Ear Wax in James 1:21: Preserving Metaphors in Translation
The vastly overlooked Michael Gilleland has a post up on ear wax in ancient Greek literature.Gilleland quotes Ralph P. Martin as follows:
James' concern is with a renunciation of all moral evil, expressed by πᾶσαν ῥυπαρίαν, which could refer to soiled and dirty garments (2:2) or could be construed in a specialized sense attested in Artimedorus (second century A.D., BGD, 738) as a medical term (ῥύπος) for earwax that must be washed away to give good hearing. The second sense fits the context nicely.