Bible Commentaries
James 5

Introduction

The Jews that did not accept the Messiah when he came, and refused to accept the gospel as proclaimed by the apostles, generally speaking were covetous, and because of the success of their methods became wealthy. To these, and to all who because of their riches oppressed the poor, the apostle administers a severe rebuke, and calls them to penitence, foreseeing the calamities that await all such. This he does by painting these coming evils in the liveliest colors. Between the first and the sixth verses the apostle introduces several very bold figures and representations, which for beauty and sublimity have no parallels outside the Bible. He then urges patience, not only under afflictions, but at all times, by showing that in the most important avocations patience is required, and that because they may not appear as successful as others, this should be no cause for complaint, for the same Judge is over all, whose judgment will be righteous. Examples of patience under trying circumstances are given from the prophets and from the history of Job to show the God-given rewards. They are then cautioned concerning swearing, and oaths of all kinds falsely taken, careless swearing being calculated to lead astray and bring condemnation. Prayer is enjoined for the afflicted, and singing of psalms by the merry. The efficacy of prayer is shown by the example of Elijah, and the results of his earnest invocation offered to God's throne. The duty of brethren to restore the falling and wavering among them is next presented. They are urged to use every effort to reclaim such, and the great reward to those who are successful in this direction is named that they shall thereby save "a soul from death and hide a multitude of sins."

Verse 1

"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 designates as rich. He calls upon them that they may weep and howl. "Wail and mourn" conveys the idea to our minds that is intended to reach the Jewish mind. And I take it that here James intended his call to reach, especially, the unbelieving Jew. The inspired vision of the writer embraced in its sweep the calamity that would fall upon the Jews in a few brief years the destruction of their city. They are called upon to wail and mourn because of coming judgments that were being brought upon them as a punishment for sins.

Verse 2

Corrupted ; that is, putrefied. Silver and gold as riches are not here referred to, because they are subsequently mentioned. Hence the riches here mentioned must have ref-erence to other goods and accumulations, such as the prod-ucts of the fields, vineyards and flocks. "Your garments are moth-eaten" is a very strong reminder to a Jew of God's providence, following and surrounding the fathers in their forty years' wanderings in the desert after their escape from Egyptian slavery until they crossed the Jordan, and occupied the land of Canaan. During all that period their garments did not wax old. Now, in contrast, while your accumulations of rich attire may be great, God's pro-tection in consequence of your continued transgression being withdrawn, you will find it is moth-eaten, and ren-dered worthless for use as garments.

Verse 3

That is, the gold and silver they had treasured up had contracted rust, for they are in fact herein charged with having been engaged for a long period of time in hoarding this kind of treasure. Observe that it is not the use of these metals, but the non-use of the same, for which they are censured. The rust in this case is supposed to come from the failure to use. This failure to use showed beyond question that the proper use had not been observed, or, in other words, that the legitimate design of gold and silver, by its being hoarded, had not been accomplished. The em-ployment of gold and silver in acts of beneficence would have prevented the rust. The unjust and wicked amassing from the love of such riches was covetous was wrong. The rust accumulated on such hoarded treasure was itself a witness against those so hoarding it, and will eat their bodies as a fire. The conscience being irritated, your hoarded treasure is a curse to you.

Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.

Another allusion to the coming destruction of Jerusa-lem. Suppose the accumulation to be immense, and yet all is lost in the general destruction, what avails it? What have you accomplished by your toil and labor? Absolutely nothing. You Jewish Christians, if you are so engaged, you make a great blunder. The author of the Christian faith gave explicit warning concerning these last days and the miseries that should follow. Your treasures will, like a bird, fly away, and you will be left destitute. Your time is wasted and you have failed to lay up treasures in heaven, as your plain duty was, Sand as you were so plainly and yet so tenderly admonished.

Verse 4

To accomplish your unjust and wicked desire to hoard your gold and silver, you disregarded the law of God, and have kept back the hard-earned wages of the laborer who reaped your fields and garnered your grain. These wages you withheld in fraud of the laborer's right. God had said in his law, "The wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning" ( Lev_19:13 ), and the blessed Master said: "So when the even has come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto the steward, Call the laborers and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first" ( Mat_20:8 ). This law, based upon infinite justice, you, by your covetous course, have flagrantly violated, and the cries of the wronged have been heard by the Lord of Sabaoth.

Sabaoth. What idea or ideas are we to gather from this word ? It is used in our Common Version but once elsewhere in the New Testament, namely, in Rom_9:29 . The use of this word in the text I regard as significant, and shall therefore give it more than a passing notice.

Dr. Smith, in his Bible Dictionary, informs us that the word "Sabaoth" is from a Hebrew term signifying "hosts" or "armies." James Comper Gray, in "Biblical Mu-seum," says: "Hebrew word left untranslated twice in the New Testament. Lord of Sabaoth Lord of hosts ; 1: e., of the armies of heaven." Dr. James Macknight says: "In the original it is Lord of Sabaoth. But the Hebrew word `Sab-aoth' signifies hosts and is sometimes used to denote the sun, moon and stars, and also the angels. The Lord of Sabaoth, therefore, as one of the titles of Deity, marks his supreme dominion over the universe, and particularly over the dif-ferent orders of angels, who, on account of their multitude and of their serving under the command of God, are named. ( 1Ki_22:19 .) The LXX. in the passages where this He-brew word occurs commonly express it in Greek letters, in which Paul has followed them. So, also, Jam_5:4 , sup-posing that it would be agreeable to Jewish ears. Ains-worth, on Exo_3:13 , tells us that the Rabbins teach when God judgeth his creatures he is called Elohim; when he showeth them mercy he is called Jehovah, and when he warreth against the wicked he is called Sabaoth."

Bro. M. E. Lard, in his commentary on Romans, passes the expression with these words: "The Lord of hosts, the Lord that rears them up and preserves them. The phase is used with admirable propriety here." H. A. W. Meyer, the renowned German exegete, passes the phrase with even slighter notice, and our lamented Bro. B. W. Johnson fails to notice it at all. From the research I have made, this is the best that I can do. The unlearned sometimes ex-hibit an inquiring mind upon these matters which ought to be gratified as far as possible. Hence the search I have made.

Verse 5

The sense is that the persons addressed had lived lux-uriously on the earth, had lived for pleasure only, had indulged in all sorts of excesses, spending their wealth when they did spend any in that way. And thus the apostle would argue they had feasted and reveled their bodies, as though they were being prepared for a day of slaughter. Beasts are fatted for slaughter and sacrifice. So these, in their conduct, would seem as though they were preparing themselves for the great slaughter soon to be their portion. Dr. Macknight leans to this view of the text, and, after much reflection, I adopt the same view. I think it is justified by the thought introduced in the succeeding verse.

Verse 6

The Jews condemned and slew the just one, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the facts of history show that it was the rich and influential that were guilty of this most heinous crime. It certainly was not the poor. This was the crown-ing sin of the Jews, deserving the destruction which subse-quently befell them.

And he doth not resist you.

Jesus of Nazareth, although God's beloved Son, al-though he could have delivered himself, offered no resist- ance. The cruel nails were driven through his hands and feet without the least compunction on the part of the Jews, and without the least flinching on the part of the patient sufferer.

Verse 7

What a relief it must have been to the writer to turn away from the contemplation of the grievous sins of the wicked Jews to his suffering brethren. Be patient, there-fore, brethren. You have the high and exalted example of the blessed Master: "Continue, therefore, your patience unto the coming of the Lord." Then your persecutors will be punished. Reference here evidently is had to the coming of punishment upon the Jews in the destruction of their commonwealth, as may be seen in the following verse.

Behold, the husbandman.

A further incentive to patience, one that daily appears before the gaze of all, and in every age and clime the patience of the tiller of the soil. He must, and does, wait with patience for the coming crop. He waits for the rains, both the early and the latter. Upon these he depends. If men exercise patience in the daily avocations of life and are so schooled, as men, and it will be more commendable in them, as believers, can exercise patience in matters pertain-ing to God, and the more ready and willing ought they to be when they are assured that the Lord, in whom they be-lieve and in whom they put their trust, will soon come to their relief and terminate their sufferings and crown them with joy.

Verse 8

As the husbandman was patient, as our Lord was patient, be ye patient also, for the harvest that awaits the trustful sufferer is, beyond any doubt, certain.

Stablish your hearts.

That is, strengthen, fortify your hearts, for the reason that the day of your relief draweth nigh. It is not far away. This assurance is enough to give you comfort in your affliction.

Verse 9

That is, be not querulous, grudgingly complaining of one another. This is wrong, and will be condemned as wrong by the Lord, who is to be the judge. And remember that the judge is so close at hand that it may be said that he standeth at the very door. The application of this while in-tended more particularly for the brethren addressed, is equally applicable in all its force to every believer who shall live on the earth. It contains a lesson that many church members in the present day might study with infinite profit to themselves and with benefit to the cause of Christ.

Verse 10

As Jews you know the prophets and their writings. You knew Isaiah and Jeremiah and Elijah, and many others. You know the history of these as the same has been handed down. These prophets spoke in the name of the Lord. They brought God's messages of mercy to our fore-fathers. Their examples are before you, and therein they show what may be borne from the very persons to whom they brought their messages of love and mercy. They also show the patience with which they endured the afflictions thrust upon them. They suffered and were patient, and en-dured unto the end, and God blessed them.

Verse 11

"We" ; that includes both the writer and the persons addressed. Count them blessed, or happy, that endure. This is said of the prophets who suffered and endured unto the end. We agree that, although they are now numbered with the dead, they having endured unto the end, received the final reward for their faith and patience.

Ye have heard of the patience of Job.

As we agreed that the prophets who endured patiently to the end under suffering were rewarded, let us all go one step further. You know these prophets were all Jews. Now let me give you an example of patience in a Gentile. Your special attention is now attracted to the history of Job. Bitter was his affliction. Heavy beyond conception was the burden of suffering which he was called upon to bear. Be-hold the end, the happy end, the Lord put to all of Job's woes. This history exhibits the Lord's compassion and ten-der mercy to his children, even when he afflicts them. This is another example showing that patient endurance of af-fliction will be highly rewarded. I can not leave this verse without noticing the claim, by some asserted, that the character of Job is mythical. I believe Job existed on the earth as a man, and that he suffered, as set forth in the Book of Job. Ezekiel (xiv. 14) mentions Job in connection with Noah and Daniel. Now, having no doubt that Noah and Daniel lived on the earth as real persons, and per-formed the parts accredited to them, I can discover no just reason to question the real existence of Job. One is just as credible as the other. For belief in either case we are dependent upon history. But the history upon which in this case our faith is based is authentic because it is God-given.

Verse 12

When we remember that these brethren were under-going persecution, and further that they were called upon to swear, and that some, to avoid punishment, were in-duced to swear falsely, the importance of the apostle's injunction becomes apparent. My opinion is that the apostle urges them to swear truthfully and not to swear falsely, neither by heaven, nor by earth, nor by any other oath, but let your oath be yea ; that is, in perfect conformity to the truth. And your nay be also conformable to the truth. And your nay be also conformable to the truth. Your oath, then, will not be condemned as is that made by the hypocrite. I am aware of the fact that many regard this as an injunction to the believer in Christ Jesus to refuse to be sworn in the ordinary course of the administration of jus- tice in our courts and refer to our Lord's words found in Mat_5:33-37 ; but I think, fairly interpreted, such a meaning can not be placed upon the words of the Master. In many places on the pages of the Living Oracles a dif-ferent view is definitely stated. These citations are deemed unnecessary to note here. What is known as profanity using God's name in vain recognized by all as a sin, is an entirely different matter to that alluded to in the text be-fore us. Oath before tribunals is what the apostle brought to the attention of the brethren.

Verse 13

In the place of denying the faith under oath, let such a one pray pray for strength to bear the affliction and every persecution. God alone is the helper in all times of trial.

Is any merry? let him sing psalms.

I think the word "cheerful" or "joyous" gives a better and a more proper view. Any such is enjoined to show his joy in singing praise to God for his mercies. Prayer is the best means of producing within us patience and resig-nation under all oppresive circumstances, and singing the praises of God in psalms is the proper way of showing our cheerfulness rather than in ribald jest or lewd song.

Verse 14

It must not be forgotten that at the time this Epistle was written, miraculous gifts were still present with the Church. Upon the elders placed in charge of many of the churches, and upon many others were these gifts bestowed for the upbuilding of the cause. These powers were neces-sary to the establishment of Christianity in the world. James mentions these gifts as existing facts known to these breth-ren. Let these elders possessing the gift of healing be sent for. Let them pray over the sick, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord, by the authority of the Lord. The power comes from him. The anointing with oil was a token that a miracle was to be performed. It was a symbol of the Spirit, by whom the healing was effected. By reference to Mark's Gospel, sixth chapter, thirteenth verse, the twelve, when first sent out anointed the sick with oil and healed them. Hence I conclude the anointing the sick with oil was a command of the Master, although we have no record of the same.

Verse 15

The prayer to be offered after the elders appear at the bedside of the sick must be in faith. Such prayer, and such prayer only, will the Lord receive, and the sick, after such prayer and in answer thereto, the Lord will raise up. That is, the sick shall be cured of his illness. If the disease be brought up in consequence of sins, the sins shall be for-given him. The removal of the disease, or its cure, which is the same thing, indicates the forgiveness.

Verse 16

That is to say, where sickness exists, it may be occa-sioned by some injury done to a brother. A confession of such a fault will be forgiven by the injured brother, and he will join in the prayer for the sick that he may be healed. Repentance, confession and prayer are the conditions upon which an erring brother is forgiven.

The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man.

The Syriac has this: "For great is the efficacy of the prayer which the righteous man prayeth." The expression of the inspired text is sufficient without searching for pos-sible meanings. Miraculous cures ceased with the age of inspiration, and, while we have no assurance in the divine volume that such gifts remain in the Church, we gather the idea that all God-loving and God-fearing men and women hould pray for the afflicted, and that such prayer is not unacceptable to our Father in heaven. While this I firmly believe, I can find no warrant for entertaining for a moment the idea that through the prayers of the righteous in this day a miraculous cure can be, or will be, effected.

Verse 17

Verse 17. Elias was a man subject.

We are here referred to 1Ki_17:1-24 : The prophet Elijah was by the Infinite given special powers. Miracles were wrought by him. His prayer was prevailing, causing rain to be withheld and again to descend. It is an example showing the power of prayer that may be exercised by a man in the flesh where the same is consonant with the will of God. Elijah prayed that thereby he might prove to king Ahab that the God he worshiped was the only true God. Such proofs were necessary in that day. Nothing of the kind is now required. The record, containing more than ample proof, challenges the consideration of every man. God does no unnecessary or superfluous act. Nothing further is necessary ; nothing further will be given.

Verse 18

In answer to the prayer of Elijah, rain was withheld for three and a half years. He then prayed again for rain, and God answered his prayer by sending the rain, that the earth might yield her fruits for the use of man. The lesson to be impressed upon us is the duty of prayer. That prayer is well pleasing to our Father in heaven, who in his own way gives the blessing as seemeth to him best for our good and to his own glory.

Verse 19

It is the duty of Christians to be solicitous for the wel-fare of each other, both in temporal and spiritual affairs. And in case a brother should do wrong, should be seduced from the path of Christian duty, and he should be turned or brought back to his duty from which he strayed by the watchful, careful, loving aid of a brother, the latter not only performs an act which meets the approval of the great Head of the Church, but will have an additional honor con-ferred upon him, concerning which we shall see in the succeeding verse.

Verse 20

The honor of saving a soul from death. What death? Oh, my soul, it is not temporal death. This all must see. This kind of death has passed upon all flesh. No, so; but spiritual death, eternal death. Saving the erring, inducing him to seek for pardon again, restoring such a one to the divine favor, and thus saving him from eternal death. What a heavenly work ; what a godlike act ! How great the honor! The ability to accomplish such a work as this is incentive enough to any righteous soul to make the effort whenever an occasion should offer.

And shall hide a multitude of sins.

Here we are liable to make a mistake. It is not that the worker of such a good act in restoring an erring brother will thereby have many of his own sins covered. I know this thought is occasionally retailed. This is not correct. This can not be the case in the economy of God, but the idea is that the restored one, however many the sins he has committed may be, has them all covered or forgiven, through the pious efforts of the loving one who induced him to return to his duty by repentance, confession and prayer. His return to God and his loyalty to Christ were accomplished by the earnest entreaty of a loving brother, and, on his return, God pardoned or canceled his sins, though they were a multitude. The phrase simply means what David expresses in Psa_32:1-11 :: "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered."