James 1:4 perseverance vs steadfastness vs patience vs endurance

Question

James 1:4 New International Version

Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

English Standard Version

And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

New King James Version

But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

New American Standard Bible

And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Which word is best to capture the Greek?

Answer 1

The operative noun in James 1:4 is ὑπομονή (hypomoné) to which BDAG give two basic meanings:

1. the capacity to hold out or bear up in the face of difficulty, patience, endurance, fortitude, steadfastness, perseverance, eg, Luke 21;19, Rom 5:3, 15:4, 2 Cor 6:4, 1 Thess 1:3, 2 Thess 1:4, 1 Tim 6:11, 2 Tim 3:10, Titus 2:2, Heb 10:36, James 1:3, 4, 5:11, 2 Peter 1:6, Rev 2:2, 19, 2 Cor 12:12, Col 1:11, etc, etc.
2. the act or state of patient waiting for someone or something, expectation, Rev 1:9, 3:10, 2 Thess 3:5.

Thus, the noun ὑπομονή (hypomoné) in James 1:3, 4 could be correctly rendered by patience, endurance, fortitude, steadfastness, perseverance, and is done so in many versions.

Note that in this part of James he gives a source and purpose for ὑπομονή (hypomoné), namely:

• The source is (V3) "testing of your faith"
• In V4 we are told that ὑπομονή (hypomoné), when finished makes us "mature and complete, not lacking anything".

Thus, of the options to translate ὑπομονή (hypomoné):

• "patience" is too passive (but not incorrect)
• "steadfatsness" (not wrong) gives the impression of simple-minded determination that is often unreasonable
• "endurance" is just trying not wear out (but still not wrong)
• "Perseverance" is an on-going active decision in dynamic faith.

That is, my personal preference (without denying the correctness of the others) is "perseverance.".