La Scrittura parla forse per invidia? Gc 4,5 e l’esigenza dell’amore di Dio

The punctuation commonly inserted in Jas 4:5-6a by editors and commentators separates λέγει from πρὸς φθόνον ἐπιποθεῖ. This paper argues in favour of punctuating in a way that connects the prepositional phrase πρὸς φθόνον to λέγει. This division finds authoritative confirmation in the arrangement of the text in Codex Alexandrinus and in the punctuation of some minuscules. It also agrees with the translation of the Sahidic and Bohairic Coptic versions and is supported by the interpretations of the commentators of late antiquity and the middle ages, interpretations which offer solutions, albeit partial, to the many problems raised by the passage. The new interpretation proposed is mainly based on the analysis of the various meanings of ἐπιποθέω and πρὸς φθόνον, and it throws light upon the function of vv. 5-6a within the exhortation in 4:1-10.