New Living Translation
James 1:11
11The hot sun rises and the grass withers; the little flower droops and falls, and its beauty fades away. In the same way, the rich will fade away with all of their achievements.
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
9Believers who are poor have something to boast about, for God has honored them. 10And those who are rich should boast that God has humbled them. They will fade away like a little flower in the field. The hot sun rises and the grass withers; the little flower droops and falls, and its beauty fades away. In the same way, the rich will fade away with all of their achievements. 12God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. 13And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else.
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 neither hunger nor thirst. The searing sun will not reach them anymore. For the Lord in his mercy will lead them; he will lead them beside cool waters.
- Jonah 4:7But God also arranged for a worm! The next morning at dawn the worm ate through the stem of the plant so that it withered away.
- Matthew 13:6But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn’t have deep roots, they died.
- Mark 4:6But the plant soon wilted under the hot sun, and since it didn’t have deep roots, it died.
- James 5:1Look here, you rich people: Weep and groan with anguish because of all the terrible troubles ahead of you.
- Job 21:24the picture of good health, vigorous and fit.
- Psalms 37:35I have seen wicked and ruthless people flourishing like a tree in its native soil.
- Psalms 49:6They trust in their wealth and boast of great riches.
- Psalms 73:18Truly, you put them on a slippery path and send them sliding over the cliff to destruction.
- Ecclesiastes 5:15We all come to the end of our lives as naked and empty-handed as on the day we were born. We can’t take our riches with us.
- Isaiah 28:1What sorrow awaits the proud city of Samaria— the glorious crown of the drunks of Israel. It sits at the head of a fertile valley, but its glorious beauty will fade like a flower. It is the pride of a people brought down by wine.
- Isaiah 40:7The grass withers and the flowers fade beneath the breath of the Lord. And so it is with people.
- Luke 12:16Then he told them a story: “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops.
- Luke 16:19Jesus said, “There was a certain rich man who was splendidly clothed in purple and fine linen and who lived each day in luxury.
- 1 Corinthians 7:31Those who use the things of the world should not become attached to them. For this world as we know it will soon pass away.
- 1 Peter 1:4and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay.
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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