James 5:1

James 5:1 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.
• New International Version (NIV)Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you!

Context of James 5:1

Come now, you rich people, weep and wail over the miseries that are coming on you. 2Your wealth has rotted and your clothes are moth-eaten. 3Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have stored up treasure in the last days.

James 5:1 word by word

Ἄγε νῦν οἱ πλούσιοι, κλαύσατε ὀλολύζοντες ἐπὶ ταῖς ταλαιπωρίαις ὑμῶν ταῖς ἐπερχομέναις.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Go toἄγωagō · to bringG71
• nowνῦνnun · nowG3568
• rich menπλούσιοςplousios · richG4145
• weepκλαίωklaiō · to weepG2799
• and howlὀλολύζωololuzō · to wailG3649
• forἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
• yourσύsu · youG4771
• miseriesταλαιπωρίαtalaipōria · miseryG5004
• that shall come uponἐπέρχομαιeperchomai · to arrive/invadeG1904

Cross-references for James 5:1

• James 4:13Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will travel to such and such a city and spend a year there and do business and make a profit.”
• James 1:11For 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 2:6Yet you have dishonored the poor. Don’t the rich oppress you and drag you into court?
• Deuteronomy 8:12When you eat and are full, and build beautiful houses to live in,
• Deuteronomy 32:15Then Jeshurun became fat and rebelled — you became fat, bloated, and gorged. He abandoned the God who made him and scorned the Rock of his salvation.
• Nehemiah 9:25They captured fortified cities and fertile land and took possession of well-supplied houses, cisterns cut out of rock, vineyards, olive groves, and fruit trees in abundance. They ate, were filled, became prosperous, and delighted in your great goodness.
• Job 20:15He swallows wealth but must vomit it up; God will force it from his stomach.
• Psalms 17:14With your hand, Lord, save me from men, from men of the world whose portion is in this life: You fill their bellies with what you have in store; their sons are satisfied, and they leave their surplus to their children.
• Psalms 49:6They trust in their wealth and boast of their abundant riches.
• Psalms 73:3For I envied the arrogant; I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
• Proverbs 11:4Wealth is not profitable on a day of wrath, but righteousness rescues from death.
• Ecclesiastes 5:13There is a sickening tragedy I have seen under the sun: wealth kept by its owner to his harm.
• Jeremiah 9:23“‘This is what the Lord says: The wise person should not boast in his wisdom; the strong should not boast in his strength; the wealthy should not boast in his wealth.
• Micah 6:12For the wealthy of the city are full of violence, and its residents speak lies; the tongues in their mouths are deceitful.
• Zephaniah 1:18Their silver and their gold will be unable to rescue them on the day of the Lord’s wrath. The whole earth will be consumed by the fire of his jealousy, for he will make a complete, yes, a horrifying end of all the inhabitants of the earth.
• Matthew 19:23Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven.

Commentaries on James 5:1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1Go to now - See on James 4:13. Weep and howl for your miseries - St. James seems to refer here, in the spirit of prophecy, to the destruction that was coming upon the Jews, not only in Judea, but in all the provinces where they sojourned. He seems here to assume the very air and character of a prophet; and in the most dignified language and peculiarly expressive and energetic images, foretells the desolations that were coming upon this bad people.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1Go to now - Notes, James 4:13. Ye rich men - Not all rich men, but only that class of them who are specified as unjust and oppressive. There is no sin in merely being rich; where sin exists peculiarly among the rich, it arises from the manner in which wealth is acquired, the spirit which it tends to engender in the heart, and the way in which it is used. Compare the Luke 6:24 note; 1 Timothy 6:9 note. Weep and howl - Greek: “Weep howling.” This would be…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1The judgments of God denounced against rich unbelievers. (1-6) Exhortation to patience and meekness under tribulations. (7-11) Cautions against rash swearing Prayer recommended in afflictive and prosperous circumstances, Christians to confess their faults to each other. (12-18) The happiness of being the means of the conversion of a sinner. (19-20) Verses 1-6 Public troubles are most grievous to those who live in pleasure, and are secure and sensual…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-6This section criticizes wealthy people for being greedy and proud mistreatment of the poor (Leviticus 19:13). James warns them to change their ways while they still can. If they do not, they will encounter frightening consequences on judgment day.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-201. Go to now--Come now. A phrase to call solemn attention. ye rich--who have neglected the true enjoyment of riches, which consists in doing good. James intends this address to rich Jewish unbelievers, not so much for themselves, as for the saints, that they may bear with patience the violence of the rich (Jas 5:7), knowing that God will speedily avenge them on their oppressors [Bengel]. miseries that shall come--literally, "that are coming upon you"…Read the comment

Topics related to James 5:1

• Amusements and Worldly Pleasures
• Rich, the
• Riches
• Wicked (People)

In the dictionaries

• Convert
• Grudge
• Howl
• Nourish
• Pitiful
• Tender
• Wanton
• Go
• Wealth, Wealthy

Commentaries on James 5

• 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
• 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