James 2:5

James 2:5 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?
• New International Version (NIV)Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?
• English Standard Version (ESV)Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?
• New King James Version (NKJV)Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?

Context of James 2:5

3and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, “You sit here in a good place,” and you say to the poor man, “You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,” 4have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives? Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? 6But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court? 7Do they not blaspheme the fair name by which you have been called?

James 2:5 word by word

ἀκούσατε, ἀδελφοί μου ἀγαπητοί, οὐχ ὁ θεὸς ἐξελέξατο τοὺς πτωχοὺς τῷ κόσμῳ πλουσίους ἐν πίστει καὶ κληρονόμους τῆς βασιλείας ἧς ἐπηγγείλατο τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν αὐτόν;Read the interlinear

• Listenἀκούωakouō · to hearG191
• my belovedἀγαπητόςagapētos · belovedG27
• brethrenἀδελφόςadelphos · brotherG80
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• chooseἐκλέγωeklegomai · to selectG1586
• the poorπτωχόςptōchos · poorG4434
• of thisὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• worldκόσμοςkosmos · worldG2889
• richπλούσιοςplousios · richG4145
• in faithπίστιςpistis · faithG4102
• heirsκληρονόμοςklēronomos · heirG2818
• of the kingdomβασιλείαbasileia · kingdomG932
• whichὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• promisedἐπαγγέλλωepaggellō · to professG1861
• who loveἀγαπάωagapaō · to loveG25

Cross-references for James 2:5

• Judges 9:7Now when they told Jotham, he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim, and lifted his voice and called out. Thus he said to them, “Listen to me, O men of Shechem, that God may listen to you.
• 1 Kings 22:28Micaiah said, “If you indeed return safely the Lord has not spoken by me.” And he said, “Listen, all you people.”
• Job 34:10“Therefore, listen to me, you men of understanding. Far be it from God to do wickedness, And from the Almighty to do wrong.
• Job 38:14It is changed like clay under the seal; And they stand forth like a garment.
• Proverbs 7:24Now therefore, my sons, listen to me, And pay attention to the words of my mouth.
• Proverbs 8:32“Now therefore, O sons, listen to me, For blessed are they who keep my ways.
• Mark 7:14After He called the crowd to Him again, He began saying to them, “Listen to Me, all of you, and understand:
• Acts 7:2And he said, “Hear me, brethren and fathers! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran,
• James 1:9But the brother of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position;
• Isaiah 14:32How then will one answer the messengers of the nation? That the Lord has founded Zion, And the afflicted of His people will seek refuge in it.”
• Isaiah 29:19The afflicted also will increase their gladness in the Lord, And the needy of mankind will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
• Zephaniah 3:12But I will leave among you A humble and lowly people, And they will take refuge in the name of the Lord.
• Zechariah 11:7So I pastured the flock doomed to slaughter, hence the afflicted of the flock. And I took for myself two staffs: the one I called Favor and the other I called Union; so I pastured the flock.
• Matthew 11:5the blind receive sight and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.
• Luke 6:20And turning His gaze toward His disciples, He began to say, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
• Luke 9:57As they were going along the road, someone said to Him, “I will follow You wherever You go.”

Commentaries on James 2:5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5Hath not God chosen the poor of this world - This seems to refer to Matthew 11:5; : And the poor have the Gospel preached to them. These believed on the Lord Jesus, and found his salvation; while the rich despised, neglected, and persecuted him. These had that faith in Christ which put them in possession of the choicest spiritual blessings, and gave them a right to the kingdom of heaven. While, therefore, they were despised of men, they were highly prized…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5Hearken, my beloved brethren - The apostle now proceeds to show that the rich, as such, had no special claim on their favor, and that the poor in fact might be made more entitled to esteem than they were. For a view of the arguments by which he does this, compare the analysis of the chapter. Hath not God chosen the poor of this world? - Those who are poor so far as this world is concerned, or those who have not wealth. This is the first argument which the…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5Listen: James uses this rhetorical device for emphasis (see Deuteronomy 6:3; Amos 3:1; Matt 13:18; Acts 15:13). James presents his argument against favoring the rich. Has not God chosen the poor: God cares deeply for the poor, as shown in the Old Testament (Exodus 23:11; 1 Samuel 2:8; Psalm 12:5). It is also shown in the ministries of Jesus and Paul (Luke 4:18; 6:20; 1 Corinthians 1:26–28). The Jerusalem church, led by James, also emphasized this concern…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. Hearken--James brings to trial the self-constituted "judges" (Jas 2:4). poor of this world--The best manuscripts read, "those poor in respect to the world." In contrast to "the rich in this world" (1Ti 6:17). Not of course all the poor; but the poor, as a class, furnish more believers than the rich as a class. The rich, if a believer, renounces riches as his portion; the poor, if an unbeliever, neglects that which is the peculiar advantage of poverty…Read the comment

Topics related to James 2:5

• Faith
• Heir
• Love
• Poor
• Respect of Persons
• Righteous

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Adoption
• Convince
• Dead
• Draw
• Heaven
• Heir
• Justify
• Offend

Commentaries on James 2

• 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