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JailerAid to Bible Understanding
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kill himself when Paul informed him they were all there. These events, together with Paul’s instructions, caused this jailer to exercise faith, and he and his household became baptized believers.—Acts 16:25-36.
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JairAid to Bible Understanding
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JAIR
(Jaʹir) [Heb., Ya·ʼirʹ, he enlightens, one giving light].
1. A descendant of Judah through his grandson Hezron. Hezron married out of his tribe to a woman of Manasseh. (1 Chron. 2:21, 22) Jair is reckoned as a descendant of Manasseh rather than Judah, likely because of his exploits in the territory of Manasseh, having captured a number of tent cities and naming them after himself, which name they kept for many generations.—Num. 32:41; Deut. 3:14; Josh. 13:30; 1 Ki. 4:13; see HAVVOTH-JAIR.
2. The seventh judge of Israel. Since he was a Gileadite of high standing and each of his thirty sons is connected with one of the above-mentioned tent cities of Jair, he was likely a descendant of No. 1 above. Jair judged Israel for twenty-two years, after which he died and was buried in Kamon.—Judg. 10:3-5.
3. Father of Mordecai; tribe of Benjamin.—Esther 2:5.
4. [Heb., Ya·ʽurʹ or Ya·ʽirʹ, he arouses]. Father of the Elhanan who slew Goliath’s brother Lahmi. (1 Chron. 20:5) The corresponding passage at 2 Samuel 21:19 evidently contains a copyist’s error.—See LAHMI.
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JairiteAid to Bible Understanding
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JAIRITE
(Jaʹir·ite).
The designation of Ira the “priest of David.” (2 Sam. 20:26) Perhaps Ira was a descendant of the Manassite Jair or a priest from the Levite city of Jattir.—See IRA No. 1.
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JairusAid to Bible Understanding
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JAIRUS
(Jaʹi·rus) [Greek form of Jair: he will enlighten or awaken].
A presiding officer of the synagogue (probably in Capernaum) whose only daughter Jesus resurrected.—Matt. 9:18; Mark 5:22; Luke 8:41, 42.
When, in late 31 or early 32 C.E., Jairus’ twelve-year-old daughter became so ill that she was expected to die, her father sought out Jesus, fell at his feet and implored him to come and cure her before it was too late. While leading Jesus to his home, Jairus surely must have been greatly encouraged by witnessing Jesus heal a woman subject for twelve years to a flow of blood. But how disheartening to receive word from messengers that his own little daughter had already died! Nonetheless, Jesus urged Jairus not to fear, but to exercise faith. Passing amidst the noisy mourners who scorned and ridiculed Jesus’ remark that the child was only sleeping, Jairus, his wife and three apostles accompanied Jesus inside, where Jesus restored the girl to life. As might be expected, Jairus and his wife were “beside themselves with great ecstasy.”—Mark 5:21-43; Matt. 9:18-26; Luke 8:41-56.
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JakehAid to Bible Understanding
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JAKEH
(Jaʹkeh) [pious].
Father of Agur, the writer of what is recorded in Proverbs 30.—Vs. 1.
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JakimAid to Bible Understanding
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JAKIM
(Jaʹkim) [he (God) lifts up].
1. A descendant of Benjamin through Shimei, included in a list of heads of fathers’ houses residing in Jerusalem.—1 Chron. 8:1, 19-21, 28.
2. The priest whose paternal house was selected by lot for the twelfth of the twenty-four divisions of priestly temple service under David’s reign.—1 Chron. 24:3, 5, 12.
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JalamAid to Bible Understanding
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JALAM
(Jaʹlam) (young man].
A son of Esau by his wife Oholibamah. Jalam was born in Canaan but was soon taken to Edom (Seir), where he eventually became a sheik.—Gen. 36:5, 6, 8, 14, 18; 1 Chron. 1:35.
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JalonAid to Bible Understanding
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JALON
(Jaʹlon).
A descendant of Judah; one of the “sons of Ezrah.”—1 Chron. 4:17.
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JambresAid to Bible Understanding
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JAMBRES
(Jamʹbres) [possibly, he who opposes or rebels].
A resister of Moses, presumably one of the Egyptian magicians in the court of Pharaoh.—2 Tim. 3:8; Ex. 7:11; see JANNES.
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JamesAid to Bible Understanding
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JAMES
[A reduced English form of Jacob, meaning, taking hold of the heel; supplanter].
1. Father of the apostle Judas (not Judas Iscariot).—Luke 6:16; Acts 1:13.
2. Son of Zebedee; brother of John and one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ. (Matt. 10:2) His mother, it seems, was Salome, as may be noted by comparing two accounts of the same event. One mentions “the mother of the sons of Zebedee,” the other calls her “Salome.” (Matt. 27:55, 56; Mark 15:40, 41; see SALOME No. 1.) A further comparison of John 19:25 perhaps points to Salome as the fleshly sister of Mary, Jesus’ mother. If so, James was a first cousin of Jesus.
James and his brother were working with their father in the fishing business in 30 C.E. when Jesus called them, together with associate fishermen Peter and Andrew, to be his disciples and “fishers of men.” In answering Jesus’ call, James and John left a fishing business that was large enough to employ hired men, as well as being a partnership with Peter and Andrew.—Matt. 4:18-22; Mark 1:19, 20; Luke 5:7-10.
The next year, 31 C.E., when Jesus designated twelve of his disciples to be apostles, James was one of the group selected.—Mark 3:13-19; Luke 6:12-16.
Often Peter, James and John were mentioned as being together in close company with Christ. For example, these three were the only ones present with Christ in the mount of transfiguration (Matt. 17:1, 2), were the only apostles invited into the house to witness the resurrection of Jairus’ daughter (Luke 8:51), and were the ones closest to Jesus in Gethsemane while he was praying that last night. (Mark 14:32-34) Peter, James and John, together with Andrew, were the ones that asked Jesus when the foretold destruction of Jerusalem’s temple would be and what would be the sign of his presence and the conclusion of the system of things. (Mark 13:3, 4) James is always mentioned along with his brother John, and in the majority of instances he is mentioned first. This may indicate he was the older of the two.—Matt. 4:21; 10:2; 17:1; Mark 1:19, 29; 3:17; 5:37; 9:2; 10:35, 41; 13:3; 14:33; Luke 5:10; 6:14; 8:51; 9:28, 54; Acts 1:13.
To James and his brother, Jesus gave the surname Boanerges, a Semitic term meaning “Sons of Thunder.” (Mark 3:17) This may have been because of the energetic, fiery and enthusiastic nature of these men. On one occasion, for example, when certain Samaritans were inhospitable toward Jesus, James and John wanted to call down fire from heaven to annihilate them. Although reproved by Jesus for suggesting such revenge, yet this attitude was indicative of their righteous indignation and also of their faith. (Luke 9:51-55) They also entertained ambitions of having the most prominent positions in the Kingdom, at the right and left hands of Jesus, and they apparently got their mother (possibly Jesus’ aunt) to request such favors of him. After explaining that such decisions were made by the Father, Jesus took the occasion to point out that “whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave.”—Matt. 20:20-28.
James evidently died in 44 C.E. Herod Agrippa I had him executed with the sword. He was the first of the twelve apostles to die as a martyr.—Acts 12:1-3.
3. Another apostle of Jesus Christ and son of Alphaeus. (Matt. 10:2, 3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13) It is generally believed and quite probable that Alphaeus was the same person as Clopas, in which event James’ mother was Mary, the same Mary that was “the mother of James the Less and Joses.” (John 19:25; Mark 15:40; Matt. 27:56) He may have been called James the Less either because of being smaller in physical stature or younger in age than the other apostle James, the son of Zebedee.
4. Son of Joseph and Mary, and half brother of Jesus. (Mark 6:3; Gal. 1:19) Although not an apostle, it was evidently this James who was an overseer of the Christian congregation at Jerusalem (Acts 12:17) and who wrote the Bible book bearing his name. (Jas. 1:1) He may have been next to Jesus in age, being the first named of Mary’s four natural-born sons: James, Joseph, Simon and Judas. (Matt. 13:55; see BROTHER.) Paul infers in his letter to the Corinthians, written about the year 55 C.E., that James was married.—1 Cor. 9:5.
It appears that during Jesus’ ministry James was well acquainted with his brother’s activity (Luke 8:19; John 2:12), but, though apparently not opposed, he was not one of the disciples and followers of Christ. (Matt. 12:46-50; John 7:5) He was probably with his nonbelieving brothers when they urged Jesus to go boldly up to the festival of tabernacles, at a time when the rulers of the Jews were seeking to kill him. (John 7:1-10) James also may have been numbered among the relatives that said of Jesus: “He has gone out of his mind.”—Mark 3:21.
However, after the death of Jesus and prior to Pentecost 33 C.E., James was assembled for prayer together with his mother, brothers and the apostles in an upper chamber in Jerusalem. (Acts 1:13, 14) It was evidently to this James that the resurrected Jesus appeared personally, as reported at 1 Corinthians 15:7, so convincing this onetime nonbeliever that he was indeed the Messiah. This reminds us of Jesus’ personal appearance to Paul.—Acts 9:3-5.
Thereafter James became a prominent member and, apparently, an “apostle” of the Jerusalem congregation. (See APOSTLE [Congregational apostleships].) Thus, at Paul’s first visit with the Jerusalem brothers (about 36 C.E.), he says he spent fifteen days with Peter but “saw no one else of the apostles, only James the brother of the Lord.” (Gal. 1:18, 19) Peter, after his miraculous release from prison, instructed the brothers at John Mark’s home, “Report these things to James and the brothers,” thereby indicating James’ prominence. (Acts 12:12, 17) About 49 C.E. the issue of circumcision came before “the apostles and the older men” at Jerusalem. Following personal testimony by Peter, Barnabas and Paul, James spoke, offering a decision that was approved and adopted by the assembly. (Acts 15:6-29; compare 16:4.) Referring to that occasion, Paul says that James, Cephas and John “seemed to be pillars” among those at Jerusalem. (Gal. 2:1-9) At the close of a later missionary tour, Paul, in Jerusalem, reported on his ministry to James and “all the older men,” and these then gave him certain counsel to follow.—Acts 21:15-26; see also Galatians 2:11-14.
That it was this ‘brother of Jesus’ who wrote the book of James, and not one of the apostles by the same name (either the son of Zebedee or the son of Alphaeus), seems to be indicated at the beginning of his letter. There the writer identifies himself as “a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,” rather than as an apostle. In a similar fashion his brother Judas also identified himself as “a slave of Jesus Christ, but a brother of James.” (Jas. 1:1; Jude 1) Both brothers humbly avoided identifying themselves as fleshly brothers of the Lord Jesus Christ.
His being called “James the Just” is based on traditions that say he was so designated because of his way of life. There is no record in the Scriptures of James’ death. The secular historian Josephus, however, says that during the interval between the death of Governor Festus, about 62 C.E., and the arrival of his successor Albinus, the high priest, Ananus (Ananias), “assembled the sanhedrim of judges, and brought before them the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ, whose name was James, and some others, [or, some of his companions]; and when he had formed an accusation against them as breakers of the law, he delivered them to be stoned.”—Antiquities of the Jews, Book XX, chap. IX, par. 1.
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James, Letter ofAid to Bible Understanding
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JAMES, LETTER OF
An inspired letter of the Christian Greek Scriptures. It is one of the so-called “general” letters because, like First and Second Peter, First John and Jude (but unlike most of the apostle Paul’s letters), it was not addressed to any specific congregation or person. This letter is addressed to “the twelve tribes that are scattered about.”—Jas. 1:1.
WRITER
The writer calls himself simply “James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Jas. 1:1) Jesus had two apostles named James (Matt. 10:2, 3), but it is unlikely that either of these wrote the letter. One apostle, James the son of Zebedee, was martyred about 44 C.E. As the section on “Date and Place of Composition” shows, this would be very early for him to have been the writer. (Acts 12:1, 2) The other apostle James, the son of Alphaeus, is not prominent in the Scriptural record, and very little is known about him. The outspoken nature of the letter of James would seem to weigh against the writer’s being James the son of Alphaeus, for he would likely have identified himself as one of the twelve apostles, in order to back up his strong words with apostolic authority.
Rather, evidence points to James the half brother of Jesus Christ, to whom the resurrected Christ evidently had made a special appearance, and who was prominent among the disciples. (Matt. 13:55; Acts 21:15-25; 1 Cor. 15:7; Gal. 2:9) The writer of the letter of James identifies himself as “a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,” in much the same way as did Jude, who introduced the letter of Jude by calling himself “a slave of Jesus Christ, but a brother of James.” (Jas. 1:1; Jude 1) Furthermore, the salutation of James’ letter includes the term “Greetings!” (1:1) in the same way as did the letter concerning circumcision that was sent to the congregations. In this latter instance it was apparently Jesus’ half-brother James who spoke prominently in the assembly of “the apostles and the older brothers” at Jerusalem.—Acts 15:13, 22, 23.
CANONICITY
The letter of James is contained in the Vatican Manuscript No. 1209, the Sinaitic and the Alexandrine Manuscripts of the fourth and fifth centuries C.E. The Syriac Peshitta Version includes it, and it is found in at least ten ancient catalogues before the Council of Carthage in 397 C.E. Early religious writers quoted from it, Origen, Cyril of Jerusalem, Jerome and others recognizing the letter as authentic Scripture.
DATE AND PLACE OF COMPOSITION
The letter gives no indication that Jerusalem’s fall to the Romans (in 70 C.E.) had yet taken place. According to the Jewish historian Josephus, a high priest named Ananus, a Sadducee, was responsible for bringing James and others before the Sanhedrin and having them stoned to death. This event, Josephus writes, occurred after the death of the Roman procurator Festus, but before his successor Albinus arrived. (Antiquities of the Jews, Book XX, chap. IX, par. 1) If so, and if the sources placing the death of Festus at about 62 C.E. are correct, then James must have written his letter sometime prior to that date.
Jerusalem was the probable place of composition, for that is where James resided.—Gal. 1:18, 19.
TO WHOM WRITTEN
James wrote to “the twelve tribes that are scattered about,” or “that are in the dispersion.” (Jas. 1:1, NW, 1961 ed.; 1950 ed., ftn. a) He here addresses his spiritual “brothers,” those who hold to “the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ,” primarily those
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