James 4

Ver. 1. Go to now.] This is only a form of transition, chap. iv. 13, and turning his speech to any person: as if he had said, And now to speak to you that are rich, I call upon you to weep, &c. Dr. Whitby.

—for your miseries that shall come upon you.] The miseries, of which the Apostle speaks, were those in which the Jews were involved in their war with the Romans, and which by the signs pointed out in our Lord’s prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem, St. James, who wrote this letter in Judea, knew were at hand; miseries from famine, pestilence, and the sword. These fell heaviest no doubt on the Jews in Judea: but they extended also to the Jews in the provinces: besides, when Jerusalem was besieged by the Romans, the Jews in the provinces within the empire, and also out of its bounds, sent help to their brethren in Judea. Dr. Macknight. For an account of the calamities which befell the Jews at the destruction of Jerusalem, the reader is referred to the notes on Matt. xiv.

Josephus particularly observes how much the rich men suffered by the Romans in the Jewish war. Dr. Doddridge.

James 4:2

2. Your riches are corrupted, &c.] Your food, like manna, is putrefied by being kept, Exod. xvi. 20; and the garments, which should have covered the needy, being laid up in your wardrobes, are devoured by moths. Dr. Hammond. In the former clause the Apostle speaks of stores of corn, wine, and oil, which, like the rich fool, mentioned Luke xii. 18, they had amassed, probably by rapine and fraud. Dr. Macknight. See notes at Matt. vi. 19.

James 4:3

3. Your gold and silver is cankered;] Or rusted. But since gold is not naturally capable of rust, it has been thought that the word here used denotes not indeed rust, but the foulness which that metal may contract. Parkhurst.

—and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, &c.] The circumstances of their corn being putrefied, and of their gold and silver being eaten with rust, are mentioned to shew that they had not been properly used, but covetously hoarded. And by a strong poetical figure, the rust of their gold and silver is represented both as a witness against them, and as executioner to destroy them; it will bear witness to their covetousness, and punish them by raising the most acute pain in their conscience. Dr. Macknight.

—for the last days.] For the time of the final destruction of your state, which is now coming on. Dr. Wells. This denunciation, though applied here to the unbelieving Jews in the Apostles’ days, is general in its intention, and ought to be seriously attended to by all in every age, who amass riches unjustly, and who either hoard them covetously, or spend them luxuriously; it is in reality treasuring up to themselves misery against the day of judgment. Dr. Macknight.

James 4:4

4. Ye adulterers and adulteresses.] For so ye may be fitly called, since ye prefer the love of worldly riches and pleasures to the love of God. Dr. Wells. — the friendship of the world] Which stands in competition with, and indisposes you for doing, God’s will, “is enmity with God.” Burkitt. As if he had said, How can you be so ignorant as to imagine that the love of God can ever be consistent with this immoderate thirst after temporal riches and grandeur? You must give up one or the other. Pyle. It is not intended for us to shun, what our Maker hath appointed us to engage in: but then we ought to engage in it only in such a manner as He has appointed, and to recollect continually that “we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness,” 1 John v. 19. Not only the heathen world had its idolatrous pomps, or publick spectacles, and its immoral vanities, which Christians were at first peculiarly called upon to renounce; but that, which calls itself Christian, is full of know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

5. Behold, the hire of the labourers &c.] The precept of the law touching this matter is contained in Lev. xix. 13; Deut. xxiv. 15. The keeping of the hire back is therefore truly styled fraud and oppression; and all sins of that nature cry to heaven for vengeance upon the fraudulent oppressor. Dr. Whitby.

—the Lord of sabaoth.] That is, of hosts. See the note on Rom. ix. 29.

James 4:5

5, 6. Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, &c.] Interpreters have been much perplexed by this text. The difficulty of it seems to have arisen from its being not pointed aright, and may be removed by dividing the fifth verse into two interrogations. Drs. Wells and Whitby, Pyle. The following paraphrase is according to such a division of the verse. This the Scripture beateth upon every where; and do ye think it speaketh thus in vain? Certainly every word thereof is to excellent purpose, and shall be truly verified upon us. Doth then that Spirit of God, which we profess to have dwelling in us, just after envy, and envy the good things of others? Surely no: so far is He from that, as that He giveth more grace where He hath given some already. Wherefore He saith, God resisteth the proud, &c. Bp. Hall.

5. —as in a day of slaughter.] Or, ‘for a day of slaughter:’ namely, as the sacrifices, which are first fattened and then slaughtered. See Ps. xxxvii. 20. Dr. Whitby.

James 4:6

6. Ye have condemned and killed the just;] Namely, many a true Christian, who does not so much as resist

James 4:7

7. — Resist the devil.] Who is the author of those wars, envyings, and lustings, which are amongst you. Dr. Whitby. What we are taught concerning the devil, and demons or wicked spirits, in the word of God, is, that a number of angels, having sinned against their Maker, from what motives or in what instances we are not, as we need not be, clearly told, but so as to be utterly unfit for pardon, were cast out from heaven, and are kept under such confisement as God sees proper, till the day comes when the final sentence which they have deserved shall be executed upon them; but that in the mean time, being full of all evil, and void of all hope, they maliciously endeavour to make those, whom they can, wicked and miserable like themselves. And being all united under one head, and actuated by one and the same spirit of illwill against us, we are concerned to look upon them as one enemy. What means they use to tempt us, we are Against detraction and censoriousness. We must not presume on the future. Anno DOMINI about 60.

draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

James 4:8

8. Draw nigh to God.] By prayer, humiliation, repentance, and obedience, “and He will draw nigh to you” in mercy. Dr. Whitby. “Draw nigh to God,” says the Apostle, “and He will draw nigh to you:” some approach therefore towards God on the part of men, some exertion of their own will, is necessary to obtain His effectual assistance. “Cleanse your hands, ye sinners,” he continues, “and purify your hearts, ye double-minded:” sinners being exhorted thus to reform their lives, and those who are wavering and unstable to become firm and resolute, is a proof that men have a control, not only over their actions, but also over their affections and principles. Bp. Tomline.

— Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; &c.] This and other exhortations of the like kind found in Scripture

James 4:9

9. — your joy to heaviness.] By way of repentance. Dr. Wells.

James 4:11

11. Speak not evil of another, brethren. &c.] As to you, dear brethren, who are already converted to Christianity, be sure to avoid that pernicious custom of slander and rash censure. Remember, that whoever hastily and unjustly condemns another man, reflects upon religion itself, sets up for a judge, and makes himself wiser than the Divine law. And such an one must not pretend to be a true disciple of that law, while he sets himself above it. Pyle.

James 4:15

15. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, &c.] The Apostle does not mean, that these words should always be used by us when we speak of our purposes respecting futurity; compare Rom. xv. 28; but that on such occasions the sentiments, which these words express, should be continually present to our mind, and that we should habitually acknowledge our dependence upon Divine Providence. Drs. Whitby and Macknight.

Amongst Christians, who acknowledge God’s providence to rule in all things, and to dispose of all actions and events, it is needless in every speech concerning a future contingency to express this clause, “if the Lord will;” because we readily conceive it, as a clause, which either is, or should be, understood in every such speech, as the Apostle requires. Bp. Sanderson.

James 4:16

16. But now ye rejoice in your boastings:] You take pleasure in speaking thus arrogantly and magnificently of your own purposes. Dr. Hammond.

James 4:17

17. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, &c.] Now this, or any other crime, must be greater in a

Wicked rich men are to fear God’s vengeance. Anno DOMINI about 60. # CHAP. V.