James 1:10

James 1:10 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.
• New International Version (NIV)But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower.
• English Standard Version (ESV)and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away.
• New King James Version (NKJV)but the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away.

Context of James 1:10

9The believers in your group who are poor should be happy. Why? Because God says that they are valuable to him. And the believers who are rich should also be happy. Why? Because God has shown them that they are not so great. Rich people should remember that they will die, like a wild flower quickly dies. 11When the sun rises, its heat causes plants to become dry. Their flowers fall to the ground. They are no longer beautiful. In the same way, rich people will die when they are busy in their work. Then they will have nothing. 12Some people continue to trust God even when troubles happen. God will bless those people, if they show that they really trust him. He will give them the gift which is life with him. He has promised to give this gift to all people who love him.

James 1:10 word by word

ὁ δὲ πλούσιος ἐν τῇ ταπεινώσει αὐτοῦ ὅτι ὡς ἄνθος χόρτου παρελεύσεται.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Butδέde · thenG1161
• the richπλούσιοςplousios · richG4145
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• that heαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• is made lowταπείνωσιςtapeinōsis · lowlinessG5014
• becauseὅτιhoti · that/since: sinceG3754
• asὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
• the flowerἄνθοςanthos · flowerG438
• of the grassχόρτοςchortos · grassG5528
• he shall pass awayπαρέρχομαιparerchomai · to pass byG3928

Cross-references for James 1:10

• Isaiah 57:15The Mighty God is far higher than all others. He rules from above and he lives for ever. His name is holy. He says, ‘I live in a high and holy place. But I am also with anyone who is humble and who is sorry when he does wrong things. I will comfort people who are like that, and I will give them hope.
• Isaiah 66:2I made all these things with my own hands. That is how everything began.’ The Lord says, ‘I am pleased with people who are humble. Those people are sorry when they do wrong things. They respect my teaching.
• Matthew 5:3‘Happy are the people who know that they need God very much. The kingdom of heaven belongs to people like that.
• Philippians 3:8Yes, now that I know Christ Jesus as my Lord, that is the most valuable thing. Nothing else is important at all. I have thrown everything else away, so that I can serve Christ. All those other things are like dirt to me. I think about them like that, so that I can have Christ.
• 1 Timothy 6:17Warn those people who are rich with many things that belong to this world. Tell them not to think that they are more important than other people. They must not think that their money will keep them safe. They could easily lose all of it. Instead, they should trust God. He gives us many things, so that we can enjoy all of them.
• James 4:14You do not know what will happen tomorrow. Your life is like a cloud which appears for a short time and then it quickly goes away.
• Job 14:2He is like a flower that grows and then it soon dies. His life quickly disappears like a shadow.
• Psalms 37:2Remember that they are soon gone! They are like grass that quickly becomes dry. They will soon die like green plants in hot weather.
• Psalms 90:5You cause people's lives to end, as a dream finishes when you wake up. People are like grass that appears in the morning.
• Psalms 102:11My days are disappearing, like a shadow in the evening. Like dry grass, I will soon die.
• Psalms 103:15A person's life is like grass that quickly dies. He is strong only for a short time, like wild flowers in a field.
• Isaiah 40:6A voice is saying, ‘Shout!’ But I say, ‘What should I shout?’ ‘Shout that all people are like grass. Their promises are like the flowers in a field.
• Matthew 6:30It is God that gives beautiful clothes even to the grass. One day the grass is growing in the field, but the next day people will cut it and burn it. God will certainly take care of you, much more than he takes care of the grass. You should trust him more than you do!
• 1 Corinthians 7:31If you enjoy the things of this world, do not live as if those things are important. This world, as it is now, will soon finish.
• 1 Peter 1:24The Bible says: ‘All people are like grass. They may seem beautiful for a short time, like flowers that grow in the fields. But grass soon becomes dry and it dies. Flowers soon fall to the ground.
• 1 John 2:17One day, those people and the things that they want will not be there any longer. But those who continue to do what God wants will live for ever.

Commentaries on James 1:10

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 10But the rich, in that he is made low - ͅ · In his humiliation - in his being brought to the foot of the cross to receive, as a poor and miserable sinner, redemption through the blood of the cross: and especially let him rejoice in this, because all outward glory is only as the flower of the field, and, like that, will wither and perish.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 10But the rich, in that he is made low - That is, because his property is taken away, and he is made poor. Such a transition is often the source of the deepest sorrow; but the apostle says that even in that a Christian may find occasion for thanksgiving. The reasons for rejoicing in this manner, which the apostle seems to have had in view, were these: (1)because it furnished a test of the reality of religion, by showing that it is adapted to sustain the…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 10James uses irony when he describes the terrible fate waiting for ungodly rich people. These are wealthy people who make themselves powerful by mistreating those who are poor and unable to protect themselves (see 2:6–8; 5:1–6).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 9-109-10. Translate, "But let the brother," &c. that is, the best remedy against double-mindedness is that Christian simplicity of spirit whereby the "brother," low in outward circumstances, may "rejoice" (answering to Jas 1:2) "in that he is exalted," namely, by being accounted a son and heir of God, his very sufferings being a pledge of his coming glory and crown (Jas 1:12), and the rich may rejoice "in that he is made low," by being stripped of his goods…Read the comment

Topics related to James 1:10

• Afflictions and Adversities
• Death
• Grass
• Humility
• Life
• Poor
• Resignation
• Rich, the

In the dictionaries

• Entice
• Fade
• Flowers
• Lack
• Lay
• Liberally
• Lust
• Pure
• Receive
• Religion

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