James 3:13 - Exposition

Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? ( τίς σοφός καὶ ἐπιστήμων ἐν ὑμῖν ;); better, who is wise and understanding among you? ' επιστήμων is found here only in the New Testament. In the LXX . it is joined with σοφὸς (as here) in Deuteronomy 1:13 ; Deuteronomy 4:6 . "The ἐπιστήμων is one who understands and knows: the σοφὸς is one who carries out his knowledge into his life" (Dr. Farrar, who aptly quotes Tennyson's line, "Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers"). Out of a good conversation ( ἐκ τῆς καλῆς ἀναστροφῆς ); better, as R.V., by his good life. "Conversation" is unfortunate, because of its modern meaning. Meekness ( πραύτης ); cf. James 1:21 .