Commentaries:
Robertson's Word Pictures (NT)
In faith (en pistei). Faith here "is the fundamental religious attitude" (Ropes), belief in God's beneficent activity and personal reliance on him (Oesterley).
Nothing doubting (mhden diakrinomenov). Negative way of saying en pistei (in faith), present passive participle of diakrinw, old verb to separate (krinw) between (dia), to discriminate as shown clearly in Acts 11:12, Acts 15:9, but no example of the sense of divided against oneself has been found earlier than the N.T., though it appears in later Christian writings. It is like the use of diamerizomai in Luke 11:18 and occurs in Matthew 21:21; Mark 11:23; Acts 10:20; Romans 2:4; Romans 4:20; Romans 14:23. It is a vivid picture of internal doubt.
Is like (eoiken). Second perfect active indicative with the linear force alone from eikw to be like. Old form, but in N.T. only here and verse James 1:23 (a literary touch, not in LXX).
The surge of the sea (kludwni qalasshv). Old word (from kluzw to wash against) for a dashing or surging wave in contrast with kuma (successive waves), in N.T. only here and Luke 8:24. In associative instrumental case after eoiken. In Ephesians 4:14 we have kludonizw (from kludwn), to toss by waves.
Driven by the wind (anemizomenw). Present passive participle (agreeing in case with kludwni) of anemizw, earliest known example and probably coined by James (from anemov), who is fond of verbs in -izw (Mayor). The old Greek used anemow. In Ephesians 4:14 Paul uses both kludonizw and periferw anemw. It is a vivid picture of the sea whipped into white-caps by the winds.
Tossed (ripizomenw). Present passive participle also in agreement with kludwni from ripizw, rare verb (Aristophanes, Plutarch, Philo) from ripiv (a bellows or fire-fan), here only in N.T. It is a picture of "the restless swaying to and fro of the surface of the water, blown upon by shifting breezes" (Hort), the waverer with slight rufflement.
Other commentary entries containing this verse:
Luke 8:24
Acts 10:20
Romans 4:20
Romans 14:23
Ephesians 4:14
James 1:3
James 1:4
James 1:4
James 1:23
James 1:27
James 2:4
James 3:17
James 5:15
Jude 1:22
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