Teks -- James 5:1 (NET)

Warning to the Rich

5:1 Come now, you rich! Weep and cry aloud over the miseries that are coming on you.

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per frasa)

Robertson: Jam 5:1 - Come now, ye rich

Come now, ye rich ( age nun hoi plousioi ).

Exclamatory interjection as in Jam 4:13. Direct address to the rich as a class as in 1Ti 6:17. Apparently here James has in mind the rich as a class, whether believer, as in Jam 1:10., or unbeliever, as in Jam 2:1., Jam 2:6. The plea here is not directly for reform, but a warning of certain judgment (Jam 5:1-6) and for Christians "a certain grim comfort in the hardships of poverty"(Ropes) in Jam 5:7-11.

Robertson: Jam 5:1 - Weep and howl

Weep and howl ( klausate ololuzontes ).

"Burst into weeping (ingressive aorist active imperative of klaiō as in Jam 4:9), howling with grief"(present active participle of the old onomatopoetic verb ololuzō , here only in N.T., like Latin ululare , with which compare alalazō in Mat 5:38.

Robertson: Jam 5:1 - For your miseries

For your miseries ( epi tais talaipōriais humōn ).

Old word from talaipōros (Rom 7:24) and like talaipōreō in Jam 4:9 (from tlaō to endure and pōros a callus).

Robertson: Jam 5:1 - That are coming upon you

That are coming upon you ( tais eperchomenais ).

Present middle participle of the old compound eperchomai to come upon, used here in futuristic prophetic sense.

Vincent: Jam 5:1 - Go to

Go to

See on Jam 4:13.

Vincent: Jam 5:1 - Weep and howl

Weep and howl ( κλαύσατε ὀλολύζοντες )

Lit., weep, howling. The latter is a descriptive word, ol -ol -uz -o . Only here in New Testament, and denoting a more demonstrative and passionate expression of grief than weeping.

Vincent: Jam 5:1 - Miseries

Miseries ( ταλαιπωρίαις )

Only here and Rom 3:16. See on be afflicted, Jam 4:9.

Vincent: Jam 5:1 - That shall come upon

That shall come upon ( ἐπερχομέναις )

Present participle. More correctly, as Rev., that are coming.

Wesley: Jam 5:1 - Come now, ye rich

The apostle does not speak this so much for the sake of the rich themselves, as of the poor children of God, who were then groaning under their cruel oppression.

Wesley: Jam 5:1 - Weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you

Quickly and unexpectedly. This was written not long before the siege of Jerusalem; during which, as well as after it, huge calamities came on the Jewish nation, not only in Judea, but through distant countries. And as these were an awful prelude of that wrath which was to fall upon them in the world to come, so this may likewise refer to the final vengeance which will then be executed on the impenitent.

JFB: Jam 5:1 - Go to now

Come now. A phrase to call solemn attention.

JFB: Jam 5:1 - 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 (Jam 5:7), knowing that God will speedily avenge them on their oppressors [BENGEL].

JFB: Jam 5:1 - miseries that shall come

Literally, "that are coming upon you" unexpectedly and swiftly, namely, at the coming of the Lord (Jam 5:7); primarily, at the destruction of Jerusalem; finally, at His visible coming to judge the world.

Clarke: Jam 5:1 - Go to now

Go to now - See on Jam 4:13

Clarke: Jam 5:1 - Weep and howl for your miseries

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.

Calvin: Jam 5:1 - Go to now // Weep and howl

1.Go to now. They are mistaken, as I think, who consider that James here exhorts the rich to repentance. It seems to me to be a simple denunciation of God’s judgment, by which he meant to terrify them without giving them any hope of pardon; for all that he says tends only to despair. He, therefore, does not address them in order to invite them to repentance; but, on the contrary, he has a regard to the faithful, that they, hearing of the miserable and of the rich, might not envy their fortune, and also that knowing that God would be the avenger of the wrongs they suffered, they might with a calm and resigned mind bear them. ¹³⁶

But he does not speak of the rich indiscriminately, but of those who, being immersed in pleasures and inflated with pride, thought of nothing but of the world, and who, like inexhaustible gulfs, devoured everything; for they, by their tyranny, oppressed others, as it appears from the whole passage.

Weep and howl, or, Lament, howling. Repentance has indeed its weeping, but being mixed with consolation, it does not proceed to howling. Then James intimates that the heaviness of God’s vengeance will be so horrible and severe on the rich, that they will be constrained to break forth into howling, as though he had said briefly to them, “Woe to you!” But it is a prophetic mode of speaking: the ungodly have the punishment which awaits them set before them, and they are represented as already enduring it. As, then, they were now flattering themselves, and promising to themselves that the prosperity in which they thought themselves happy would be perpetual, he declared that the most grievous miseries were nigh at hand.

TSK: Jam 5:1 - Go // ye // weep

Go : Jam 4:13

ye : Jam 1:11, Jam 2:6; Deu 8:12-14, Deu 32:15; Neh 9:25, Neh 9:26; Job 20:15-29; Psa 17:14; Psa 49:6-20, Psa 73:3-9, Psa 73:18-20; Pro 11:4, Pro 11:28; Ecc 5:13, Ecc 5:14; Jer 9:23; Mic 6:12; Zep 1:18; Mat 19:23, Mat 19:24; Luk 6:24, Luk 12:16-21, Luk 16:19-25; 1Ti 6:9, 1Ti 6:10; Rev 6:15-17

weep : Jam 4:9; Isa 13:6, Isa 22:12, Isa 22:13; Jer 4:8; Eze 19:2; Joe 1:5, Joe 1:11, Joe 1:13; Amo 6:6, Amo 6:7; Zec 11:2, Zec 11:3; Luk 6:25, Luk 23:28, Luk 23:29

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per Ayat)

Poole: Jam 5:1 - Go to now // Ye rich men // Weep and howl // For your miseries that shall come upon you

Jam 5:1-6 Wicked rich men are warned of God’ s impending judgment.

Jam 5:7-11 The brethren are exhorted to patience, after the

example of the prophets and of Job,

Jam 5:12 to abstain from swearing,

Jam 5:13-15 to pray in affliction and sickness, and sing psalms

in prosperity,

Jam 5:16-18 to acknowledge mutually their faults, and to pray for one

another,

Jam 5:19,20 and to endeavour to reclaim sinners.

Go to now: see Jam 4:13 .

Ye rich men he speaks to them not simply as rich, (for riches and grace sometimes may go together), but as wicked, not only wallowing in wealth, but abusing it to pride, luxury, oppression, and cruelty. Against these, either as looking on them as incurable, or upon supposition of their impenitency, he denounceth God’ s judgments; and that whether they were unconverted Jews, vexing the believing Jews; or Gentiles, oppressing the Christian Jews; or Christians in profession and name, who yet were so vile in their practice, as to condemn and kill the just; and that they might more speciously do it, to draw them before the judgment-seats, &c.

Weep and howl to denote the extremity of the calamities coming upon them, in which they should not only weep like men, but howl like wild beasts: see Jer 4:8 Mic 1:8 Joe 1:10,13 .

For your miseries that shall come upon you or, are coming upon you, to signify the certainty and nearness of them. The miseries he means may be both temporal and eternal.

Haydock: Jam 5:1-6 - Go // You have feasted

Go now rich men, &c. In the first six verses, he gives admonitions to those among the Christians who were rich, not to rely on riches, nor value themselves on this account. You must look upon your riches and treasures as if they were already putrefied and corrupted, your gold and silver eaten and consumed with rust: and their rust shall rise in testimony and judgment against you, for not making better use of them. As your coin is eaten with rust, so shall your bodies be hereafter as it were eaten and consumed by fire. You heap up to yourselves a treasure in the day of wrath, while through covetousness, and hard heartedness, you defraud labourers of their hire, living at the same time in feasting and luxury, as in the day of slaughter. That is, feasting as men are accustomed to do, on the days when victims are slaughtered, offered, and eaten with great rejoicing. Others expound it, as if you were feeding, and making yourselves fit sacrifices and victims for God's anger and indignation. (Witham) ---

You have feasted, &c. The Greek is, "you have lived in delicacies and debaucheries, and have feasted upon your hearts as for the day of sacrifice:" Greek: Etruphesate, kai espatalesate ethrepsate tas kardias umon os en emera sphages. That is, you have fattened yourselves with good cheer and sensual pleasures, like victims prepared for solemn sacrifice. (Calmet) ---

Others among you have unjustly oppressed, accused, and brought to condemnation the just one, by which seems to be understood just and innocent men, who are divers times deprived of their fortunes, and even of their lives, by the unjust contrivances of powerful wicked men. (Witham)

Gill: Jam 5:1 - Go to now, ye rich men // weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you

Go to now, ye rich men,.... All rich men are not here designed; there are some rich men who are good men, and make a good use of their riches, and do not abuse them, as these here are represented; and yet wicked rich men, or those that were the openly profane, are not here intended neither; for the apostle only writes to such who were within the church, and not without, who were professors of religion; and such rich men are addressed here, who, notwithstanding their profession, were not rich towards God, but laid up treasure for themselves, and trusted in their riches, and boasted of the multitude of their wealth; and did not trust in God, and make use of their substance to his glory, and the good of his interest, as they should have done:

weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you; meaning, not temporal calamities that should come upon them at the destruction of Jerusalem, in which the rich greatly suffered by the robbers among themselves, as well as by the Roman soldiers; for the apostle is not writing to the Jews in Judea, and at Jerusalem; but to the Christians of the twelve tribes scattered in the several parts of the world, and who were not distressed by that calamity; but eternal miseries, or the torments of hell are intended, which, unless they repented of their sins, would shortly, suddenly, and unavoidably come upon them, when their present joy and laughter would be turned into howling and weeping.