Christian Standard Bible
James 1:11
11For the sun rises and, together with the scorching wind, dries up the grass; its flower falls off, and its beautiful appearance perishes. In the same way, the rich person will wither away while pursuing his activities.
James 1:11 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.
- New International Version (NIV)For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.
- English Standard Version (ESV)For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.
- New King James Version (NKJV)For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits.
Context of James 1:11
9Let the brother of humble circumstances boast in his exaltation, 10but let the rich boast in his humiliation because he will pass away like a flower of the field. For the sun rises and, together with the scorching wind, dries up the grass; its flower falls off, and its beautiful appearance perishes. In the same way, the rich person will wither away while pursuing his activities. 12Blessed is the one who endures trials, because when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. 13No one undergoing a trial should say, “I am being tempted by God,” since God is not tempted by evil, and he himself doesn’t tempt anyone.
Read all of James 1James 1:11 word by word
ἀνέτειλεν γὰρ ὁ ἥλιος σὺν τῷ καύσωνι καὶ ἐξήρανεν τὸν χόρτον καὶ τὸ ἄνθος αὐτοῦ ἐξέπεσεν καὶ ἡ εὐπρέπεια τοῦ προσώπου αὐτοῦ ἀπώλετο· οὕτως καὶ ὁ πλούσιος ἐν ταῖς πορείαις αὐτοῦ μαρανθήσεται.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Forγάρgar · forG1063
- the sunἥλιοςhēlios · sunG2246
- is no sooner risenἀνατέλλωanatellō · to riseG393
- withσύνsun · withG4862
- a burning heatκαύσωνkausōn · heatG2742
- butκαίkai · andG2532
- it witherethξηραίνωxērainō · to dryG3583
- the grassχόρτοςchortos · grassG5528
- the flowerἄνθοςanthos · flowerG438
- thereofαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- fallethἐκπίπτωekpiptō · to fall outG1601
- the graceεὐπρέπειαeuprepeia · beautyG2143
- of the fashionπρόσωπονprosōpon · faceG4383
- perishethἀπολλύωapollumi · to destroyG622
- soοὕτωςhoutō · thus(-ly)G3779
- shallμαραίνωmarainō · to fadeG3133
- the rich manπλούσιοςplousios · richG4145
- inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- waysπορείαporeia · journeyG4197
Cross-references for James 1:11
- Isaiah 49:10They will not hunger or thirst, the scorching heat or sun will not strike them; for their compassionate one will guide them, and lead them to springs.
- Jonah 4:7When dawn came the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant, and it withered.
- Matthew 13:6But when the sun came up, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away.
- Mark 4:6When the sun came up, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away.
- James 5:1Come now, you rich people, weep and wail over the miseries that are coming on you.
- Job 21:24His body is well fed, and his bones are full of marrow.
- Psalms 37:35I have seen a wicked, violent person well-rooted, like a flourishing native tree.
- Psalms 49:6They trust in their wealth and boast of their abundant riches.
- Psalms 73:18Indeed, you put them in slippery places; you make them fall into ruin.
- Ecclesiastes 5:15As he came from his mother’s womb, so he will go again, naked as he came; he will take nothing for his efforts that he can carry in his hands.
- Isaiah 28:1Woe to the majestic crown of Ephraim’s drunkards, and to the fading flower of its beautiful splendor, which is on the summit above the rich valley. Woe to those overcome with wine.
- Isaiah 40:7The grass withers, the flowers fade when the breath of the Lord blows on them; indeed, the people are grass.
- Luke 12:16Then he told them a parable: “A rich man’s land was very productive.
- Luke 16:19“There was a rich man who would dress in purple and fine linen, feasting lavishly every day.
- 1 Corinthians 7:31and those who use the world as though they did not make full use of it. For this world in its current form is passing away.
- 1 Peter 1:4and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.
Commentaries on James 1:11
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 11For the sun is no sooner risen - We need not pursue this metaphor, as St. James' meaning is sufficiently clear: All human things are transitory; rise and fall, or increase and decay, belong to all the productions of the earth, and to all its inhabitants. This is unavoidable, for in many cases the very cause of their growth becomes the cause of their decay and destruction. The sun by its genial heat nourishes and supports all plants and animals; but when…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 11For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat - Isaiah Isaiah 40:7 employs the word “wind,” referring to a burning wind that dries up the flowers. It is probable that the apostle also refers not so much to the sun itself, as to the hot and fiery wind called the simoom, which often rises with the sun, and which consumes the green herbage of the fields. So Rosenmuller and Bloomfield interpret it. It withereth the grass - Isaiah 40:7. It withereth the…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9-11James writes often about poverty and wealth in his letter (compare chapter 2; 4:13–5:11). When James talks about poor believers, he does not promise that they will become rich in this life. Instead, he teaches that God will reverse their situation in heaven.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1111. Taken from Is 40:6-8. heat--rather, "the hot wind" from the (east or) south, which scorches vegetation (Lu 12:55). The "burning heat" of the sun is not at its rising, but rather at noon; whereas the scorching Kadim wind is often at sunrise (Jon 4:8) [Middleton, The Doctrine of the Greek Article]. Mt 20:12 uses the Greek word for "heat." Is 40:7, "bloweth upon it," seems to answer to "the hot wind" here. grace of the fashion--that is of the external…Read the comment
Topics related to James 1:11
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on James 1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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