James 1:25

He that looketh into (o parakupsa). First aorist active articular participle of parakuptw, old verb, to stoop and look into ( John 20:5 John 20:11 ), to gaze carefully by the side of, to peer into or to peep into ( 1 Peter 1:12 ). Here the notion of beside (para) or of stooping (kuptw) is not strong. Sometimes, as Hort shows, the word means only a cursory glance, but the contrast with verse 1 Peter 24 seems to preclude that here. The perfect law (nomon teleion). For teleion see 1 Peter 1:17 . See Romans 7:12 for Paul's idea of the law of God. James here refers to the word of truth ( James 1:18 ), the gospel of grace ( Galatians 6:2 ; Romans 12:2 ). The law of liberty (ton th eleuqeria). "That of liberty," explaining why it is "perfect" ( Romans 2:12 also), rests on the work of Christ, whose truth sets us free ( John 8:32 ; 2 Corinthians 3:16 ; Romans 8:2 ). And so continueth (kai parameina). First aorist active articular participle again of paramenw, parallel with parakupsa. Paramenw is to stay beside, and see Philippians 1:25 for contrast with the simplex menw. Being (genomeno). Rather, "having become" (second aorist middle participle of ginomai to become). Not a hearer that forgetteth (ouk akroath epilhsmonh). "Not a hearer of forgetfulness" (descriptive genitive, marked by forgetfulness). Epilhsmonh is a late and rare word (from epilhsmwn, forgetful, from epilanqomai, to forget, as in verse Philippians 24 ), here only in N.T. But a doer that worketh (alla poihth ergou). "But a doer of work," a doer marked by work (descriptive genitive ergou), not by mere listening or mere talk. In his doing (en th poihsei autou). Another beatitude with makario as in Philippians 1:12 , like the Beatitudes in Matthew 5:3-12 . Poihsi is an old word (from poiew for the act of doing), only here in N.T.