Questions concerning Jakob 4:11-12

[obadiah83]

Dear Bill,

My brother Zeke and I are here studying the Book of Jakob in the CNT:

Jakob 4 v11-12

11 Do not slander one another, brethren. He slandering a brother or
condemning his brother slanders the law and condemns the law. Now if you condemn the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. 12 There is one
Lawgiver and Judge, He who is able to save and to destroy! Now who are you who is judging him near to you?

We are curious to know why you chose to translate the greek word katalaleō (2635)as “slander” rather than misrepresent, or an equivalent of misrepresent. The term slander seems to automatically incur a negative connotation to the layman. We notice that the context of the paragraph is not strictly one of condemnation—for verse 12 states “save and destroy” implying that one may just as easily justify the wicked as he can defame the righteous—both being “slander.” If katalaleō is to be taken only in the negative, would not the author have simply written “who is able to destroy”—omitting “save”? When a man justifies the wicked, he “saves” that man, as does he “destroy” the righteous when he slanders him. To the average person, slander is solely equated with condemnation of the righteous. However, when a man justifies the wicked, he is in fact judging unrighteous judgment, thus slandering him.

Our abridged Liddell and Scotts defines katalaleō as: “to talk loudly, to blab.” This could be to boast of righteousness where wickedness exists or to slander where there is righteousness.

Even if we take the definition of katalaleo from Strongs as “Traducer,” Noah Webster defines traduce as:

Traduce
TRADU'CE, v.t. [L. traduco; trans, over,and duco, to lead.]
1. To represent as blamable; to condemn.
The best stratagem that Satan hath, is by traducing the form and manner of the devout prayers of God's church.
2. To calumniate; to vilify; to defame; willfully to misrepresent.

It does appear that “slander/traduce” is mostly negative, but based upon the entire context of the paragraph of Jakob 4v11-12, the negativity of katalaleo (slander/traduce), as here used, implies that “willfully misrepresenting” your brother in either a negative or positive light is the contextual “slander.”

We would offer the word “misrepresent” or “falsely represent” or “speak falsely,” in lieu of “slander.”

Also, you have translated the Greek word “krinō”(2919) as “condemn.” Krinō, is defined by Strong as: “To distinguish, i.e. decide (mentally or judicially); by impl. To try, condemn, punish” etc. Notice that the condemnation is only “implied.” If the author wished to convey a purely condemning concept, wouldn’t he have used the Greek word “katakrinō”(2632) which Strong defines as: “To judge against”; or “kataginōskō” (2607)which is defined as: “to note against, that is, find fault with: - blame, condemn”; or (2613) “katadikazō” which is defined as: “to adjudge against, that is, pronounce guilty: - condemn”?

Liddell and Scotts defines Krino: “To separate, part, distinguish; pick out, choose;” etc, etc.

Furthermore, you translate this same word “krino” in I Peter 4v5: “They shall give an account to Him who holds ready to judge the living and the dead.” Why two different translations of the same word, when the context is the same? We must remember that a “judge” does not explicitly convict; he also acquits: He judges the quick and the dead.

We humbly offer the following translation of Jakob 4v11-12:

11 Do not misrepresent(2635) one another, brethren. He misrepresenting(2635) a brother or Judging(2919) his brother misrepresents(2635) the law and judges(2919) the law. Now if you judge(2919) the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge(2919). 12 There is one Lawgiver and Judge, He who is able to save and to destroy! Now who are
you who is judging him near to you?

We submit this post as students—eager to learn—with the utmost respect for your Greek scholarship.

Your brothers in Christ,

Obi and Zeke Christianson

[wmfinck]

Well, one thing at a time, because this reply is in brief. katalaleo does not mean misrepresent. That would actually be lying, and pseudologeo, or something similar, would be much more appropriate. katalaleo is most literally (my definition): "to [unjustly] speak down about" or to "rail at" someone or something. The word definitely has a negative connotation in Greek.

While Strong is not entirely wrong in equating the word with traduce, I would not read katalaleo to mean "to make malicious and false statements about", as the dictionary that I use defines traduce, but rather "to make maliciously false statements about". In that I see a difference.

There are no Greek words that I can think of that should be translated the same way in every context. That is a bane of translators since languages first diverged (Genesis 11!). In fact, not all English words mean the same thing to English speakers and hearers in any context! See Liddell & Scott, krino, IV., for the use of krino to mean condemn. I chose this strongest negative sense of krino here in this passage, to accentuate what I believe was meant by the term katalaleo, which is certainly negative in connotation.

I do not believe that the context of 1 Peter 4:5, where a rather neutral statement is made, is the same as the context here, where to me the word katalaleo definitely portrays a negative-only context.

For the purposes of example, so far as I am concerned, if I make negative comments about someone that are untrue, that is what katalaleo describes. So it is slander. But if I make negative comments about someone that I believe are true, that is my duty. And if perhaps I am later found to be wrong, then I must repent.

By the meaning of condemn in the Christian context, may I cite I Corinthians 5, where Paul explains that unrepentant people should be put out of the assembly (so I do not think it means "stoned to death" in this context - vengeance belongs to Yahweh).

Hope this answers your question,
Bill