independentparticipialrelativepurposecausecontentconditionalphrase modifierdashed = verbless / suspended
Flush-left = a main (independent) clause. Each dependent line begins directly beneath the word it attaches to in the line above — the anchor word is dotted-underlined, and lights up when you hover its dependent clause; each tag also names the attachment. A dashed border marks verbless, elliptical, or suspended lines. Where a long sentence's staircase runs wider than the page, the diagram scrolls sideways. (In print, or without JavaScript, lines fall back to stepped indent columns.)
The salutation 1:1
1
Ἰάκωβος θεοῦ καὶ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ δοῦλοςindependent — the sender — δοῦλος of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ
ταῖς δώδεκα φυλαῖς ταῖς ἐν τῇ διασπορᾷphrase modifier — dative of address — the diaspora Israel
χαίρειν.independent — the epistolary greeting — the bare infinitive χαίρειν, its verb of saying implied
Trials, endurance, and the wisdom God gives 1:2–8
vv. 2–4 — count it all joy: the sorites from testing to completeness
2
Πᾶσαν χαρὰν ἡγήσασθε, ἀδελφοί μου,independent — the opening imperative — πᾶσαν χαράν fronted
ὅταν πειρασμοῖς περιπέσητε ποικίλοις,conditional — ὅταν — indefinite temporal: whenever, not if
3
γινώσκοντεςparticipial — causal — the joy is a judgment made in knowledge
ὅτι τὸ δοκίμιον ὑμῶν τῆς πίστεως κατεργάζεται ὑπομονήν·content — the sorites' first link — τὸ δοκίμιον works ὑπομονή
4
ἡ δὲ ὑπομονὴ ἔργον τέλειον ἐχέτω,independent — the next link — endurance must be allowed to finish
ἵνα ἦτε τέλειοι καὶ ὁλόκληροι,purpose — the ἵνα-goal — τέλειοι καὶ ὁλόκληροι
ἐν μηδενὶ λειπόμενοι.participial — the chain sealed — λειπόμενοι hands the catchword to v. 5
vv. 5–8 — ask in faith: the doubter a wave, the man double-souled
5
Εἰ δέ τις ὑμῶν λείπεται σοφίας,conditional — protasis — λείπεται picks up λειπόμενοι; leans on the imperative below
αἰτείτω παρὰ τοῦ διδόντος θεοῦ πᾶσιν ἁπλῶς καὶ μὴ ὀνειδίζοντος,independent — apodosis — the giving God: single-hearted (ἁπλῶς), and no reproaches after
καὶ δοθήσεται αὐτῷ.independent — the promise — coordinate future
6
αἰτείτω δὲ ἐν πίστει,independent — the asking qualified — ἐν πίστει
μηδὲν διακρινόμενος·participial — manner — μηδὲν διακρινόμενος
ὁ γὰρ διακρινόμενος ἔοικεν κλύδωνι θαλάσσης ἀνεμιζομένῳ καὶ ῥιπιζομένῳ.cause — γάρ — the simile: a wind-raised, whipped-about swell
7
μὴ γὰρ οἰέσθω ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐκεῖνοςindependent — μὴ γὰρ οἰέσθω — the doubter's expectation cut off
ὅτι λήμψεταί τι παρὰ τοῦ κυρίουcontent — content — nothing from the Lord for the divided
8
ἀνὴρ δίψυχος, ἀκατάστατος ἐν πάσαις ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτοῦ.phrase modifier — apposition to ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐκεῖνος — δίψυχος, the letter's coinage
The lowly and the rich 1:9–11
9
Καυχάσθω δὲ ὁ ἀδελφὸς ὁ ταπεινὸς ἐν τῷ ὕψει αὐτοῦ,independent — the reversal — the low brother's boast is his height
10
ὁ δὲ πλούσιος ἐν τῇ ταπεινώσει αὐτοῦ,independent — elliptical — καυχάσθω supplied; the rich man's boast is his lowering
ὅτι ὡς ἄνθος χόρτου παρελεύσεται.cause — ὅτι — the flower of grass (Isa 40:6)
11
ἀνέτειλεν γὰρ ὁ ἥλιος σὺν τῷ καύσωνιcause — γάρ — gnomic aorists tell it as one burnt morning
καὶ ἐξήρανεν τὸν χόρτον,cause — the grass withered (Isa 40:7)
καὶ τὸ ἄνθος αὐτοῦ ἐξέπεσενcause — the ἄνθος fallen
καὶ ἡ εὐπρέπεια τοῦ προσώπου αὐτοῦ ἀπώλετο·cause — its loveliness gone
οὕτως καὶ ὁ πλούσιος ἐν ταῖς πορείαις αὐτοῦ μαρανθήσεται.independent — οὕτως — the application: he wilts mid-journey (ἐν ταῖς πορείαις)
The crown of life, and temptation's true genealogy 1:12–15
v. 12 — the beatitude over the man who holds
12
Μακάριος ἀνὴρindependent — the beatitude — verbless μακάριος
ὃς ὑπομένει πειρασμόν,relative — ὑπομένει — the ὑπομονή of vv. 3–4 personified
ὅτι δόκιμος γενόμενος λήμψεται τὸν στέφανον τῆς ζωῆς,cause — the ὅτι promise — δόκιμος echoes δοκίμιον (v. 3)
ὃν ἐπηγγείλατο τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν αὐτόν.relative — on τὸν στέφανον — pledged to those who love him
vv. 13–15 — not from God: desire conceives, sin matures, death is born
13
μηδεὶς πειραζόμενος λεγέτωindependent — the prohibition — the temporal πειραζόμενος folded into the line
ὅτι Ἀπὸ θεοῦ πειράζομαι·content — the quoted excuse — direct speech after ὅτι recitativum
ὁ γὰρ θεὸς ἀπείραστός ἐστιν κακῶν,cause — first ground — ἀπείραστος κακῶν
πειράζει δὲ αὐτὸς οὐδένα.cause — second ground — αὐτός tempts nobody
14
ἕκαστος δὲ πειράζεταιindependent — the true account — the tempter is within
ὑπὸ τῆς ἰδίας ἐπιθυμίας ἐξελκόμενος καὶ δελεαζόμενος·participial — the angler's verbs — ὑπὸ τῆς ἰδίας ἐπιθυμίας read with the participles
15
εἶτα ἡ ἐπιθυμία συλλαβοῦσα τίκτει ἁμαρτίαν,independent — the genealogy — ἐπιθυμία the mother, ἁμαρτία the child
ἡ δὲ ἁμαρτία ἀποτελεσθεῖσα ἀποκύει θάνατον.independent — the step down — the child becomes a mother: ἀποκύει θάνατον
Every good and perfect gift 1:16–18
16
Μὴ πλανᾶσθε, ἀδελφοί μου ἀγαπητοί.independent — the hinge — no error about what comes down from God
17
πᾶσα δόσις ἀγαθὴ καὶ πᾶν δώρημα τέλειονindependent — a near-hexameter, perhaps proverbial — the subject suspended
ἄνωθέν ἐστιν,independent — the predicate — ἄνωθεν
καταβαῖνον ἀπὸ τοῦ πατρὸς τῶν φώτων,participial — καταβαῖνον — the giving keeps descending
παρ’ ᾧ οὐκ ἔνι παραλλαγὴ ἢ τροπῆς ἀποσκίασμα.relative — παρ’ ᾧ — no solstice, no eclipse-shadow, in the Father of lights
18
βουληθεὶς ἀπεκύησεν ἡμᾶς λόγῳ ἀληθείας,independent — βουληθείς — deliberate begetting; ἀπεκύησεν answers v. 15's ἀποκύει
εἰς τὸ εἶναι ἡμᾶς ἀπαρχήν τινα τῶν αὐτοῦ κτισμάτων.purpose — εἰς τό + infinitive — ἀπαρχή of the new creation
Quick to hear: receive the implanted word 1:19–21
19
Ἴστε, ἀδελφοί μου ἀγαπητοί.independent — ἴστε — read as imperative 'know this' (some take it indicative)
ἔστω δὲ πᾶς ἄνθρωπος ταχὺς εἰς τὸ ἀκοῦσαι,independent — the triad opens — swift toward hearing
βραδὺς εἰς τὸ λαλῆσαι,phrase modifier — elliptical — the second member
βραδὺς εἰς ὀργήν·phrase modifier — elliptical — the third member
20
ὀργὴ γὰρ ἀνδρὸς δικαιοσύνην θεοῦ οὐκ ἐργάζεται.cause — γάρ — why slow to anger: ὀργή works no δικαιοσύνη θεοῦ
21
διὸ ἀποθέμενοι πᾶσαν ῥυπαρίαν καὶ περισσείαν κακίαςparticipial — διό — the aorist participle before its imperative; leans on δέξασθε below
ἐν πραΰτητι δέξασθε τὸν ἔμφυτον λόγονindependent — the imperative — ἐν πραΰτητι, welcome the ἔμφυτος λόγος
τὸν δυνάμενον σῶσαι τὰς ψυχὰς ὑμῶν.participial — attributive — the word with power to save
Doers of the word, not hearers only 1:22–25
22
Γίνεσθε δὲ ποιηταὶ λόγου καὶ μὴ μόνον ἀκροαταὶindependent — the thesis imperative — ποιηταί, not ἀκροαταί
παραλογιζόμενοι ἑαυτούς.participial — παραλογιζόμενοι — the self-swindle of mere hearing
23
ὅτι εἴ τις ἀκροατὴς λόγου ἐστὶν καὶ οὐ ποιητής,conditional — ὅτι + εἰ — the ground opens as a protasis; leans on the apodosis below
οὗτος ἔοικεν ἀνδρὶ κατανοοῦντι τὸ πρόσωπον τῆς γενέσεως αὐτοῦ ἐν ἐσόπτρῳ·cause — apodosis, carrying the ὅτι — the mirror-glancer
24
κατενόησεν γὰρ ἑαυτὸνcause — γάρ — the vignette, in gnomic aorists: one look
καὶ ἀπελήλυθενcause — and he is gone
καὶ εὐθέως ἐπελάθετοcause — εὐθέως — the forgetting is immediate
ὁποῖος ἦν.content — indirect question — ὁποῖος ἦν
25
ὁ δὲ παρακύψας εἰς νόμον τέλειον τὸν τῆς ἐλευθερίας καὶ παραμείνας,independent — casus pendens — παρακύψας καὶ παραμείνας: the stoop-and-stay reader
οὐκ ἀκροατὴς ἐπιλησμονῆς γενόμενος ἀλλὰ ποιητὴς ἔργου,participial — apposition — not the hearer-who-forgets but the work's doer
οὗτος μακάριος ἐν τῇ ποιήσει αὐτοῦ ἔσται.independent — the resumption — οὗτος: μακάριος in the very doing
Religion pure and undefiled 1:26–27
26
Εἴ τις δοκεῖ θρησκὸς εἶναιconditional — protasis — the self-assessed θρησκός; leans on the verdict below
μὴ χαλιναγωγῶν γλῶσσαν αὐτοῦparticipial — the giveaway — an unbridled tongue
ἀλλὰ ἀπατῶν καρδίαν αὐτοῦ,participial — the deeper fault — a heart deceived
τούτου μάταιος ἡ θρησκεία.independent — the verdict — verbless: μάταιος ἡ θρησκεία
27
θρησκεία καθαρὰ καὶ ἀμίαντος παρὰ τῷ θεῷ καὶ πατρὶ αὕτη ἐστίν,independent — the definition — θρησκεία as the God and Father judges it
ἐπισκέπτεσθαι ὀρφανοὺς καὶ χήρας ἐν τῇ θλίψει αὐτῶν,content — epexegetic infinitive — the orphan and the widow, God's own clients (Ps 68:5)
ἄσπιλον ἑαυτὸν τηρεῖν ἀπὸ τοῦ κόσμου.content — epexegetic infinitive — ἄσπιλος from the κόσμος
Analysis. James is aphoristic where Ephesians is periodic, and the shape shows it: purple main lines keep returning to the margin — nearly every unit opens with a fresh imperative (ἡγήσασθε, αἰτείτω, καυχάσθω, μὴ πλανᾶσθε, ἴστε, δέξασθε, γίνεσθε) — and the dependents hang shallow, never more than three steps deep. What chains here is not syntax but catchword: λειπόμενοι seals v. 4 and λείπεται opens v. 5; the sorites of vv. 3–4 (testing → endurance → its perfect work) and the dark genealogy of v. 15 (desire → sin → death, one coordinate line stepped beneath ἁμαρτίαν) are each a two-step staircase; and ἀπεκύησεν (v. 18) deliberately answers ἀποκύει (v. 15) — the Father's birthing set against desire's. Olive protases lean forward on their apodoses three times (vv. 5, 23, 26), and the similes ground their lines in green γάρ chains: the wind-whipped wave under διακρινόμενος, the scorched flower under παρελεύσεται, the mirror-glancer's three gnomic aorists under ἀνδρί. Choices the layout takes a side on: ἴστε (v. 19) is read as an imperative; the ὅτι of v. 23 is carried by the apodosis while the εἰ-clause leans forward as a normal protasis; ὑπὸ τῆς ἰδίας ἐπιθυμίας (v. 14) is read with the participles ἐξελκόμενος καὶ δελεαζόμενος; the hexameter-shaped πᾶσα δόσις line (v. 17) is set off as a suspended (possibly quoted) subject with ἄνωθέν ἐστιν as its predicate; and ἀνὴρ δίψυχος (v. 8) is apposition to ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐκεῖνος of v. 7, not a new sentence.