James 2 — Clausal Layout (English)

independentparticipialrelativecausecomparativecontentconditionaldashed = 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.)

Partiality in the assembly 2:1–7

vv. 1–4 — the command, and the synagogue vignette that shames it

My brothers, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with acts of favoritism.independent — the thesis command — τῆς δόξης read as apposition: the Lord of glory

For if a man wearing gold rings, in fine clothing, comes into your assembly,conditional — protasis 1 — leans on the question of v. 4: the gold-ringed man enters

and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in,conditional — protasis 2 — the poor man enters

and you look with favor on the one wearing the splendid clothingconditional — protasis 3 — the eyes go to the clothes

and say,conditional — protasis 4 — the usher speaks to the rich man

'You sit here in a good place,'content — the seat of honor assigned

but to the poor man you say,conditional — protasis 5 — the same mouth turns to the poor man

'You stand there,'content — no seat at all

or, 'Sit under my footstool,'content — or the floor — beneath the speaker's feet

have you not made distinctions among yourselvesindependent — the apodosis-question — οὐ expects 'yes'

and become judges with evil thoughts?independent — the verdict on the verdict-givers

vv. 5–7 — the appeal: God chose the poor; the rich are the oppressors

Listen, my beloved brothers:independent — the summons — the prophet's Ἀκούσατε

did not God choose the poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdomindependent — οὐχ-question 1 — God's election runs opposite to yours

which he promised to those who love him?relative — on τῆς βασιλείας — promised to those who love him (cf. 1:12)

But you have dishonored the poor man.independent — the counter-charge — emphatic ὑμεῖς against God's choice

Is it not the rich who oppress you,independent — οὐχ-question 2 — the flattered class is the oppressing class

and they themselves who drag you into courts?independent — the question doubled — dragged to the tribunals

Is it not they who blaspheme the noble name that was invoked over you?independent — οὐκ-question 3 — the name named over you (baptismal), blasphemed

The royal law — mercy over judgment 2:8–13

vv. 8–9 — the royal law fulfilled, or partiality convicted

If, however, you fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture,conditional — protasis — leans on καλῶς ποιεῖτε below

'You shall love your neighbor as yourself,'content — Lev 19:18 — the royal law quoted

you do well.independent — apodosis — the sincere concession

But if you show partiality,conditional — counter-protasis — the case actually in hand

you are working sin,independent — apodosis — partiality named ἁμαρτία outright

being convicted by the law as transgressors.participial — attendant — the same law of v. 8 turns prosecutor

vv. 10–11 — the whole-law argument: one Lawgiver behind every command

For whoever keeps the whole lawconditional — conditional relative (ὅστις ≈ ἐάν τις) — leans on γέγονεν below

but stumbles in one pointconditional — the one stumble

has become guilty of all of it.independent — apodosis — the law is one garment; tear it anywhere

For the one who said,independent — the subject suspended — one Speaker behind both commands

'Do not commit adultery,'content — Exod 20:14; Deut 5:18 — the seventh commandment

also said,independent — the main verb — the same voice

'Do not murder.'content — Exod 20:13; Deut 5:17 — the sixth commandment

Now if you do not commit adultery but you do murder,conditional — protasis — leans on γέγονας below

you have become a transgressor of the law.independent — apodosis — παραβάτης, the word of v. 9, now proven

vv. 12–13 — the application: speak and act under the law of liberty

So speak and so actindependent — the double imperative — speech and deed together (as in vv. 14–16)

as those who are about to be judged by a law of liberty.comparative — ὡς + participle — the standard: the law of liberty (1:25)

For the judgment is merciless to the one who has shown no mercy;cause — why that judgment matters — verbless maxim, measure for measure

mercy triumphs over judgment.independent — asyndetic close — the aphorism that ends the first half

Faith without works — the challenge 2:14–19

vv. 14–17 — the Τί τὸ ὄφελος frame and the naked-brother vignette

What is the benefit, my brothers,independent — the frame-question — verbless, and it will return (v. 16)

if someone says he has faithconditional — backward protasis, on ὄφελος — λέγῃ: it is a claimed faith

but does not have works?conditional — the missing works

Can that faith save him?independent — μή expects 'no' — the article anaphoric: THAT faith, the claimed one

If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food,conditional — protasis 1 — leans on the question of v. 16b: the need in the flesh

and one of you says to them,conditional — protasis 2 — words offered instead

'Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,'content — the pious dismissal — blessing without bread

but you do not give them the things needed for the body,conditional — protasis 3 — the gift withheld

what is the benefit?independent — the frame closes — the same verbless question as v. 14

So also faith —independent — the verdict begins — the subject suspended over its protasis

if it does not have works,conditional — protasis — leans on νεκρά ἐστιν below

is dead by itself.independent — apodosis — νεκρά, the word v. 26 will repeat

vv. 18–19 — the objector, and the monotheism jab

But someone will say,independent — the objector introduced — the diatribe's τις (cf. Rom 9:19)

'You have faith,content — the objector's slogan — divide the gifts:

and I have works.'content — …as if faith and works were separable portfolios

Show me your faith apart from works,independent — James's riposte begins — the quote is read as ending at ἔχω

and I will show you my faith by my works.independent — the counter-demonstration — faith made visible only in works

You believeindependent — the jab — the creed granted

that God is one?content — the Shema (Deut 6:4) — orthodoxy itself

You do well.independent — the mock concession — echoing v. 8

Even the demons believe —independent — the deflation — the demons hold the same creed

and shudder.independent — and they at least shudder — workless faith below demon-grade

Abraham, Rahab, and the body without breath 2:20–26

vv. 20–24 — the Abraham argument: faith completed by works, Scripture fulfilled

Do you want to know, O empty man,independent — the turn — the objector addressed as κενέ, empty

that faith without works is idle?content — ἀργή — the wordplay: ἀ-εργή, work-less faith does not work

Was not Abraham our father shown righteous by worksindependent — οὐκ expects 'yes' — ἐδικαιώθη demonstrative: vindicated in evidence, not Paul's initial acquittal

when he offered up his son Isaac upon the altar?participial — temporal — the Aqedah (Gen 22), the work that proved Gen 15

You seeindependent — the evidential verb — the case rests on what can be seen

that faith was working together with his works,content — συνήργει — faith the co-worker, not the spectator

and by the works faith was brought to completion,content — ἐτελειώθη — works do not create faith; they finish it

and the Scripture was fulfilled that says,independent — Gen 22 as the πλήρωσις of Gen 15 — promise ratified in deed

'And Abraham believed God,content — Gen 15:6 — Paul's own proof-text (Rom 4:3), quoted by James

and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,'content — Gen 15:6 — the reckoning stands; the Aqedah displayed it

and he was called the friend of God.independent — James's coda, not the quotation — Isa 41:8; 2 Chr 20:7

You seeindependent — the summary verb — plural now: the whole audience

that a person is shown righteous by works and not by faith alone.content — the thesis — δικαιοῦται demonstrative; the target is μόνον, a word Rom 3:28 never says

vv. 25–26 — the Rahab parallel and the corpse comparison

And likewise was not even Rahab the prostitute shown righteous by worksindependent — the second witness (Deut 19:15) — from patriarch to prostitute

when she received the messengersparticipial — temporal — Josh 2: the welcome

and sent them out by another way?participial — temporal — the risky deed that embodied her faith (Josh 2:9–11)

For just as the body without the spirit is dead,comparative — ὥσπερ — leans forward on the οὕτως line below, protasis-fashion

so also faith without works is dead.independent — the seal — νεκρά (v. 17) repeated: a corpse, not a defective faith but no faith

Analysis. James 2 is diatribe from end to end, and it reads like Romans 3 with the furniture rearranged: rapid flush-left purple questions and verdicts, olive protases leaning forward on the lines they set up, and blue content columns wherever a voice is quoted — the usher's seat-assignments (v. 3), the pious dismissal ὑπάγετε ἐν εἰρήνῃ (v. 16), the two commandments out of the Decalogue (v. 11), Lev 19:18 under ἡ γραφή (v. 8), Gen 15:6 under ἡ γραφὴ ἡ λέγουσα (v. 23), and the objector's slogan (v. 18). The chapter's two halves share one skeleton: a vignette built as a long olive protasis chain (the synagogue scene, vv. 2–3; the naked brother, vv. 15–16) that crashes into a flush-left question (οὐ διεκρίθητε; τί τὸ ὄφελος;), then an argument from Scripture. Interpretive choices the layout takes a side on: τῆς δόξης (v. 1) is read as apposition to the whole title — 'our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory'; the ὅστις clause of v. 10 is set as a forward-leaning conditional relative (≈ ἐάν τις), protasis-fashion; the objector's speech in v. 18 is limited to σὺ πίστιν ἔχεις, κἀγὼ ἔργα ἔχω, with δεῖξόν μοι beginning James's riposte; and δικαιοῦται/ἐδικαιώθη (vv. 21, 24, 25) is taken in its demonstrative sense — shown righteous in the court of evidence, the sense βλέπεις and ὁρᾶτε demand — so that James contradicts not Rom 3:28 but the slogan ἐκ πίστεως μόνον, a μόνον Paul never wrote. The closing ὥσπερ line (v. 26) leans forward over its οὕτως apodosis exactly as the protases do: body without breath, faith without works — one corpse, twice named νεκρά.