句逗之不知，小学而大遗。
圣经原文没有标点符号，特别是没有现代标点符号，是造成我们痛苦的重要原因之一。
据说，新约里最难解的经文之一，雅各书中最难解的经文（没有之一），就是雅各书4:5-6：
5 ἢ δοκεῖτε ὅτι κενῶς ἡ γραφὴ λέγει· Πρὸς φθόνον ἐπιποθεῖ τὸ πνεῦμα ὃ ⸀κατῴκισεν ἐν ἡμῖν ;
6 μείζονα δὲ δίδωσιν χάριν· διὸ λέγει· Ὁ θεὸς ὑπερηφάνοις ἀντιτάσσεται ταπεινοῖς δὲ δίδωσιν χάριν.
我给出各种现代中文译文先：
【圣经当代译本修订版】5圣经上说：“上帝所赐、住在我们心里的圣灵深愿我们完全属于祂。”你们以为这是空谈吗？
【新译本】5圣经说：“ 神爱他那安置在我们里面的灵，爱到嫉妒的地步”，你们想这话是徒然的吗？
【中文标准译本】5或者，你们以为经上所说的“神使圣灵住在我们里面，他爱我们到嫉妒的地步”是空话吗？
【合和本】5你们想经上所说是徒然的吗？ 神所赐、住在我们里面的灵，是恋爱至于嫉妒吗？
【修订合和本】5经上说：“上帝爱安置在我们里面的灵，爱到嫉妒的地步。”你们以为这话是徒然的吗？
4:5从语法上可以被分为两个部分。第一部分直译如下：
ἢ (连词-或者) δοκεῖτε （动词-你们以为）ὅτι （连词-宾语从句） κενῶς （形容词-徒然） ἡ （冠词-那）γραφὴ （名词-经）λέγει （宾语从句的动词-说）。
翻译：或者你们以为经上说的乃是徒然？
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这句话是疑问句，是因为前面的连词“或者”。我们引用的几种中文圣经，只有一个翻译出来这个连词的。“或者”一词将这句话与第四节的疑问句联系起来，因此它自己也最好构成一个疑问句。（请继续注意，希腊文原文没有任何标点符号！！！）
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这句话是否引起一个直接引语。如果引起一个直接引语，它后面的引文从哪里来的？
2.1. 其中的名词“经”字是单数。有人说，凡用单数的地方，就是具体指某句经文。
2.2. 另有人说，单数也许可以指整本圣经的教训。不过，无论任何中文译本，都无法译出这个词究竟是单数还是复数。
参考英文版不同的选择。
NIV：Or do you think Scripture says without reason that…
NLT:What do you think the Scriptures mean when they say that…
后半句的直译：
Πρὸς （表示方向的介词-至于） φθόνον （和介词一起构成介词短语的名词-嫉妒） ἐπιποθεῖ （动词-爱慕）τὸ πνεῦμα （带有冠词的名词-灵）ὃ （连词-引起一个定语从句，修饰“灵”）κατῴκισεν （动词-他放在）ἐν ἡμῖν（介词短语-我们里面）
直译：他至于嫉妒地爱那他放在我们里面的灵。
但是，这句话还有另一个问题。τὸ πνεῦμα 是一个中性名词，主格和宾格同型，所以“灵”也可以解释为这个句子的主语：
他放在我们里面的灵至于嫉妒地爱。
而这个灵既可能是人的灵，也可能是指神的圣灵。因此就一共有四种组合：
1. 人的灵为主语；
2. 人的灵为宾语；
3. 神的灵为主语；
4. 神的灵为宾语。
即使这些问题都合理解决了，还有最后一个问题：第5节后半句是陈述句还是疑问句？
中文版的译法讨论
-【合和本】5你们想经上所说是徒然的吗？ 神所赐、住在我们里面的灵，是恋爱至于嫉妒吗？
和合本把这一节处理为两个疑问句，没有明确解释“灵”是圣灵还是人的灵，同时将“灵”视为主语。
-【修订合和本】5经上说：“上帝爱安置在我们里面的灵，爱到嫉妒的地步。”你们以为这话是徒然的吗？
把第二句话处理为陈述句，“灵”处理为宾语，补充了动词的主语“上帝”，调换了句子的顺序。用引号表示第二句话是直接引语，但是这样以来就必须解决到底旧约原文在哪里的问题。
-【圣经当代译本修订版】5圣经上说：“上帝所赐、住在我们心里的圣灵深愿我们完全属于祂。”你们以为这是空谈吗？
和修订和合本一样的语序结构，但是明确把“圣灵”作为了主语。
-【新译本】5圣经说：“ 神爱他那安置在我们里面的灵，爱到嫉妒的地步”，你们想这话是徒然的吗？
同修订和合本。
-【中文标准译本】5或者，你们以为经上所说的“神使圣灵住在我们里面，他爱我们到嫉妒的地步”是空话吗？
这个译文很不同。第一，译出了“或者”；第二，补充了“神”为主语；第三，采用了语法上不太可能的“他[神]爱我们到嫉妒的地步”，是其他中文版和任何英文版都没有的译法。不知道依据是什么。
附：各种英文译本
New International Version
Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us?New Living Translation
What do you think the Scriptures mean when they say that the spirit God has placed within us is filled with envy?English Standard Version
Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”?Berean Study Bible
Or do you think the Scripture says without reason that the Spirit He caused to dwell in us yearns with envy?Berean Literal Bible
Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit that He has made to dwell in us yearns with envy”?New American Standard Bible
Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: “He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us”?King James Bible
Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?Christian Standard Bible
Or do you think it’s without reason that the Scripture says: The spirit he made to dwell in us envies intensely?Contemporary English Version
Do you doubt the Scriptures that say, “God truly cares about the Spirit he has put in us”?Good News Translation
Don’t think that there is no truth in the scripture that says, “The spirit that God placed in us is filled with fierce desires.”Holman Christian Standard Bible
Or do you think it’s without reason the Scripture says that the Spirit who lives in us yearns jealously?International Standard Version
Or do you think the Scripture means nothing when it says that the Spirit that God caused to live in us jealously yearns for us?NET Bible
Or do you think the scripture means nothing when it says, “The spirit that God caused to live within us has an envious yearning”?New Heart English Bible
Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit which he made to dwell in us yearns jealously”?Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And perhaps you think the Scripture says in vain, “The spirit that dwells within us lusts with jealousy.”GOD’S WORD® Translation
Do you think this passage means nothing? It says, “The Spirit that lives in us wants us to be his own.”New American Standard 1977
Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: “He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us”?Jubilee Bible 2000
Do ye think that the scripture says in vain, The spirit that dwells in us lusts to envy?King James 2000 Bible
Do you think that the scripture says in vain, The spirit that dwells in us lusts to envy?American King James Version
Do you think that the scripture said in vain, The spirit that dwells in us lusts to envy?American Standard Version
Or think ye that the scripture speaketh in vain? Doth the spirit which he made to dwell in us long unto envying?Douay-Rheims Bible
Or do you think that the scripture saith in vain: To envy doth the spirit covet which dwelleth in you?Darby Bible Translation
Think ye that the scripture speaks in vain? Does the Spirit which has taken his abode in us desire enviously?English Revised Version
Or think ye that the scripture speaketh in vain? Doth the spirit which he made to dwell in us long unto envying?Webster’s Bible Translation
Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?Weymouth New Testament
Or do you suppose that it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “The Spirit which He has caused to dwell in our hearts yearns jealously over us”?World English Bible
Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who lives in us yearns jealously”?Young’s Literal Translation
Do ye think that emptily the Writing saith, ‘To envy earnestly desireth the spirit that did dwell in us,’