James 5

1 rich men. Rich men who trust in their wealth (see Luke vi. 24), and become unjust and oppressive, are here meant: see vers. 4-6.

that shall come upon you. Rather, as R.V., “that are coming upon you.” The calamities which attended the destruction of Jerusalem.

3 is cankered. Properly, “has been rusted through.” The rust is already in your ill-gotten gains, and will bear witness against your covetous laying up of treasure in these last days, when ye should have been preparing for the Lord’s coming; see vers. 7, 8; Luke xvii. 26-30. The translation, “for the last days,” is inaccurate and misses the point of the passage.

4 the hire of the labourers. The Bible has a good deal to say on the relation between employers and employed, on work and wages. Cp. on the one hand Jer. xxii. 13, Mal. iii. 5; and on the other Titus ii. 9, 10.

sabaoth. “Sabaoth” is the Hebrew word for “hosts,” transliterated by the Jews into Greek; see notes on 1 Sam. i. 3; Psa. xxiv. 10 Rom. ix. 29.

5 ye have nourished your hearts. You have cherished and gratified your natural desires, as in Luke xxi. 34; Acts xiv. 17. Ye are like fatted animals, feeding greedily on the very day when they are to be killed.

6 the just. “The righteous one.”

he doth not resist you. His unresisting submission, like that of “the Just One,” his Divine Master, aggravates your cruelty.

7 the early and latter rain. See note on Deut. xi. 14.

8 draweth nigh. Or, as in Matt. iii. 2, “is at hand.”

9. Grudge not. Or, “Sigh not”; i.e., murmur not, “that ye be not judged.”

standeth before the door. That is, He is close at hand, coming to judgement (see ver. 8).

10. Take, my brethren, the prophets, etc. Cp. Matt. v. 12; Heb. xi. 35-38.

11 we count them happy which endure. Bravely sustaining afflictions; like Job, of whose trials, and of whose endurance you have heard. Look at the happy “end” to which the Lord in His mercy brought them.

12 swear not. See Matt. v. 33, 37, and notes.

13 merry. Rather, “cheerful.” Let your joy or sorrow be expressed in a Christian manner: cp. Eph. v. 19.

14 elders. See Acts xiv. 23; Phil. i. 1, and notes anointing. See Mark vi. 13, and note.

15 the prayer of faith shall save the sick, etc. Prayer, when offered in reliance on God’s promise (cp. i. 6), shall be made effectual, not only to the sick man’s recovery to health (see 1 Cor. xii. 9), but “even if” he be suffering in consequence of some special sins (see 1 Cor. xi. 30), to his forgiveness also.

16 one to another. Not to the elders only, but to any believing and praying brother; for “the energetic prayer of a righteous man has much power.” “People wear their hearts out in estrangements; friction is created by that native stubbornness in defending a fault rather than confess it, which is too characteristic of us all” (Charles Brown in Devotional Commentary).

17 he prayed earnestly. Lit., he “prayed in prayer”; an emphatic Hebrew idiom. In 1 Kings xvii., xviii., it is not expressly said that Elijah prayed either at the beginning or the end of the drought; but the facts of the history imply that he did.

on the earth. Rather, “on the land”; namely, Palestine: see 1 Kings xvii. 1, and note.

19 convert. Or, “turn him back”; i.e., restore him to the truth, from his error and ungodliness.

20 from death. That is, with an eternal salvation, such as those enjoy whose sins, however numerous, are covered or pardoned through Christ. Such is the blessedness which “any” faithful Christian may become the means, by God’s grace, of conveying.

THE suffering and risen Christ is set forth in this letter as the Saviour and example for sinful and suffering men, and His resurrection as their hope and inspiration. The writer speaks of obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ (i. 2); of the sufferings of Christ (i. 11; ii. 21; iii. 18; iv. 1, 13); of the precious blood of Christ (i. 19); of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (i. 3, 21; iii. 18, 21); the appearing of Jesus Christ (i. 7); and the revelation of Jesus Christ (i. 13).

And all this is stated not as mere theological dogma, but as historical fact, recorded by an eyewitness, and as an encouragement and help in everyday life. St. Peter here cheers the persecuted and scattered Christians by the prospect of the incorruptible inheritance, a prospect based on the resurrection of the Lord (i. 3, 4). Here, too, we see the unity of the Apostolic teaching, when we compare his statements on suffering and trial with those of St. Paul and St. James (cp. i. 6 with Rom. v. 3 and James i. 2, 3).

The character of Christ is held up as an example to His followers. “Be ye holy” (i. 15, 16). They have been redeemed at a costly price (i. 18, 19), and therefore should put away all malice and envy, hypocrisy and evil speaking (ii. 1). As living stones they are part of God’s spiritual temple, and are at the same time called as priests to offer up spiritual sacrifices (ii. 5). As citizens they are to render respect and obedience to rulers, and, when they suffer wrongfully, to keep before them the patience of Christ (ii. 13-22; iii. 14-18). Cultivating Christ’s spirit of gentleness and following the purity of His character, husbands

and wives are to dwell together as heirs of the grace of life (iii. 1-7). In relation to the pagan world around them, with its licentiousness and excesses, they are to arm themselves with the spirit of Christ (iv. 1-6). Amongst themselves they are above all things to cultivate love (iv. 8). And the Epistle closes with advice to the presbyters in the Churches to feed the flock of God and not to be lords but examples, and to the younger members to practise humility (v. 1-6).