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Jam_2:13 refers back to chap. Jam_1:27, and concludes the section, appending to διὰ νὸμου ἐλ . κρίνεσθαι a closer definition: for the judgment is unmerciful against those who exercise no mercy; mercy rejoices against judgment.
That which in the judgment passes sentence on Christians, who shall be judged διὰ νόμου ἐλευθερίας , is thus mercy. Against the unmerciful the judgment will be unmerciful. On the form ἀνέλεος , see critical notes; in Rom_1:31 it is ἀνελεήμων ; thus also in LXX. Pro_5:9; Pro_11:17. Luther incorrectly translates it: “it will pass an unmerciful judgment;” ἀνέλεος is not an attribute, but a predicate.
Many expositors incorrectly explain ἔλεος = ἀγάπη ; the former is a species of the latter, although James puts the chief stress upon it; see chap. Jam_1:27.
The concluding sentence is subjoined ἀσυνδέτως ; see chap. Jam_3:2, Jam_4:12. “Asyndeton dicti pondus auget.” In the verb κατακαυχᾶται (only here and in chap. Jam_3:14 and Rom_11:18), κατα , on which the genitive κρίσεως depends, expresses the opposite tendency. Κρίσις according to its nature threatens to condemn the sinner (thus the believing Christian does not cease to be a sinner), but mercy has the joyful confidence ( καυχᾶται ) that it will overcome the threatening power of judgment.[130]
By a conversion of the abstract idea ἜΛΕΟς into the concrete, “the merciful man,” the peculiar impress is taken from the expression, and a lax interpretation is introduced. On the sentiment, see Mat_5:7; Pro_17:5; Tob_4:7-11. Several expositors (Calvin, Cappellus, Wolf, Laurentius, Baumgarten, Bengel) incorrectly supply the genitive ΘΕΟῦ to ἜΛΕΟς , by which a thought is introduced entirely foreign to the context.
[130] The explanation of Wiesinger, that James intends to say “that mercy has nothing to fear, rather that she confounds the terrors of the judgment by her confidence with which she is assured of grace beforehand, and glories in it,” is not entirely suitable, inasmuch as an objective idea ( κρίσις ) is thus converted into a subjective (the terrors of the judgment).