James 1:8

Man (anhr). Instead of anqrwpo (general term) in verse Ephesians 7 , perhaps for variety (Ropes), but often in James ( Ephesians 1:12 Ephesians 1:23 ; Ephesians 2:2 ; Ephesians 3:2 ), though in other Epistles usually in distinction from gunh (woman). Double-minded (dipsuco). First appearance of this compound known and in N.T. only here and Ephesians 4:8 . Apparently coined by James, but copied often in early Christian writings and so an argument for the early date of James' Epistle (Moulton and Milligan's Vocabulary). From di twice and psuch soul, double-souled, double-minded, Bunyan's "Mr. Facing-both-ways." Cf. the rebuke to Peter (edistasa) in Matthew 14:31 . Unstable (akatastato). Late double compound (alpha privative and katastato verbal from kaqisthmi), in LXX once ( 54:11 ) and in Polybius, in N.T. only here and James 3:8 . It means unsteady, fickle, staggering, reeling like a drunken man. Surely to James such "doubt" is no mark of intellectuality.