James 3:17 (Lexical Details)

Greek (WH): ἡ δὲ ἄνωθεν σοφία πρῶτον μὲν ἁγνή ἐστιν, ἔπειτα εἰρηνική, ἐπιεικής, εὐπειθής, μεστὴ ἐλέους καὶ καρπῶν ἀγαθῶν, ἀδιάκριτος, ἀνυπόκριτος·

NET Bible: "But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, accommodating, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and not hypocritical.^"

δὲ as in many cases is likely adversative here ("but" or "however").

ἡ . . . σοφία, a noun phrase (article + substantive) that is the subject and it is nominative singular feminine; James makes a contrast between earthly and godly wisdom by using the adverb ἄνωθεν (cf. James 1:17). He then lists the qualities manifested by the wisdom "from above" (i.e., from God). πρῶτον is forefronted here (Chris A. Vlachos); note the syntax in James 3:15.

Peter Davids (The Epistle of James): "The chief characteristic of true wisdom is purity. The meaning here is that of the OT in which God’s words are pure (Ps. 12:6 [11:7]) or the ways of the righteous are pure as opposed to crooked (Pr. 21:8 LXX) or unjust (15:26). This purity, then, means that the person partakes of a characteristic of God: he follows God’s moral directives with unmixed motives. This person serves God alone, and so does not need the cleansing about which James will speak later (4:7–8; cf. 1:27; 3:6)."

Compare Ropes, Commentary on the Epistle of St. James, page 249.

῾Αγνός is likely fronted to set the quality apart from the others and to stress that the other virtues emanate from "purity." See Ropes, 249; Craig Blomberg, James, page 175.

The adjectives that follow ἁγνή "take advantage of assonance," says Davids: the initial alpha occurs first, then follows εἰρηνική, ἐπιεικής, εὐπειθής, each with an initial epsilon. See BDAG 361b for information about ἔπειτα and its grammatical function.

εἰρηνική (nominative singular feminine)-"peaceable."

Cambridge Greek Lexicon: "ειρηνικός ή όν adj. 1 (of persons, their state of mind)
peaceable, inclined to peace (opp. war or conflict) Ar. Isoc.
Plu.; (of an argument, activity, policy) conducive to peace
Isoc. Pl. Plu.
2 (of a life) spent in peace, peaceful PL; (of a skill, activity,
need) peacetime PL X. Arist. Plu.; (of a person’s death) in
peacetime Plu"

ἐπιεικής- Kurt Richardson (James, NA Commentary) writes: “ 'yielding,' 'gentle,' 'kind,' part of a triple chain of alliteration with the previous Greek word and the next; cf. Esth 3:13b; 1 Tim 3:3; Titus 3:2; 1 Pet 2:18; Philo Som. 295; 1 Clem. 1.2; 21.7; Herm. Man. 12, 4, 2.m."

James Mayor (Epistle of James, page 127):

εὐπειθής-Abbott-Smith Manual Lexicon states: "** εὐ-πειθής, ές, (< IV Mac 12:6 AR* ;] ready to obey, compliant: Ja 3:17.†"

μεστὴ ἐλέους καὶ καρπῶν ἀγαθῶν-"full of mercy and good fruits." Ropes (250) discusses the kind of mercy that does not stop with pity, but rather moves its possessor to offer practical assistance where needed.

Other Bible verses emphasize the importance of performing good works and God's holy spirit motivates his people to do good works. See Ephesians 5:9,  Hebrews 13:16, and Galatians 5:22-23.

ἀδιάκριτος-According to BDAG, this word in James 3:17 either means "pert. to not being judgmental or divisive, nonjudgmental, not divisive, impartial" or it pertains to not being uncertain or unwavering.

Brill Greek Dictionary-"άνυπόκρΐτος - ον [ ύποκρίνω] not suitable for theatrical representation, undramatic Dem.2 194|| unfeigned, sincere VT Wis. 18.15 NT Rom. 12.9, aL ♦ adv. άνυποκρίτως unfeignedly MAUR. 8.5·"