pentateuch whereas the third quotation is from the Book of Proverbs. 4 In a broader sense, James stands here in the tradition of the »Hellenistic moralists« (Malherbe 1992, 5 The Letter of James contains a number of expressions reminiscent of Jesus' words as recorded in the Gospel tradition (see further Kloppenborg 2004, 93-141; Schröter 2008, 233-255). 6 Texts Jas 1,1-11; 3,9; 5,4, 7 contain hints of the LXX language. With reference to language and style of the Letter of James see Mußner (1987, 26-33). 7 Barth (1962, 54), when discussing the use of the Old Testament in the Epistle to the Hebrews, uses a fourfold distinction: 1) direct quotations, 2) indirect quotations or allusions, 3) summaries or reflections, and 4) references to names and topics. 267-333). Unity andDialogue 75 (2020)2: 95-118 98 PETR MARECEK Lev 19,18 is quoted a total of 9 times in the New Testament (Matt 5,43; 19,19; Matt 22,39; Mark 12,31, 33; Luke 10,27; Gal 5,14; Rom 13,9; Jas 2,8) and is one of the most frequently used Old Testament texts in the New Testament. In Jas 2,8 as well as in Gal 5,15 and Rom 13,9 it is presented as a summary of the Law. Jas 2,23 is almost a verbatim quotation from Gen 15,6, although James makes some small stylistic alterations. He replaces the conjunction xai with Be and uses the later form, Afipaay, for Abraham, rather than Afipay, which is found in Gen 15,6 LXX and which is more correct, because the name Afipaay is given only in Gen 27,5. These changes could probably be caused by the fact that the author of the Letter of James quoted the Old Testament text from memory without the direct use of a biblical text. (Laws 1973, 211) James adds to the quotation from Gen 15,6 the verbal expression »he was called the friend of God«. The verb in the passive extyByj »was called« refers to God's action. The honorary title 6sou »friend of God« for Abraham does not appear literally in any biblical text. In early Jewish literature, this title is documented for important Old Testament figures: Moses, Isaac, Jacob, Abraham.8 This title could be given to Abraham in the Jewish tradition and can be based on some biblical texts. It is possible to relate Jas 2,23 to the Book of Wisdom, which speaks of wisdom that passes into holy souls and makes them »friends of God (<£i'Aou? 6sou), and prophets« (Wis 7,27; 7,14). When the Book of Wisdom speaks of Abraham's trial, it states: »When the nations in wicked agreement had been put to confusion, recognized the righteous man and preserved him blameless before God, and kept him strong in the face of his compassion for his child« (Wis 10,5). So Abraham is a »friend of God« and »righteous«, because he lets himself to be guided by God's wisdom and remains faithful in the trial of sacrificing his child. This image of Abraham can be found in some texts of early Jewish literature, where the fear of God spoken of in the biblical account of the sacrifice of Isaac is interpreted as love for God (Gen 22,12). In the Qumran literature we find a testimony about Abraham, who is considered a »friend because he kept the commandment of God and chose not| the will of his own spirit« (CD 4,2-3). The Book of Jubilees states at the end of Abraham's list of trials: »He was found faithful and his soul was not impatient; and he was not slow to act; for 8 In reference to Abraham as a friend of God, see Jub. 19,9; Apoc. Abr. 9,6; 10,6; Test. Abr. B 4,10; 13,1, 6; CD 3.2; Philo, Abr. 273; Migr. 45 (Peterson 1923, 161-202; Stahlin 1973, 165-167). (j^T) Edinost in dialog 75 (2020) 2: 95-118 A CRUX INTERPRETUM IN JAS 4,5 99 he was faithful and a lover of the Lord.« (Jub. 17,18) Finally, early Christian literature testifies to the designation of Abraham as »the friend of God« (1 Clem. 17,2) because of his obedience to the words of God (1 Clem. 10,1). The almost verbatim quotation Prov 3,34 from LXX (xupio? unepn^avoi? avTiTaaasTai Taneivoi? Se SiSwaiv xapiv; »God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble«) in Jas 4,8 is relevant since at that point the LXX differs significantly from the Hebrew MT: |rnrn [Qrui>!?i] (D,;,jyl7i) f^-ron D^VrDN »Toward the scorners he is scornful, but to the humble he shows favour«. Moreover, we can see that the wording of the quotation from Prov 3,34, which is given in Jas 4,6 and elsewhere in early Christian literature (1 Pet 5,5; 1 Clem. 30,2; Ign. Eph. 5,3) always with the same difference from LXX -(o) 6eo? instead of xupio?, may be an indication that it is possibly not a direct quotation from Scripture, but that the text is taken from an early Christian tradition. Lastly, in Jas 2,11, reference is made to the two commandments of the Decalogue - »do not commit adultery, do not kill« - by the theocen-tric formulation o einwv »he who said« (Exod 20,13-14; Deut 5,17-18).9 The wording of these two commandments from the Decalogue is very close to the LXX text with some minor stylistic improvements.10 From the way in which these two commandments from the Decalogue are cited, it is clear that James presupposes readers who have a certain acquaintance with God's gift of the Decalogue to Moses on Sinai, for without this knowledge the formula o einwv would be an enigma.11 In addition to the above mentioned direct references to the Old Testament, it can be noted that in the Letter of James there are a large number of allusions to texts from the Bible (Lev 19,15 in Jas 2,9; Deut 6,6 in Jas 2,29; Gen 22,1-19 in Jas 2,21-23; Josh 2,1-22 in Jas 2,25; Gen 1,26-28; 9,2 in Jas 3,7; 1 Kgs 17-18 in Jas 5,17-18)12 as well as a number of biblical sayings: »like 9 According to Aland et al. (2014, 863), there are four quotations from the Old Testament in the Letter of James: Jas 2,8 (Lev 19,18); Jas 2,11 (Exod 20,13-14; Deut 5,17-18); Jas 2,23 (Gen 15,6); Jas 4,6 (Prov 3,34). By contrast Aland et al. (2012, 694) give additional references to Isa 5,9 in Jas 5,4 and Jer 12,3 in Jas 5,5 in italics and thus consider them to be direct quotations from the Old Testament. 10 James uses the negation ^ instead of oil from the LXX. 11 Laws (1973, 212) considers the possibility that the author of the Letter of James »is rather calling on a general, perhaps even liturgical, knowledge of the Decalogue independent of the textual tradition«. 12 Many exegetes are considering a larger number of allusions, others a smaller number. For example, Allison, jr. (2013, 51) distinguishes four ways of using LXX in the Letter of James. He finds in the letter: 4 quotations/citations (Gen 15,6 in Jas 2,23; Exod 20,13-14 - Deut 5,17-18 in Jas 2,11; Lev 19,18 in Jas 2,8; Prov 3,34 in Jas 4,6), 4 allusions (Lev 19,13; Deut 24,14-15 in Jas 5,4; Lev 19,15 in Jas 2,1, 9; Unity andDialogue 75 (2020)2: 95-118 100 PETRMARECEK a flower of the grass he will pass away« (Jas 1,10-11; Isa 40,7), »the ears of the Lord of hosts« (Jas 5,4; Isa 5,9), »the day of slaughter« (Jas 5,5; Jer 12,3), »he will cover over a multitude of sins« (Jas 5,20; Prov 10,12). (Mayor 1892, lxviii-lxxiii; Cantinant 1973, 17-20; Popkes 1999, 216-218; Carson 2007, 997-1013) Some scholars are of the opinion that Lev 19 is not only quoted in Jas 2,8, but that it appears several times in the background of the text. Luke Timothy Johnson enumerates the following parallels: Lev 19,12 to Jas 5,12; Lev 19,13 to Jas 5,4; Lev 19,15 to Jas 2,1, 9; Lev 19,16 to Jas 4,11; Lev 19,17b to Jas 5,20; Lev 19,18a to Jas 5,9; Lev 19,18b to Jas 2,8 (Johnson 1982, 399). Anthony Tyrrell Hanson limits the relations of Lev 19 to Jas 2,1-8, but includes a parallel between Lev 19,12 and Jas 2,7 (Hanson 1983, 147-155). However, it remains a question of critical assessment how far these allusions go. The letter of James mentions several Old Testament characters who are characterized by great deeds. Jas 2,21-23 introduces Abraham, who is presented in connection with Isaac as an example of a human being who has been justified by works. In a similar way, Rahab serves as another example of one who was also justified by the work of giving guidance to the messengers. In Jas 5,10 »the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord« are presented as a »vnSSeiy^a (example)« of patience in the face of suffering. In Jas 5,11 Job is mentioned as an example of perseverance. Finally, in Jas 5,17-18 Elijah is characterized as »av6pwno? o^oionaB^g (a human being with the same nature) as we are« and presented as an example of the effective prayer of a righteous man. His example functions as an encouragement for prayer. None of these Old Testament characters obtains any introduction by James and it is not stated where they appear in Scripture. Elijah is not even called a prophet. James presupposes his readers' knowledge of these personal biblical examples. It can be assumed that James may have been influenced by early Jewish methods of interpretation such as Midrash. Most of the scriptural references occur in Jas 2; the personal biblical examples are also to be found in Jas 2 as well as in the closing text of the epistle (Jas 5,7-20). Lev 19,15-18 in Jas 4,11-12; Deut 6,4 in Jas 2,19), 13 borrowings (Gen 1,11 in Jas 5,18; Gen 1,26-27 in Jas 3,7-9; Isa 5,7-9 in Jas 5,4; Isa 32,15-20 in Jas 3,18; Isa 40,6-7 in Jas 1,9-11; Jer 5,24 in Jas 5,7; Jer 12,3 in Jas 5,5; Ezek 33-34 in Jas 5,19-20; Hos 14,10 in Jas 3,13; Prov 10,12 [non-LXX form] in Jas 5,20; Wis 2 in Jas 4,13-5,6; Eccl 2 in Jas 5,10; Eccl 15,11-12 in Jas 1,13) and 4 summaries of episode (Gen 22,1-19 in Jas 2,21-23; Josh 2,1-22 in Jas 2,25; 1 Kgs 17-18 in Jas 5,17-18; the book of Job in Jas 5,11). Edinost in dialog 75 (2020) 2: 95-118 A CRUX INTERPRETUM IN JAS 4,5 101 The letter ofJames was also inspired by the deuterocanonical books of the Old Testament. One can notice the similarities between the Letter ofJames and »Sapiential Books«: the Book of Wisdom and Sirach (Ecclesiasticus). In the Letter of James we can find a number of indirect references to the Book of Wisdom (Wis 1,11 in Jas 4,11; 5,9; Wis 2,1-2, 4; 5,14 in Jas 4,14; Wis 2,10-20 in Jas 5,1, 6; Wis 7,7; 9,6 in Jas 1,5). We can also discover many allusions to Sirach (Sir 3,17 in Jas 3,13; Sir 4,29; 5,11 in Jas 1,19; Sir 7,10 in Jas 1,6; Sir 10,22 in Jas 1,9-10; Sir 15,11-20 in Jas 1,13-15; Sir 18,15; 20,15 in Jas 1,5; Sir 19,16 in Jas 3,2; Sir 29,10-11 in Jas 5,2 etc.) (deSilva 2012, 58-85).13 It seems that the author of the Letter of James knew these books, although he did not cite them as Scripture and did not clarify the references to them. It can be observed that many hapax legomena in the Letter of James originate from the wisdom books in LXX.14 No other New Testament book was influenced more significantly by the wisdom tradition than the Letter ofJames (von Lips 1990, 434; Schnelle 2002, 439). However, the Letter ofJames also shows knowledge and use of other early Jewish literature. It can be seen that the presentation of the Old Testament characters, especially those mentioned here, are influenced by this literature. Jas 2,21-23 is an update of the early Jewish tradition about Abraham (Sir 44,20; 1 Macc 2,52). The statement about Job's perseverance in James 5,11 refers less to the canonical book ofJob than to the early Jewish hagga-dah about Job (T Job). The social critique of the Letter ofJames (especially Jas 5,1-6) points to the influence of the prophetic-apocalyptic tradition. The chronology »three years and six months« (Jas 5,17), which is mentioned in connection with Elijah, does not appear anywhere in the Old Testament, but we encounter it in tradition (especially in Luke 4,25-26). Knowledge of early Jewish literature is noticeable, but it is never clearly pointed out.15 13 Frankemolle (1994, 85-86) argues that the Letter of James not only shows a theological and anthropological similarity, but that it is literally dependent on the Book of Sirach and that the Letter of James is presented as a re-reading of this book. On the other hand, Popkes (2004, 149) states that neither the structure nor the subject matter nor can the scope of the Letter of James be explained from the Book of Sirach. 14 According to Halson (1968, 308-309), the Letter of James contains 67 NT hapax legomena, 52 of which are Septuagintal. Of those, 34 appear in the wisdom literature, 15 in the Pentateuch, 12 in the historical books, 9 in the Psalms, 18 in the Latter Prophets and Daniel, and 25 in non-wisdom apocryphal books. Based on these statistics, he concludes that »in his distinctive vocabulary [...] James has a marked predilection for words from the Septuagintal Wisdom literature«. 15 In reference to the Use of the Old Testament and the Jewish Tradition in the Letter of James, see Bauckham (1988, 306-309). Unity andDialogue 75 (2020)2: 95-118 102 PETRMARECEK Parallels with the non-biblical literature of early Judaism - Avot, Let. Aris., 4 Macc, Ps.-Phoc. (Bottini 1986, 171-181), Philo,16 T. 12Patr.,17 Qumran manuscripts18 - are often mentioned in the commentaries. However, the parallels are not sufficient to prove literary dependence. It is usually assumed that the Letter of James drew from the same current of Hellenistic-Jewish tradition. Lexical and thematic similarities between the Letter ofJames and the texts from the Jewish tradition can be explained with reference to a common religious and cultural background. Since in the Letter of James these same expressions and themes are placed in a different context and hold a different function, it is necessary to exclude the literary dependence of this letter on the above-mentioned writings that come from the Jewish environment. From this it is clear that James drew on a rich tradition originating mainly from the Jewish environment, which he did not receive as a literary work, but he knew it from the traditional lived piety of Judaism. 2 The Meaning ofJames 4,5 James 4,5 is part of the narrative unit that relates to the theme »struggles and quarrels among the members of the Christian community« (Jas 4,110) and that can be divided into three parts on the basis of caesuras in the text (Schnider 1987, 97; Bottini 2014, 160). The first part (Jas 4,1-3) deals with the anthropological causes of conflicts in the Christian community. The second part (Jas 4,4-6), using two references from the Scripture, points to the incompatibility of love for the world and friendship with God. The last, third part (Jas 4,7-10) deduces (otiv »therefore«) from the quotation from Scripture (Jas 4,6b) what needs to be done in order for human being to behave properly before God. We can see that our text y\ soxeTts oti xsvws } ypa