Commentaries Dictionaries Concordances

Justin Edwards' Family Bible NT (1851)

James 5:1

Ye rich men; for the class of persons addressed.

That shall come upon you; on account of your sins, especially the wicked manner in which you have obtained and used riches. There is a reference here and in verses James 5:3; James 5:5, to the awful calamity that was about to come upon the Jewish people, and in which these rich men would be involved in common with the rest of their country-men. But this is not the full meaning of the words. That judgment shadowed forth the more dreadful retributions that shall overtake all sinners at the last day.

Continues after advertising

See also James 5:1 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    CHAPTER V. _The profligate rich are in danger of God's judgments, because_ _of their pride, fraudulent dealings, riotous living, and_ _cruelty_, 1-6. _The oppressed followers of God should be pati...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    GO TO NOW - Notes, James 4:13. YE RICH MEN - Not all rich men, but only that class of them who are specified as unjust and oppressive. There is no sin in merely being rich; where sin exists peculiarly...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    V. THE COMING OF THE LORD AND THE LIFE OF FAITH CHAPTER 5 _ 1. The oppression by the rich and their coming doom (James 5:1)_ 2. Be patient unto the coming of the Lord (James 5:7) 3. The prayers of...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    From the merely careless rich James turns to the actively oppressive, the fellows of those whom he lashes in James 2:6 f. For him, of course, the prophetic Day of the Lord was more assured and more de...

  • Barclay Daily Study Bible (NT)

    THE WORTHLESSNESS OF RICHES (James 5:1-3)...

  • Barclay Daily Study Bible (NT)

    Come now, you rich, weep and wail at the miseries which are coming upon you. Your wealth is rotten and your garments are food for moths. Your gold and silver are corroded clean through with rust; and...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    GO TO. See James 4:13. HOWL. Greek. _ololuzo._ Only here. An onomatopoeic word. MISERIES. Greek. _talaiporia._ See Romans 3:16. Compare James 4:9. SHALL COME. are coming....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    James 5:1-6. Warnings for the Rich 1. _Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl_ The words are nearly the same as those we have met with before in ch. James 4:9, but there is in them less of the call to...

  • Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges Commentary

    ἌΓΕ. See above, James 4:13. ὈΛΟΛΎΖΟΝΤΕΣ κ.τ.λ. Comp. Luke 6:24-25, a passage closely related to this. Comp. Isaiah 13:6 ὀλολύζετε· ἐγγὺς γὰρ ἡμέρα κυρίου, where there is the same connexion as here wit...

  • Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges Commentary

    The thought of trade suggests the thought of wealth, as in Revelation 18:15 οἱ ἔμποροι τούτων πλουτήσαντες�ʼ αὐτῆς. The rich men who are here addressed are outside ‘the brotherhood.’ This appears clea...

  • Charles Box Commentaries

    _RETAIN THE RIGHT ATTITUDE -- JAMES 5:1-11_ Wealth is not wrong within itself. The trouble with riches is in reference to wealth held without regard for the kingdom of God. The worldly rich that are d...

  • Charles Rose Commentaries

    ΆΓΕ _praes. imper. act. от_ ΆΓ (G71) вести; здесь: идите сюда! (_см._ James 4:13). ΠΛΟΎΣΙΟΙ _voc. pl. от_ ΠΛΟΎΣΙΟΣ (G4145) богатый (_см._ James 1:10). _Adj._ в роли _subst._ ΚΛΑΎΣΑΤΕ ao

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    THAT SHALL COME UPON YOU.— _Which are coming upon you._ This latter rendering is,I think, more agreeable to the original than our English version; the word επερχομεναις being a participle of the prese...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    THE END OF THE UNGODLY RICH _Text 5:1-6_ James 5:1. Come now ye rich and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you. 2. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth eaten. 3. Your...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    CHAPTER IX _PRETENDED DEBATE WITH A RICH UNBELIEVER_ James 4:13 to James 5:6 _Introduction:_ The title of this chapter is itself interpretive, and might introduce some discussion. There is no doubt...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. GO TO NOW - Come now: to call solemn attention. YE RICH - who neglect the true enjoyment of riches, which consist...

  • Commentary on the Minor Epistles by Caton

    VERSE 1 GO TO NOW, YE RICH MEN, WEEP AND HOWL."Go to now," used before by this writer, or attributed to him by the Common Version as here used, amounts to a call which he makes to a class he designate...

  • Concordant Commentary on the New Testament by A. E. Knoch

    5 This passage has puzzled the commentators, and there are many and various explanations offered to solve what seems to be one of the most difficult passages in the Scriptures. A simple explanation, w...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    REBUKE AND ENCOURAGEMENT 2. Are corrupted, etc.] prophetic tense, in which the future is spoken of as though it were already come to pass....

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    WHAT *FAITH SHOULD DO JAMES _IAN MACKERVOY_ The word list at the end explains words with a *star by them. CHAPTER 5 JUDGEMENT OF THE RICH 5:1-6 V1 Now, you rich people, weep and cry aloud. Th...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    GO TO NOW, YE RICH. — As in James 4:3, it was “Woe to you, worldly,” so now “Woe to ye rich: weep, bewailing” — literally, _howling for your miseries coming upon you._ Comp. Isaiah 13:6; Isaiah 14:31;...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    CHAPTER 23 THE FOLLIES AND INIQUITIES OF THE RICH; THEIR MISERABLE END. James 5:1 HERE, if anywhere in the Epistle, the writer glances aside from the believing Jews of the Dispersion, to whom the l...

  • Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

    Ἄγε νῦν : See above James 4:13. κλαύσατε ὀλολύζοντες ἐπὶ ταῖς ταλαιπωρίαις ὑμῶν ταῖς ἐπερχομέναις : according to the original prophetic conception these “miseries” which were to overtake the wicked, w...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    PATIENTLY AWAIT THE LORD'S COMING James 5:1 There are many among the rich who are using money as a sacred trust. Not against these does the Apostle utter his terrible anathemas, but against those who...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    Approaching the conclusion of his letter, the writer addressed a terrible indictment and solemn warning to the rich. He showed the failure of possessions, and how they may become the curse of life. S...

  • Gary Hampton Commentaries

    THE ABUSIVE RICH WILL BE JUDGED James had a message for the oppressive rich. He asked for their close attention, as in 4:13, by saying "Come now." This time he is speaking to the rich. His message see...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    Go (1) to now, [ye] rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon [you]. (1) He denounces utter destruction to the wicked and profane rich men, and such as are drowned in their rioto...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    Go now rich men, &c. In the first six verses, he gives admonitions to those among the Christians who were rich, not to rely on riches, nor value themselves on this account. You must look upon your ric...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. (2) Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. (3) Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    CONTENTS The Church is here taught, in the Opening of this Chapter, the short-lived Enjoyments of the Wicked. God's faithful Ones are reminded of the Blessedness of Patience; and what precious Advant...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    To the reader who enters on the consideration of the epistle of James from the epistles of Paul, the change is great and sudden, and by no means least of all from the epistle to the Hebrews, which, in...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    1_Go to now_. They are mistaken, as I think, who consider that James here exhorts the rich to repentance. It seems to me to be a simple denunciation of God’s judgment, by which he meant to terrify the...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    The two classes in Israel are distinctly marked here in contrast with one another, with the addition of the walk which the Christian ought to pursue when chastised by the Lord. The apostle gives the c...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    GO TO NOW, YE RICH MEN,.... All rich men are not here designed; there are some rich men who are good men, and make a good use of their riches, and do not abuse them, as these here are represented; and...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    Go to now, _ye_ rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon _you_. Ver. 1. _Go to now, ye rich men_] Those rich wretches mentioned James 2:6,7, that blasphemed God and oppressed me...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    The unbelieving Jews, being exceedingly addicted to sensual pleasure, and very covetous, were of course grievous oppressors of the poor. Wherefore, to alarm these wicked men, and, if possible, to brin...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    VARIOUS ADMONITIONS IN VIEW OF THE NEARNESS OF THE JUDGMENT. Exhortation to the rich:...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    GO TO NOW, YE RICH MEN, WEEP AND HOWL FOR YOUR MISERIES THAT SHALL COME UPON YOU....

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    Verses 1 Timothy 6 are addressed to rich men, and no doubt specially to those who make some claim of having the knowledge of God. They are bidden to weep and howl for the miseries that will take them,...

  • Manly Luscombe Commentary on New Testament

    DISCUSSION QUESTIONS ON CHAPTER FIVE (The question numbers refer to the verse number.) 1. Why does James say the rich are miserable? Why should the rich weep and howl? What miseries will come to th...

  • Mark Dunagan Commentaries

    "Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you"."Come now" -the same expression is found in James 4:13. "It is. set phrase, an interjection to gain attention….it is som...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    1-6 Public troubles are most grievous to those who live in pleasure, and are secure and sensual, though all ranks suffer deeply at such times. All idolized treasures will soon perish, except as they...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    JAMES CHAPTER 5 JAMES 5:1 Wicked rich men are warned of God's impending judgment. JAMES 5:7 The brethren are exhorted to patience, after the example of the prophets and of Job, JAMES 5:12 to abstain f...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    James 5:1 Come G33 (G5720) now G3568 rich G4145 weep G2799 (G5657) howl G3649 (G5723) for G1

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    DIATRIBE AGAINST THE UNGODLY RICH (JAMES 5:1). Notice the complete contrast between the rich as described here and those who are being tested and tried in the opening words of the letter, ‘count it al...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    ‘Come now, you rich, weep and howl, For your miseries that are coming on you.' James enjoins the rich to weep and howl at what is coming on them. People weeping and howling in this way is a regular O...

  • Philip Schaff's Popular Commentary on the NT (4 vols)

    James 5:1. GO TO NOW. Whoever may be the persons referred to in the preceding paragraph, we consider that the rich who are here addressed were unbelieving and wicked men not belonging to the Christian...

  • Philip Schaff's Popular Commentary on the NT (4 vols)

    St. James, having warned his readers against worldliness, and exhorted them to humility before God, proceeds to censure the rich for their forgetfulness of their dependence upon God, their proud confi...

  • Robertson's Word Pictures of the New Testament

    COME NOW, YE RICH (αγε νυν ο πλουσιο). Exclamatory interjection as in James 4:13. Direct address to the rich as a class as in 1 Timothy 6:17. Apparently here James has in mind the rich as a class, w...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Warning to the rich. Exhortations in view of Christ's second coming. CHARACTERS: Christ, Job, Elias, James. CONCLUSION: Great amassing of wealth will be a sign of the last days, but woe to...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    James 5:1. _Go to now,_ or go now, _ye rich men._ He had taught them humility, because their glory vanished away as the flower of the field: chap. James 1:10. He now calls upon them _to weep and howl_...

  • The Bible Study New Testament

    YOU RICH PEOPLE. _MacKnight_ thinks James is speaking to the unbelieving Jews who opposed the gospel. It can be applied to all who become rich by cheating and oppressing the poor. The Jewish wars and...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    JAMES—NOTE ON JAMES 5:1 The rich people mentioned here are probably not believers (compare James 2:6). ⇐

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    RULES FOR DAILY CONDUCT _CRITICAL AND EXEGETICAL NOTES_ James 5:1. RICH MEN.—Always in Scripture, the men who are proud of their riches, centred in their riches, and are nothing but rich. The good ma...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION JAMES 5:1 DENUNCIATION OF THE RICH FOR (1) GRINDING DOWN THE POOR AND KEEPING BACK THEIR WAGES;...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Now in chapter five he takes on the rich. So this doesn't apply to many of us. Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, your garment...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Timothy 6:10; 1 Timothy 6:9; Amos 6:6; Amos 6:7; Deuteronomy 32:15;...

  • Vincent's Word Studies in the New Testament (4 Volume Set)

    Go to. See on ch. James 4:13. Weep and howl [κ λ α υ σ α τ ε ο λ ο λ υ ζ ο ν τ ε ς]. Lit., weep, howling. The latter is a descriptive word, ol - ol - uz - o. Only here in New Testament, and denoting...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Come now, ye rich — The apostle does not speak this so much for the sake of the rich themselves, as of the poor children of God, who were then groaning under their cruel oppression. Weep and howl for...

  • When Critics Ask: A Popular Handbook on Bible Difficulties, Norman L. Geisler and Thomas Howe, 1960

    Are riches a blessing or a curse? PROBLEM: Solomon lauded riches as a blessing from God, saying, “In the house of the righteous there is much treasure” (Proverbs 15:6; cf. Psalms 112:3). However, Jam...

  • William Burkitt's Expository Notes

    These words may be considered wither relatively or absolutely. Consider them, 1. With relation to the Jews, to whom they were written immmediately, and they are. prediction or denuncitation of that ju...

Continues after advertising

Old Testament