ISB ~ James 1 v1

James:A Greek form of the Hebrew name “Jacob”. He is probably James of Jerusalem, known as “the Lord’s brother” (Gal 1:19).

See introduction:Author.

servant:Or “slave”. This title is used for other apostolic writers, such as Peter (2 Pet 1:1) and Paul (Rom 1:1), just as it was for earlier biblical figures, such as Jacob (Ezek 28:25), Moses, (Mal 4:4), Joshua (Josh 24:29), David (2 Sam 7:8), and the Prophets (Jer 7:25; Ezek 38:17).

Jesus Christ:Mentioned by name only here and in 2:1.

the twelve tribes:Descendants of the twelve sons of Jacob (Gen 35:22-26) who have accepted Jesus as the Messiah (Jas 2:1). These Israelites may have been residents of Jerusalem who were dispersed throughout Palestine and neighboring territories because of persecutions in the city. For this and other interpretations, see introduction: Destination.

• The opening address recalls the Greek version of Is 49:1-6, where Jacob is the servant of the Lord who calls out to the tribes of Israel in their dispersion with a message of salvation.