The stress upon `patience' in its relation to `perfecting' cannot be avoided. It is evidently an integral part of the

epistle and the reference to Job must not be looked upon as incidental. The reader of the book of Job would

probably think that James might have said `Ye have heard of the impatience of Job', for Job, while enduring

unprecedented affliction did nevertheless exhibit great impatience. Yet we are sure that James is right and that our

reading of Job must be wrong.

The first thing we must do is to become acquainted, as fully as possible, with the meaning of the keywords of

this passage. The word `patience' in the English language answers to more than one conception as expressed by the

Greek. There is that form of patience, which `suffers long' makrothumia, which is found in James 5:10, where `the

prophets' are given as an example of those who, suffering affliction, did so with `patience'. There is that form of

patience which James speaks of in chapter 3:17 where epiekes is translated `gentle', and there is that form of

patience which patiently bears up under evil, which should mark the teacher (2 Tim. 2:24), but these words are not

used of Job, either in the LXX or in the New Testament. The word that James uses of Job is the Greek word

hupomone, which literally means `to remain under'. The verb is hupomeno and the noun and verb together are used

in the epistle of James five times:

`Blessed is the man that endureth temptation' (1:12).

`We count them happy which endure' (5:11).

`The trying of your faith worketh patience' (1:3).

`But let patience have her perfect work' (1:4).

`Ye have heard of the patience of Job' (5:11).

The reference to Job coming last in the list of occurrences suggests that in Job, James sums up what he has said

previously upon this subject of patience. It will be seen that in James's epistle patience is connected with temptation

and the trying of faith and that it has a perfect work to accomplish. Other renderings of hupomeno that give further

light are those that speak of `enduring' to the end (Matt. 10:22; 24:13), `suffering' in view of reigning (2 Tim. 2:12);

and the four references in Hebrews which speak of enduring `afflictions', `the cross', `contradiction' and

`chastening' (Heb. 10:32; 12:2,3,7). Patience `waits' (Rom. 8:25) and patience is closely allied with `hope'. The

apostle speaks of `the patience of hope' in the same way that he speaks of `the work of faith' (1 Thess. 1:3), and if

James is right when he declares that `faith' without its consequent `works' is dead, it follows that `hope' cannot be

severed from `patience'.

It will be observed that we have moved somewhat from the idea of patience being quiet, uncomplaining

submission, to a submission (quiet or complaining as the case may be) that has hope in view and accordingly waits

in expectation. When we turn to the book of Job we find that the A.V. does not use the word `patience' or `patient',

neither is there any Hebrew word that must necessarily be so translated. When we read in Psalm 40:1 `I waited

patiently' the margin instructs us that the original reads `in waiting I waited', and the only other occurrence of the

word `patient' in the Old Testament is in Ecclesiastes 7:8, where the word means `slow', as in `slow to anger' or `to

prolong' as one's days. While there is no actual word that can be translated `patient' in the book of Job, there are a

number of occurrences in the LXX version which must not be neglected, and if we give these our consideration we

may perceive a little more clearly `the patience of Job' as James intended. Upon examination we find that the LXX

(Vatican text) uses the word hupomeno fourteen times and hupomone once, making fifteen in all. These fourteen

occurrences of the verb translate eight different Hebrew words and the one occurrence of the noun, of course,

translates one Hebrew word. These Hebrew words have a wide variety of significance and we shall understand the

meaning of `patience' as applied to Job if we exercise a little of that quality while we examine these different

references and note their bearing upon the matter before us. Let us take them in the order of occurrences:

Job 3:9

`Let it look for light, but have none' (A.V.).

`Let it remain dark, and not come into light' (LXX).

Here the Hebrew word translated `remain' is qavah, which is translated `wait' in Job 17:13 or `look' in Job 30:26.

To wait with expectation, is the meaning of this Hebrew word.

Job 6:11 `What is my strength, that I should hope?' (A.V.).