Tree of Life Version
James 2:5
5Listen, my dear brothers and sisters. Didn’t God choose the poor in this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdom that He promised to those who love Him?
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 wearing the fine clothing and you say, “Sit here in a good place”; and you say to the poor person, “Stand there,” or “Sit by my footstool”; 4haven’t you made distinctions between yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my dear brothers and sisters. Didn’t God choose the poor in this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdom that He promised to those who love Him? 6But you have dishonored the poor person. Isn’t it the rich who oppress you and drag you into court? 7Don’t they blaspheme the good name by which you were called?
Read all of James 2James 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
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Hearkenἀκούωakouō · to hearG191
- myἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- belovedἀγαπητόςagapētos · belovedG27
- brethrenἀδελφόςadelphos · brotherG80
- Hathἐκλέγωeklegomai · to selectG1586
- notοὐou · noG3756
- Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- the poorπτωχόςptōchos · poorG4434
- of thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
- worldκόσμοςkosmos · worldG2889
- richπλούσιοςplousios · richG4145
- inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- faithπίστιςpistis · faithG4102
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- heirsκληρονόμοςklēronomos · heirG2818
- of the kingdomβασιλείαbasileia · kingdomG932
- whichὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
- he hath promisedἐπαγγέλλωepaggellō · to professG1861
- loveἀγαπάωagapaō · to loveG25
- himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
Cross-references for James 2:5
- Judges 9:7Now when they told Jotam, he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim, lifted up his voice, called out and said to them, “Listen to me, O lords of Shechem, that God may listen to you!
- 1 Kings 22:28Micaiah then said, “If you ever return safely, then Adonai has not spoken through me.” And he added, “Did you hear, all you people?”
- Job 34:10“Therefore, listen to me, you men of understanding: Wickedness is far from God, injustice from Shaddai
- Job 38:14It changes shape like clay under a seal— they stand out like those of a garment.
- Proverbs 7:24Now then, sons, listen to me, pay attention to the words of my mouth.
- Proverbs 8:32“So now, children, listen to me! Blessed are those who keep my ways.
- Mark 7:14Then Yeshua called the crowd again and began saying to them, “Hear Me, everyone, and understand.
- Acts 7:2Stephen declared, “Brothers and fathers, listen. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran.
- James 1:9But let the brother in humble circumstances boast in his high position—
- Isaiah 14:32What will they answer the messengers of the nation? For Adonai has founded Zion, and the afflicted of His people will find refuge in her.
- Isaiah 29:19The meek will add to their joy in Adonai, and the needy of humanity will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
- Zephaniah 3:12But I will leave among you a people meek and humble. They will take refuge in the Name of Adonai.
- Zechariah 11:7So I pastured the flock for the slaughter, especially the afflicted of the flock. Then I took two staffs—one I called Favor and the other I called Union—and I pastured the flock.
- Matthew 11:5the blind see and the lame walk, those with tza'arat are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised and the poor have good news proclaimed to them.
- Luke 6:20And looking up at His disciples, He said, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
- Luke 9:57As they were traveling on 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
In the dictionaries
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
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