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Lexicons of the NT, and many commentators and translators, read ἔνοχος in Jas 2:10 as "guilty", so that the verse seems to affirm a paradox: anyone who transgresses just one precept of the Law becomes guilty of breaking all the others. This article suggests translating πάντων ἔνοχος as "defendant of / suspected of / charged of all (sins / violations of the Law)". The meaning "defendant" is documented for ἔνοχος in Koiné Greek, as is shown by the study of the occurrences of the adjective in literature from the 2nd century BC to the 2nd century AD, in papyri, inscriptions and Byzantine lexicons. The analysis of the cases and meanings of nouns governed by ἔνοχος suggests that the referrent of πάντων are not precepts, but are rather sins against the Law. This interpretation is consistent with the context of Jas 2:8-13 and clarifies the address. Therefore it will be proposed to record for the entry ἔνοχος in NT lexicons the meanings "defendant of / suspected of / charged of", next to those of "subject to" and "guilty".
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