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

Go to now, ye rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you. 2Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. 3Your gold and your silver are rusted; and their rust shall be for a testimony against you, and shall eat your flesh as fire. Ye have laid up your 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

• Goἄγωagō · to bringG71
• toἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
• nowνῦνnun · nowG3568
• richπλούσιοςplousios · richG4145
• weepκλαίωklaiō · to weepG2799
• howlὀλολύζωololuzō · to wailG3649
• yourὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• miseriesταλαιπωρίαtalaipōria · miseryG5004
• comingἐπέρχομαιeperchomai · to arrive/invadeG1904
• youὑμεῖςhumeis · youG5210

Cross-references for James 5:1

• James 4:13Go to now, ye that say, Today or tomorrow we will go into this city, and spend a year there, and trade, and get gain:
• James 1:11For the sun ariseth with the scorching wind, and 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 goings.
• James 2:6But ye have dishonoured the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you, and themselves drag you before the judgment-seats?
• Deuteronomy 8:12lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein;
• Deuteronomy 32:15But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: Thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art become sleek: Then he forsook God which made him, And lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation.
• Nehemiah 9:25And they took fenced cities, and a fat land and possessed houses full of good things, cisterns hewn out, vineyards, and oliveyards, and fruit trees in abundance: so they did eat, and were filled, and became fat, and delighted themselves in thy great goodness.
• Job 20:15He hath swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again: God shall cast them out of his belly.
• Psalms 17:14From men, by thy hand, O LORD, from men of the world, whose portion is in this life, and whose belly thou fillest with thy treasure: they are satisfied with children, and leave the rest of their substance to their babes.
• Psalms 49:6They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches;
• Psalms 73:3For I was envious at the arrogant, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
• Proverbs 11:4Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivereth from death.
• Ecclesiastes 5:13There is a grievous evil, which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept by the owner thereof to his hurt:
• Jeremiah 9:23Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:
• Micah 6:12For the rich men thereof are full of violence, and the inhabitants thereof have spoken lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.
• Zephaniah 1:18Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD’S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make an end, yea, a terrible end, of all them that dwell in the land.
• Matthew 19:23And Jesus said unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, It is hard for a rich man to enter into 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