In this context the "double-minded" (dipsychos, lit. two-sided; cf. James 4:8) man is one who trusts and obeys God part of the time but not consistently. A double-minded person is one who has a divided opinion or allegiance (e.g, Lot; cf1Clem11:2). He is unsteady, fickle, staggering, and reeling like a drunken man. [1][source]
". . . the man is a walking civil war in which trust and distrust of God wage a continual battle against each other." [2][source]
In summary, God will help us take His view of trials, which James explained in James 1:3-4, if we ask Him to do so in prayer. We can and should be joyful while experiencing trials that constitute temptations to depart from God"s will. We can do so because we know that, if we remain faithful to God, He will use these trials to produce what is glorifying for Him and what is good for us, namely, our spiritual maturity. [source][source][source]
Context Summary
James 1:1-11 - Steadfast Faith
This Epistle is marked by the austere features of the Jerusalem church, which refused to be affected by that wider contact with the Gentile world, by which the life and teachings of St. Paul were so powerfully influenced. "Brother to Jesus" was the designation that James might have used, but he preferred the more modest title of bond-servant. The slaves of such a king are nobles! The times were full of severe testing. Each believer had to face ignominy, loss and death for his testimony to Jesus and His saving power. But James encourages these harried souls by the immense revenues that would accrue, more especially in the acquisition of patience. While patience is drawn out almost to the breaking-point, God is developing our characters with perfect beauty, so that no side is incomplete.
There are three urgent requirements for us all: (1) Wisdom to act and speak wisely in the hour of trial; (2) faith that refuses to respond to the surging billows of doubt; (3) humility and contentment with God's dealings. [source]
Chapter Summary: James 1
1James greets the twelve tribes among the nations; 2exhorts to rejoice in trials and temptations; 5to ask patience of God; 13and in our trials not to impute our weakness, or sins, to him, 19but rather to hearken to the word, to meditate on it, and to do thereafter 26Otherwise men may seem, but never be, truly religious
Greek Commentary for James 1:8
Man [ανηρ] Instead of αντρωπος anthrōpos (general term) in James 1:7, perhaps for variety (Ropes), but often in James (James 1:12,James 1:23; James 2:2; James 3:2), though in other Epistles usually in distinction from γυνη gunē (woman). [source]
Double-minded [διπσυχος] First appearance of this compound known and in N.T. only here and James 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 δις dis twice and πσυχη psuchē soul, double-souled, double-minded, Bunyan‘s “Mr. Facing-both-ways.” Cf. the rebuke to Peter Late double compound (alpha privative and καταστατος katastatos verbal from κατιστημι kathistēmi), in lxx once (Isa 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. [source]
Unstable [ακαταστατος] Late double compound (alpha privative and καταστατος katastatos verbal from κατιστημι kathistēmi), in lxx once (Isa 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. [source]
A double-minded man is unstable, etc [] The A. V. puts this as an independent apophthegm, which is wrong. The sentence is a comment and enlargement upon that man. “Let not that man think,” etc., “a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” So Rev. [source]
Double-minded [δίψυχος] Peculiar to James, here and James 4:8. Not deceitful, but dubious and undecided. [source]
Unstable [ἀκατάστατος] Only here in New Testament. The kindred ἀκαταστασία , confusion, is found James 3:16, and elsewhere. [source]
Reverse Greek Commentary Search for James 1:8
2 Corinthians 6:5Tumults [ἀκαταστασίαις] See on Luke 21:9, and compare ἀκατάστατος unstable James 1:8. This is one of the words which show the influence of political changes. From the original meaning of unsettledness, it developed, through the complications in Greece and in the East after the death of Alexander, into the sense which it has in Luke - political instability. One of the Greek translators of the Old Testament uses it in the sense of dread or anxious care. [source]
James 1:23And not a doer [και ου ποιητης] Condition of first class, assumed as true, and ου ou (rather than μη mē) contrasts ποιητης poiētēs with ακροατης akroatēs a man beholding Associative instrumental case after εοικεν eoiken as in James 1:6. Note ανδρι andri as in James 1:8 in contrast with γυναικι gunaiki (woman), not αντρωπωι anthrōpōi (general term for man). Present active participle of κατανοεω katanoeō to put the mind down on (κατα νους kataκατενοησεν nous), to consider attentively, to take note of, as in James 1:24 (το προσωπον της γενεσεως αυτου katenoēsen). [source]
James 2:4Judges with evil thoughts [κριται διαλογισμων πονηρων] Descriptive genitive as in James 1:25. Διαλογισμος Dialogismos is an old word for reasoning (Romans 1:21). Reasoning is not necessarily evil, but see Matthew 15:19 (πονηροι ponēroi) and Mark 7:21 (κακοι kakoi) for evil reasonings, and 1 Timothy 2:8 without an adjective. See James 1:8; James 4:8 for διπσυχος dipsuchos They are guilty of partiality (a divided mind) as between the two strangers. [source]
James 3:8A restless evil [ακαταστατον κακον] Correct reading, not ακατασχετον akatascheton for which see note on James 1:8. The tongue is evil when set on fire by hell, not evil necessarily.Full of deadly poison (μεστη ιου τανατηπορου mestē iou thanatēphorou). Feminine adjective agreeing with γλωσσα glōssa not with κακον kakon (neuter). Ιου Iou (poison here, as in Romans 3:13, but rust in James 5:3, only N.T. examples), old word. Genitive case after μεστη mestē (full of). Τανατηπορου Thanatēphorou old compound adjective (from τανατος thanatos death, περω pherō to bear or bring), death-bringing. Here only in N.T. Like the restless death-bringing tongue of the asp before it strikes. [source]
James 4:8Cleanse your hands [καταρισατε χειρας] First aorist active imperative of καταριζω katharizō to cleanse, from dirt in a ritual sense (Exodus 30:19-21; Mark 7:3,Mark 7:19). Here it is figurative, as in Isaiah 1:16; Psalm 24:4. If we always had clean (from sin) hands and hearts?Ye sinners (αμαρτωλοι hamartōloi). A sharp term to strike the conscience, “a reproach meant to startle and sting” (Ropes).Purify your hearts First aorist active imperative of αγνιζω hagnizō old verb from αγνος hagnos (James 3:17), ceremonially (Acts 21:24,Acts 21:26), but here morally as in 1 Peter 1:22; 1 John 3:3. Anarthrous use of καρδιας kardias as of χειρας cheiras (wash hands, purify hearts).Ye double-minded (διπσυχοι dipsuchoi). As in James 1:8. [source]
James 4:8Purify your hearts [αγνισατε καρδιας] First aorist active imperative of αγνιζω hagnizō old verb from αγνος hagnos (James 3:17), ceremonially (Acts 21:24,Acts 21:26), but here morally as in 1 Peter 1:22; 1 John 3:3. Anarthrous use of καρδιας kardias as of χειρας cheiras (wash hands, purify hearts).Ye double-minded (διπσυχοι dipsuchoi). As in James 1:8. [source]
Greek Commentary for James 1:8
Instead of αντρωπος anthrōpos (general term) in James 1:7, perhaps for variety (Ropes), but often in James (James 1:12, James 1:23; James 2:2; James 3:2), though in other Epistles usually in distinction from γυνη gunē (woman). [source]
First appearance of this compound known and in N.T. only here and James 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 δις dis twice and πσυχη psuchē soul, double-souled, double-minded, Bunyan‘s “Mr. Facing-both-ways.” Cf. the rebuke to Peter Late double compound (alpha privative and καταστατος katastatos verbal from κατιστημι kathistēmi), in lxx once (Isa 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. [source]
Late double compound (alpha privative and καταστατος katastatos verbal from κατιστημι kathistēmi), in lxx once (Isa 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. [source]
The A. V. puts this as an independent apophthegm, which is wrong. The sentence is a comment and enlargement upon that man. “Let not that man think,” etc., “a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” So Rev. [source]
Peculiar to James, here and James 4:8. Not deceitful, but dubious and undecided. [source]
Only here in New Testament. The kindred ἀκαταστασία , confusion, is found James 3:16, and elsewhere. [source]
Reverse Greek Commentary Search for James 1:8
See on Luke 21:9, and compare ἀκατάστατος unstable James 1:8. This is one of the words which show the influence of political changes. From the original meaning of unsettledness, it developed, through the complications in Greece and in the East after the death of Alexander, into the sense which it has in Luke - political instability. One of the Greek translators of the Old Testament uses it in the sense of dread or anxious care. [source]
Compare James 1:8. [source]
Condition of first class, assumed as true, and ου ou (rather than μη mē) contrasts ποιητης poiētēs with ακροατης akroatēs a man beholding Associative instrumental case after εοικεν eoiken as in James 1:6. Note ανδρι andri as in James 1:8 in contrast with γυναικι gunaiki (woman), not αντρωπωι anthrōpōi (general term for man). Present active participle of κατανοεω katanoeō to put the mind down on (κατα νους kataκατενοησεν nous), to consider attentively, to take note of, as in James 1:24 (το προσωπον της γενεσεως αυτου katenoēsen). [source]
Descriptive genitive as in James 1:25. Διαλογισμος Dialogismos is an old word for reasoning (Romans 1:21). Reasoning is not necessarily evil, but see Matthew 15:19 (πονηροι ponēroi) and Mark 7:21 (κακοι kakoi) for evil reasonings, and 1 Timothy 2:8 without an adjective. See James 1:8; James 4:8 for διπσυχος dipsuchos They are guilty of partiality (a divided mind) as between the two strangers. [source]
Correct reading, not ακατασχετον akatascheton for which see note on James 1:8. The tongue is evil when set on fire by hell, not evil necessarily.Full of deadly poison (μεστη ιου τανατηπορου mestē iou thanatēphorou). Feminine adjective agreeing with γλωσσα glōssa not with κακον kakon (neuter). Ιου Iou (poison here, as in Romans 3:13, but rust in James 5:3, only N.T. examples), old word. Genitive case after μεστη mestē (full of). Τανατηπορου Thanatēphorou old compound adjective (from τανατος thanatos death, περω pherō to bear or bring), death-bringing. Here only in N.T. Like the restless death-bringing tongue of the asp before it strikes. [source]
Late word (from ακαταστατος akatastatos), James 1:8; James 3:8), a state of disorder (1 Corinthians 14:33). [source]
First aorist active imperative of καταριζω katharizō to cleanse, from dirt in a ritual sense (Exodus 30:19-21; Mark 7:3, Mark 7:19). Here it is figurative, as in Isaiah 1:16; Psalm 24:4. If we always had clean (from sin) hands and hearts?Ye sinners (αμαρτωλοι hamartōloi). A sharp term to strike the conscience, “a reproach meant to startle and sting” (Ropes).Purify your hearts First aorist active imperative of αγνιζω hagnizō old verb from αγνος hagnos (James 3:17), ceremonially (Acts 21:24, Acts 21:26), but here morally as in 1 Peter 1:22; 1 John 3:3. Anarthrous use of καρδιας kardias as of χειρας cheiras (wash hands, purify hearts).Ye double-minded (διπσυχοι dipsuchoi). As in James 1:8. [source]
First aorist active imperative of αγνιζω hagnizō old verb from αγνος hagnos (James 3:17), ceremonially (Acts 21:24, Acts 21:26), but here morally as in 1 Peter 1:22; 1 John 3:3. Anarthrous use of καρδιας kardias as of χειρας cheiras (wash hands, purify hearts).Ye double-minded (διπσυχοι dipsuchoi). As in James 1:8. [source]
As in James 1:8. [source]