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Commentary on James 5 verses 1–11
The apostle is here addressing first sinners and then saints.
I. Let us consider the address to sinners; and here we find James seconding what his great Master had said: Woe unto you that are rich; for you have received your consolation, Luk 6:24. The rich people to whom this word of warning was sent were not such as professed the Christian religion, but the worldly and unbelieving Jews, such as are here said to condemn and kill the just, which the Christians had no power to do; and though this epistle was written for the sake of the faithful, and was sent principally to them, yet, by an apostrophe, the infidel Jews may be well supposed here spoken to. They would not hear the word, and therefore it is written, that they might read it. It is observable, in the very first inscription of this epistle, that it is not directed, as Paul's epistles were, to the brethren in Christ, but, in general, to the twelve tribes; and the salutation is not, grace and peace from Christ, but, in general, greeting, Jam 1:1. The poor among the Jews received the gospel, and many of them believed; but the generality of the rich rejected Christianity, and were hardened in their unbelief, and hated and persecuted those who believed on Christ. To these oppressing, unbelieving, persecuting, rich people, the apostle addresses himself in the first six verses.
1.He foretels the judgments of God that should come upon them, Jam 5:1-3. they should have miseries come upon them, and such dreadful miseries that the very apprehension of them was enough to make them weep and howl - misery that should arise from the very things in which they placed their happiness, and misery that should be completed by these things witnessing against them at the last, to their utter destruction; and they are now called to reason upon and thoroughly to weigh the matter, and to think how they will stand before God in judgment: Go to now, you rich men. (1.) "You may be assured of this that very dreadful calamities are coming upon you, calamities that shall carry nothing of support nor comfort in them, but all misery, misery in time, misery to eternity, misery in your outward afflictions, misery in your inward frame and temper of mind, misery in this world, misery in hell. You have not a single instance of misery only coming upon you, but miseries. The ruin of your church and nation is at hand; and there will come a day of wrath, when riches shall not profit men, but all the wicked shall be destroyed." (2.) The very apprehension of such miseries as were coming upon them is enough to make them weep and howl. Rich men are apt to say to themselves (and others are ready to say to them), Eat, drink, and be merry; but God says, Weep and howl. It is not said, Weep and repent, for this the apostle does not expect from them (he speaks in a way of denouncing rather than admonishing); but, "Weep and howl, for when your doom comes there will be nothing but weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth." Those who live like beasts are called howl like such. Public calamities are most grievous to rich people, who live in pleasure, and are secure and sensual; and therefore they shall weep and howl more than other people for the miseries that shall come upon them. (3.) Their misery shall arise from the very things in which they placed their happiness. "Corruption, decay, rust, and ruin, will come upon all your goodly things: Your riches are corrupted and your garments are moth-eaten, Jam 5:2. Those things which you now inordinately affect will hereafter insupportably wound you: they will be of no worth, of no use to you, but, on the contrary, will pierce you through with many sorrows; for," (4.) "They will witness against you, and they will eat your flesh as it were fire," Jam 5:3. Things inanimate are frequently represented in scripture as witnessing against wicked men. Heaven, earth, the stones of the field, the production of the ground, and here the very rust and canker of ill-gotten and ill-kept treasures, are said to witness against impious rich men. They think to heap up treasure for their latter days, to live plentifully upon when they come to be old; but, alas! they are only heaping up treasures to become a prey to others (as the Jews had all taken from them by the Romans), and treasures that will prove at last to be only treasures of wrath, in the day of the revelation of the righteous judgment of God. Then shall their iniquities, in the punishment of them, eat their flesh as it were with fire. In the ruin of Jerusalem, many thousands perished by fire; in the last judgment the wicked shall be condemned to everlasting burnings, prepared for the devil and his angels. The Lord deliver us from the portion of wicked rich men! and, in order to this, let us take care that we do not fall into their sins, which we are next to consider.
2.The apostle shows what those sins are which should bring such miseries. To be in so deplorable a condition must doubtless be owing to some very heinous crimes. (1.) Covetousness is laid to the charge of this people; they laid by their garments till they bred moths and were eaten; they hoarded up their gold and silver till they were rusty and cankered. It is a very great disgrace to these things that they carry in them the principles of their own corruption and consumption - the garment breeds the moth that frets it, the gold and silver breeds the canker that eats it; but the disgrace falls most heavily upon those who hoard and lay up these things till they come to be thus corrupted, and cankered, and eaten. God gives us our worldly possessions that we may honour him and do good with them; but if, instead of this, we sinfully hoard them up, thorough and undue affection towards them, or a distrust of the providence of God for the future, this is a very heinous crime, and will be witnessed against by the very rust and corruption of the treasure thus heaped together. (2.) Another sin charged upon those against whom James writes is oppression: Behold, the hire of the labourers, who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth, etc., Jam 5:4. Those who have wealth in their hands get power into their hands, and then they are tempted to abuse that power to oppress such as are under them. The rich we here find employing the poor in their labours, and the rich have as much need of the labours of the poor as the poor have of wages from the rich, and could as ill be without them; but yet, not considering this, they kept back the hire of the labourers; having power in their hands, it is probable that they made as hard bargains with the poor as they could, and even after that would not make good their bargains as they should have done. This is a crying sin, an iniquity that cries so as to reach the ears of God; and, in this case, God is to be considered as the Lord of sabaoth, or the Lord of hosts, Kuriou sabaōth, a phrase often used in the Old Testament, when the people of God were defenseless and wanted protection, and when their enemies were numerous and powerful. The Lord of hosts, who has all ranks of beings and creatures at his disposal, and who sets all in their several places, hears the oppressed when they cry by reason of the cruelty or injustice of the oppressor, and he will give orders to some of those hosts that are under him (angels, devils, storms, distempers, or the like) to avenge the wrongs done to those who are dealt with unrighteously and unmercifully. Take heed of this sin of defrauding and oppressing, and avoid the very appearances of it. (3.) Another sin here mentioned is sensuality and voluptuousness. You have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton, Jam 5:5. God does not forbid us to use pleasure; but to live in them as if we lived for nothing else is a very provoking sin; and to do this on the earth, where we are but strangers and pilgrims, where we are but to continue for a while, and where we ought to be preparing for eternity - this, this is a grievous aggravation of the sin of voluptuousness. Luxury makes people wanton, as in Hos 13:6, According to their pasture, so were they filled; they were filled, and their heart was exalted; therefore have they forgotten me. Wantonness and luxury are commonly the effects of great plenty and abundance; it is hard for people to have great plenty and abundance; it is hard for people to have great estates, and not too much indulge themselves in carnal, sensual pleasures: "You have nourished your hearts as in a day of slaughter: you live as if it were every day a day of sacrifices, a festival; and hereby your hearts are fattened and nourished to stupidity, dulness, pride, and an insensibility to the wants and afflictions of others." Some may say, "What harm is there in good cheer, provided people do not spend above what they have?" What! Is it no harm for people to make gods of their bellies, and to give all to these, instead of abounding in acts of charity and piety? Is it no harm for people to unfit themselves for minding the concerns of their souls, by indulging the appetites of their bodies? Surely that which brought flames upon Sodom, and would bring these miseries for which rich men are here called to weep and howl, must be a heinous evil! Pride, and idleness, and fullness of bread, mean the same thing with living in pleasure, and being wanton, and nourishing the heart as in a day of slaughter. (4.) Another sin here charged on the rich is persecution: You have condemned and killed the just, and he doth not resist you, Jam 5:6. This fills up the measure of their iniquity. They oppressed and acted very unjustly, to get estates; when they had them, they gave way to luxury and sensuality, till they had lost all sense and feeling of the wants or afflictions of others; and then they persecute and kill without remorse. They pretend to act legally indeed, they condemn before they kill; but unjust prosecutions, whatever colour of law they may carry in them, will come into the reckoning when God shall make inquisition for blood, as well as massacres and downright murders. Observe here, The just may be condemned and killed: but then again observe, When such do suffer, and yield without resistance to the unjust sentence of oppressors, this is marked by God, to the honour of the sufferers and the infamy of their persecutors; this commonly shows that judgments are at the door, and we may certainly conclude that a reckoning-day will come, to reward the patience of the oppressed and to break to pieces the oppressor. Thus far the address to sinners goes.
II. We have next subjoined an address to saints. Some have been ready to despise or to condemn this way of preaching, when ministers, in their application, have brought a word to sinners, and a word to saints; but, from the apostle's here taking this method, we may conclude that this is the best way rightly to divide the word of truth. From what has been said concerning wicked and oppressing rich men, occasion is given to administer comfort to God's afflicted people: "Be patient therefore; since God will send such miseries on the wicked, you may see what is your duty, and where your greatest encouragement lies."
1.Attend to your duty: Be patient (Jam 5:7), establish your hearts (Jam 5:8), grudge not one against another, brethren, Jam 5:9. Consider well the meaning of these three expressions: - (1.) "Be patient - bear your afflictions without murmuring, your injuries without revenge; and, though God should not in any signal manner appear for you immediately, wait for him. The vision is for an appointed time; at the end it will speak, and will not lie; therefore wait for it. It is but a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Let your patience be lengthened out to long suffering;" so the word here used, makrothumēsate, signifies. When we have done our work, we have need of patience to stay for our reward. This Christian patience is not a mere yielding to necessity, as the moral patience taught by some philosophers was, but it is a humble acquiescence in the wisdom and will of God, with an eye to a future glorious recompense: Be patient to the coming of the Lord. And because this is a lesson Christians must learn, though ever so hard or difficult to the, it is repeated in Jam 5:8, Be you also patient. (2.) "Establish your hearts - let your faith be firm, without wavering, your practice of what is good constant and continued, without tiring, and your resolutions for God and heaven fixed, in spite of all sufferings or temptations." The prosperity of the wicked and the affliction of the righteous have in all ages been a very great trial to the faith of the people of God. David tells us that his feet were almost gone, when he saw the prosperity of the wicked, Psa 73:2, Psa 73:3. Some of those Christians to whom St. James wrote might probably be in the same tottering condition; and therefore they are called upon to establish their hearts; faith and patience will establish the heart. (3.) Grudge not one against another; the words mē stenazete signify, Groan not one against another, that is, "Do not make one another uneasy by your murmuring groans at what befalls you, nor by your distrustful groans as to what may further come upon you, nor by your revengeful groans against the instruments of your sufferings, nor by your envious groans at those who may be free from your calamities: do not make yourselves uneasy and make one another uneasy by thus groaning to and grieving one another." "The apostle seemeth to me" (says Dr. Manton) "to be here taxing those mutual injuries and animosities wherewith the Christians of those times, having banded under the names of circumcision and uncircumcision, did grieve one another, and give each other cause to groan; so that they did not only sigh under the oppressions of the rich persecutors, but under the injuries which they sustained from many of the brethren who, together with them, did profess the holy faith." Those who are in the midst of common enemies, and in any suffering circumstances, should be more especially careful not to grieve nor to groan against one another, otherwise judgments will come upon them as well as others; and the more such grudgings prevail the nearer do they show judgment to be.
2.Consider what encouragement here is for Christians to be patient, to establish their hearts, and not to grudge one against another. And, (1.) "Look to the example of the husbandman: He waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. When you sow your corn in the ground, you wait many months for the former and latter rain, and are willing to stay till harvest for the fruit of your labour; and shall not this teach you to bear a few storms, and to be patient for a season, when you are looking for a kingdom and everlasting felicity? Consider him that waits for a crop of corn; and will not you wait for a crown of glory? If you should be called to wait a little longer than the husbandman does, is it not something proportionably greater and infinitely more worth your waiting for? But," (2.) "Think how short your waiting time may possibly be: The coming of the Lord draweth nigh, Jam 5:8; behold, the Judge standeth before the door, Jam 5:9. Do not be impatient, do not quarrel with one another; the great Judge, who will set all to rights, who will punish the wicked and reward the good, is at hand: he should be conceived by you to stand as near as one who is just knocking at the door." The coming of the Lord to punish the wicked Jews was then very nigh, when James wrote this epistle; and, whenever the patience and other graces of his people are tried in an extraordinary manner, the certainty of Christ's coming as Judge, and the nearness of it, should establish their hearts. The Judge is now a great deal nearer, in his coming to judge the world, than when this epistle was written, nearer by above seventeen hundred years; and therefore this should have the greater effect upon us. (3.) The danger of our being condemned when the Judge appears should excite us to mind our duty as before laid down: Grudge not, lest you be condemned. Fretfulness and discontent expose us to the just judgment of God, and we bring more calamities upon ourselves by our murmuring, distrustful, envious groans and grudgings against one another, than we are aware of. If we avoid these evils, and be patient under our trials, God will not condemn us. Let us encourage ourselves with this. (4.) We are encouraged to be patient by the example of the prophets (Jam 5:10): Take the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. Observe here, The prophets, on whom God put the greatest honour, and for whom he had the greatest favour, were most afflicted: and, when we think that the best men have had the hardest usage in this world, we should hereby be reconciled to affliction. Observe further, Those who were the greatest examples of suffering affliction were also the best and greatest examples of patience: tribulation worketh patience. Hereupon James gives it to us as the common sense of the faithful (Jam 5:11): We count those happy who endure: we look upon righteous and patient sufferers as the happiest people. See Jam 1:2-12. (5.) Job also is proposed as an example for the encouragement of the afflicted. You have hard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord, etc., v. 11. In the case of Job you have an instance of a variety of miseries, and of such as were very grievous, but under all he could bless God, and, as to the general bent of his spirit, he was patient and humble: and what came to him in the end? Why, truly, God accomplished and brought about those things for him which plainly prove that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy. The best way to bear afflictions is to look to the end of them; and the pity of God is such that he will not delay the bringing of them to an end when his purposes are once answered; and the tender mercy of God is such that he will make his people an abundant amends for all their sufferings and afflictions. His bowels are moved for them while suffering, his bounty is manifested afterwards. Let us serve our God, and endure our trials, as those who believe the end will crown all.
The rich must repent while there is still time for them to do so. James is speaking here of those rich people who have shown themselves to be too stingy to offer any help to the poor.
God delays the judgment because of his love for humanity, so that those who repent may not suffer along with those who are condemned.
Act now you rich men, weep, howling in your miseries which shall come to you. Your riches are corrupt: and your garments are eaten by moths. Your gold and silver is rusted: and their rust shall be for a testimony to you, and shall eat your flesh as fire. You have stored to yourselves wrath in the last days. Behold the hire of the workmen that have reaped your fields, which is defrauded of you, cries: and their cry has entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabbath.
"Act now." The greed and frugality of the rich are made evident by their lamentation, commanding them to weep, that is, to mourn, as those who hide their wealth for destruction and ruin, nor do they spend it on the needy: for indeed, the expenditure of wealth on these does not perish, but the one who spends it remains intact. Therefore, the author of Proverbs (Παροιμιαστής) also says: Cast your bread upon the waters, (Eccles. 11:1) that is, upon the apparent dissolution and corruption (for bread cast upon the waters is destined to be lost): yet it is by no means lost, but through its corruption it provides us with refreshment, when it would come to pass that we were pressed by thirst like a tongue tortured in flame.
"Your riches." Or your wealth. It must be understood, that is, what wealth, as the saying goes: Your riches, which you have hidden like fire as a treasure, will exceed your flesh.
"Your garments are eaten by moths." The rotting, James says, of riches and the corrosion or consumption of garments by moths, and the rust of gold and silver will bear witness against you, arguing your greed. Because of this, in the last days (the Lord says of His coming), you will find your riches hidden for you like fire for destruction: which also happened to the rich man, of whom it is told in the Gospel. (Luke 15:24)
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SUMMARY
James 5:1 delivers a stark, prophetic warning to the wealthy, urging them to lament with deep sorrow over impending miseries. This urgent call signals a divine judgment that will befall those who have accumulated riches unjustly or used their wealth for selfish indulgence, highlighting the severe consequences of neglecting social responsibility and spiritual stewardship.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
James 5:1 employs several powerful Literary Devices to convey its urgent message. The verse begins with a striking Imperative Mood ("Go to now," "weep and howl"), which creates a sense of immediate command and prophetic authority, demanding attention and conveying the gravity of the impending judgment. The direct address to "ye rich men" is an example of Apostrophe, where the speaker directly addresses an absent or abstract entity, or in this case, a specific group of people with a confrontational tone, intensifying the personal nature of the warning. The pairing of "weep and howl" utilizes Hyperbole and Parallelism, two verbs that, while distinct, both convey extreme anguish, emphasizing the depth and public nature of the sorrow that will befall them. This vivid imagery is designed to shock and underscore the severity of the coming "miseries," which are presented as an inescapable consequence, embodying a strong element of Prophetic Denunciation characteristic of Old Testament warnings against injustice.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
James 5:1 resonates deeply with the biblical theology of divine justice and the dangers of unrighteous wealth. It underscores the principle that God, as the ultimate sovereign, holds all people accountable for their stewardship, particularly concerning material possessions and their impact on others. The warning is not against wealth itself, but against the love of money, its unjust acquisition, and its selfish use, which often leads to the oppression of the vulnerable. This aligns with the consistent biblical narrative that God champions the cause of the poor and marginalized, and that He will judge those who exploit them. The impending "miseries" serve as a stark reminder that earthly prosperity, when pursued at the expense of righteousness and compassion, will ultimately lead to spiritual bankruptcy and divine retribution.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
James 5:1 serves as a timeless and convicting mirror for all who possess material resources, regardless of the scale of their wealth. It compels us to critically examine our attitudes towards money, our methods of acquiring it, and our practices in utilizing it. Are our resources accumulated through just and ethical means, or do we, even subtly, participate in systems that exploit or disregard the dignity of others? More profoundly, where do we place our ultimate security and hope? Is our confidence rooted in the fleeting nature of earthly riches, or in the eternal, unchanging character of God? This verse challenges us to view all our possessions as a sacred trust from God, to be managed with wisdom, generosity, and a deep commitment to justice, recognizing that true wealth is found not in what we accumulate, but in how we steward what we have for God's glory and the good of our neighbors.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Does James 5:1 condemn all rich people, or just certain ones?
Answer: James 5:1 does not condemn wealth itself, but rather the unrighteous acquisition and misuse of wealth, and the heart's attachment to it that leads to spiritual indifference or social injustice. The subsequent verses in James 5:2-6 clarify the specific sins being addressed: hoarding riches, defrauding laborers, living in self-indulgent luxury, and condemning the innocent. Therefore, the warning is directed at those "rich men" whose wealth is associated with such ungodly practices and attitudes, not at every person who happens to be financially prosperous.
What kind of "miseries" is James referring to?
Answer: The "miseries" (Greek talaipōría) refer to a state of wretchedness, distress, or calamity. While James doesn't explicitly detail them, the context suggests they could encompass various forms of divine judgment. This might include temporal consequences like economic ruin, social upheaval, or even physical suffering, as well as the ultimate spiritual judgment in the age to come. The intensity of the call to "weep and howl" implies a profound and inescapable suffering that will befall them as a direct result of their unrighteousness and exploitation.
Is this warning only for people in James's time, or does it apply today?
Answer: While directly addressed to specific "rich men" in James's historical context, the principles articulated in James 5:1 are timeless and universally applicable. The dangers of materialism, the temptation to exploit others for gain, and the call for righteous stewardship of resources are perennial human issues. Therefore, this verse serves as a perpetual warning to all who possess material wealth in any amount, urging self-examination regarding the source, use, and ultimate reliance on their possessions, and reminding them of God's unwavering commitment to justice.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
James's stark warning to the rich in James 5:1 finds its ultimate fulfillment and deepest meaning in the person and teachings of Jesus Christ. While James denounces the unrighteous accumulation and use of wealth, Christ Himself embodied the perfect standard of justice and self-giving love, challenging the very values that lead to the "miseries" James describes. Jesus consistently warned against the deceptive nature of riches, famously stating that it is difficult for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 19:23-24). He called His followers to lay up treasures in heaven, not on earth (Matthew 6:19-21), and exemplified a life of radical generosity, ultimately giving His own life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). The "miseries" that James foretells are a shadow of the ultimate judgment that Christ, as the righteous judge, will execute upon all who have rejected His kingdom values and oppressed others (Matthew 25:31-46). Conversely, for those who, by faith in Christ, embrace His call to justice and compassionate stewardship, the impending "miseries" are replaced by the promise of eternal riches and an inheritance that will never fade away (1 Peter 1:3-4). Thus, Christ is both the standard by which the rich are judged and the only true source of the spiritual wealth that transcends all earthly possessions.