INTRODUCTION TO JAMES 5 In this chapter the apostle reproves the vices of rich men, and denounces the judgments of God upon them; exhorts the saints to patience under sufferings; warns them from vain and profane swearing, and presses to various duties and branches of religious worship, private and... [ Continue Reading ]
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 yet wicked rich men, or those that were the openly profane, are not here intended neither; for the... [ Continue Reading ]
YOUR RICHES ARE CORRUPTED,.... Either through disuse of them; and so the phrase is expressive of their tenaciousness, withholding that from themselves and others which is meet, and which is keeping riches for the owners thereof, to their hurt; or these are corrupted, and are corruptible things, fadi... [ Continue Reading ]
YOUR GOLD AND SILVER IS CANKERED,.... Or grown rusty like iron, by lying long without use; this is not easily and quickly done, but in length of time gold and silver will change, and contract a rustiness; and so this conveys the same idea of hoarding up riches and laying up money, without making use... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLD THE HIRE OF THE LABOURERS, WHICH HAVE REAPED DOWN YOUR FIELDS,.... The wages agreed for by the day, with the labourers in their fields, particularly their reapers; which one instance serves for many others; and is the rather mentioned, because reaping is a laborious work, and those who are em... [ Continue Reading ]
YE HAVE LIVED IN PLEASURE ON THE EARTH,.... This is said of other rich men; for all that is here said is not to be understood of the same individuals, but some things of one, and some of another; some made no use of their riches, either for themselves, or others; some did make use of them, and emplo... [ Continue Reading ]
YE HAVE CONDEMNED AND KILLED THE JUST,.... Meaning not Christ, the Just One, as some have thought; whom the Jewish sanhedrim condemned as guilty of death, and got the sentence passed upon him, and him to be crucified by Pontius Pilate, on the day of slaughter, at the time of the passover, as some co... [ Continue Reading ]
BE PATIENT THEREFORE, BRETHREN,.... The apostle here addresses himself to the poor who were oppressed by the rich men, and these he calls "brethren" of whom he was not ashamed; when he does not bestow this title upon the rich, though professors of the same religion: these poor brethren he advises to... [ Continue Reading ]
BE YE ALSO PATIENT,.... As well as the husbandman, and like him; and wait for the rains and dews of divine grace to fall, and make fruitful, and for the ripe fruit of eternal life; and in the mean while cheerfully and patiently bear all injuries, and oppressions: STABLISH YOUR HEARTS; though the st... [ Continue Reading ]
GRUDGE NOT ONE AGAINST ANOTHER, BRETHREN,.... On account of any happiness, temporal or spiritual, which another enjoys; do not inwardly repine at it; or secretly sigh and groan in an envious manner at it, though nothing may be said, as the word used signifies; much less complain of, accuse, and cond... [ Continue Reading ]
TAKE, MY BRETHREN, THE PROPHETS, WHO HAVE SPOKEN IN THE NAME OF THE LORD,.... Men who have been highly honoured of God, with a gift of prophesying, or foretelling things to come; to whom God revealed his secrets, doing nothing without acquainting them with it; and who were sent forth by him, and pro... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLD, WE COUNT THEM HAPPY WHICH ENDURE,.... Affliction, with courage, constancy, and patience, and hold out to the end; for such shall be saved; theirs is the kingdom of heaven; they are happy now, and will be so hereafter: the Spirit of God, and of glory, now rests upon them; and it is an honour... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT ABOVE ALL THINGS, MY BRETHREN, SWEAR NOT,.... As impatience should not show itself in secret sighs, groans, murmurings, and repinings, so more especially it should not break forth in rash oaths, or in profane swearing; for of such sort of swearing, and of such oaths, is the apostle to be underst... [ Continue Reading ]
IS ANY AMONG YOU AFFLICTED?.... As the people of God generally are; they are commonly a poor, and an afflicted people; at least there are many among them that are so, and many are their afflictions: those whom Christ loves, as he did Lazarus, are not free from sicknesses and diseases; and these are... [ Continue Reading ]
IS ANY SICK AMONG YOU?.... Which is often the case; the bodies of the saints, as well as others, are liable to a variety of diseases; they are sick, and sometimes nigh unto death, as Epaphroditus was: and then, LET HIM CALL FOR THE ELDERS OF THE CHURCH; in allusion to the elders of the congregation... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE PRAYER OF FAITH SHALL SAVE THE SICK,.... That is, the prayer of the elders, being put up in faith by them, and in which the sick person joins by faith; such a prayer is a means of bringing down from God a blessing on the sick man, and of restoring him to his former health: AND THE LORD SHAL... [ Continue Reading ]
CONFESS YOUR FAULTS ONE TO ANOTHER,.... Which must be understood of sins committed against one another; which should be acknowledged, and repentance for them declared, in order to mutual forgiveness and reconciliation; and this is necessary at all times, and especially on beds of affliction, and whe... [ Continue Reading ]
ELIAS WAS A MAN SUBJECT TO LIKE PASSIONS AS WE ARE,.... The apostle gives an instance of earnest and fervent prayer, and of the efficacy of it in Elias; who is the same with the prophet Elijah, or Elijah the Tishbite; who, by the Septuagint in Malachi 4:5 is called Elias, as here, and elsewhere, in... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE PRAYED AGAIN,.... 1 Kings 18:42. Here also is no express mention of his prayer, but it may be concluded from his gestures; and so the Jewish interpreters understand these words, "Elijah went up to the top of Carmel", להתפלל, "to pray, and he cast himself down upon the earth", להתפלל על הגשמים... [ Continue Reading ]
BRETHREN, IF ANY OF YOU DO ERR FROM THE TRUTH,.... Either from Christ, who is the truth, by departing from him, forsaking his ways, worship, and ordinances; or from the Scriptures of truth, not speaking according to them, and embracing notions that are contrary unto them; or from the Gospel, the wor... [ Continue Reading ]
LET HIM KNOW,.... And observe it for his encouragement: THAT HE WHICH CONVERTETH A SINNER FROM THE ERROR OF HIS WAY; who is the instrument of restoring a backsliding professor, for such an one is meant by a sinner, and not a profane person; or of turning a poor bewildered believer, who is got out o... [ Continue Reading ]