James, The General Epistle Of–Jasher

The author of this epistle was in all probability James the son of Alphaeus, and our Lord’s brother It was written from Jerusalem, which St. James does not seem to have ever left. It was probably written about A.D. 62, during the interval between Paul’s two imprisonments. Its main object is not to teach doctrine, but to improve morality. St. James is the moral teacher of the New Testament. He wrote for the Jewish Christians, whether in Jerusalem or abroad, to warn them against the sins to which as Jews they were most liable, and to console and exhort them under the sufferings to which as Christians they were most exposed.

(right hand).

(whom God makes king), one of the chief men of the tribe of Simeon. (1 Chronicles 4:34)

[Jabneel]

(flourishing), son of Joseph, and father of Melchi, in the genealogy of Christ. (Luke 3:24) In the Revised Version written JANNAI.

and Jam’bres, the names of two Egyptian magicians who opposed Moses. Exod 7:9-13; 2Tim 3:8,9. (B.C. 1492.)

(rest), a place apparently in the north of Galilee, or the “land of Naphtali,”—one of those taken by Tiglath-pileser in his first incursion into Palestine. (2 Kings 15:29) No trace of it appears elsewhere.

(rest), a place on the boundary of Ephraim (Joshua 16:6,7) east of Neapolis. A little less than twelve miles from Nablus and about southeast in direction, two miles from Akrabeh is the village of Yanun, doubtless identical with the ancient Janohah.

(slumber), a town of Judah in the mountain district, apparently not far from Hebron. (Joshua 15:53)

(enlargement), one of the three sons of Noah. The descendants of Japheth occupied the “isles of the Gentiles,” (Genesis 10:5)—i.e. the coast lands of the Mediterranean Sea in Europe and Asia Minor— whence they spread northward over the whole continent of Europe and a considerable portion of Asia.

(splendid).

(splended) The boundary of Zebulun ascended from Daberath to Japhia, and thence passed to Gath-hepher. (Joshua 19:12) Yafa, two miles south of Nazareth, is not unlikely to be identical with Japhin.

(the Japhletite). The boundary of the “Japhletite” is one of the landmarks on the south boundary line of Ephraim. (Joshua 16:3)

(whom God delivers) a descendant of Asher through Beriah. (1 Chronicles 7:32,33)

(beauty). (John 19:46) The Hebrew form for the better-known Joppa, Or Japho. (2 Chronicles 2:16; Ezra 3:7; Jonah 1:3) In its modern garb it is Yafa .

(honey), a descendant of Saul; son of Micah and great-grandson of Mephibosheth. (1 Chronicles 9:42) comp. 1Chr 9:40

(adversary) is to be explained either as the proper name of a country or person, as a noun in apposition, or as a verb from a root, rub, “to contend plead.” All these senses are represented in the Authorized Version and the marginal readings, (Hosea 5:13; 10:6) and the east preferable has been inserted in the text. Jareb is most probably the name of some city of Assyria or another name of the country itself.

(descent), one of the antediluvian patriarchs, and further of Enoch (Genesis 5:15,16,18-20; Luke 3:37) In the lists of Chronicles the name is given in the Authorized Version Jered.

(whom Jehovah nourishes), a Benjamite, one of the Bene-Jehoram. (1 Chronicles 8:17)

the Egyptian servant of Sheshan, about the time of Eli, to whom his master gave his daughter and heir in marriage; (1 Chronicles 2:34,35) (B.C. before 1491.)

(adversary).

(heights). 1 Esd. 9:28. [Jeremoth]

(high).

(moon), a chief man of the tribe of Gad (1 Chronicles 5:14)

(sleeping). Bene-Jashen—“sons of Jashen”— are named in the catalogue of the heroes of David’s guard in (2 Samuel 23:32) (B.C. 1046.)

(upright),Book of (“the book of the upright”), alluded to in two passages only of the Old Testament. (Joshua 10:13) and 2Sam 1:18 It was probably written in verse; and it has been conjectured that it was a collection of ancient records of honored men or noble deeds. It is wholly lost.