7Be patient, therefore, brothers and sisters, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains.
The Greek terms that are translated as “patient” or “patience” are translated in a variety of ways.
Eugene Nida (1952, p. 130) gives some examples:
“Peace is the quality of the soul; patience is the behavior of the soul. The Aymara of Bolivia have described patience well by the phrase ‘a waiting heart.’
“The Ngäbere of Panama describe patience in more vivid terms. They say that it is ‘chasing down your temper.’ The impatient person lets his temper run away with him. Patience requires one to “chase down his temper” and get it under control [see also Mairasi down below].
“The Yucateco describe patience as ‘strength not to fall.’ This seems to include almost more than patience, but it is important to note that this Yucateco translation recognizes that impatience means ‘falling.’ For some of us, who tend to take a certain secret pride in our impatience—describing it as energetic drive—it might be well to recognize that impatience is failure, while patience is strength.
“The San Blas Kuna in Panama use a rather strange phrase to depict patience. They say ‘not caring what happens.’ But this is not meant as condoning foolhardy indifference to life and danger. It reflects a kind of reckless confidence in God, a confidence not bred of desperation but of utter reliance. The patient person is not concerned about what happens; he is willing to wait in confidence.”
In Mairasi, the phrase that is employed is “stop (our) anger” (source: Enggavoter 2004) and in Suki “slow careful thinking way” is used (source L. and E. Twyman in The Bible Translator 1953, p. 91ff. )
In Kwang an expression is used that directly translates as “carry one’s head.” (Source: Mark Vanderkooi right here)
Following are a number of back-translations of James 5:7:
Uma: “So, relatives, that’s why we must be patient until the Lord comes again. Just take a look at the patience of farmers, they wait until there is the fruit of their farming that they hope for. They are patient waiting for the rain after planting, until the time of harvest comes.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “So-then, my brothers, endure/be-patient-with whatever comes to you as-long-as our (incl.) Lord Isa Almasi has not yet come back. Watch/look at the farmer. He patiently/persistently waits for the yield of his field because it is very valuable to him. He does not get tired/fed-up but/instead he patiently/persistently waits for the arrival of the rain, the rain after the planting and the rain that causes the rice to ripen.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “As for you, my fellow believers, you must be enduring until the Lord returns. For the one who farms must endure waiting until that which he has planted on his land is ready for harvest. He waits for the rain which causes his plants to sprout and that which ripes his plants.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Now as for you, brothers, it is therefore necessary that you endure your hardships until the Lord comes. Consider those who farm. They are patient (appreciative particle) to wait for rain so that they will then plant and transplant-seedlings. Then they also endure waiting until the rice which is valuable to them is ripe, then they harvest it.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Therefore you siblings of mine in believing, just endure with a good mind/inner-being these hardships of yours. Think about (lit. walk your mind/thinking over) a field-worker. Isn’t it so that he doesn’t get tired of it while he’s waiting for the fruit to develop of what he worked-hard-on, and rain which causes to sprout, grow, fruit and flesh-out?” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “Therefore, my dear brethren, don’t be impatient, wait for our Lord Jesus Christ until the day comes when he will arrive. Now a person who plants a field doesn’t get impatient but waits until the first season of rains has come. When the second time the rain has come, then of course it is time to harvest.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
The Hebrew adonai in the Old Testament typically refers to God. The shorter adon (and in two cases in the book of Daniel the Aramaic mare [מָרֵא]) is also used to refer to God but more often for concepts like “master,” “owner,” etc. In English Bible translations all of those are translated with “Lord” if they refer to God.
In English Old Testament translations, as in Old Testament translations in many other languages, the use of Lord (or an equivalent term in other languages) is not to be confused with Lord (or the equivalent term with a different typographical display for other languages). While the former translates adonai, adon and mare, the latter is a translation for the tetragrammaton (YHWH) or the Name of God. See tetragrammaton (YHWH) and the article by Andy Warren-Rothlin in Noss / Houser, p. 618ff. for more information.
In the New Testament, the Greek term kurios has at least four different kinds of use:
referring to “God,” especially in Old Testament quotations,
meaning “master” or “owner,” especially in parables, etc.,
as a form of address (see for instance John 4:11: “Sir, you have no bucket”),
or, most often, referring to Jesus
In the first and fourth case, it is also translated as “Lord” in English.
Most languages naturally don’t have one word that covers all these meanings. According to Bratcher / Nida, “the alternatives are usually (1) a term which is an honorific title of respect for a high-ranking person and (2) a word meaning ‘boss’, ‘master’, or ‘chief.’ (…) and on the whole it has generally seemed better to employ a word of the second category, in order to emphasize the immediate personal relationship, and then by context to build into the word the prestigeful character, since its very association with Jesus Christ will tend to accomplish this purpose.”
When looking at the following list of back-translations of the terms that translators in the different languages have used for both kurios and adonai to refer to God and Jesus respectively, it might be helpful for English readers to recall the etymology of the English “Lord.” While this term might have gained an exalted meaning in the understanding of many, it actually comes from hlaford or “loaf-ward,” referring to the lord of the castle who was the keeper of the bread (source: Rosin 1956, p. 121).
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Following are some of the solutions that don’t rely on a different typographical display (see above):
Iyansi: Mwol. Mwol is traditionally used for the “chief of a group of communities and villages” with legal, temporal, and spiritual authority (versus the “mfum [the term used in other Bantu languages] which is used for the chief of one community of people in one village”). Mwol is also used for twins who are “treated as special children, highly honored, and taken care of like kings and queens.” (Source: Kividi Kikama in Greed / Kruger, p. 396ff.)
Binumarien: Karaambaia: “fight-leader” (Source: Oates 1995, p. 255)
Warlpiri: Warlaljamarri (owner or possessor of something — for more information tap or click here)
We have come to rely on another term which emphasizes God’s essential nature as YHWH, namely jukurrarnu (see tetragrammaton (YHWH)). This word is built on the same root jukurr– as is jukurrpa, ‘dreaming.’ Its basic meaning is ‘timelessness’ and it is used to describe physical features of the land which are viewed as always being there. Some speakers view jukurrarnu in terms of ‘history.’ In all Genesis references to YHWH we have used Kaatu Jukurrarnu. In all Mark passages where kurios refers to God and not specifically to Christ we have also used Kaatu Jukurrarnu.
New Testament references to Christ as kurios are handled differently. At one stage we experimented with the term Watirirririrri which refers to a ceremonial boss of highest rank who has the authority to instigate ceremonies. While adequately conveying the sense of Christ’s authority, there remained potential negative connotations relating to Warlpiri ceremonial life of which we might be unaware.
Here it is that the Holy Spirit led us to make a chance discovery. Transcribing the personal testimony of the local Warlpiri pastor, I noticed that he described how ‘my Warlaljamarri called and embraced me (to the faith)’. Warlaljamarri is based on the root warlalja which means variously ‘family, possessions, belongingness’. A warlaljamarri is the ‘owner’ or ‘possessor’ of something. While previously being aware of the ‘ownership’ aspect of warlaljamarri, this was the first time I had heard it applied spontaneously and naturally in a fashion which did justice to the entire concept of ‘Lordship’. Thus references to Christ as kurios are now being handled by Warlaljamarri.” (Source: Stephen Swartz, The Bible Translator 1985, p. 415ff. )
Mairasi: Onggoao Nem (“Throated One” — “Leader,” “Elder”) or Enggavot Nan (“Above-One”) (source: Enggavoter 2004)
Obolo: Okaan̄-ene (“Owner of person(s)”) (source: Enene Enene)
Lotha Naga: Opvui (“owner of house / field / cattle”) — since both “Lord” and YHWH are translated as Opvui there is an understanding that “Opvui Jesus is the same as the Opvui of the Old Testament”
Seediq: Tholang, loan word from Min Nan Chinese (the majority language in Taiwan) thâu-lâng (頭儂): “Master” (source: Covell 1998, p. 248)
Thai: phra’ phu pen cao (พระผู้เป็นเจ้า) (divine person who is lord) or ong(kh) cao nay (องค์เจ้านาย) (<divine classifier>-lord-boss) (source: Stephen Pattemore)
Arabic often uses different terms for adonai or kurios referring to God (al-rabb الرب) and kurios referring to Jesus (al-sayyid الـسـيـد). Al-rabb is also the term traditionally used in Arabic Christian-idiom translations for YHWH, and al-sayyid is an honorary term, similar to English “lord” or “sir” (source: Andy Warren-Rothlin).
Tamil also uses different terms for adonai/kurios when referring to God and kurios when referring to Jesus. The former is Karttar கர்த்தர், a Sanskrit-derived term with the original meaning of “creator,” and the latter in Āṇṭavar ஆண்டவர், a Tamil term originally meaning “govern” or “reign” (source: Natarajan Subramani).
Burunge: Looimoo: “owner who owns everything” (in the Burunge Bible translation, this term is only used as a reference to Jesus and was originally used to refer to the traditional highest deity — source: Michael Endl in Holzhausen / Riderer 2010, p. 48)
Aguacateco: Ajcaw ske’j: “the one to whom we belong and who is above us” (source: Rita Peterson in Holzhausen / Riderer 2010, p. 49)
Konkomba: Tidindaan: “He who is the owner of the land and reigns over the people” (source: Lidorio 2007, p. 66)
Law (2013, p. 97) writes about how the Ancient GreekSeptuagint‘s translation of the Hebrew adonai was used by the New Testament writers as a bridge between the Old and New Testaments: “Another case is the use of kurios referring to Jesus. For Yahweh (in English Bibles: ‘the Lord‘), the Septuagint uses kurios. Although the term kurios usually has to do with one’s authority over others, when the New Testament authors use this word from the Septuagint to refer to Jesus, they are making an extraordinary claim: Jesus of Nazareth is to be identified with Yahweh.”
We have here a transition to a new section and subject matter in the use of therefore, and a shift to a new group of people being addressed as brethren. The conjunction therefore may be rendered simply as “then” (Good News Translation, New International Version) or “So then” (Barclay). Brethren is again meant to be inclusive and so may be rendered “my friends” (Good News Translation, Revised English Bible, Contemporary English Version), “brothers and sisters,” or “fellow believers” (curiously New Revised Standard Version has “beloved” here, instead of the usual “brothers and sisters”). In some languages it will be more natural to begin the verse with the equivalent of brethren: for example, “My fellow Christians, you must….”
Be patient … until the coming of the Lord: the Christian brothers and sisters, who are undergoing some form of oppression, are called upon to Be patient. The verb is literally “be long tempered” and may also be rendered as “close [or, bind] up your heart.” This word overlaps in meaning with another word meaning “be steadfast” in verse 11 and is sometimes used in the same sense. However, there are some differences between the two words. The verb here means a patient waiting, an ability to take and absorb difficult and irritating things or people. The word in verse 11 means more an active endurance amidst difficult circumstances; it is an ability to stay on in the same place, not giving up but remaining steady under trial.
James appeals to the coming of the Lord, which is expected soon, as an incentive to be patient, for the coming of the Lord will put an end to all exploitation and suffering. There is some question as to who the Lord is. This title is used in verse 4 to refer to God. And in verses 10 and 11, in the appeal to Old Testament examples, the reference is again clearly to God. Noting that in the immediate context (chapter 4 as well as 5.1-6 and 5.9-11) the “Lord” refers to God, and that the theme is that the one who will judge is God, not Christ, some scholars argue that the coming of the Lord here must be referring to the coming of God in judgment. The majority of commentators, however, take it to mean the coming of Christ. The reason is that the word coming in New Testament usage is a technical term for the return of Christ (1 Thes 2.19; 3.13; 2 Thes 2.1; Matt 24.27, 37). The phrase until the coming of the Lord may be expressed as “until the Lord comes” (so Good News Translation, Revised English Bible) or “until the Lord returns.” (On the translation of Lord see 1.1 and elsewhere.) This first sentence may also be expressed as:
• My friends, you must be patient, therefore, as you wait for the Lord to return.
Behold, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth: James cites this as an example of patience. Behold serves to call attention to the example being given, and may be rendered as “See how…” (Good News Translation, New International Version), “Consider…” (Revised English Bible), “Take the case of…” (Barclay), or “Think of…” (Contemporary English Version). The farmer refers to a small and independent farmer, not the hired “worker” mentioned in 5.4. The farmer must wait quietly for the precious fruit, that is “the precious crop” (Revised English Bible, New Revised Standard Version), “the valuable crop” (Wand), “the choice crop” (R. P. Martin), “their valuable crops” (Contemporary English Version), or “the precious harvest” (Phillips), because he and his family need a good harvest to survive. The expression of the earth means “for their land to produce” (Good News Translation). In translation we may have to omit the word earth or “land” and restructure the final part of the verse, as Contemporary English Version has done, and say “wait patiently for the spring and summer rains to make their valuable crops grow,” it being understood that crops grow out of the earth.
Being patient over it until it receives the early and the late rain: this indicates that the farmer must be patient and wait for some time. The phrase over it means “with reference to it,” and here it probably refers to the whole process of the land producing crops. In translation the phrase is often left untranslated since it is understood from the information that the farmer is being patient. Again we may express being patient as “waits patiently for….” The subject of it receives is debated. The verb is in the third person singular, and therefore the subject can be “he,” “she,” or “it.” Some scholars suggest that it is the “farmer.” Others propose that it is “the fruit.” But the fruit is still not in existence when the “early rain” falls, as the rain must provide moisture for the land in order for the seeds to be sown and to grow. The most likely reference then is to the “land,” since the “it” here must be related to the nearest object, which is “it” in the expression over it, and as we have seen, the “it” there most likely refers to the whole process of the “land” producing crops. This being the case we may wish to render until it receives as “until the land receives….” In some languages people do not talk about the land receiving rain; in such cases a translator may express this as “waits patiently until the … fall on the land and it produces….”
The expression the early and the late rain is used elsewhere in the Bible only in the Old Testament (Deut 11.14; Jer 5.24; Hosea 6.3). It most likely reflects the characteristic situation at the eastern end of the Mediterranean. It refers to two periods of rain vital to the growth of crops, one at the beginning when the seeds are being sown, and the other before harvesting; the first softens the soil and stimulates the seeds to sprout, and the second ensures full ripening of the crops. The early … rain refers to the rains that fall roughly during October and November, and the late rain to the rains during April and May. In some languages, for example Chinese and Japanese, they are commonly referred to as “autumn rains” and “spring rains” respectively. In cultures where rains fall mainly during a monsoon season, we may say, for example, “wait patiently for the rains to fall,” or “… for the seasonal rains to fall.”
An alternative translation model for this verse is:
• Therefore, my friends [or, fellow Christians], you must wait patiently until the Lord returns. Just think: farmers wait patiently for the spring and summer rains to fall on their land and make them produce valuable crops.
Quoted with permission from Loh, I-Jin and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Letter from James. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
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