James 5:3

ὁ χρυσὸς ὑμῶν καὶ ὁ ἄργυρος κατίωται. Arrian, Epict. IV. 6, ὡς ὁπλάρια ἐπικείμενα κατίωται. The precious metals, gold and silver, are not, strictly speaking, subject to rust, but to tarnish or oxidisation, which does not destroy the metal: τοῦ χροίης καθύπερθε μέλας οὐχ ἅπτεται ἰὸς | οὐδʼ εὐρώς, αἰεὶ δʼ ἄνθος ἔχει καθαρόν, Theogn. 451. ὅτι Διὸς παῖς ὁ χρυσός· κεῖνον οὐ σὴς οὐδὲ κὶς δάπτει, Sappho, fr. 142, Wharton. The poetical image therefore must not be pressed with prosaic precision.

ὁ ἰός, first, poison, connected with Lat. virus, from a root meaning to work,—comp. ‘works like poison in the blood’—then rust, especially on iron and brass: σίδηρον γοῦν καὶ χαλκὸν καὶ τὰς τοιουτοτρὸπους οὐσίας εὔροις ἂν�, ἐξ ἑαντῶν μὲν ὅταν ἑρπνώδους νοσήματος τρόπον ἰὸς ἐπιδραμὼν διαφάγοι, Phil. de Mundo, p. 610. 30.

εἰς μαρτύριον ὑμῖν ἔσται, for a witness against you. Comp. Matthew 23:31 μαρτυρεῖτε ἑαυτοῖς. The rust or tarnish of the hoarded gold and silver is a symbol and witness of the destruction coming upon you. Comp. Book of Enoch li., ‘in those days men shall not be saved by gold and by silver.’

φάγεται, eateth or will eat: comp. Sir 36:18 πᾶν βρῶμα φάγεται κοιλία. It is a Hellenistic form not found in the classics. It is used both of future and present time, and is of interest as supporting the theory of an original identity of the present and future forms. Comp. ἔδομαι, πίομαι, and see Clyde § 33 and Lob. Phryn. 327 and 348.

τὰς σάρκας, pl. Comp. 2 Kings 9:36 καταφάγονται οἱ κύνες τὰς σάρκας τῆς Ἰεζάβελ.

ὡς πῦρ, with φάγεται, R.V.; with ἐθησαυρίσατε, Westcott and Hort. The connexion with ἐθησαυρίσατε is supported by two passages in the O.T. (LXX.) Proverbs 16:27 ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν ἑαυτοῦ χειλέων θησαυρίζει πῦρ. In the Hebr., however, there is no word corresponding to θησαυρίζει, and there may be a confusion between the Hebrew words צָבַר, ‘to heap up’ (elsewhere used to translate θησαυρίζειν) and צָרַב, ‘to be scorched.’ The rendering of the Hebr. text is: ‘and in his lips there is a scorching fire.’ The other passage is Micah 6:10 μὴ πῦρ καὶ οἶκος�; in this passage πῦρ is not represented in the Hebrew. Its insertion is due to the similarity of אִשׁ (ish), ‘there is,’ and אֵשׁ (esh), ‘fire.’ The juxtaposition of the two words in the Greek text, especially in the first passage quoted, however, may have suggested the expression in St James. On the other hand it is more natural to take ὡς πῦρ with the words which precede rather than those which follow, and this is the view of most commentators.

ἐν ἐσχάταις ἡμέραις, in last days, days of crisis; the absence of the article marks the general character of the expression, which does not necessarily mean the end of the world. Comp. Genesis 49:1 τί�ʼ ἐσχάτων τῶν ἡμερῶν. Proverbs 31:25 εὐφράνθη ἐν ἐσχάταις ἡμέραις, ‘she laugheth at the time to come’ R.V., Isaiah 2:2 ἔσται ἐν ταῖς ἐσχάταις ἡμέραις ἐμφανὲς τὸ ὄρος Κυρίου, Micah 4:1 (where the Hebrew is the same as in the last passage) καὶ ἔσται ἐπʼ ἐσχάτων τῶν ἡμερῶν ἐμφανὲς τὸ ὄρος Κυρίου, 2 Timothy 3:1 ἐν ἐσχάταις ἡμέραις ἐνστήσονται καιροὶ χαλεποί. Bishop Westcott on 1 St John 2:18 ἐσχάτη ὥρα ἐστίν, points out that in all these passages the expression points to a time of crisis in the distant future, in Genesis 49:1 to the entrance into Canaan, in Isaiah 2:2; Micah 4:1 to the restoration of Israel. In St John the use of the article, ἐν τῇ ἐσχάτη ἠμέρᾳ, gives a definite meaning, as John 11:24 οἶδα ὅτι�. See also in the same gospel chs. John 6:39-40; John 6:44; John 6:54; John 7:37; John 12:48. But there is a sense in which each age is a ‘last day’ or hour, and in each there are ‘last days’ to come.