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Matthew Henry: Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible - 1706
In this chapter the apostle denounces the judgments of God upon those rich men who oppress the poor, showing them how great their sin and folly are in the sight of God, and how grievous the punishments would be which should fall upon themselves, ver. 1-6. Hereupon, all the faithful are exhorted to patience under their trials and sufferings, ver. 7-11. The sin of swearing is cautioned against, ver. 12. We are directed how to act, both under affliction and in prosperity, ver. 13. Prayer for the sick, and anointing with oil, are prescribed, ver. 14, 15. Christians are directed to acknowledge their faults one to another, and to pray one for another, and the efficacy of prayer is proved, ver. 16-18. And, lastly, it is recommended to us to do what we can for bringing back those that stray from the ways of truth.
Adam Clarke: Commentary on the Bible - 1831
The profligate rich are in danger of God's judgments, because of their pride, fraudulent dealings, riotous living, and cruelty, Jam 5:1-6. The oppressed followers of God should be patient, for the Lord's coming is nigh; and should not grudge against each other, Jam 5:7-9. They should take encouragement from the example of the prophets, and of Job, Jam 5:10, Jam 5:11. Swearing forbidden, Jam 5:12. Directions to the afflicted, Jam 5:13-15. They should confess their faults to each other, Jam 5:16. The great prevalence of prayer instanced in Elijah, Jam 5:17, Jam 5:18. The blessedness of converting a sinner from the error of his way, Jam 5:19, Jam 5:20.
Albert Barnes: Notes on the Bible - 1834
5:0: The subjects which are introduced in this chapter are the following:
I. An address to rich men, and a severe condemnation of the manner in which they lived, Jam 5:1-6. There have been various opinions in regard to the persons here referred to.
(1) some have supposed that the address is to unbelieving Jews, and that the punishment which the apostle threatens was that which was about to be brought on the nation by the Roman armies. But, as Benson well observes, it can hardly be presumed that the apostle supposed that his letter would be read by the Jews, and it is not probable, therefore, that he would in this manner directly address them.
(2) another opinion has been, that this, like the rest of the Epistle, is addressed to professed Christians who had been Jews, and that the design is to reprove faults which pRev_ailed among them. It is not supposed indeed, by those who hold this opinion, that all of those who were rich among them were guilty of the sins here adverted to, nor even that they were very pRev_alent among them. The rebuke would be proper if the sins here referred to existed at all, and were practiced by any who bore the Christian name. As to any improbability that professed Christians would be guilty of these faults, it might be remarked that the period has been rare in the church, if it has occurred at all, in which all that is here said of "rich men" would not be applicable to some members of the church. Certainly it is applicable in all those countries where slavery pRev_ails; in countries where religion is allied to the state; in all places where the mass are poor, and the few are rich. It would be difficult now to find any extended church on earth in relation to which the denunciation here would not be applicable to some of its members. But still it can hardly be supposed that men were tolerated in the church, in the times of the apostles, who were guilty of the oppressions and wrongs here referred to, or who lived in the manner here specified. It is true, indeed, that such men have been, and are still found, in the Christian church; but we should not, without the clearest proof, suppose that such cases existed in the times of the apostles.
(3) the correct opinion therefore seems to be, that the design of the apostle in this chapter was to encourage and strengthen poor and oppressed Christians; to impart consolation to those who, under the exactions of rich men, were suffering wrong. In doing this, nothing would be more natural than for him first to declare his views in regard to those who were guilty of these wrongs, and who made use of the power which wealth gave to injure those in the humble walks of life. This he does in the form of an address to rich men - not perhaps expecting that they would see what he had written, but with a design to set before those to whom he wrote, and for whose benefit the statement is made, in a vivid manner, the nature of the wrongs under which they were suffering, and the nature of the punishment which must come upon those who oppressed them. Nothing would tend more effectually to reconcile those to whom he wrote to their own lot, or do more to encourage them to bear their trials with patience. At the same time, nothing would do more to keep them from envying the lot of the rich, or desiring the wealth which was connected with such a mode of life.
II. The apostle exhorts these who were suffering under these wrongs to exercise patience, Jam 5:7-11. He encourages them with the hope that the Lord would come; he refers them to the example of the farmer, who waits long for the fruit of the earth; he cautions them against indulging in hard feelings and thoughts against others more prospered than they were; he refers them, as examples of patience, to the prophets, to the case of Job, and to the Lord Jesus himself.
III. He adverts to a fault among them on the subject of swearing, Jam 5:12. This subject is introduced here apparently because they were in danger, through impatience, of expressing themselves in a severe manner, and even of uttering imprecations on those who oppressed them. To guard against this, be exhorts them to control their temper, and to confine themselves in their conversation to a simple affirmative or denial.
IV. He refers to the case of those who were sick and afflicted among them, and directs them what to do, Jam 5:14-18. The duty of those who were sick was to employ prayer - as the duty of those who were in health and prosperity was praise. The afflicted were to pray; the sick were to call for the elders of the church, who were to pray over them, and to anoint them with the oil in the name of the Lord, not as "extreme unction," or with a view to their dying, but with a view to their living. To encourage them thus to call in the aid of praying men, he refers them to an illustrious instance of the power of prayer in the case of Elijah.
V. In the close of the chapter and of the Epistle, the apostle adverts to the possibility that some among them might err from the truth, and urges the duty of endeavoring to convert such, Jam 5:19-20. To encourage them to do this, he states the important consequences which would follow where such an effort would be successful, He who should do this, would have the satisfaction of saving a soul from death, and would hide from the universe a multitude of sins, which otherwise, in the case of the erring brother, could not but have been exposed in the great day of judgment.
R. A. Torrey - Treasury: Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge - 1880
Jam 5:1, Wicked rich men are to fear God's vengeance; Jam 5:7, We ought to be patient in afflictions, after the example of the prophets, and Job; v. 12, to forbear swearing; v. 13, to pray in adversity, to sing in prosperity; v. 14, to acknowledge mutually our several faults, to pray one for another; v. 19, and to reduce a straying brother to the truth.
John Gill
INTRODUCTION TO JAMES 5
In this chapter the apostle reproves the vices of rich men, and denounces the judgments of God upon them; exhorts the saints to patience under sufferings; warns them from vain and profane swearing, and presses to various duties and branches of religious worship, private and public, and to the performance of several good offices of love to one another. He represents the miseries of wicked rich men as just at hand, Jas 5:1 because they made no use of their riches, either for themselves, or others, and because of the trust they put in them, heaping them up against a time to come, Jas 5:2, and because of their injustice in detaining the hire of labourers from them, Jas 5:4 and because of their wantonness and luxury, Jas 5:5 and because of their cruelty to the innocent, Jas 5:6 and such who suffer at their hands are exhorted to exercise patience, from the instance of the husbandman waiting patiently for the fruit of the earth, and the rain to produce it; and from the consideration of the coming of Christ, the Judge, being near at hand, Jas 5:7 and from the example of the prophets of the Lord, who suffered much, and were patient, and so happy; and particularly from the instance of Job, his patience, the end of the Lord in his afflictions, and his pity and compassion towards him, Jas 5:10. But of all things the apostle entreats them, that they would take care of profane swearing, and all vain oaths, since these bring into condemnation, Jas 5:12 and from hence he passes to various exercises of religion; the afflicted he advises to prayer; and those in comfortable circumstances of body and mind to singing of psalms, Jas 5:13, and such that are sick, to send for the elders of the church to pray over them, and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord, whereby not only the sick man would be delivered from his sickness, the Lord raising him up, but even his sins would be declared to be forgiven, Jas 5:14. And not only it became the elders to pray for sick persons, but also the saints in general, one for another, and to acknowledge their faults to each other, since the fervent prayer of every righteous man is of great avail with God, Jas 5:16 of which an instance is given in Elias, whose prayer, though a man subject to like passions as other men, against, and for rain, was very successful, Jas 5:17. And Christians should not only be concerned for the health of each other's bodies, but also for the good of their souls; wherefore, whenever it is observed that any are straying from the path of truth, methods should be taken to restore them, and turn them from the error of their ways; and whoever is the happy instrument of such a restoration is the means of saving a soul from death, and hiding a multitude of sins, Jas 5:19.
5:15:1: Արդ՝ այսուհետեւ մե՛ծատունք՝ լացէք եւ ողբացէ՛ք ՚ի վերայ թշուառութեանցն, որ գալոց են ՚ի վերայ ձեր[2963]։ [2963] Ոմանք. Որ գալոց է ՚ի վերայ։
1 Ուրեմն այժմ, հարուստնե՛ր, լացէ՛ք եւ ողբացէ՛ք այն թշուառութիւնների համար, որ գալու են ձեր գլխին.
5 Աղէ՜ հիմա, հարուստներ, լացէ՛ք, ողբացէ՛ք ան թշուառութիւններուն համար՝ որոնք ձեր վրայ պիտի գան։
Արդ այսուհետեւ, մեծատունք, լացէք եւ ողբացէք ի վերայ թշուառութեանցն, որ գալոց են ի վերայ ձեր:

5:1: Արդ՝ այսուհետեւ մե՛ծատունք՝ լացէք եւ ողբացէ՛ք ՚ի վերայ թշուառութեանցն, որ գալոց են ՚ի վերայ ձեր[2963]։
[2963] Ոմանք. Որ գալոց է ՚ի վերայ։
1 Ուրեմն այժմ, հարուստնե՛ր, լացէ՛ք եւ ողբացէ՛ք այն թշուառութիւնների համար, որ գալու են ձեր գլխին.
5 Աղէ՜ հիմա, հարուստներ, լացէ՛ք, ողբացէ՛ք ան թշուառութիւններուն համար՝ որոնք ձեր վրայ պիտի գան։
zohrab-1805▾ eastern-1994▾ western am▾
5:11: Послушайте вы, богатые: плачьте и рыдайте о бедствиях ваших, находящих на вас.
5:1  ἄγε νῦν οἱ πλούσιοι, κλαύσατε ὀλολύζοντες ἐπὶ ταῖς ταλαιπωρίαις ὑμῶν ταῖς ἐπερχομέναις.
5:1. Ἄγε (Thou-should-lead) νῦν (now,"οἱ (the-ones) πλούσιοι , ( wealth-belonged ,"κλαύσατε (ye-should-have-sobbed) ὀλολύζοντες ( holloing ) ἐπὶ (upon) ταῖς (unto-the-ones) ταλαιπωρίαις (unto-wretched-callousings-unto) ὑμῶν (of-ye) ταῖς (unto-the-ones) ἐπερχομέναις . ( unto-coming-upon )
5:1. age nunc divites plorate ululantes in miseriis quae advenient vobisGo to now, ye rich men: weep and howl in your miseries, which shall come upon you.
1. Go to now, ye rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you.
5:1. Act now, you who are wealthy! Weep and wail in your miseries, which will soon come upon you!
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, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon:

1: Послушайте вы, богатые: плачьте и рыдайте о бедствиях ваших, находящих на вас.
5:1  ἄγε νῦν οἱ πλούσιοι, κλαύσατε ὀλολύζοντες ἐπὶ ταῖς ταλαιπωρίαις ὑμῶν ταῖς ἐπερχομέναις.
5:1. age nunc divites plorate ululantes in miseriis quae advenient vobis
Go to now, ye rich men: weep and howl in your miseries, which shall come upon you.
5:1. Act now, you who are wealthy! Weep and wail in your miseries, which will soon come upon you!
5:1. Go to now, [ye] rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon [you].
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А. П. Лопухин: Tолковая Библия или комментарий на все книги Св.Писания Ветхого и Нового Заветов - 1903-1914
1: От обличения богатых и самонадеянных торговцев (IV:13-16) Апостол переходит теперь к обличению богатых, но немилосердых и жестоких собственников и землевладельцев за притеснение ими бедных соседей и наемников. По тону и самому образу выражения грозная речь Апостола здесь близко напоминает грозные обличительные речи ветхозаветных пророков. Обличаемые богачи здесь, как и ранее в послании (I, 5, 9, 10, 27; 2:2, сл., 4:1: сл.), принадлежали, вероятно, к христианскому обществу, а не к неверующим иудеям, хотя и последним, без сомнения, были вполне понятны и внушительны обличения Апостола, так как обличаемые им пороки жестокосердия противны не только христианскому закону любви, но уже и Моисееву закону с его сострадательною заботливостью о бедных.

Вся обличительная речь Апостола к богачам распадается на два отдела: ст. 1-3: возвещение ожидающей богачей кары гнева Божия, и ст. 4-6: - характеристика поведения богачей, их преступлений, - как основание или причина грядущего суда Божия. Богачи приглашаются, ст. 1, к сильному плачу - "плачьте и рыдайте" (klausate ololuzonteV) - выражения, употребительные у пророков при возвещении ими ужасов суда Божия (Ис 13:6; 14:6; 15:3). Апостол "заставляет богачей рыдать, т. е. сильно плакать о том, что они собирают свое богатство на нетление и не раздают нищим. Ибо богатство не погибает только в том случае, когда издерживают его на бедных" (блаж. Феофил.). Речь идет не о естественной участи всякого земного богатства, как скоро гибнущего и тленного по самой природе (I:10; IV:14), а об участи, какая постигнет богатых, как суд Божий, как нарочитое наказание Божие, именно ввиду близкого пришествия Господня (ниже, ст. 7-9). Цель апостольского призыва богачей к рыданию не состоит только в том, чтобы внушить ужас и сознание величайших бедствий, идущих на них (ср. Мф XXIV:30), но и побудить их к покаянию и исправлению жизни, пока не поздно.
Matthew Henry: Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible - 1706
Warnings to the Rich; Motives to Patience under Affliction.A. D. 61.
1 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. 2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. 3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. 4 Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth. 5 Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. 6 Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you. 7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. 8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. 9 Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door. 10 Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. 11 Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.

The apostle is here addressing first sinners and then saints.

I. Let us consider the address to sinners; and here we find James seconding what his great Master had said: Woe unto you that are rich; for you have received your consolation, Luke vi. 24. The rich people to whom this word of warning was sent were not such as professed the Christian religion, but the worldly and unbelieving Jews, such as are here said to condemn and kill the just, which the Christians had no power to do; and though this epistle was written for the sake of the faithful, and was sent principally to them, yet, by an apostrophe, the infidel Jews may be well supposed here spoken to. They would not hear the word, and therefore it is written, that they might read it. It is observable, in the very first inscription of this epistle, that it is not directed, as Paul's epistles were, to the brethren in Christ, but, in general, to the twelve tribes; and the salutation is not, grace and peace from Christ, but, in general, greeting, ch. i. 1. The poor among the Jews received the gospel, and many of them believed; but the generality of the rich rejected Christianity, and were hardened in their unbelief, and hated and persecuted those who believed on Christ. To these oppressing, unbelieving, persecuting, rich people, the apostle addresses himself in the first six verses.

1. He foretels the judgments of God that should come upon them, v. 1-3. they should have miseries come upon them, and such dreadful miseries that the very apprehension of them was enough to make them weep and howl--misery that should arise from the very things in which they placed their happiness, and misery that should be completed by these things witnessing against them at the last, to their utter destruction; and they are now called to reason upon and thoroughly to weigh the matter, and to think how they will stand before God in judgment: Go to now, you rich men. (1.) "You may be assured of this that very dreadful calamities are coming upon you, calamities that shall carry nothing of support nor comfort in them, but all misery, misery in time, misery to eternity, misery in your outward afflictions, misery in your inward frame and temper of mind, misery in this world, misery in hell. You have not a single instance of misery only coming upon you, but miseries. The ruin of your church and nation is at hand; and there will come a day of wrath, when riches shall not profit men, but all the wicked shall be destroyed." (2.) The very apprehension of such miseries as were coming upon them is enough to make them weep and howl. Rich men are apt to say to themselves (and others are ready to say to them), Eat, drink, and be merry; but God says, Weep and howl. It is not said, Weep and repent, for this the apostle does not expect from them (he speaks in a way of denouncing rather than admonishing); but, "Weep and howl, for when your doom comes there will be nothing but weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth." Those who live like beasts are called howl like such. Public calamities are most grievous to rich people, who live in pleasure, and are secure and sensual; and therefore they shall weep and howl more than other people for the miseries that shall come upon them. (3.) Their misery shall arise from the very things in which they placed their happiness. "Corruption, decay, rust, and ruin, will come upon all your goodly things: Your riches are corrupted and your garments are moth-eaten, v. 2. Those things which you now inordinately affect will hereafter insupportably wound you: they will be of no worth, of no use to you, but, on the contrary, will pierce you through with many sorrows; for," (4.) "They will witness against you, and they will eat your flesh as it were fire," v. 3. Things inanimate are frequently represented in scripture as witnessing against wicked men. Heaven, earth, the stones of the field, the production of the ground, and here the very rust and canker of ill-gotten and ill-kept treasures, are said to witness against impious rich men. They think to heap up treasure for their latter days, to live plentifully upon when they come to be old; but, alas! they are only heaping up treasures to become a prey to others (as the Jews had all taken from them by the Romans), and treasures that will prove at last to be only treasures of wrath, in the day of the revelation of the righteous judgment of God. Then shall their iniquities, in the punishment of them, eat their flesh as it were with fire. In the ruin of Jerusalem, many thousands perished by fire; in the last judgment the wicked shall be condemned to everlasting burnings, prepared for the devil and his angels. The Lord deliver us from the portion of wicked rich men! and, in order to this, let us take care that we do not fall into their sins, which we are next to consider.

2. The apostle shows what those sins are which should bring such miseries. To be in so deplorable a condition must doubtless be owing to some very heinous crimes. (1.) Covetousness is laid to the charge of this people; they laid by their garments till they bred moths and were eaten; they hoarded up their gold and silver till they were rusty and cankered. It is a very great disgrace to these things that they carry in them the principles of their own corruption and consumption--the garment breeds the moth that frets it, the gold and silver breeds the canker that eats it; but the disgrace falls most heavily upon those who hoard and lay up these things till they come to be thus corrupted, and cankered, and eaten. God gives us our worldly possessions that we may honour him and do good with them; but if, instead of this, we sinfully hoard them up, thorough and undue affection towards them, or a distrust of the providence of God for the future, this is a very heinous crime, and will be witnessed against by the very rust and corruption of the treasure thus heaped together. (2.) Another sin charged upon those against whom James writes is oppression: Behold, the hire of the labourers, who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth, &c., v. 4. Those who have wealth in their hands get power into their hands, and then they are tempted to abuse that power to oppress such as are under them. The rich we here find employing the poor in their labours, and the rich have as much need of the labours of the poor as the poor have of wages from the rich, and could as ill be without them; but yet, not considering this, they kept back the hire of the labourers; having power in their hands, it is probable that they made as hard bargains with the poor as they could, and even after that would not make good their bargains as they should have done. This is a crying sin, an iniquity that cries so as to reach the ears of God; and, in this case, God is to be considered as the Lord of sabaoth, or the Lord of hosts, Kyriou sabaoth, a phrase often used in the Old-Testament, when the people of God were defenseless and wanted protection, and when their enemies were numerous and powerful. The Lord of hosts, who has all ranks of beings and creatures at his disposal, and who sets all in their several places, hears the oppressed when they cry by reason of the cruelty or injustice of the oppressor, and he will give orders to some of those hosts that are under him (angels, devils, storms, distempers, or the like) to avenge the wrongs done to those who are dealt with unrighteously and unmercifully. Take heed of this sin of defrauding and oppressing, and avoid the very appearances of it. (3.) Another sin here mentioned is sensuality and voluptuousness. You have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton, v. 5. God does not forbid us to use pleasure; but to live in them as if we lived for nothing else is a very provoking sin; and to do this on the earth, where we are but strangers and pilgrims, where we are but to continue for a while, and where we ought to be preparing for eternity--this, this is a grievous aggravation of the sin of voluptuousness. Luxury makes people wanton, as in Hos. xiii. 6, According to their pasture, so were they filled; they were filled, and their heart was exalted; therefore have they forgotten me. Wantonness and luxury are commonly the effects of great plenty and abundance; it is hard for people to have great plenty and abundance; it is hard for people to have great estates, and not too much indulge themselves in carnal, sensual pleasures: "You have nourished your hearts as in a day of slaughter: you live as if it were every day a day of sacrifices, a festival; and hereby your hearts are fattened and nourished to stupidity, dulness, pride, and an insensibility to the wants and afflictions of others." Some may say, "What harm is there in good cheer, provided people do not spend above what they have?" What! Is it no harm for people to make gods of their bellies, and to give all to these, instead of abounding in acts of charity and piety? Is it no harm for people to unfit themselves for minding the concerns of their souls, by indulging the appetites of their bodies? Surely that which brought flames upon Sodom, and would bring these miseries for which rich men are here called to weep and howl, must be a heinous evil! Pride, and idleness, and fullness of bread, mean the same thing with living in pleasure, and being wanton, and nourishing the heart as in a day of slaughter. (4.) Another sin here charged on the rich is persecution: You have condemned and killed the just, and he doth not resist you, v. 6. This fills up the measure of their iniquity. They oppressed and acted very unjustly, to get estates; when they had them, they gave way to luxury and sensuality, till they had lost all sense and feeling of the wants or afflictions of others; and then they persecute and kill without remorse. They pretend to act legally indeed, they condemn before they kill; but unjust prosecutions, whatever colour of law they may carry in them, will come into the reckoning when God shall make inquisition for blood, as well as massacres and downright murders. Observe here, The just may be condemned and killed: but then again observe, When such do suffer, and yield without resistance to the unjust sentence of oppressors, this is marked by God, to the honour of the sufferers and the infamy of their persecutors; this commonly shows that judgments are at the door, and we may certainly conclude that a reckoning-day will come, to reward the patience of the oppressed and to break to pieces the oppressor. Thus far the address to sinners goes.

II. We have next subjoined an address to saints. Some have been ready to despise or to condemn this way of preaching, when ministers, in their application, have brought a word to sinners, and a word to saints; but, from the apostle's here taking this method, we may conclude that this is the best way rightly to divide the word of truth. From what has been said concerning wicked and oppressing rich men, occasion is given to administer comfort to God's afflicted people: "Be patient therefore; since God will send such miseries on the wicked, you may see what is your duty, and where your greatest encouragement lies."

1. Attend to your duty: Be patient (v. 7), establish your hearts (v. 8), grudge not one against another, brethren, v. 9. Consider well the meaning of these three expressions:-- (1.) "Be patient--bear your afflictions without murmuring, your injuries without revenge; and, though God should not in any signal manner appear for you immediately, wait for him. The vision is for an appointed time; at the end it will speak, and will not lie; therefore wait for it. It is but a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Let your patience be lengthened out to long suffering;" so the word here used, makrothymesate, signifies. When we have done our work, we have need of patience to stay for our reward. This Christian patience is not a mere yielding to necessity, as the moral patience taught by some philosophers was, but it is a humble acquiescence in the wisdom and will of God, with an eye to a future glorious recompense: Be patient to the coming of the Lord. And because this is a lesson Christians must learn, though ever so hard or difficult to the, it is repeated in v. 8, Be you also patient. (2.) "Establish your hearts--let your faith be firm, without wavering, your practice of what is good constant and continued, without tiring, and your resolutions for God and heaven fixed, in spite of all sufferings or temptations." The prosperity of the wicked and the affliction of the righteous have in all ages been a very great trial to the faith of the people of God. David tells us that his feet were almost gone, when he saw the prosperity of the wicked, Ps. lxxiii. 2, 3. Some of those Christians to whom St. James wrote might probably be in the same tottering condition; and therefore they are called upon to establish their hearts; faith and patience will establish the heart. (3.) Grudge not one against another; the words me stenazete signify, Groan not one against another, that is, "Do not make one another uneasy by your murmuring groans at what befalls you, nor by your distrustful groans as to what may further come upon you, nor by your revengeful groans against the instruments of your sufferings, nor by your envious groans at those who may be free from your calamities: do not make yourselves uneasy and make one another uneasy by thus groaning to and grieving one another." "The apostle seemeth to me" (says Dr. Manton) "to be here taxing those mutual injuries and animosities wherewith the Christians of those times, having banded under the names of circumcision and uncircumcision, did grieve one another, and give each other cause to groan; so that they did not only sigh under the oppressions of the rich persecutors, but under the injuries which they sustained from many of the brethren who, together with them, did profess the holy faith." Those who are in the midst of common enemies, and in any suffering circumstances, should be more especially careful not to grieve nor to groan against one another, otherwise judgments will come upon them as well as others; and the more such grudgings prevail the nearer do they show judgment to be.

2. Consider what encouragement here is for Christians to be patient, to establish their hearts, and not to grudge one against another. And, (1.) "Look to the example of the husbandman: He waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. When you sow your corn in the ground, you wait many months for the former and latter rain, and are willing to stay till harvest for the fruit of your labour; and shall not this teach you to bear a few storms, and to be patient for a season, when you are looking for a kingdom and everlasting felicity? Consider him that waits for a crop of corn; and will not you wait for a crown of glory? If you should be called to wait a little longer than the husbandman does, is it not something proportionably greater and infinitely more worth your waiting for? But," (2.) "Think how short your waiting time may possibly be: The coming of the Lord draweth nigh, v. 8; behold, the Judge standeth before the door, v. 9. Do not be impatient, do not quarrel with one another; the great Judge, who will set all to rights, who will punish the wicked and reward the good, is at hand: he should be conceived by you to stand as near as one who is just knocking at the door." The coming of the Lord to punish the wicked Jews was then very nigh, when James wrote this epistle; and, whenever the patience and other graces of his people are tried in an extraordinary manner, the certainty of Christ's coming as Judge, and the nearness of it, should establish their hearts. The Judge is now a great deal nearer, in his coming to judge the world, than when this epistle was written, nearer by above seventeen hundred years; and therefore this should have the greater effect upon us. (3.) The danger of our being condemned when the Judge appears should excite us to mind our duty as before laid down: Grudge not, lest you be condemned. Fretfulness and discontent expose us to the just judgment of God, and we bring more calamities upon ourselves by our murmuring, distrustful, envious groans and grudgings against one another, than we are aware of. If we avoid these evils, and be patient under our trials, God will not condemn us. Let us encourage ourselves with this. (4.) We are encouraged to be patient by the example of the prophets (v. 10): Take the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. Observe here, The prophets, on whom God put the greatest honour, and for whom he had the greatest favour, were most afflicted: and, when we think that the best men have had the hardest usage in this world, we should hereby be reconciled to affliction. Observe further, Those who were the greatest examples of suffering affliction were also the best and greatest examples of patience: tribulation worketh patience. Hereupon James gives it to us as the common sense of the faithful (v. 11): We count those happy who endure: we look upon righteous and patient sufferers as the happiest people. See ch. i. 2-12. (5.) Job also is proposed as an example for the encouragement of the afflicted. You have hard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord, &c., v. 11. In the case of Job you have an instance of a variety of miseries, and of such as were very grievous, but under all he could bless God, and, as to the general bent of his spirit, he was patient and humble: and what came to him in the end? Why, truly, God accomplished and brought about those things for him which plainly prove that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy. The best way to bear afflictions is to look to the end of them; and the pity of God is such that he will not delay the bringing of them to an end when his purposes are once answered; and the tender mercy of God is such that he will make his people an abundant amends for all their sufferings and afflictions. His bowels are moved for them while suffering, his bounty is manifested afterwards. Let us serve our God, and endure our trials, as those who believe the end will crown all.
Adam Clarke: Commentary on the Bible - 1831
5:1: Go to now - See on Jam 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.
Albert Barnes: Notes on the Bible - 1834
5:1: Go to now - Notes, Jam 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 Luk 6:24 note; Ti1 6:9 note.
Weep and howl - Greek: "Weep howling." This would be expressive of very deep distress. The language is intensive in a high degree, showing that the calamities which were coming upon them were not only such as would produce tears, but tears accompanied with loud lamentations. In the East, it is customary to give expression to deep sorrow by loud outcries. Compare Isa 13:6; Isa 14:31; Isa 15:2; Isa 16:7; Jer 4:8; Jer 47:2; Joe 1:5.
For your miseries that shall come upon you - Many expositors, as Benson, Whitby, Macknight, and others, suppose that this refers to the approaching destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans, and to the miseries which would be brought in the siege upon the Jewish people, in which the rich would be the peculiar objects of cupidity and vengeance. They refer to passages in Josephus, which describe particularly the sufferings to which the rich were exposed; the searching of their houses by the zealots, and the heavy calamities which came upon them and their families. But there is no reason to suppose that the apostle referred particularly to those events. The poor as well as the rich suffered in that siege, and there were no such special judgments then brought upon the rich as to show that they were the marked objects of the divine displeasure. It is much more natural to suppose that the apostle means to say that such men as he here refers to exposed themselves always to the wrath of God, and that they had great reason to weep in the anticipation of his vengeance. The sentiments here expressed by the apostle are not applicable merely to the Jews of his time. If there is any class of men which has special reason to dread the wrath of God at all times, it is just the class of men here referred to.
R. A. Torrey - Treasury: Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge - 1880
5:1: 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; Ti1 6:9, Ti1 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; Zac 11:2, Zac 11:3; Luk 6:25, Luk 23:28, Luk 23:29
Geneva 1599
5:1 Go (1) to now, [ye] rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon [you].
(1) He denounces utter destruction to the wicked and profane rich men, and such as are drowned in their riotousness, mocking their foolish confidence when there is nothing indeed more vain than such things.
John Gill
5:1 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.
John Wesley
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. 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.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown
5:1 WOES COMING ON THE WICKED RICH: BELIEVERS SHOULD BE PATIENT UNTO THE LORD'S COMING: VARIOUS EXHORTATIONS. (Jam. 5:1-20)
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" unexpectedly and swiftly, namely, at the coming of the Lord (Jas 5:7); primarily, at the destruction of Jerusalem; finally, at His visible coming to judge the world.
5:25:2: Զի մեծութիւնդ ձեր՝ յոչի՛նչ է, եւ հանդերձ ձեր կերակո՛ւր ցեցոյ[2964]։ [2964] Ոմանք. Զի մեծութիւն ձեր յոչինչ են. եւ հանդերձք ձեր։
2 որովհետեւ ձեր հարստութիւնը փտած է, ձեր զգեստները՝ ցեցի կեր,
2 Ձեր հարստութիւնը ապականած է ու ձեր հանդերձները՝ ցեցի կերակուր եղած։
Զի մեծութիւնդ ձեր յոչինչ է, եւ հանդերձք ձեր` կերակուր ցեցոյ:

5:2: Զի մեծութիւնդ ձեր՝ յոչի՛նչ է, եւ հանդերձ ձեր կերակո՛ւր ցեցոյ[2964]։
[2964] Ոմանք. Զի մեծութիւն ձեր յոչինչ են. եւ հանդերձք ձեր։
2 որովհետեւ ձեր հարստութիւնը փտած է, ձեր զգեստները՝ ցեցի կեր,
2 Ձեր հարստութիւնը ապականած է ու ձեր հանդերձները՝ ցեցի կերակուր եղած։
zohrab-1805▾ eastern-1994▾ western am▾
5:22: Богатство ваше сгнило, и одежды ваши изъедены молью.
5:2  ὁ πλοῦτος ὑμῶν σέσηπεν καὶ τὰ ἱμάτια ὑμῶν σητόβρωτα γέγονεν,
5:2. ὁ (The-one) πλοῦτος (wealthed) ὑμῶν (of-ye) σέσηπεν, (it-hath-had-come-to-rot,"καὶ (and) τὰ (the-ones) ἱμάτια (apparelets) ὑμῶν (of-ye) σητόβρωτα ( moth-consumed ) γέγονεν, (it-hath-had-come-to-become,"
5:2. divitiae vestrae putrefactae sunt et vestimenta vestra a tineis comesta suntYour riches are corrupted: and your garments are motheaten.
2. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten.
5:2. Your riches have been corrupted, and your garments have been eaten by moths.
5:2. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.
Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten:

2: Богатство ваше сгнило, и одежды ваши изъедены молью.
5:2  ὁ πλοῦτος ὑμῶν σέσηπεν καὶ τὰ ἱμάτια ὑμῶν σητόβρωτα γέγονεν,
5:2. divitiae vestrae putrefactae sunt et vestimenta vestra a tineis comesta sunt
Your riches are corrupted: and your garments are motheaten.
5:2. Your riches have been corrupted, and your garments have been eaten by moths.
5:2. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.
ru▾ el▾ el-en-gloss▾ vulgate▾ erva_1895▾ catholic_pdv▾ kjv_1900▾
jfb▾ jw▾ jg▾ tr▾ ab▾ ac▾ tb▾ all ▾
А. П. Лопухин: Tолковая Библия или комментарий на все книги Св.Писания Ветхого и Нового Заветов - 1903-1914
2-3: Применительно к главному пороку обличаемых богачей, бедствия их изображаются под образом гибели богатств и всякого рода вещественных благ. "Гниение богатств, говорит, съедение одежд молью и ржавчина серебра и золота будут свидетельствовать против вас, обличая вас в том, что вы ничего не подавали. Посему и в последние дни, т. е. в пришествие Христово, богатство ваше скажется как бы огнем, собранным на погибель вашу" (блаж. Феофил.). Подобно древним библейским пророкам, Апостол будущий суд над богачами и их имением представляет, как уже происшедший (perfectum propheticum). После перечисления отдельных видов имущества богачей наряду с общим названием богатства, Апостол делает (ст. 3) выразительное указание на совершенную бесполезность и крайнюю тщету накопления богатств ввиду наступления последних дней, т. е. приближения пришествия Христова.
Adam Clarke: Commentary on the Bible - 1831
5:2: Your riches are corrupted - Σεσηπε· Are putrefied. The term πλουτος, riches, is to be taken here, not for gold, silver, or precious stones, (for these could not putrefy), but for the produce of the fields and flocks, the different stores of grain, wine, and oil, which they had laid up in their granaries, and the various changes of raiment which they had amassed in their wardrobes.
Albert Barnes: Notes on the Bible - 1834
5:2: Your riches are corrupted - The word here rendered "corrupted" (σήπω sē pō) does not occur elsewhere in the New Testament. It means, to cause to rot, to corrupt, to destroy. The reference here is to their hoarded treasures; and the idea is, that they had accumulated more than they needed for their own use; and that, instead of distributing them to do good to others, or employing them in any useful way, they kept them until they rotted or spoiled. It is to be remembered, that a considerable part of the treasures which a man in the East would lay up, consisted of perishable materials, as garments, grain, oil, etc. Such articles of property were often stored up, expecting that they would furnish a supply for many years, in case of the pRev_alence of famine or wars. Compare Luk 12:18-19. A suitable provision for the time to come cannot be forbidden; but the reference here is to cases in which great quantities had been laid up, perhaps while the poor were suffering, and which were kept until they became worthless.
Your garments are moth-eaten - The same idea substantially is expressed here in another form. As the fashions in the East did not change as they do with us, wealth consisted much in the garments that were laid up for show or for future use. See the notes at Mat 6:19. Q. Curtius says that when Alexander the Great was going to take Persepolis, the riches of all Asia were gathered there together, which consisted not only of a great abundance of gold and silver, but also of garments, Lib. vi. c. 5. Horace tells us that when Lucullus the Roman was asked if he could lend a hundred garments for the theater, he replied that he had five thousand in his house, of which they were welcome to take part or all. Of course, such property would be liable to be moth-eaten; and the idea here is, that they had amassed a great amount of this kind of property which was useless to them, and which they kept until it became destroyed.
R. A. Torrey - Treasury: Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge - 1880
5:2: Your riches: Jer 17:11; Mat 6:19, Mat 6:20; Luk 12:33; Pe1 1:4
your garments: Jam 2:2; Job 13:28; Psa 39:11; Isa 50:9, Isa 51:8; Hos 5:12
John Gill
5:2 Your riches are corrupted,.... Either through disuse of them; and so the phrase is expressive of their tenaciousness, withholding that from themselves and others which is meet, and which is keeping riches for the owners thereof, to their hurt; or these are corrupted, and are corruptible things, fading and perishing, and will stand in no stead in the day of wrath, and therefore it is great weakness to put any trust and confidence in them:
and your garments are moth eaten; being neither wore by themselves, nor put upon the backs of others, as they should, but laid up in wardrobes, or in chests and coffers, and so became the repast of moths, and now good for nothing.
John Wesley
5:2 The riches of the ancients consisted much in large stores of corn, and of costly apparel.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown
5:2 corrupted--about to be destroyed through God's curse on your oppression, whereby your riches are accumulated (Jas 5:4). CALVIN thinks the sense is, Your riches perish without being of any use either to others or even to yourselves, for instance, your garments which are moth-eaten in your chests.
garments . . . moth-eaten--referring to Mt 6:19-20.
5:35:3: Եւ արծաթ ձեր եւ ոսկի՝ ժանկահար, եւ ժանկ նոցա լիցի ձեզ ՚ի վկայութիւն, եւ կերիցէ՛ զմարմինս ձեր. իբրեւ զհո՛ւր. գանձեցէք աւուրցն յետնոց[2965]։ [2965] Ոմանք. Եւ արծաթ եւ ոսկի ձեր ժանգահար. եւ ժանգ նոցա եղիցի ձեզ... աւուրն յետնոյ։
3 եւ ձեր արծաթն ու ոսկին՝ ժանգոտած. եւ նրանց ժանգը ձեր դէմ որպէս վկայութիւն պիտի լինի եւ պիտի ուտի ձեր մարմինը՝ ինչպէս կրակը. վերջին օրերի՛ համար գանձեր դիզեցէք:
3 Ձեր ոսկին ու արծաթը ժանգոտած են եւ անոնց ժանգը ձեզի դէմ վկայ պիտի ըլլայ ու ձեր մարմինը պիտի ուտէ կրակի պէս։ Վերջին օրերուն համար գանձ դիզեցիք։
Եւ արծաթ ձեր եւ ոսկի ժանգահար, եւ ժանգ նոցա լիցի ձեզ ի վկայութիւն, եւ կերիցէ զմարմինս ձեր իբրեւ զհուր. գանձեցէք աւուրցն յետնոց:

5:3: Եւ արծաթ ձեր եւ ոսկի՝ ժանկահար, եւ ժանկ նոցա լիցի ձեզ ՚ի վկայութիւն, եւ կերիցէ՛ զմարմինս ձեր. իբրեւ զհո՛ւր. գանձեցէք աւուրցն յետնոց[2965]։
[2965] Ոմանք. Եւ արծաթ եւ ոսկի ձեր ժանգահար. եւ ժանգ նոցա եղիցի ձեզ... աւուրն յետնոյ։
3 եւ ձեր արծաթն ու ոսկին՝ ժանգոտած. եւ նրանց ժանգը ձեր դէմ որպէս վկայութիւն պիտի լինի եւ պիտի ուտի ձեր մարմինը՝ ինչպէս կրակը. վերջին օրերի՛ համար գանձեր դիզեցէք:
3 Ձեր ոսկին ու արծաթը ժանգոտած են եւ անոնց ժանգը ձեզի դէմ վկայ պիտի ըլլայ ու ձեր մարմինը պիտի ուտէ կրակի պէս։ Վերջին օրերուն համար գանձ դիզեցիք։
zohrab-1805▾ eastern-1994▾ western am▾
5:33: Золото ваше и серебро изоржавело, и ржавчина их будет свидетельством против вас и съест плоть вашу, как огонь: вы собрали себе сокровище на последние дни.
5:3  ὁ χρυσὸς ὑμῶν καὶ ὁ ἄργυρος κατίωται, καὶ ὁ ἰὸς αὐτῶν εἰς μαρτύριον ὑμῖν ἔσται καὶ φάγεται τὰς σάρκας ὑμῶν ὡς πῦρ· ἐθησαυρίσατε ἐν ἐσχάταις ἡμέραις.
5:3. ὁ (the-one) χρυσὸς (a-gold) ὑμῶν (of-ye) καὶ (and) ὁ (the-one) ἄργυρος (a-silver) κατίωται, (it-had-come-to-be-en-emitted-down,"καὶ (and) ὁ (the-one) ἰὸς (an-emission) αὐτῶν (of-them) εἰς (into) μαρτύριον (to-a-witnesslet) ὑμῖν (unto-ye) ἔσται ( it-shall-be ) καὶ (and) φάγεται ( it-shall-devour ) τὰς (to-the-ones) σάρκας (to-fleshes) ὑμῶν: (of-ye) ὡς (as) πῦρ ( to-a-fire ) ἐθησαυρίσατε ( ye-en-placed-to ) ἐν (in) ἐσχάταις ( unto-most-bordered ) ἡμέραις. (unto-days)
5:3. aurum et argentum vestrum eruginavit et erugo eorum in testimonium vobis erit et manducabit carnes vestras sicut ignis thesaurizastis in novissimis diebusYour gold and silver is cankered: and the rust of them shall be for a testimony against you and shall eat your flesh like fire. You have stored up to yourselves wrath against the last days.
3. Your 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.
5:3. Your gold and silver have rusted, and their rust will be a testimony against you, and it will eat away at your flesh like fire. You have stored up wrath for yourselves unto the last days.
5:3. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.
Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days:

3: Золото ваше и серебро изоржавело, и ржавчина их будет свидетельством против вас и съест плоть вашу, как огонь: вы собрали себе сокровище на последние дни.
5:3  ὁ χρυσὸς ὑμῶν καὶ ὁ ἄργυρος κατίωται, καὶ ὁ ἰὸς αὐτῶν εἰς μαρτύριον ὑμῖν ἔσται καὶ φάγεται τὰς σάρκας ὑμῶν ὡς πῦρ· ἐθησαυρίσατε ἐν ἐσχάταις ἡμέραις.
5:3. aurum et argentum vestrum eruginavit et erugo eorum in testimonium vobis erit et manducabit carnes vestras sicut ignis thesaurizastis in novissimis diebus
Your gold and silver is cankered: and the rust of them shall be for a testimony against you and shall eat your flesh like fire. You have stored up to yourselves wrath against the last days.
5:3. Your gold and silver have rusted, and their rust will be a testimony against you, and it will eat away at your flesh like fire. You have stored up wrath for yourselves unto the last days.
5:3. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.
ru▾ el▾ el-en-gloss▾ vulgate▾ erva_1895▾ catholic_pdv▾ kjv_1900▾
jfb▾ jw▾ jg▾ tr▾ ab▾ ac▾ all ▾
Adam Clarke: Commentary on the Bible - 1831
5:3: Your gold and silver is cankered - Instead of helping the poor, and thus honoring God with your substance, ye have, through the principle of covetousness, kept all to yourselves.
The rust of them shall be a witness against you - Your putrefied stores, your moth-eaten garments, and your tarnished coin, are so many proofs that it was not for want of property that you assisted not the poor, but through a principle of avarice; loving money, not for the sake of what it could procure, but for its own sake, which is the genuine principle of the miser. This was the very character given to this people by our Lord himself; he called them φιλαργυροι, lovers of money. Against this despicable and abominable disposition, the whole of the 12th chapter of St. Luke is levelled; but it was their easily besetting sin, and is so to the present day.
Shall eat your flesh as it were fire - This is a very bold and sublime figure. He represents the rust of their coin as becoming a canker that should produce gangrenes and phagedenous ulcers in their flesh, till it should be eaten away from their bones.
Ye have heaped treasure together - This verse is variously pointed. The word ὡς, like as, in the preceding clause, is left out by the Syriac, and some others; and πυρ, fire, is added here from that clause; so that the whole verse reads thus: "Your gold and your silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall consume your flesh. Ye have treasured up Fire against the last days." This is a bold and fine image: instead of the treasures of corn, wine, and oil, rich stuffs, with silver and gold, which ye have been laying up, ye shall find a treasure, a magazine of fire, that shall burn up your city, and consume even your temple. This was literally true; and these solemn denunciations of Divine wrath were most completely fulfilled. See the notes on Matthew 24 (note), where all the circumstances of this tremendous and final destruction are particularly noted.
By the last days we are not to understand the day of judgment, but the last days of the Jewish commonwealth, which were not long distant from the date of this epistle, whether we follow the earlier or later computation, of which enough has been spoken in the preface.
Albert Barnes: Notes on the Bible - 1834
5:3: Your gold and silver is cankered - That is, that you have heaped together, by injustice and fraud, a large amount, and have kept it from those to whom it is due, Jam 5:4, until it has become corroded. The word rendered is "cankered" (κατίωται katiō tai,) does not occur elsewhere in the New Testament. It properly means "to cause to rust; to rust out" (Passow); "to be corroded with rust" (Robinson); to be spotted with rust. It is true that gold and silver do not properly rust, or become oxidized, and that they will not be corroded like iron and steel; but by being kept long in a damp place they will contract a dark color, resembling rust in appearance. This seems to be the idea in the mind of the apostle. He speaks of gold and silver as they appear after having been long laid up without use; and undoubtedly the word which he uses here is one which would to an ancient have expressed that idea, as well as the mere literal idea of the rusting or oxidizing of metals. There is no reason to suppose that the word was then used in the strict chemical sense of rusting, for there is no reason to suppose that the nature of oxidization was then fully understood.
And the rust of them - Another word is used here - ἰὸς ios. This properly denotes something sent out or emitted, (from ἕημι hē mi), and is applied to a missile weapon, as an arrow; to poison, as emitted from the tooth of a serpent; and to rust, as it seems to be emitted from metals. The word refers to the dark discoloration which appears on gold and silver, when they have remained long without use.
Shall be a witness against you - That is, the rust or discoloration shall bear testimony against you that the money is not used as it should be, either in paying those to whom it is due, or in doing good to others. Among the ancients, the gold and silver which anyone possessed was laid up in some secret and safe place. Compare the notes at Isa 45:3. There were no banks then in which money might be deposited; there were few ways of investing money so as to produce regular interest; there were no corporations to employ money in joint operations; and it was not very common to invest money in the purchase of real estate, and stocks and mortgages were little known.
And shall eat your flesh as it were fire - This cannot be taken literally. It must mean that the effect would be as if it should corrode or consume their very flesh; that is, the fact of their laying up treasures would be followed by painful consequences. The thought is very striking, and the language in which it is conveyed is singularly bold and energetic. The effect of thus heaping up treasure will be as corroding as fire in the flesh. The reference is to the punishment which God would bring on them for their avarice and in-justice - effects that will come on all now for the same offences.
Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days - The day of judgment; the closing scenes of this world. You have been heaping up treasure; but it will be treasure of a different kind from what you have supposed. It is treasure not laid up for ostentation, or luxury, or use in future life, but treasure the true worth of which will be seen at the judgment-day. So Paul speaks of "treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath, and Revelation of the righteous judgment of God," Rom 2:5. There are many who suppose they are accumulating property that may be of use to them, or that may secure them the reputation of possessing great wealth, who are in fact accumulating a most fearful treasure against the day of final retribution. Every man who is rich should examine himself closely to see whether there is anything in the manner in which he has gained his property, or in which he now holds it, that will expose him to the wrath of God in the last day. That on which he so much prides himself may yet bring down on him the vengeance of heaven; and in the day of judgment he may curse his own madness and folly in wasting his probation in efforts to amass property.
R. A. Torrey - Treasury: Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge - 1880
5:3: cankered: Ti2 2:17
a witness: Gen 31:48, Gen 31:52; Jos 24:27; Job 16:8
and shall: Jer 19:9; Mic 3:3; Rev 17:16, Rev 20:15, Rev 21:8
Ye have: Deu 32:33, Deu 32:34; Job 14:16, Job 14:17; Rom 2:5
the last: Gen 49:1; Isa 2:2; Mic 4:1; Act 2:17; Pe2 3:3
John Gill
5:3 Your gold and silver is cankered,.... Or grown rusty like iron, by lying long without use; this is not easily and quickly done, but in length of time gold and silver will change, and contract a rustiness; and so this conveys the same idea of hoarding up riches and laying up money, without making use of it in trade, for the support of the poor, and without distributing it to their necessities:
and the rust of them shall be a witness against you: at the day of judgment; which will be a proof that they have not been employed to such services, and for such usefulness, for which they were designed and given.
And shall eat your flesh as it were fire; that is, a remembrance of this, a sense of it impressed upon them, shall be like fire in their bones; shall distress their minds, gnaw their consciences, and be in them the worm that never dies, and the fire that shall never be quenched:
ye have heaped treasure together for the last days; either for many years, as the fool in the Gospel, for the times of old age, the last days of men, for fear they should then want; or for the last days of the world, or of time, as if they thought they should live for ever: the Vulgate Latin version reads, "ye have treasured up wrath for yourselves in the last days"; instead of riches, as they imagined; and that by their covetousness and wickedness, by a wicked disuse of their riches, and an unrighteous detention of them; but this supplement seems to be taken from Rom 2:5 though the sense is confirmed by some copies which connect the phrase, "as it were fire", in the preceding clause, with this, "ye have treasured up as it were fire"; and the Syriac version renders it, "ye have treasured up fire"; the fire of divine wrath; this is the fruit of treasuring up riches in an ill way, and without making a proper use of them.
John Wesley
5:3 The canker of them - Your perishing stores and motheaten garments. Will be a testimony against you - Of your having buried those talents in the earth, instead of improving them according to your Lord's will. And will eat your flesh as fire - Will occasion you as great torment as if fire were consuming your flesh. Ye have laid up treasure in the last days - When it is too late; when you have no time to enjoy them.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown
5:3 is cankered--"rusted through" [ALFORD].
rust . . . witness against you--in the day of judgment; namely, that your riches were of no profit to any, lying unemployed and so contracting rust.
shall eat your flesh--The rust which once ate your riches, shall then gnaw your conscience, accompanied with punishment which shall prey upon your bodies for ever.
as . . . fire--not with the slow process of rusting, but with the swiftness of consuming fire.
for the last days--Ye have heaped together, not treasures as ye suppose (compare Lk 12:19), but wrath against the last days, namely, the coming judgment of the Lord. ALFORD translates more literally, "In these last days (before the coming judgment) ye laid up (worldly) treasure" to no profit, instead of repenting and seeking salvation (see on Jas 5:5).
5:45:4: Ահաւասիկ վարձք մշակաց որ գործեն զանդս ձեր՝ առ ձե՛զ են. զրկեալն ՚ի ձէնջ աղաղակէ՛, եւ բողոք հնձողացն եհա՛ս յականջս Տեառն զօրութեանց[2966]։ [2966] Ոմանք. Ահաւադիկ վարձ մշա՛՛։
4 Ահա՛ւասիկ, ձեր դաշտերը մշակած մշակների վարձը ձեզ մօտ պահեցիք. ձեր կողմից զրկուածն աղաղակում է, եւ հնձուորների բողոքը հասաւ Ամենակալ Տիրոջ ականջին:
4 Ահա ձեր արտերը հնձող բանուորներուն վարձքը՝ որ ետ պահեցիք՝ կ’աղաղակէ ու հնձողներուն բողոքը զօրութեան Տէրոջը ականջներուն հասաւ։
Ահաւասիկ վարձք մշակաց որ գործեն զանդս ձեր, [23]առ ձեզ են,`` զրկեալն ի ձէնջ, աղաղակէ, եւ բողոք հնձողացն եհաս յականջս Տեառն զօրութեանց:

5:4: Ահաւասիկ վարձք մշակաց որ գործեն զանդս ձեր՝ առ ձե՛զ են. զրկեալն ՚ի ձէնջ աղաղակէ՛, եւ բողոք հնձողացն եհա՛ս յականջս Տեառն զօրութեանց[2966]։
[2966] Ոմանք. Ահաւադիկ վարձ մշա՛՛։
4 Ահա՛ւասիկ, ձեր դաշտերը մշակած մշակների վարձը ձեզ մօտ պահեցիք. ձեր կողմից զրկուածն աղաղակում է, եւ հնձուորների բողոքը հասաւ Ամենակալ Տիրոջ ականջին:
4 Ահա ձեր արտերը հնձող բանուորներուն վարձքը՝ որ ետ պահեցիք՝ կ’աղաղակէ ու հնձողներուն բողոքը զօրութեան Տէրոջը ականջներուն հասաւ։
zohrab-1805▾ eastern-1994▾ western am▾
5:44: Вот, плата, удержанная вами у работников, пожавших поля ваши, вопиет, и вопли жнецов дошли до слуха Господа Саваофа.
5:4  ἰδοὺ ὁ μισθὸς τῶν ἐργατῶν τῶν ἀμησάντων τὰς χώρας ὑμῶν ὁ ἀπεστερημένος ἀφ᾽ ὑμῶν κράζει, καὶ αἱ βοαὶ τῶν θερισάντων εἰς τὰ ὦτα κυρίου σαβαὼθ εἰσεληλύθασιν.
5:4. ἰδοὺ ( Thou-should-have-had-seen ," ὁ ( the-one ) μισθὸς ( a-pay ) τῶν (of-the-ones) ἐργατῶν (of-workers) τῶν (of-the-ones) ἀμησάντων ( of-having-alonged-unto ) τὰς (to-the-ones) χώρας (to-spaces) ὑμῶν (of-ye) ὁ (the-one) ἀφυστερημένος (having-had-come-to-be-lattered-off-unto) ἀφ' ( off ) ὑμῶν ( of-ye ) κράζει , ( it-clamoreth-to ,"καὶ (and) αἱ (the-ones) βοαὶ (hollers) τῶν (of-the-ones) θερισάντων ( of-having-summered-to ) εἰς ( into ) τὰ ( to-the-ones ) ὦτα ( to-ears ) Κυρίου ( of-Authority-belonged ) Σαβαὼθ ( of-Sabaoths ) εἰσελήλυθαν: (they-had-come-to-come-into)
5:4. ecce merces operariorum qui messuerunt regiones vestras qui fraudatus est a vobis clamat et clamor ipsorum in aures Domini Sabaoth introiitBehold the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which by fraud has been kept back by you, crieth: and the cry of them hath entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth.
4. Behold, the hire of the labourers who mowed your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth out: and the cries of them that reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth.
5:4. Consider the pay of the workers who reaped your fields: it has been misappropriated by you; it cries out. And their cry has entered into the ears of the Lord of hosts.
5:4. Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.
Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth:

4: Вот, плата, удержанная вами у работников, пожавших поля ваши, вопиет, и вопли жнецов дошли до слуха Господа Саваофа.
5:4  ἰδοὺ ὁ μισθὸς τῶν ἐργατῶν τῶν ἀμησάντων τὰς χώρας ὑμῶν ὁ ἀπεστερημένος ἀφ᾽ ὑμῶν κράζει, καὶ αἱ βοαὶ τῶν θερισάντων εἰς τὰ ὦτα κυρίου σαβαὼθ εἰσεληλύθασιν.
5:4. ecce merces operariorum qui messuerunt regiones vestras qui fraudatus est a vobis clamat et clamor ipsorum in aures Domini Sabaoth introiit
Behold the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which by fraud has been kept back by you, crieth: and the cry of them hath entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth.
5:4. Consider the pay of the workers who reaped your fields: it has been misappropriated by you; it cries out. And their cry has entered into the ears of the Lord of hosts.
5:4. Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.
ru▾ el▾ el-en-gloss▾ vulgate▾ erva_1895▾ catholic_pdv▾ kjv_1900▾
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А. П. Лопухин: Tолковая Библия или комментарий на все книги Св.Писания Ветхого и Нового Заветов - 1903-1914
4-6: Назвав выше (ст. 1-3) ожидающие немилосердых богачей бедствия суда Божия, Апостол теперь в том же пророчески-обличительном тоне показывает причину грядущего на них наказания - в содеянных ими нравственных проступках и преступлениях. Преступления эти таковы: богачи нажили свои богатства несправедливостью и обидами (ст. 4), что тем более преступно, что собственные богатства они употребляли на роскошную жизнь (ст. 5) и даже на преследование праведников с целью пролить кровь их (ст. 6). Тяжесть первого греха - вне сомнения: богачи удерживали заработную плату наемников, в частности, жнецов, руками и трудами которых они наживали свои богатства. Притеснение бедных рабочих через удерживание заслуженной ими платы запрещено, как одно из тяжких преступлений, уже в законе Моисеевом (Лев 19:13; Втор XXIV:14) и строго, пламенно было обличаемо пророками (Ам 2:8; Иер 22:13; Мал 3:5; см. Иов XXXI:38; Тов 4:14; Сир 34:27). Преступность и совершенную нетерпимость упомянутой несправедливости к бедным рабочим Апостол показывает, сильно выражаясь, что удержанная плата рабочих и обиды, причиненные им, - подобно крови первого в мире мученика Авеля (Быт 4:10), вопиют к Богу, и что стоны и вопли обиженных рабочих-жнецов и др. дошли уже слуха всеведущего Господа, называемого здесь ветхозаветным, наичаще встречающимся у пророков именем Саваоф - Богом воинств небесных (Пс 23:10), Богом светил небесных и полчищ Израилевых. У LXX имя это нередко передается Pantokratwr, Вседержитель; следовательно, идея всемогущества и вседержительства греческими переводчиками Библии считалась самою главною в имени Божием Цебаоот. Называя Бога этим именем Саваоф, Апостол, очевидно, выражает мысль, что Судии Богу легко будет наказать богачей, обижающих людей столь бедных и трудящихся под палящими лучами восточного солнца, как жнецы. В ст. 5: обличается другой грех богачей: безудержная роскошь, крайне невоздержное пользование благами жизни, что особенно преступно вследствие беззаконного происхождения средств богачей, добывших их потом и кровью ближних. Здесь же дается и грозное предвещание рокового конца насильствующих богачей: они вели почти животный образ жизни, и вот кончина их представляется под образом заклания животных упитанных. В ст. 6: говорится о третьем и самом ужасном грехе богачей - преследовании ими праведника до крови и смерти, не взирая на его невинность и кротость. Под праведником (ton dikaion) некоторые (Икумений, блаж. Феофил., Лянге) разумели Господа Иисуса Христа и неправедное осуждение его на смерть и убиение иудеями. Но это понимание не приемлемо: осуждение и убийство Господа совершено было не иудеями рассеяния, к которым (собственно к христианам из иудеев рассеяния) написано послание Ап. Иакова (I:1), а иудеями палестинскими, и при этом не богатыми только, к которым обращены слова ст. 6-го, а и бедными, словом, всем народом еврейским в Палестине; настоящее время глагола "не противится" (ouk antitassetai) отнюдь не приложимо к единичному прошедшему историческому событию осуждения и смерти Господа. Несомненно, здесь "праведник" стоит в собирательном смысле (как ниже в ст. 16) - праведных, терпящих несправедливое преследование, людей. Справедливо замечает блаж. Феофилакт: "прибавлением "не противится вам" Апостол обобщает речь, простирая ее на прочих, потерпевших от иудеев подобное, и, может быть, пророчески говорит о собственном страдании". Преследование и убийство праведников из-за их праведности, ненавистной преследующим, является разительным признаком нравственного развращения последних (ср. Прем 2:12-20). Такое вопиющее преступление не может остаться без тягчайшей кары суда Божия в последние дни; Апостол, в силу отрывочности речи своей, не высказывает прямо этой мысли об ожидающей преступных богачей каре, но, без сомнения, подразумевает это, переходя далее к увещаниям, ст. 7-9, с ясно выраженным ожиданием пришествия Господня.
Adam Clarke: Commentary on the Bible - 1831
5:4: The hire of the laborers - The law, Lev 19:13, had ordered: The wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning, every day's labor being paid for as soon as ended. This is more clearly stated in another law, Deu 24:15 : At his day thou shalt give him his hire; neither shall the sun go down upon it; - lest he cry against thee unto the Lord, and it be sin unto thee. And that God particularly resented this defrauding of the hireling we see from Mal 3:5 : I will come near to you in judgment, and will be a swift witness against those who oppress the hireling in his wages. And on these laws and threatenings is built what we read in Synopsis Sohar, p. 100, l. 45: "When a poor man does any work in a house, the vapor proceeding from him, through the severity of his work, ascends towards heaven. Wo to his employer if he delay to pay him his wages." To this James seems particularly to allude, when he says: The cries of them who have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of hosts; and the rabbins say, "The vapor arising from the sweat of the hard-worked laborer ascends up before God." Both images are sufficiently expressive.
The Lord of sabaoth - St. James often conceives in Hebrew though he writes in Greek. It is well known that יהוה צבאות Yehovah tsebaoth, Lord of hosts, or Lord of armies, is a frequent appellation of God in the Old Testament; and signifies his uncontrollable power, and the infinitely numerous means he has for governing the world, and defending his followers, and punishing the wicked.
Albert Barnes: Notes on the Bible - 1834
5:4: Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields - In the pRev_ious verses the form of the sin which the apostle specified was that they had hoarded their property. He now states another form of their guilt, that, while doing this, they had withheld what was due from the very laborers who had cultivated their fields, and to whose labor they were indebted for what they had. The phrase "who have reaped down your fields," is used to denote labor in general. This particular thing is specified, perhaps, because the reaping of the harvest seems to be more immediately connected with the accumulation of property. What is said here, however, will apply to all kinds of labor. It may be remarked, also, that the sin condemned here is one that may exist not only in reference to those who are hired to cultivate a farm, but to all in our employ - to day-laborers, to mechanics, to seamen, etc.
It will apply, in an eminent degree, to those who hold others in slavery, and who live by their unrequited toils. The very essence of slavery is, that the slave shall produce by his labor so much more than he receives for his own maintenance as to support the master and his family in indolence. The slave is to do the work which the master would otherwise be obliged to do; the advantage of the system is supposed to be that the master is not under a necessity of laboring at all. The amount which the slave receives is not presumed to be what is a fair equivalent for what he does, or what a freeman could be hired for; but so much less than his labor is fairly worth, as to be a source of so much gain to the master. If slaves were fairly compensated for their labor; if they received what was understood to be a just price for what they do, or what they would be willing to bargain for if they were free, the system would at once come to an end. No owner of a slave would keep him if he did not suppose that out of his unrequited toil he might make money, or might be relieved himself from the necessity of labor. He who hires a freeman to reap down his fields pays what the freeman regards as a fair equivalent for what he does; he who employs a slave does not give what the slave would regard as an equivalent, and expects that what he gives will be so much less titan an equivalent, that he may be free alike from the necessity of labor and of paying him what he has fairly earned. The very essence of slavery, therefore, is fraud; and there is nothing to which the remarks of the apostle here are more applicable than to that unjust and oppressive system.
Which is of you kept back by fraud - The Greek word here used is rendered defraud, in Mar 10:10; Co1 6:7-8; Co1 7:5; and destitute, in Ti1 6:5. It occurs nowhere else, except in the passage before us. It means to deprive of, with the notion that that to which it is applied was due to one, or that he had a claim on it. The fraud referred to in keeping it back, may be anything by which the payment is withheld, or the claim evaded - whether it be mere neglect to pay it; or some advantage taken in making the bargain; or some evasion of the law; or mere vexatious delay; or such superior power that he to whom it is due cannot enforce the payment; or such a system that he to whom it is fairly due is supposed in the laws to have no rights, and to be incapable of suing or being sued. Any one of these things would come under the denomination of fraud.
Crieth - That is, cries out to God for punishment. The voice of this wrong goes up to heaven.
And the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth - That is, he hears them, and he will attend to their cry. Comp, Exo 22:27. They are oppressed and wronged; they have none to regard their cry on earth, and to redress their wrongs, and they go and appeal to that God who will regard their cry, and avenge them. On the phrase "Lord of sabaoth," or Lord of hosts, for so the word sabaoth means, see the Isa 1:9 note, and Rom 9:29 note. Perhaps by the use of the word here it is implied that the God to whom they cry - the mighty Ruler of all worlds - is able to vindicate them. It may be added, that the cry of the oppressed and the wronged is going up constantly from all parts of the earth, and is always heard by God. In his own time he will come forth to vindicate the oppressed, and to punish the oppressor. It may be added, also, that if what is here said were regarded as it should be by all men, slavery, as well as other systems of wrong, would soon come to an end.
If everywhere the workman was fairly paid for his earnings; if the poor slave who cultivates the fields of the rich were properly compensated for his toil; if he received what a freeman would contract to do the work for; if there was no fraud in withholding what he earns, the system would soon cease in the earth. Slavery could not live a day if this were done. Now there is no such compensation; but the cry of oppressed millions will continue to go up to heaven, and the period must come when the system shall cease. Either the master must be brought to such a sense of right that he will be disposed to do justice, and let the oppressed go free; or God will so impoverish the lands where the system pRev_ails as to make all men see that the system is unprofitable and ruinous as compared with free labor; or the oppressed will somehow become so acquainted with their own strength and their rights that they shall arise and assert their freedom; or under the pRev_alence of true religion better views will pRev_ail, and oppressors, turned to God, shall relax the yoke of bondage; or God will so bring heavy judgments in his holy providence on the oppressors, that the system of slavery will everywhere come to an end on the earth.
Nothing is more certain than that the whole system is condemned by the passage of Scripture before us; that it is contrary to the genuine spirit of Christianity, and that the pRev_alence of true religion would bring it to an end. Probably all slaveholders feel that to place the Bible in the hands of slaves, and to instruct them to read it, would be inconsistent with the perpetuity of the system. Yet a system which cannot survive the most full and free circulation of the sacred Scriptures, must be founded in wrong.
R. A. Torrey - Treasury: Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge - 1880
5:4: the hire: Lev 19:13; Deu 24:14, Deu 24:15; Job 24:10, Job 24:11, Job 31:38, Job 31:39; Isa 5:7; Jer 22:13; Hab 2:11; Mal 3:5; Col 4:1
the cries: Gen 4:10; Exo 2:23, Exo 2:24, Exo 3:9, Exo 22:22-24, Exo 22:27; Deu 24:15; Job 34:28; Psa 9:12; Luk 18:7
Lord: Rom 9:29; Isa 1:9 *Heb:
Geneva 1599
5:4 Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the (a) ears of the Lord of sabaoth.
(a) The Lord who is more mighty than ye are, hath heard them.
John Gill
5:4 Behold the hire of the labourers, which have reaped down your fields,.... The wages agreed for by the day, with the labourers in their fields, particularly their reapers; which one instance serves for many others; and is the rather mentioned, because reaping is a laborious work, and those who are employed in it have nothing to live upon but their hand labour; and especially because they are made use of in cutting down the corn when it is fully ripe, and in great plenty; wherefore, to detain their just wages from them argues great inhumanity and wickedness; and yet this was what was done by rich men:
which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth; unto God for vengeance, as the blood of Abel did; and shows that such an evil, however privately and fraudulently it may be done, will be made public, and is a crying one:
and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth; that is, the Lord of hosts; of angels, and of men; of the host of heaven, and of the inhabitants of the earth; of Jews and Gentiles, and of rich and poor; and who has power to vindicate the cause of the latter against their rich oppressors, and will do it; his ears are open to their cries, he takes notice of them, and regards them, and will take vengeance on those that injure them. The reference is to Deut 24:15.
John Wesley
5:4 The hire of your labourers crieth - Those sins chiefly cry to God concerning which human laws are silent. Such are luxury, unchastity, and various kinds of injustice. The labourers themselves also cry to God, who is just coming to avenge their cause. Of sabaoth - Of hosts, or armies.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown
5:4 Behold--calling attention to their coming doom as no vain threat.
labourers--literally "workmen."
of you kept back--So English Version rightly. Not as ALFORD, "crieth out from you." The "keeping back of the hire" was, on the part OF the rich, virtually an act of "fraud," because the poor laborers were not immediately paid. The phrase is therefore not, "kept back by you," but "of you"; the latter implying virtual, rather than overt, fraud. James refers to Deut 24:14-15, "At this day . . . give his hire, neither shall the sun go down upon it, lest he CRY against thee unto the Lord, and it be sin unto thee." Many sins "cry" to heaven for vengeance which men tacitly take no account of, as unchastity and injustice [BENGEL]. Sins peculiarly offensive to God are said to "cry" to Him. The rich ought to have given freely to the poor; their not doing so was sin. A still greater sin was their not paying their debts. Their greatest sin was not paying them to the poor, whose wages is their all.
cries of them--a double cry; both that of the hire abstractly, and that of the laborers hired.
the Lord of sabaoth--here only in the New Testament. In Rom 9:29 it is a quotation. It is suited to the Jewish tone of the Epistle. It reminds the rich who think the poor have no protector, that the Lord of the whole hosts in heaven and earth is the guardian and avenger of the latter. He is identical with the "coming Lord" Jesus (Jas 5:7).
5:55:5: Փափկացայք ՚ի վերայ երկրի՝ եւ զբօսա՛յք. սնուցէք զսիրտս ձեր՝ իբրեւ աւուր սպանման։
5 Մեղկ կեանքով ապրեցիք երկրի վրայ եւ շուայտացաք ու ձեր սրտերը պարարտացրիք մորթուելու օրուայ համար:
5 Երկրին վրայ փափկութեամբ եւ հեշտութեամբ ապրեցաք, սրտերնիդ սնուցանեցիք՝ որպէս թէ մորթուելու օրուան համար։
Փափկացայք ի վերայ երկրի եւ զբօսայք, սնուցէք զսիրտս ձեր իբրեւ աւուր սպանման:

5:5: Փափկացայք ՚ի վերայ երկրի՝ եւ զբօսա՛յք. սնուցէք զսիրտս ձեր՝ իբրեւ աւուր սպանման։
5 Մեղկ կեանքով ապրեցիք երկրի վրայ եւ շուայտացաք ու ձեր սրտերը պարարտացրիք մորթուելու օրուայ համար:
5 Երկրին վրայ փափկութեամբ եւ հեշտութեամբ ապրեցաք, սրտերնիդ սնուցանեցիք՝ որպէս թէ մորթուելու օրուան համար։
zohrab-1805▾ eastern-1994▾ western am▾
5:55: Вы роскошествовали на земле и наслаждались; напитали сердца ваши, как бы на день заклания.
5:5  ἐτρυφήσατε ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς καὶ ἐσπαταλήσατε, ἐθρέψατε τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ σφαγῆς.
5:5. ἐτρυφήσατε (ye-luxuried-unto) ἐπὶ (upon) τῆς (of-the-one) γῆς (of-a-soil) καὶ (and) ἐσπαταλήσατε, (ye-wantoned-unto,"ἐθρέψατε (ye-nourished) τὰς (to-the-ones) καρδίας (to-hearts) ὑμῶν (of-ye) ἐν ( in ) ἡμέρᾳ ( unto-a-day ) σφαγῆς . ( of-a-slaughter )
5:5. epulati estis super terram et in luxuriis enutristis corda vestra in die occisionisYou have feasted upon earth: and in riotousness you have nourished your hearts, in the day of slaughter.
5. Ye have lived delicately on the earth, and taken your pleasure; ye have nourished your hearts in a day of slaughter.
5:5. You have feasted upon the earth, and you have nourished your hearts with luxuries, unto the day of slaughter.
5:5. Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter.
Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter:

5: Вы роскошествовали на земле и наслаждались; напитали сердца ваши, как бы на день заклания.
5:5  ἐτρυφήσατε ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς καὶ ἐσπαταλήσατε, ἐθρέψατε τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ σφαγῆς.
5:5. epulati estis super terram et in luxuriis enutristis corda vestra in die occisionis
You have feasted upon earth: and in riotousness you have nourished your hearts, in the day of slaughter.
5:5. You have feasted upon the earth, and you have nourished your hearts with luxuries, unto the day of slaughter.
5:5. Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter.
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Adam Clarke: Commentary on the Bible - 1831
5:5: Ye have lived in pleasure - Ετρυφησατε. Ye have lived luxuriously; feeding yourselves without fear, pampering the flesh.
And been wanton - Εσπαταλησατε· Ye have lived lasciviously. Ye have indulged all your sinful and sensual appetites to the uttermost; and your lives have been scandalous.
Ye have nourished your hearts - Εθρεψατε· Ye have fattened your hearts, and have rendered them incapable of feeling, as in a day of slaughter, ἡμερᾳ σφαγης, a day of sacrifice, where many victims are offered at once, and where the people feast upon the sacrifices; many, no doubt, turning, on that occasion, a holy ordinance into a riotous festival.
Albert Barnes: Notes on the Bible - 1834
5:5: Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth - One of the things to which the rich are peculiarly addicted. Their wealth is supposed to be of value, because it furnishes them the means of doing it. Compare Luk 12:19; Luk 16:19. The word translated "lived in pleasure, (τρυφάω truphaō) occurs only here in the New Testament. It means, to live delicately, luxuriously, at ease. There is not in the word essentially the idea or vicious indulgence, but that which characterizes those who live for enjoyment. They lived in ease and affluence on the avails of the labors of others; they indulged in what gratified the taste, and pleased the ear and the eye, while those who contributed the means of this were groaning under oppression. A life of mere indolence and ease, of delicacy and luxury, is nowhere countenanced in the Bible; and even where unconnected with oppression and wrong to others, such a mode of living is regarded as inconsistent with the purpose for which God made man, and placed him on the earth. See Luk 12:19-20. Every man has high and solemn duties to perform, and there is enough to be done on earth to give employment to every human being, and to fill up every hour in a profitable and useful way.
And been wanton - This word now probably conveys to most minds a sense which is not in the original. Our English word is now commonly used in the sense of "lewd, lustful, lascivious." It was, however, formerly used in the sense of "sportive, joyous, gay," and was applied to anything that was variable or fickle. The Greek word used here (σπαταλάω spatalaō) means, to live luxuriously or voluptuously. Compare the notes at Ti1 5:6, where the word is explained. It does not refer necessarily to gross criminal pleasures, though the kind of living here referred to often leads to such indulgences. There is a close connection between what the apostle says here, and what he refers to in the pRev_ious verses - the oppression of others, and the withholding of what is due to those who labor. Such acts of oppression and wrong are commonly resorted to in order to obtain the means of luxurious living, and the gratification of sensual pleasures. In all countries where slavery exists, the things here referred to are found in close connection. The fraud and wrong by which the reward of hard toil is withheld from the slave is connected with indolence and sensual indulgence on the part of the master.
Ye have nourished your hearts - Or, yourselves - the word hearts here being equivalent to themselves. The meaning is, that they appeared to have been fattening themselves, like stall-fed beasts, for the day of slaughter. As cattle are carefully fed, and are fattened with a view to their being slaughtered, so they seemed to have been fattoned for the slaughter that was to come on them - the day of vengeance. Thus many now live. They do no work; they contribute nothing to the good of society; they are mere consumers - fruges, consumere nati; and, like stall-fed cattle, they seem to live only with reference to the day of slaughter, and to the recompense which awaits them after death.
As in a day of slaughter - There has been much variety in the interpretation of this expression. Robinson (lex.) renders it, "like beasts in the day of slaughter, without care or forethought." Rosenmuller (Morgenland) supposes that it means, as in a festival; referring, as he thinks, to the custom among the ancients of having a feast when a part of the animal was consumed in sacrifice, and the rest was eaten by the worshippers. So Benson. On such occasions, indulgence was given to appetite almost without limit; and the idea then would be, that they had given themselves up to a life of pampered luxury. But probably the more correct idea is, that they had fattened themselves as for the day of destruction; that is, as animals are fattened for slaughter. They lived only to eat and drink, and to enjoy life. But, by such a course, they were as certainly preparing for perdition, as cattle were prepared to be killed by being stall-fed.
R. A. Torrey - Treasury: Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge - 1880
5:5: have lived: Sa1 25:6, Sa1 25:36; Job 21:11-15; Psa 17:14, Psa 73:7; Ecc 11:9; Isa 5:11, Isa 5:12; Isa 47:8, Isa 56:12; Amo 6:1, Amo 6:4-6; Luk 16:19, Luk 16:25; Ti1 5:6; Ti2 3:4; Jde 1:12; Rev 18:7
been: Isa 3:16; Rom 13:13
as in: Pro 7:14, Pro 17:1; Isa 22:13; Eze 39:17; Rev 19:17, Rev 19:18
Geneva 1599
5:5 Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have (b) nourished your hearts, as in a (c) day of slaughter.
(b) You have pampered yourselves.
(c) The Hebrews call a day that is appointed to solemn banqueting, a day of slaughter or feasting.
John Gill
5:5 Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth,.... This is said of other rich men; for all that is here said is not to be understood of the same individuals, but some things of one, and some of another; some made no use of their riches, either for themselves, or others; some did make use of them, and employed the poor, and then would not give them their wages; and others lived a voluptuous and luxurious life, indulged themselves in carnal lusts and pleasures, and gratified the senses by eating, drinking, gaming, and so were dead while they lived. The phrase suggests, that their pleasures were but short lived, but for a season, even while they were on earth; and that hereafter they would not live in pleasure:
and been wanton; through the abundance and plenty of good things, their delicious way of living, and the swing of pleasures which they took; the allusion is to fatted beasts, which being in good pastures, grow fat and wanton:
ye have nourished your hearts as in a day of slaughter, when beasts were slain for some extraordinary entertainment, or for the solemn festivals and sacrifices the Jews, when they lived more deliciously than at other times; and then the sense is, that these rich men fared sumptuously every day; every day was a festival with them; they indulged themselves in intemperance; they ate and drank, not merely what was necessary, and satisfying, and cheering to nature, but to excess, and gorged, and filled themselves in an extravagant manner: the Syriac version, instead of "hearts", reads "bodies" and one copy reads, "your flesh": and the last phrase may be rendered, as it is in the same version, "as unto", or "for the day of slaughter"; and so the Arabic version, "ye have nourished your hearts, as fattened for the day of slaughter": like beasts that are fattened in order to be killed, so were they preparing and fitting up by their sins for destruction.
John Wesley
5:5 Ye have cherished your hearts - Have indulged yourselves to the uttermost. As in a day of sacrifice - Which were solemn feast - days among the Jews.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown
5:5 Translate, "Ye have luxuriated . . . and wantoned." The former expresses luxurious effeminacy; the latter, wantonness and prodigality. Their luxury was at the expense of the defrauded poor (Jas 5:4).
on the earth--The same earth which has been the scene of your wantonness, shall be the scene of the judgment coming on you: instead of earthly delights ye shall have punishments.
nourished . . . hearts--that is glutted your bodies like beasts to the full extent of your hearts' desire; ye live to eat, not eat to live.
as in a day of slaughter--The oldest authorities omit "as." Ye are like beasts which eat to their hearts' content on the very day of their approaching slaughter, unconscious it is near. The phrase answers to "the last days," Jas 5:3, which favors ALFORD'S translation there, "in," not "for."
5:65:6: Զրկեցէք սպանէք զարդարն, որ ո՛չ կայր ձեզ հակառակ[2967]։ [2967] Ոմանք. Ոչ կայր ձեր հակառակ։
6 Զրկեցիք, սպանեցիք արդարին, որը ձեզ չէր հակառակում:
6 Դատապարտեցի՛ք ու սպաննեցի՛ք արդարը, որ ձեզի հակառակ չկենայ։
Զրկեցէք, սպանէք զարդարն, որ ոչ կայր ձեզ հակառակ:

5:6: Զրկեցէք սպանէք զարդարն, որ ո՛չ կայր ձեզ հակառակ[2967]։
[2967] Ոմանք. Ոչ կայր ձեր հակառակ։
6 Զրկեցիք, սպանեցիք արդարին, որը ձեզ չէր հակառակում:
6 Դատապարտեցի՛ք ու սպաննեցի՛ք արդարը, որ ձեզի հակառակ չկենայ։
zohrab-1805▾ eastern-1994▾ western am▾
5:66: Вы осудили, убили Праведника; Он не противился вам.
5:6  κατεδικάσατε, ἐφονεύσατε τὸν δίκαιον. οὐκ ἀντιτάσσεται ὑμῖν.
5:6. κατεδικάσατε, (Ye-down-coursed-to,"ἐφονεύσατε (ye-slayed-of) τὸν (to-the-one) δίκαιον. (to-course-belonged) οὐκ (Not) ἀντιτάσσεται ( it-ever-a-one-arrangeth ) ὑμῖν; (unto-ye?"
5:6. addixistis occidistis iustum non resistit vobisYou have condemned and put to death the Just One: and he resisted you not.
6. Ye have condemned, ye have killed the righteous ; he doth not resist you.
5:6. You led away and killed the Just One, and he did not resist you.
5:6. Ye have condemned [and] killed the just; [and] he doth not resist you.
Ye have condemned [and] killed the just; [and] he doth not resist you:

6: Вы осудили, убили Праведника; Он не противился вам.
5:6  κατεδικάσατε, ἐφονεύσατε τὸν δίκαιον. οὐκ ἀντιτάσσεται ὑμῖν.
5:6. addixistis occidistis iustum non resistit vobis
You have condemned and put to death the Just One: and he resisted you not.
5:6. You led away and killed the Just One, and he did not resist you.
5:6. Ye have condemned [and] killed the just; [and] he doth not resist you.
ru▾ el▾ el-en-gloss▾ vulgate▾ erva_1895▾ catholic_pdv▾ kjv_1900▾
jfb▾ jw▾ jg▾ tr▾ ab▾ ac▾ all ▾
Adam Clarke: Commentary on the Bible - 1831
5:6: Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you - Several by τον δικαιον, the just one, understand Jesus Christ, who is so called, Act 3:14; Act 7:52; Act 22:14; but the structure of the sentence, and the connection in which it stands, seem to require that we should consider this as applying to the just or righteous in general, who were persecuted and murdered by those oppressive rich men; and their death was the consequence of their dragging them before the judgment seats, Jam 2:6, where, having no influence, and none to plead their cause, they were unjustly condemned and executed.
And he doth not resist you. - In this, as in τον δικαιον, the just, there is an enallege of the singular for the plural number. And in the word ουκ αντιτασσεται, he doth not resist, the idea is included of defense in a court of justice. These poor righteous people had none to plead their cause; and if they had it would have been useless, as their oppressors had all power and all influence, and those who sat on these judgment seats were lost to all sense of justice and right. Some think that he doth not resist you should be referred to God; as if he had said, God permits you to go on in this way at present, but he will shortly awake to judgment, and destroy you as enemies of truth and righteousness.
Albert Barnes: Notes on the Bible - 1834
5:6: Ye have condemned and killed the just - τὸν δίκαιον ton dikaion - "the just one," or "the just man" - for the word used is in the singular number. This may either refer to the condemnation and crucifixion of Christ - meaning that their conduct towards his people had been similar to the treatment of the Saviour, and was in fact a condemnation and crucifixion of him afresh; or, that by their rejection of him in order to live in sin, they in fact condemned him and his religion; or, that they had condemned and killed the just man - meaning that they had persecuted those who were Christians; or, that by their harsh treatment of others in withholding what was due to them, they had deprived them of the means of subsistence, and had, as it were, killed the righteous. Probably the true meaning is, that it was one of their characteristics that they had been guilty of wrong towards good men. Whether it refers, however, to any particular act of violence, or to such a course as would wear out their lives by a system of oppression, injustice, and fraud, cannot now be determined.
And he doth not resist you - Some have supposed that this refers to God, meaning that he did not oppose them; that is, that he bore with them patiently while they did it. Others suppose that it should be read a question - "and doth he not resist you?" meaning that God would oppose them, and punish them for their acts of oppression and wrong. But probably the true reference is to the "just man" whom they condemned and killed; meaning that they were so powerful that all attempts to resist them would be vain, and that the injured and oppressed could do nothing but submit patiently to their acts of injustice and violence. The sense may be either that they could not oppose them - the rich men being so powerful, and they who were oppressed so feeble; or that they bore their wrongs with meekness, and did not attempt it. The sins, therefore, condemned in these verses Jam 5:1-6, and for which it is said the divine vengeance would come upon those referred to, are these four:
(1) that of hoarding up money when it was unnecessary for their real support and comfort, and when they might do so much good with it, (compare Mat 6:19;)
(2) that of keeping back the wages which was due to those who cultivated their fields; that is, keeping back what would be a fair compensation for their toil - applicable alike to hired men and to slaves;
(3) that of giving themselves up to a life of ease, luxury, and sensual; indulgence; and,
(4) that of wronging and oppressing good and just men - men, perhaps in humble life, who were unable to vindicate their rights, and who had none to undertake their cause; men who were too feeble to offer successful resistance, or who were restrained by their principles from attempting it.
It is needless to say that there are multitudes of such persons now on the earth, and that they have the same reason to dread the divine vengeance which the same class had in the time of the apostle James.
R. A. Torrey - Treasury: Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge - 1880
5:6: have: Jam 2:6; Mat 21:38, Mat 23:34, Mat 23:35, Mat 27:20, Mat 27:24, Mat 27:25; Joh 16:2, Joh 16:3; Act 2:22, Act 2:23; Act 3:14, Act 3:15, Act 4:10-12, Act 7:52, Act 13:27, Act 13:28, Act 22:14; Th1 2:15, Th1 2:16
and he: Isa 53:7; Mat 5:39, Mat 26:53, Mat 26:54; Luk 22:51-53; Joh 19:9-11; Act 8:32; Pe1 2:22, Pe1 2:23
John Gill
5:6 Ye have condemned and killed the just,.... Meaning not Christ, the Just One, as some have thought; whom the Jewish sanhedrim condemned as guilty of death, and got the sentence passed upon him, and him to be crucified by Pontius Pilate, on the day of slaughter, at the time of the passover, as some connect the last clause of the preceding verse with this; since the apostle is not writing to the Jerusalem Jews, nor to unbelievers, but to professors of religion; though he might say they did it, because their nation did it: but rather this is to be understood of the poor saints, who were just, through the imputation of Christ's righteousness to them, and lived soberly, righteously, and godly, and were harmless and inoffensive in their conversation: who were evil spoken of, censured, and judged, and condemned in a rash and uncharitable manner by their brethren; or were drawn to the judgment seats by the rich, who obtained a judicial process against them, and procured a sentence of condemnation to pass upon them unrighteously; and who killed them, by taking away their good names from them, and by withholding from them their supplies of life, the fruit of their own labour, whereby their lives were embittered and made miserable:
and he doth not resist you; it being neither in his power, nor in his inclination; but takes it patiently, quietly submits, and makes no opposition: or God does not resist you, as yet; he will do it shortly.
John Wesley
5:6 Ye have killed the just - Many just men; in particular, "that Just One," Acts 3:14. They afterwards killed James, surnamed the Just, the writer of this epistle. He doth not resist you - And therefore you are secure. But the Lord cometh quickly, Jas 5:8.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown
5:6 Ye have condemned . . . the just--The Greek aorist expresses, "Ye are accustomed to condemn . . . the just." Their condemnation of Christ, "the Just," is foremost in James' mind. But all the innocent blood shed, and to be shed, is included, the Holy Spirit comprehending James himself, called "the Just," who was slain in a tumult. See my Introduction. This gives a peculiar appropriateness to the expression in this verse, the same "as the righteous (just) man" (Jas 5:16). The justice or righteousness of Jesus and His people is what peculiarly provoked the ungodly great men of the world.
he doth not resist you--The very patience of the Just one is abused by the wicked as an incentive to boldness in violent persecution, as if they may do as they please with impunity. God doth "resist the proud" (Jas 4:6); but Jesus as man, "as a sheep is dumb before the shearers, so He opened not His mouth": so His people are meek under persecution. The day will come when God will resist (literally, "set Himself in array against") His foes and theirs.
5:75:7: Երկայնամի՛տ լերուք եղբա՛րք իմ մինչեւ ՚ի գալուստն Տեառն. ահա մշակ երկայնամտեա՛լ սպասէ պատուական պտղոյն երկրի, մինչեւ առցէ՛ զկանուխ եւ զանագան[2968]։ [2968] Յօրինակին պակասէր. Եղբարք իմ մինչեւ։ Ոմանք. Ահաւասիկ մշակ եր՛՛... պտղոյ երկրին... զկանուխն եւ զանա՛՛։
7 Եղբայրնե՛ր իմ, համբերո՛ղ եղէք մինչեւ Տիրոջ գալուստը: Մշակն ահա համբերութեամբ սպասում է երկրի պատուական պտղին, մինչեւ որ ստանայ առաջին եւ վերջին անձրեւը:
7 Ուստի համբերո՛ղ եղէք, ե՛ղբայրներ, մինչեւ Տէրոջը գալուստը։ Ահա երկրագործը կը սպասէ երկրին պատուական պտուղին՝ անոր համար համբերելով, մինչեւ առաջին ու վերջին անձրեւը առնէ։
Երկայնամիտ լերուք, եղբարք իմ, մինչեւ ի գալուստն Տեառն. ահա մշակ երկայնամտեալ սպասէ պատուական պտղոյն երկրի, մինչեւ առցէ [24]զկանուխ եւ զանագան:

5:7: Երկայնամի՛տ լերուք եղբա՛րք իմ մինչեւ ՚ի գալուստն Տեառն. ահա մշակ երկայնամտեա՛լ սպասէ պատուական պտղոյն երկրի, մինչեւ առցէ՛ զկանուխ եւ զանագան[2968]։
[2968] Յօրինակին պակասէր. Եղբարք իմ մինչեւ։ Ոմանք. Ահաւասիկ մշակ եր՛՛... պտղոյ երկրին... զկանուխն եւ զանա՛՛։
7 Եղբայրնե՛ր իմ, համբերո՛ղ եղէք մինչեւ Տիրոջ գալուստը: Մշակն ահա համբերութեամբ սպասում է երկրի պատուական պտղին, մինչեւ որ ստանայ առաջին եւ վերջին անձրեւը:
7 Ուստի համբերո՛ղ եղէք, ե՛ղբայրներ, մինչեւ Տէրոջը գալուստը։ Ահա երկրագործը կը սպասէ երկրին պատուական պտուղին՝ անոր համար համբերելով, մինչեւ առաջին ու վերջին անձրեւը առնէ։
zohrab-1805▾ eastern-1994▾ western am▾
5:77: Итак, братия, будьте долготерпеливы до пришествия Господня. Вот, земледелец ждет драгоценного плода от земли и для него терпит долго, пока получит дождь ранний и поздний.
5:7  μακροθυμήσατε οὗν, ἀδελφοί, ἕως τῆς παρουσίας τοῦ κυρίου. ἰδοὺ ὁ γεωργὸς ἐκδέχεται τὸν τίμιον καρπὸν τῆς γῆς, μακροθυμῶν ἐπ᾽ αὐτῶ ἕως λάβῃ πρόϊμον καὶ ὄψιμον.
5:7. Μακροθυμήσατε (Ye-should-have-long-passioned-unto) οὖν, (accordingly," ἀδελφοί , ( Brethrened ,"ἕως (unto-if-which) τῆς (of-the-one) παρουσίας (of-a-being-beside-unto) τοῦ (of-the-one) κυρίου. (of-Authority-belonged) ἰδοὺ ( Thou-should-have-had-seen ,"ὁ (the-one) γεωργὸς (soil-worked) ἐκδέχεται ( it-receiveth-out ) τὸν (to-the-one) τίμιον (to-value-belonged) καρπὸν (to-a-fruit) τῆς (of-the-one) γῆς, (of-a-soil,"μακροθυμῶν (long-passioning-unto) ἐπ' (upon) αὐτῷ (unto-it) ἕως (unto-if-which) λάβῃ ( it-might-have-had-taken ) πρόϊμον ( to-early-belonged-to ) καὶ ( and ) ὄψιμον . ( to-late-belonged-to )
5:7. patientes igitur estote fratres usque ad adventum Domini ecce agricola expectat pretiosum fructum terrae patienter ferens donec accipiat temporivum et serotinumBe patient therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth: patiently bearing till he receive the early and latter rain.
7. Be patient therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient over it, until it receive the early and latter rain.
5:7. Therefore, be patient, brothers, until the advent of the Lord. Consider that the farmer anticipates the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently, until he receives the early and the late rains.
5:7. Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.
Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain:

7: Итак, братия, будьте долготерпеливы до пришествия Господня. Вот, земледелец ждет драгоценного плода от земли и для него терпит долго, пока получит дождь ранний и поздний.
5:7  μακροθυμήσατε οὗν, ἀδελφοί, ἕως τῆς παρουσίας τοῦ κυρίου. ἰδοὺ ὁ γεωργὸς ἐκδέχεται τὸν τίμιον καρπὸν τῆς γῆς, μακροθυμῶν ἐπ᾽ αὐτῶ ἕως λάβῃ πρόϊμον καὶ ὄψιμον.
5:7. patientes igitur estote fratres usque ad adventum Domini ecce agricola expectat pretiosum fructum terrae patienter ferens donec accipiat temporivum et serotinum
Be patient therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth: patiently bearing till he receive the early and latter rain.
5:7. Therefore, be patient, brothers, until the advent of the Lord. Consider that the farmer anticipates the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently, until he receives the early and the late rains.
5:7. Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.
ru▾ el▾ el-en-gloss▾ vulgate▾ erva_1895▾ catholic_pdv▾ kjv_1900▾
jfb▾ jw▾ jg▾ gnv▾ tr▾ ab▾ ac▾ tb▾ all ▾
А. П. Лопухин: Tолковая Библия или комментарий на все книги Св.Писания Ветхого и Нового Заветов - 1903-1914
7-9: Обращаясь теперь к бедным и смиренным братьям, Апостол поучает их, главным образом, терпению, так как эта добродетель наиболее требовалась в их угнетенном состоянии. "Осудив роскошь начальников иудейских и жестокость их в отношении к бедным, Апостол обращает речь к верным и говорит: "братия! не соблазняйтесь при виде сего, будто бы не будет отмщения" (блаж. Феофил.). Главным побуждением к терпению Апостол указывает близость пришествия Господня: и ст. 7: он говорит: "будьте долготерпеливы до пришествия Господня" (ewV thV parousiaV tou Kuriou, причем благопотребность и благоплодность такого терпения показывает сравнением христианского терпения с терпеливым ожиданием земледельцем плодов от трудов своих и прежде всего благоприятных для того условий: дождя раннего (prwimon, евр. море), т. е. осеннего, и дождя позднего (owimon, евр. мавкош), т. е. весеннего (главные сезоны в Палестине для озимых и др. хлебов) (ср. Втор 11:14; Иер 5:24; Иоиль 2:23); в ст. 8, повторяя наставление о терпении и советуя им приобретать крепость в терпении (см. 1Пет. 5:10), он опять обосновывает свое наставление указанием на близость пришествия Господня: "пришествие Господне приблизилось" (h parousia tou Kuriou hggike); наконец, и в ст. 9, увещевая христиан избегать сетования друг на друга во избежание осуждения (ср. Мф 7:1), снова в качестве побуждения к исполнению своего наставления указывает на близость пришествия Господа: "вот судия стоит у дверей" (idou o krithV pro twn qurwn esthken). Под пришествием Господним, в котором христиане должны черпать нравственные силы к терпению и к добродетели вообще, - по обычному употреблению в книгах Нового Завета выражения parousia Kuriou - несомненно, разумеется второе славное пришествие Христово, когда последует всеобщий страшный суд, которым окончится царство благодати и начнется царство славы (см. Мф XXIV:3: сл.) и на котором все люди получат праведное воздаяние за свои дела (Мф 25:31: сл.). Апостолы в своих нравственных наставлениях христианам нередко высказывают мысль о близости второго пришествия Христова и кончины века: Ап. Иаков в рассматриваемом месте, Ап. Петр в обоих своих посланиях (1Пет. 4:7; 2Пет. 3:4, 9-10), Ап. Иоанн Богослов (1Ин. 2:18, 28), Ап. Павел (1Кор.7:29; 10:11; 1: Фесс 4:15: и др.).

Спрашивается: в каком смысле Апостолы говорят о близости второго пришествия их времени, когда из слов Господа им было ведомо о совершенной неизвестности дня пришествия Христова (Мф ХХIV:36), и когда почти уже двухтысячное существование Церкви Христовой фактически свидетельствует против действительной близости дня второго пришествия к апостольскому? Отчасти это может быть понято из психологии веры - из высшего напряжения веры Апостолов и вообще первенствующих христиан: для истинно и глубоко верующего пришествие Господа не может быть далеким; вера вообще созерцает времена в духе Господнем, и пред нею, как и у Господа, тысячи лет - яко день один (2Пет. 3:8). Но главным образом рассматриваемое недоумение разъясняется с точки зрения истории домостроительства человеческого спасения и обусловливаемого искупительным делом Христовым деления жизни мира на две главные эпохи, дохристианскую и христианскую, ветхозаветную и новозаветную. Эта последняя уже у ветхозаветных пророков иногда берется, как нечто целое, без разделения в ней отдельных исторических моментов. Таким образом, например, пророки, говоря о пришествии Мессии и Его благодатном царстве, употребляли выражение: "в последние дни" (ахаритиайямим Ис 2:1; 4:2: и др.), причем в объем этого понятия они включали и такие события, которые (как изменение всего миропорядка и всех творений к совершенству Ис гл. XI) отнюдь не имели места в первые и последующие времена благодатного Царства Христова, а лишь имеют последовательность при всеобщем восстановлении твари - при открытии царства славы; следовательно, одним выражением обнимали весь период Царства Христова от начала его до конца. Подобным же образом Господь и Его апостолы говорили о всем продолжении Царства Христова, как о последнем домостроительстве человеческого спасения. Так, Христос Спаситель говорил о наступлении времени или часа воскресения мертвых (Ин 5:21, 25), а Апостол Иоанн - о наступлении последнего времени (eskath wra, 1Ин. 2:18). Теперь вполне понятно эсхатологическое представление о близости второго пришествия Христова, как окончания последнего периода домостроительства, после которого откроется уже царство славы. "Эту близость второго пришествия Христова к первому нужно измерять не временным расстоянием этих двух событий, а в том смысле нужно понимать, что с первым пришествием Христовым именно настала последняя эпоха настоящей жизни мира, когда со стороны Бога сделано уже все для мира, и уже нет препятствий к открытию нового славного Царства Христова. Эта эпоха может быть продолжительна по времени, но по нравственной связи событий она - последняя, и теперь единственно от воли Божией зависит ее продолжительность; пришествие Христово близко по внутренней нравственной связи второго пришествия Его с первым, это - последние дни, последняя эпоха мира. Но когда именно оно последует, этим выражением о близости не определяется" (еп. Михаил). И Сам Господь, как известно, открыл апостолам лишь некоторые признаки приближения этого времени (Мф XXIV гл.).
Adam Clarke: Commentary on the Bible - 1831
5:7: Be patient, therefore - Because God is coming to execute judgment on this wicked people, therefore be patient till he comes. He seems here to refer to the coming of the Lord to execute judgment on the Jewish nation, which shortly afterwards took place.
The husbandman waiteth - The seed of your deliverance is already sown, and by and by the harvest of your salvation will take place. God's counsels will ripen in due time.
The early and latter rain - The rain of seed time; and the rain of ripening before harvest: the first fell in Judea, about the beginning of November, after the seed was sown; and the second towards the end of April, when the ears were filling, and this prepared for a full harvest. Without these two rains, the earth would have been unfruitful. These God had promised: I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thy oil, Deu 11:14. But for these they were not only to wait patiently, but also to pray, Ask ye of the Lord rain in the time of the latter rain; so shall the Lord make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field; Zac 10:1.
Albert Barnes: Notes on the Bible - 1834
5:7: Be patient therefore, brethren - That is, under such wrongs as the apostle had described in the pRev_ious verses. Those whom he addressed were doubtless suffering under those oppressions, and his object was to induce them to bear their wrongs without murmuring and without resistance. One of the methods of doing this was by showing them, in an address to their rich oppressors, that those who injured and wronged them would be suitably punished at the day of judgment, or that their cause was in the hands of God; and another method of doing it was by the direct inculcation of the duty of patience. Compare the notes at Mat 5:38-41, Mat 5:43-45. The margin here is, "be long patient," or "suffer with long patience." The sense of the Greek is, "be long-suffering, or let not your patience be exhausted. Your courage, vigor, and forbearance is not to be short-lived, but is to be enduring. Let it continue as long as there is need of it, even to the coming of the Lord. Then you will be released from sufferings."
Unto the coming of the Lord - The coming of the Lord Jesus - either to remove you by death, or to destroy the city of Jerusalem and bring to an end the Jewish institutions, or to judge the world and receive his people to himself. The "coming of the Lord" in any way was an event which Christians were taught to expect, and which would be connected with their deliverance from troubles. As the time of his appearing was not Rev_ealed, it was not improper to refer to that as an event that might possibly be near; and as the removal of Christians by death is denoted by the phrase "the coming of the Lord" - that is, his coming to each one of us - it was not improper to speak of death in that view. On the general subject of the expectations entertained among the early Christians of the second advent of the Saviour, see the Co1 15:51 note; Th2 2:2-3 note.
Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth - The farmer waits patiently for the grain to grow. It requires time to mature the crop, and he does not become impatient. The idea seems to be, that we should wait for things to develop themselves in their proper season, and should not be impatient before that season arrives. In due time we may expect the harvest to be ripened. We cannot hasten it. We cannot control the rain, the sun, the season; and the farmer therefore patiently waits until in the regular course of events he has a harvest. So we cannot control and hasten the events which are in God's own keeping; and we should patiently wait for the developments of his will, and the arrangements of his providence, by which we may obtain what we desire.
And hath long patience for it - That is, his patience is not exhausted. It extends through the whole time in which, by the divine arrangements, he may expect a harvest.
Until he receive the early and latter rain - In the climate of Palestine there are two rainy seasons, on which the harvest essentially depends - the autumnal and the spring rains - called here and elsewhere in the Scriptures the early and the latter rains. See Deu 11:14; Job 29:23; Jer 5:24. The autumnal or early rains of Scripture, usually commence in the latter half of October or the beginning of November; not suddenly, but by degrees, which gives opportunity for the husbandman to sow his fields of wheat and barley. The rains come mostly from the west or south-west, continuing for two or three days at a time, and falling especially during the nights. The wind then chops round to the north or east, and several days of fine weather succeed. During the months of November and December the rains continue to fail heavily; afterwards they return only at longer intervals, and are less heavy; but at no period during the winter do they entirely cease to occur.
Snow often falls in Jerusalem, in January and February, to the depth of a foot or more, but it does not last long. Rain continues to fall more or less through the month of March, but it is rare after that period. At the present time there are not any particular periods of rain, or successions of showers, which might be regarded as distinct rainy seasons. The whole period from October to March now constitutes only one continued rainy season, without any regularly intervening time of prolonged fair weather. Unless, therefore, there has been some change in the climate since the times of the New Testament, the early and the latter rains for which the husbandman waited with longing, seem rather to have implied the first showers of autumn, which Rev_ived the parched and thirsty earth, and prepared it for the seed; and the latter showers of spring, which continued to refresh and forward the ripening crops and the vernal products of the fields. In ordinary seasons, from the cessation of the showers in spring until their commencement in October or November, rain never falls, and the sky is usually serene. - Robinson's Biblical Researches, vol. ii., pp. 96-100.
R. A. Torrey - Treasury: Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge - 1880
5:7: Be patient: or, Be long patient, or, Suffer with long patience, Luk 8:15; Rom 2:7, Rom 8:24, Rom 8:25, Rom 15:4; Co2 6:4, Co2 6:5; Gal 5:5, Gal 6:9; Col 1:11; Th1 1:3; Heb 6:15, Heb 12:1-3
unto: Jam 5:8, Jam 5:9; Mat 24:27, Mat 24:44; Luk 18:8, Luk 21:27; Co1 1:7; Th1 2:19, Th1 3:13; Pe2 3:4
until: Deu 11:14; Jer 5:24; Hos 6:3; Joe 2:23; Zac 10:1
Geneva 1599
5:7 (2) Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. (3) Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.
(2) He applies that to the poor, which he spoke against the rich, warning them to wait for the Lord's coming patiently, who will avenge the injuries which the rich men do to them. (3) The taking away of an objection: Although his coming seems to linger, yet at the least we must follow the farmer, we who do patiently wait for the times that are fitting for the fruits of the earth. And again, God will not postpone the least bit of the time that he has appointed.
John Gill
5:7 Be patient therefore, brethren,.... The apostle here addresses himself to the poor who were oppressed by the rich men, and these he calls "brethren" of whom he was not ashamed; when he does not bestow this title upon the rich, though professors of the same religion: these poor brethren he advises to be patient under their sufferings, to bear them with patience,
unto the coming of the Lord; not to destroy Jerusalem, but either at death, or at the last, judgment; when he will take vengeance on their oppressors, and deliver them from all their troubles, and put them into the possession of that kingdom, and glory, to which they are called; wherefore, in the mean while, he would have them be quiet and easy, not to murmur against God, nor seek to take vengeance on men, but leave it to God, to whom it belongs, who will judge his people:
behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth; ripe fruit, which arises from the seed he sows in the earth; and which may be called "precious", because useful both to man and beast; see Deut 33:14 and between this, and the sowing of the seed, is a considerable time, during which the husbandman waits; and this may be an instruction in the present case:
and hath patience for it until he receive the early and latter rain; the Jews had seldom rains any more than twice a year; the early, or former rain, was shortly after the feast of tabernacles (u), in the month Marchesvan, or October, when the seed was sown in the earth; and if it did not rain, they prayed for it, on the third or seventh day of the month (w); and the latter rain was in Nisan, or March (x), just before harvest; and to this distinction the passage refers.
(u) Bartenora in Misn. Taanith, c. 1. sect. 2. (w) T. Bab. Taanith, fol. 4. 2. & 6. 1. & 10. 1. & Bava Metzia, fol. 28. 1. Maimon. Tephilla, c. 2. sect. 16. (x) Targum, Jarchi, Kimchi, & Miclol Jophi in Joel ii. 23. Vajikra Rabba, sect. 35. fol. 175. 3.
John Wesley
5:7 The husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit - Which will recompense his labour and patience. Till he receives the former rain - Immediately after sowing. And the latter - Before the harvest.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown
5:7 Be patient therefore--as judgment is so near (Jas 5:1, Jas 5:3), ye may well afford to be "patient" after the example of the unresisting Just one (Jas 5:6).
brethren--contrasted with the "rich" oppressors, Jas 5:1-6.
unto the coming of the Lord--Christ, when the trial of your patience shall cease.
husbandman waiteth for--that is, patiently bears toils and delays through hope of the harvest at last. Its "preciousness" (compare Ps 126:6, "precious seed") will more than compensate for all the past. Compare the same image, Gal 6:3, Gal 6:9.
hath long patience for it--"over it," in respect to it.
until he receive--"until it receive" [ALFORD]. Even if English Version be retained, the receiving of the early and latter rains is not to be understood as the object of his hope, but the harvest for which those rains are the necessary preliminary. The early rain fell at sowing time, about November or December; the latter rain, about March or April, to mature the grain for harvest. The latter rain that shall precede the coming spiritual harvest, will probably be another Pentecost-like effusion of the Holy Ghost.
5:85:8: Երկայնամտեցէ՛ք եւ դո՛ւք, հաստատեցէ՛ք զսիրտս ձեր. զի գալուստն Տեառն մերձեա՛լ է[2969]։ [2969] Ոմանք. Եւ հաստատեցէ՛ք... զի գալուստ Տեառն։
8 Համբերեցէ՛ք եւ դուք, ամրացրէ՛ք ձեր սրտերը, քանի որ Տիրոջ գալուստը մօտեցել է:
8 Դո՛ւք ալ համբերութիւն ունեցէ՛ք, սրտերնիդ հաստա՛տ բռնեցէք. վասն զի Տէրոջը գալուստը մօտ է։
Երկայնամտեցէք եւ դուք, հաստատեցէք զսիրտս ձեր. զի գալուստն Տեառն մերձեալ է:

5:8: Երկայնամտեցէ՛ք եւ դո՛ւք, հաստատեցէ՛ք զսիրտս ձեր. զի գալուստն Տեառն մերձեա՛լ է[2969]։
[2969] Ոմանք. Եւ հաստատեցէ՛ք... զի գալուստ Տեառն։
8 Համբերեցէ՛ք եւ դուք, ամրացրէ՛ք ձեր սրտերը, քանի որ Տիրոջ գալուստը մօտեցել է:
8 Դո՛ւք ալ համբերութիւն ունեցէ՛ք, սրտերնիդ հաստա՛տ բռնեցէք. վասն զի Տէրոջը գալուստը մօտ է։
zohrab-1805▾ eastern-1994▾ western am▾
5:88: Долготерпите и вы, укрепите сердца ваши, потому что пришествие Господне приближается.
5:8  μακροθυμήσατε καὶ ὑμεῖς, στηρίξατε τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν, ὅτι ἡ παρουσία τοῦ κυρίου ἤγγικεν.
5:8. μακροθυμήσατε (Ye-should-have-long-passioned-unto) καὶ (and) ὑμεῖς, (ye,"στηρίξατε (ye-should-have-stablished-to) τὰς (to-the-ones) καρδίας (to-hearts) ὑμῶν, (of-ye,"ὅτι (to-which-a-one) ἡ (the-one) παρουσία (a-being-beside-unto) τοῦ (of-the-one) κυρίου (of-Authority-belonged) ἤγγικεν. (it-had-come-to-near-to)
5:8. patientes estote et vos confirmate corda vestra quoniam adventus Domini adpropinquavitBe you therefore also patient and strengthen your hearts: for the coming of the Lord is at hand.
8. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord is at hand.
5:8. Therefore, you too should be patient and should strengthen your hearts. For the advent of the Lord draws near.
5:8. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.
Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh:

8: Долготерпите и вы, укрепите сердца ваши, потому что пришествие Господне приближается.
5:8  μακροθυμήσατε καὶ ὑμεῖς, στηρίξατε τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν, ὅτι ἡ παρουσία τοῦ κυρίου ἤγγικεν.
5:8. patientes estote et vos confirmate corda vestra quoniam adventus Domini adpropinquavit
Be you therefore also patient and strengthen your hearts: for the coming of the Lord is at hand.
5:8. Therefore, you too should be patient and should strengthen your hearts. For the advent of the Lord draws near.
5:8. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.
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jfb▾ jw▾ jg▾ tr▾ ab▾ ac▾ all ▾
Adam Clarke: Commentary on the Bible - 1831
5:8: Be ye also patient - Wait for God's deliverance, as ye wait for his bounty in providence.
Stablish your hearts - Take courage; do not sink under your trials.
The coming of the Lord draweth nigh - Ηγγικε· Is at hand. He is already on his way to destroy this wicked people, to raze their city and temple, and to destroy their polity for ever; and this judgment will soon take place.
Albert Barnes: Notes on the Bible - 1834
5:8: Be ye also patient - As the farmer is. In due time, as he expects the return of the rain, so you may anticipate deliverance from your trials.
Stablish your hearts - Let your purposes and your faith be firm and unwavering. Do not become weary and fretful; but bear with constancy all that is laid upon you, until the time of your deliverance shall come.
For the coming of the Lord draweth nigh - Compare Rev 22:10, Rev 22:12, Rev 22:20; the notes at Co1 15:51. It is clear, I think, from this place, that the apostle expected that that which he understood by "the coming of the Lord" was soon to occur; for it was to be that by which they would obtain deliverance from the trials which they then endured. See Jam 5:7. Whether it means that he was soon to come to judgment, or to bring to an end the Jewish policy and to set up his kingdom on the earth, or that they would soon be removed by death, cannot be determined from the mere use of the language. The most natural interpretation of the passage, and one which will accord well with the time when the Epistle was written, is, that the predicted time of the destruction of Jerusalem mat 24 was at hand; that there were already indications that that would soon occur; and that there was a pRev_alent expectation among Christians that that event would be a release from many trials of persecution, and would be followed by the setting up of the Redeemer's kingdom.
Perhaps many expected that the judgment would occur at that time, and that the Saviour would set up a personal reign on the earth. But the expectation of others might have been merely - what is indeed all that is necessarily implied in the predictions on the subject - that there would be after that a rapid and extensive spread of the principles of the Christian religion in the world. The destruction of Jerusalem and of the temple would contribute to that by bringing to an end the whole system of Jewish types and sacrifices; by convincing Christians that there was not to be one central rallying-point, thus destroying their lingering prejudices in favor of the Jewish mode of worship; and by scattering them abroad through the world to propagate the new religion. The Epistle was written, it is supposed, some ten or twelve years before the destruction of Jerusalem, (Introduction, Section 3,) and it is not improbable that there were already some indications of that approaching event.
R. A. Torrey - Treasury: Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge - 1880
5:8: ye also: Gen 49:18; Psa 37:7, Psa 40:1-3, Psa 130:5; Lam 3:25, Lam 3:26; Mic 7:7; Hab 2:3; Rom 8:25; Gal 5:22; Th1 1:10; Th2 3:5; Heb 10:35-37
stablish: Psa 27:14
for: Jam 5:9; Phi 4:5; Heb 10:25-37; Pe1 4:7; Rev 22:20
John Gill
5:8 Be ye also patient,.... As well as the husbandman, and like him; and wait for the rains and dews of divine grace to fall, and make fruitful, and for the ripe fruit of eternal life; and in the mean while cheerfully and patiently bear all injuries, and oppressions:
stablish your hearts; though the state of the saints is stable, they being fixed in the everlasting love of God, in the covenant of grace, in the hands of Christ, and on the rock of ages; yet their hearts are very unstable, and so are their frames, and the exercise of grace in them, and need establishing, which God's work; which is often done by the means of the word and ordinances; and these the saints should make use of, for the establishing of their hearts: the sense may be, take heart, be of good cheer, do not be dismayed, or faint, or sink under your pressures, but be of good courage, pluck up your spirits, lift up your heads: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh; when he will render tribulation to them that trouble them, free them from all their sorrows and afflictions, and enter them into the joy of their Lord; which will be either at death, which was not very far off, or at the last day, which was drawing nearer and nearer, and which with God was near; with whom a thousand years are as one day.
John Wesley
5:8 Stablish your hearts - In faith and patience. For the coming of the Lord - To destroy Jerusalem. Is nigh - And so is his last coming to the eye of a believer.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown
5:8 coming . . . draweth nigh--The Greek expresses present time and a settled state. 1Pet 4:7, "is at hand." We are to live in a continued state of expectancy of the Lord's coming, as an event always nigh. Nothing can more "stablish the heart" amidst present troubles than the realized expectation of His speedy coming.
5:95:9: Մի՛ տրտմեցուցանէք զմիմեանս ե՛ղբարք, զի մի՛ դատիցիք. ահաւասիկ Դատաւորն առ դո՛ւրս կայ։
9 Մի՛ տրտմեցրէ՛ք միմեանց, եղբայրնե՛ր, որպէսզի չդատուէք: Ահա՛ւասիկ դատաւորը դռանն է:
9 Զիրար մի՛ տրտմեցնէք, ե՛ղբայրներ, որպէս զի չդատապարտուիք։ Ահա Դատաւորը դրանը քով կայներ է։
Մի՛ [25]տրտմեցուցանէք զմիմեանս``, եղբարք, զի մի՛ դատիցիք. ահաւասիկ Դատաւորն առ դուրս կայ:

5:9: Մի՛ տրտմեցուցանէք զմիմեանս ե՛ղբարք, զի մի՛ դատիցիք. ահաւասիկ Դատաւորն առ դո՛ւրս կայ։
9 Մի՛ տրտմեցրէ՛ք միմեանց, եղբայրնե՛ր, որպէսզի չդատուէք: Ահա՛ւասիկ դատաւորը դռանն է:
9 Զիրար մի՛ տրտմեցնէք, ե՛ղբայրներ, որպէս զի չդատապարտուիք։ Ահա Դատաւորը դրանը քով կայներ է։
zohrab-1805▾ eastern-1994▾ western am▾
5:99: Не сетуйте, братия, друг на друга, чтобы не быть осужденными: вот, Судия стоит у дверей.
5:9  μὴ στενάζετε, ἀδελφοί, κατ᾽ ἀλλήλων, ἵνα μὴ κριθῆτε· ἰδοὺ ὁ κριτὴς πρὸ τῶν θυρῶν ἕστηκεν.
5:9. μὴ (Lest) στενάζετε, (ye-should-narrow-to," ἀδελφοί , ( Brethrened ,"κατ' (down) ἀλλήλων , ( of-one-to-other ,"ἵνα (so) μὴ (lest) κριθῆτε: (ye-might-have-been-separated) ἰδοὺ ( thou-should-have-had-seen ,"ὁ (the-one) κριτὴς (a-separater) πρὸ (before) τῶν (of-the-ones) θυρῶν (of-portals) ἕστηκεν. (it-had-come-to-stand)
5:9. nolite ingemescere fratres in alterutrum ut non iudicemini ecce iudex ante ianuam adsistitGrudge not, brethren, one against another, that you may not be judged. Behold the judge standeth before the door.
9. Murmur not, brethren, one against another, that ye be not judged: behold, the judge standeth before the doors.
5:9. Brothers, do not complain against one another, so that you may not be judged. Behold, the judge stands before the door.
5:9. Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door.
Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door:

9: Не сетуйте, братия, друг на друга, чтобы не быть осужденными: вот, Судия стоит у дверей.
5:9  μὴ στενάζετε, ἀδελφοί, κατ᾽ ἀλλήλων, ἵνα μὴ κριθῆτε· ἰδοὺ ὁ κριτὴς πρὸ τῶν θυρῶν ἕστηκεν.
5:9. nolite ingemescere fratres in alterutrum ut non iudicemini ecce iudex ante ianuam adsistit
Grudge not, brethren, one against another, that you may not be judged. Behold the judge standeth before the door.
5:9. Brothers, do not complain against one another, so that you may not be judged. Behold, the judge stands before the door.
5:9. Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door.
ru▾ el▾ el-en-gloss▾ vulgate▾ erva_1895▾ catholic_pdv▾ kjv_1900▾
jfb▾ jw▾ jg▾ gnv▾ tr▾ ab▾ ac▾ all ▾
Adam Clarke: Commentary on the Bible - 1831
5:9: Grudge not - Μη στεναζετε· Groan not; grumble not; do not murmur through impatience; and let not any ill treatment which you receive, induce you to vent your feelings in imprecations against your oppressors. Leave all this in the hands of God.
Lest ye be condemned - By giving way to a spirit of this kind, you will get under the condemnation of the wicked.
The judge standeth before the door - His eye is upon every thing that is wrong in you, and every wrong that is done to you; and he is now entering into judgment with your oppressors.
Albert Barnes: Notes on the Bible - 1834
5:9: Grudge not one against another - Margin, "groan, grieve." The Greek word (στενάζω stenazō) means, "to sigh, to groan," as of persons in distress, Rom 8:23; and then to sigh or groan through impatience, fretfulness, ill-humor; and hence "to murmur, to find fault, to complain." The exact idea here is, not that of grudging in the sense of dissatisfaction with what others possess, or of being envious; it is that of being fretful and impatient - or, to use a common word which more exactly expresses the sense that of grumbling. This may arise from many causes; either because others have advantages which we have not, and we are discontented and unhappy, as if it were wrong in them to have such enjoyments; or because we, without reason, suppose they intend to slight and neglect us; or because we are ready to take offence at any little thing, and to "pick a quarrel" with them. There are some persons who are always grumbling. They have a sour, dissatisfied, discontented temper; they see no excellence in other persons; they are displeased that others are more prospered, honored, and beloved than they are themselves; they are always complaining of what others do, not because they are injured, but because others seem to them to be weak and foolish; they seem to feel that it becomes them to complain if everything is not done precisely as in their estimation it should be. It is needless to say that this spirit - the offspring of pride - will make any man lead a wretched life; and equally needless to say that it is wholly contrary to the spirit of the gospel. Compare Luk 3:14; Phi 4:11; Ti1 6:8; Heb 13:5.
Lest ye be condemned - That is, for judging others with this spirit - for this spirit is in fact judging them. Compare the notes at Mat 7:1.
Behold, the judge standeth before the door - The Lord Jesus, who is soon to come to judge the world. See Jam 5:8. He is, as it were, even now approaching the door - so near that he can hear all that you say.
R. A. Torrey - Treasury: Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge - 1880
5:9: Grudge not: or, Groan not, or, grieve not, Jam 4:11; Lev 19:18; Psa 59:15; Mar 6:19 *marg. Co2 9:7; Gal 5:14, Gal 5:26; Pe1 4:9
lest: Mat 6:14, Mat 6:15, Mat 7:1, Mat 7:2
the Judge: Gen 4:7; Mat 24:33; Co1 4:5, Co1 10:11; Rev 3:20
Geneva 1599
5:9 (4) (d) Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: (5) behold, the judge standeth before the door.
(4) He commends Christian patience, for that which others through impatience use to accuse one another, the faithful on the other hand, do not complain though they receive injury.
(d) By grudging he means a certain inward complaining which indicates impatience. (5) The conclusion: The Lord is at the door and will defend his own and avenge his enemies, and therefore we do not need to trouble ourselves.
John Gill
5:9 Grudge not one against another, brethren,.... On account of any happiness, temporal or spiritual, which another enjoys; do not inwardly repine at it; or secretly sigh and groan in an envious manner at it, though nothing may be said, as the word used signifies; much less complain of, accuse, and condemn one another, or meditate and seek revenge:
lest ye be condemned; hereafter, at the bar of Christ, by the Judge of the whole earth, who is privy to the secret murmurings and grumblings, and the envious sighs and groans of men; see Mt 7:1
behold the judge standeth before the door; there is another that judgeth, who is the Lord, and he is at hand; he is just at the door; a little while and he will come, and not tarry; which may refer not to Christ's coming to destroy Jerusalem, but to his second coming to judgment, which will be quickly; for the Gospel times are the last times; there will be no other age; at the end of this, Christ will come.
John Wesley
5:9 Murmur not one against another - Have patience also with each other. The judge standeth before the door - Hearing every word, marking every thought.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown
5:9 Grudge not--rather "Murmur not"; "grumble not." The Greek is literally, "groan": a half-suppressed murmur of impatience and harsh judgment, not uttered aloud or freely. Having exhorted them to patience in bearing wrongs from the wicked, he now exhorts them to a forbearing spirit as to the offenses given by brethren. Christians, who bear the former patiently, sometimes are impatient at the latter, though much less grievous.
lest . . . condemned--The best manuscript authorities read, "judged." James refers to Mt 7:1, "Judge not lest ye be judged." To "murmur against one another" is virtually to judge, and so to become liable to be judged.
judge . . . before the door--referring to Mt 24:33. The Greek is the same in both passages, and so ought to be translated here as there, "doors," plural. The phrase means "near at hand" (Gen 4:7), which in the oldest interpretations [Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem] is explained, "thy sin is reserved unto the judgment of the world to come." Compare "the everlasting doors" (Ps 24:7, whence He shall come forth). The Lord's coming to destroy Jerusalem is primarily referred to; and ultimately, His coming again visibly to judgment.
5:105:10: Օրինա՛կ առէք ե՛ղբարք՝ չարչարանաց եւ երկայնմտութեան զմարգարէսն, որք խօսեցան յանուն Տեառն[2970]։ [2970] Ոմանք. Զմարգարէքն որ խօսե՛՛։
10 Եղբայրնե՛ր, չարչարանքների եւ համբերութեան որպէս օրինակ ունեցէք մարգարէներին, որոնք խօսեցին Տիրոջ անունով:
10 Ե՛ղբայրներս, չարչարանքներու եւ համբերութեան համար օրինակ առէք մարգարէները, որոնք Տէրոջը անունովը խօսեցան։
Օրինակ առէք, եղբարք, չարչարանաց եւ երկայնմտութեան զմարգարէսն որ խօսեցան յանուն Տեառն:

5:10: Օրինա՛կ առէք ե՛ղբարք՝ չարչարանաց եւ երկայնմտութեան զմարգարէսն, որք խօսեցան յանուն Տեառն[2970]։
[2970] Ոմանք. Զմարգարէքն որ խօսե՛՛։
10 Եղբայրնե՛ր, չարչարանքների եւ համբերութեան որպէս օրինակ ունեցէք մարգարէներին, որոնք խօսեցին Տիրոջ անունով:
10 Ե՛ղբայրներս, չարչարանքներու եւ համբերութեան համար օրինակ առէք մարգարէները, որոնք Տէրոջը անունովը խօսեցան։
zohrab-1805▾ eastern-1994▾ western am▾
5:1010: В пример злострадания и долготерпения возьмите, братия мои, пророков, которые говорили именем Господним.
5:10  ὑπόδειγμα λάβετε, ἀδελφοί, τῆς κακοπαθίας καὶ τῆς μακροθυμίας τοὺς προφήτας, οἳ ἐλάλησαν ἐν τῶ ὀνόματι κυρίου.
5:10. ὑπόδειγμα (To-a-showing-under-to) λάβετε, (ye-should-have-had-taken," ἀδελφοί , ( Brethrened ,"τῆς (of-the-one) κακοπαθίας (of-a-disrupted-experiencing-unto) καὶ (and) τῆς (of-the-one) μακροθυμίας (of-a-long-passioning-unto) τοὺς (to-the-ones) προφήτας, (to-declarers-before," οἳ ( which ) ἐλάλησαν (they-spoke-unto) ὲν (in) τῷ (unto-the-one) ὀνόματι (unto-a-name) Κυρίου. (of-Authority-belonged)
5:10. exemplum accipite fratres laboris et patientiae prophetas qui locuti sunt in nomine DominiTake, my brethren, for example of suffering evil, of labour and patience, the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
10. Take, brethren, for an example of suffering and of patience, the prophets who spake in the name of the Lord.
5:10. My brothers, consider the Prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of departing from evil, of labor, and of patience.
5:10. Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.
Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience:

10: В пример злострадания и долготерпения возьмите, братия мои, пророков, которые говорили именем Господним.
5:10  ὑπόδειγμα λάβετε, ἀδελφοί, τῆς κακοπαθίας καὶ τῆς μακροθυμίας τοὺς προφήτας, οἳ ἐλάλησαν ἐν τῶ ὀνόματι κυρίου.
5:10. exemplum accipite fratres laboris et patientiae prophetas qui locuti sunt in nomine Domini
Take, my brethren, for example of suffering evil, of labour and patience, the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
5:10. My brothers, consider the Prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of departing from evil, of labor, and of patience.
5:10. Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.
ru▾ el▾ el-en-gloss▾ vulgate▾ erva_1895▾ catholic_pdv▾ kjv_1900▾
jfb▾ jw▾ jg▾ gnv▾ tr▾ ab▾ ac▾ tb▾ all ▾
А. П. Лопухин: Tолковая Библия или комментарий на все книги Св.Писания Ветхого и Нового Заветов - 1903-1914
10-11: Продолжая поучать христиан безропотному и терпеливому несению злостраданий, Апостол для подкрепления своих наставлений ссылается на пример ветхозаветных пророков, которые безропотно переносили великие страдания за истину проповедуемого ими слова Божия. Рядом с пророками в качестве великого образца терпения страданий Апостол называет (ст. 11) праведного Иова, в истории которого он одновременно отмечает благоприятное окончание страданий праведника, благословенного Богом за терпение великими благами. История Иова, которую Апостол представляет хорошо известною читателям, таким образом, в двух отношениях особенно назидательна для страждущих христиан; и по исключительному терпению Иова, и по конечному его оправданию Господом. To teloV Kuriou - не смерть и прославление Господа, как думали некоторые толкователи (блаж. Августин, Лянге), а именно - дарованная Господом награда за терпение Иова. Выражением "вы слышали о терпении Иова" Апостол, быть может, намекает на синагогальные чтения из книги Иова, знакомившие иудеев с великим подвигом терпения этого праведника. Место Иак V:11: весьма важно, как свидетельство об историческом существовании Иова.

В конце ст. 11: Апостол к истории прославления делает замечание: "ибо Господь весьма милосерд и сострадателен", что должно исполнить читателей надеждою, что их терпение скорбей, по милосердию Господа, будет вознаграждено.
Adam Clarke: Commentary on the Bible - 1831
5:10: Take - the prophets - The prophets who had spoken to their forefathers by the authority of God, were persecuted by the very people to whom they delivered the Divine message; but they suffered affliction and persecution with patience, commending their cause to him who judgeth righteously; therefore, imitate their example.
Albert Barnes: Notes on the Bible - 1834
5:10: Take, my brethren, the prophets - That is, in your trials and persecutions. To encourage them to the exercise of patience, he points them to the example of those who had trod the same thorny path before them. The prophets were in general a much persecuted race of men; and the argument on which the apostle relies from their example is this:
(1) that if the prophets were persecuted and tried, it may be expected that other good men will be;
(2) that they showed such patience in their trials as to be a model for us.
An example of suffering affliction - That is, they showed us how evils are to be borne.
R. A. Torrey - Treasury: Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge - 1880
5:10: who: Isa 39:8; Jer 23:22, Jer 26:16; Act 3:21; Heb 13:7
for: Ch2 36:16; Jer 2:30; Mat 5:11, Mat 5:12, Mat 21:34-39, Mat 23:34-37; Luk 6:23, Luk 13:34; Act 7:52; Th1 2:14, Th1 2:15; Heb 11:32-38
Geneva 1599
5:10 (6) Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.
(6) Because most men will object, that it is good to repel injuries by whatever means, he contrasts that with the examples of the fathers whose patience had a most happy end, because God as a most bountiful Father, never forsakes his.
John Gill
5:10 Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord,.... Men who have been highly honoured of God, with a gift of prophesying, or foretelling things to come; to whom God revealed his secrets, doing nothing without acquainting them with it; and who were sent forth by him, and prophesied in his name what were made known unto them; and yet, though these were his favourites, they suffered much; as cruel mockings, scourgings, imprisonment, famine, nakedness, and death in various shapes; some being stoned, others sawn asunder, and others killed by the sword; all which they endured with incredible patience. And therefore the apostle proposes them to be taken,
for an example suffering affliction, and of patience; their afflictions were many and great, and yet they were very patient under them; and through faith and patience they went through them, and now inherit the promises; and so are a very proper example and pattern for New Testament saints to follow and copy after.
John Wesley
5:10 Take the prophets for an example - Once persecuted like you, even for speaking in the name of the Lord. The very men that gloried in having prophets yet could not bear their message: nor did either their holiness or their high commission screen them from suffering.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown
5:10 the prophets--who were especially persecuted, and therefore were especially "blessed."
example of suffering affliction--rather, simply, "of affliction," literally, "evil treatment."
5:115:11: Ահաւասիկ երանե՛մք համբերողաց. զհամբերութիւնն Յովբայ լուարուք՝ եւ զկատարումն Տեառն տեսէ՛ք. զի բազմագութ է Տէր՝ եւ ողորմա՛ծ[2971]։ բե [2971] Ոմանք. Զհամբերութիւն Յոբայ։
11 Ահա՛ երանի ենք տալիս համբերողներին: Լսել էք Յոբի համբերութեան մասին եւ տեսել, ինչ որ Տէրը նրան արեց վերջում, քանի որ Տէրը բազմագութ է եւ ողորմած:
11 Ահա համբերողներուն երանի՜ կու տանք։ Յոբին համբերութիւնը լսեցիք դուք եւ վերջը՝ Տէրոջը անոր ըրածը տեսաք, որ Տէրը բազմագութ ու ողորմած է։
Ահաւասիկ երանեմք համբերողաց. զհամբերութիւնն Յովբայ լուարուք, եւ զկատարումն Տեառն տեսէք, զի բազմագութ է Տէր եւ ողորմած:

5:11: Ահաւասիկ երանե՛մք համբերողաց. զհամբերութիւնն Յովբայ լուարուք՝ եւ զկատարումն Տեառն տեսէ՛ք. զի բազմագութ է Տէր՝ եւ ողորմա՛ծ[2971]։ բե
[2971] Ոմանք. Զհամբերութիւն Յոբայ։
11 Ահա՛ երանի ենք տալիս համբերողներին: Լսել էք Յոբի համբերութեան մասին եւ տեսել, ինչ որ Տէրը նրան արեց վերջում, քանի որ Տէրը բազմագութ է եւ ողորմած:
11 Ահա համբերողներուն երանի՜ կու տանք։ Յոբին համբերութիւնը լսեցիք դուք եւ վերջը՝ Տէրոջը անոր ըրածը տեսաք, որ Տէրը բազմագութ ու ողորմած է։
zohrab-1805▾ eastern-1994▾ western am▾
5:1111: Вот, мы ублажаем тех, которые терпели. Вы слышали о терпении Иова и видели конец [оного] от Господа, ибо Господь весьма милосерд и сострадателен.
5:11  ἰδοὺ μακαρίζομεν τοὺς ὑπομείναντας· τὴν ὑπομονὴν ἰὼβ ἠκούσατε, καὶ τὸ τέλος κυρίου εἴδετε, ὅτι πολύσπλαγχνός ἐστιν ὁ κύριος καὶ οἰκτίρμων.
5:11. ἰδοὺ ( Thou-should-have-had-seen ," μακαρίζομεν ( we-bless-to ) τοὺς ( to-the-ones ) ὑπομείναντας : ( to-having-stayed-under ) τὴν (to-the-one) ὑπομονὴν (to-a-staying-under) Ἰὼβ (of-an-Iob) ἠκούσατε, (ye-heard,"καὶ (and) τὸ (to-the-one) τέλος (to-a-finish) Κυρίου (of-Authority-belonged) εἴδετε, (ye-had-seen,"ὅτι (to-which-a-one) πολύσπλαγχνός ( much-boweled ) ἐστιν ( it-be ) ὁ ( the-one ) κύριος ( Authority-belonged ) καὶ ( and ) οἰκτίρμων . ( sympathied-of )
5:11. ecce beatificamus qui sustinuerunt sufferentiam Iob audistis et finem Domini vidistis quoniam misericors est Dominus et miseratorBehold, we account them blessed who have endured. You have heard of the patience of Job and you have seen the end of the Lord, that the Lord is merciful and compassionate.
11. Behold, we call them blessed which endured: ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord, how that the Lord is full of pity, and merciful.
5:11. Consider that we beatify those who have endured. You have heard of the patient suffering of Job. And you have seen the end of the Lord, that the Lord is merciful and compassionate.
5:11. Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.
Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy:

11: Вот, мы ублажаем тех, которые терпели. Вы слышали о терпении Иова и видели конец [оного] от Господа, ибо Господь весьма милосерд и сострадателен.
5:11  ἰδοὺ μακαρίζομεν τοὺς ὑπομείναντας· τὴν ὑπομονὴν ἰὼβ ἠκούσατε, καὶ τὸ τέλος κυρίου εἴδετε, ὅτι πολύσπλαγχνός ἐστιν ὁ κύριος καὶ οἰκτίρμων.
5:11. ecce beatificamus qui sustinuerunt sufferentiam Iob audistis et finem Domini vidistis quoniam misericors est Dominus et miserator
Behold, we account them blessed who have endured. You have heard of the patience of Job and you have seen the end of the Lord, that the Lord is merciful and compassionate.
5:11. Consider that we beatify those who have endured. You have heard of the patient suffering of Job. And you have seen the end of the Lord, that the Lord is merciful and compassionate.
5:11. Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.
ru▾ el▾ el-en-gloss▾ vulgate▾ erva_1895▾ catholic_pdv▾ kjv_1900▾
jfb▾ jw▾ jg▾ gnv▾ tr▾ ab▾ ac▾ all ▾
Adam Clarke: Commentary on the Bible - 1831
5:11: We count them happy which endure - According to that saying of our blessed Lord, Blessed are ye when men shall persecute and revile you - for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. Mat 5:11, Mat 5:12, etc.
Ye have heard of the patience of Job - Stripped of all his worldly possessions, deprived at a stroke of all his children, tortured in body with sore disease, tempted by the devil, harassed by his wife, and calumniated by his friends, he nevertheless held fast his integrity, resigned himself to the Divine dispensations, and charged not God foolishly.
And have seen the end of the Lord - The issue to which God brought all his afflictions and trials, giving him children, increasing his property, lengthening out his life, and multiplying to him every kind of spiritual and secular good. This was God's end with respect to him; but the devil's end was to drive him to despair, and to cause him to blaspheme his Maker. This mention of Job shows him to have been a real person; for a fictitious person would not have been produced as an example of any virtue so highly important as that of patience and perseverance. The end of the Lord is a Hebraism for the issue to which God brings any thing or business.
The Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy - Instead of πολυσπλαγχνος, which we translate very pitiful, and which might be rendered of much sympathy, from πολυς, much, and σπλαγχνον, a bowel, (because any thing that affects us with commiseration causes us to feel an indescribable emotion of the bowels), several MSS. have πολυευσπλαγχνος, from παλυς, much, ευ, easily, and σπλαγχνον, a bowel, a word not easy to be translated; but it signifies one whose commiseration is easily excited, and whose commiseration is great or abundant.
Albert Barnes: Notes on the Bible - 1834
5:11: Behold, we count them happy which endure - The word rendered "we count them happy" (μακαρίζομεν makarizomen,) occurs only here and in Luk 1:48, where it is rendered "shall call me blessed." The word μακάριος makarios (blessed, or happy,) however, occurs often. See Mat 5:3-11; Mat 11:6; Mat 13:6, et soepe. The sense here is, we speak of their patience with commendation. They have done what they ought to do, and their name is honored and blessed.
Ye have heard of the patience of Job - As one of the most illustrious instances of patient sufferers. See Job 1:21. The book of Job was written, among other reasons, to show that true religion would bear any form of trial to which it could be subjected. See Job 1:9-11; Job 2:5-6.
And have seen the end of the Lord - That is, the end or design which the Lord had in the trials of Job, or the result to which he brought the case at last - to wit, that he showed himself to be very merciful to the poor sufferer; that he met him with the expressions of his approbation for the manner in which he bore his trials; and that he doubled his former possessions, and restored him to more than his former happiness and honor. See Job 13. Augustine, Luther, Wetstein, and others, understand this as referring to the death of the Lord Jesus, and as meaning that they had seen the manner in which he suffered death, as an example for us. But, though this might strike many as the true interpretation, yet the objections to it are insuperable.
(1) it does not accord with the proper meaning of the word "end," (τέλος telos). That word is in no instance applied to "death," nor does it properly express death. It properly denotes an end, term, termination, completion; and is used in the following senses: -
(a) To denote the end, the termination, or the last of anything, Mar 3:26; Co1 15:24; Luk 21:9; Heb 7:3;
(b) An event, issue, or result, Mat 26:58; Rom 6:21; Co2 11:18;
(c) The final purpose, that to which all the parts tend, and in which they terminate, Ti1 1:5;
(d) Tax, custom, or tribute - what is paid for public ends or purposes, Mat 17:25; Rom 13:7.
(2) this interpretation, referring it to the death of the Saviour, would not accord with the remark of the apostle in the close of the verse, "that the Lord is very merciful." That is, what he says was "seen," or this was what was particularly illustrated in the ease referred to. Yet this was not particularly seen in the death of the Lord Jesus. He was indeed most patient and submissive in his death, and it is true that he showed mercy to the penitent malefactor; but this was not the particular and most prominent trait which he evinced in his death. Besides, if it had been, that would not have been the thing to which the apostle would have referred here. His object was to recommend patience under trials, not mercy shown to others; and this he does by showing:
(a) That Job was an eminent instance of it, and,
(b) That the result was such as to encourage us to be patient.
The end or the result of the divine dealings in his case was, that the Lord was "very pitiful and of tender mercy;" and we may hope that it will be so in our case, and should therefore be encouraged to be patient under our trials.
That the Lord is very pitiful - As he showed deep compassion in the case of Job, we have equal reason to suppose that he will in our own.
R. A. Torrey - Treasury: Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge - 1880
5:11: we count: Jam 1:12; Psa 94:12; Mat 5:10, Mat 5:11, Mat 10:22; Heb 3:6, Heb 3:14, Heb 10:39
Ye: Job 1:21, Job 22-2:9, Job 2:10, Job 13:15, Job 13:16, Job 23:10
and have: Job 42:10-17; Psa 37:37; Ecc 7:8; Pe1 1:6, Pe1 1:7, Pe1 1:13; Pe2 2:9
the Lord is: Exo 34:6; Num 14:18; Ch1 21:13; Ch2 30:9; Neh 9:17, Neh 9:31; Psa 25:6, Psa 25:7; Psa 51:1, Psa 78:38, Psa 86:5, Psa 86:15, Psa 103:8, Psa 103:13, Psa 116:5, Psa 119:132, Psa 136:1-26; Psa 145:8; Isa 55:6, Isa 55:7, Isa 63:7, Isa 63:9; Lam 3:22; Dan 9:9, Dan 9:18, Dan 9:19; Joe 2:13; Jon 4:2; Mic 7:18; Luk 1:50, Luk 6:36; Rom 2:4; Eph 1:6, Eph 2:4
Geneva 1599
5:11 Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the (e) end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.
(e) What end the Lord gave.
John Gill
5:11 Behold, we count them happy which endure,.... Affliction, with courage, constancy, and patience, and hold out to the end; for such shall be saved; theirs is the kingdom of heaven; they are happy now, and will be so hereafter: the Spirit of God, and of glory, now rests upon them; and it is an honour done them that they are counted worthy to suffer for Christ; and they will be glorified with him to all eternity; the consideration of which may serve to encourage and increase patience.
Ye have heard of the patience of Job; from the account which is given of him, and his patience, in the book that bears his name; how he behaved under every trial, which came one upon the back of another; as the plundering of his substance, the loss of his children, and of the health of his body; and yet in all this Job sinned not, nor murmured against God, nor charged him foolishly, and was a mirror of patience; and though he afterwards let fall some expressions of impatience, yet he was humbled for them, and brought to repentance: this shows, that as the Apostle James, so the Jews, to whom he writes, believed that there had been really such a man as Job; and that the book which bears his name is an authentic piece of holy Scripture, and contains a narrative of matters of fact; or otherwise this reference to him would have been impertinent. How long Job endured the chastenings of the Lord cannot be said. The Jews (y) say they continued on him twelve months, which they gather from Job 7:3.
And have seen the end of the Lord; that is, the happy end, or exodus, out of all his troubles; which the Lord gave "to him", as the Oriental versions add; for he gave him twice as much as he had before, and blessed his latter end more than his beginning, Job 42:10. Some understand this of the Lord Jesus Christ, both of his great patience in sufferings, in which he is an example to his people, and they would do well to look to, and consider him; and of the end of his sufferings, his glorious resurrection from the dead, and session at the right hand of God, where he is crowned with glory and honour; but the former sense is best:
that the Lord is very pitiful and of tender mercy; as to Job, so to all his people; his paternal relation to them engages his pity towards them; nor does he willingly afflict them; and when he does, he sympathizes with them; he is afflicted with them, and in his pity redeems them; his heart moves towards them, and he earnestly remembers them, and works deliverance for them in his own time and way; and therefore it becomes them to be patient.
(y) Seder Olam Rabba, c. 3. p. 9.
John Wesley
5:11 We count them happy that endured - That suffered patiently. The more they once suffered, the greater is their present happiness. Ye have seen the end of the Lord - The end which the Lord gave him.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown
5:11 count them happy-- (Mt 5:10).
which endure--The oldest authorities read, "which have endured," which suits the sense better than English Version: "Those who in past days, like the prophets and Job, have endured trials." Such, not those who "have lived in pleasure and been wanton on the earth" (Jas 5:5), are "happy."
patience--rather, "endurance," answering to "endure": the Greek words similarly corresponding. Distinct from the Greek word for "patience" Jas 5:10. The same word ought to be translated, "endurance," Jas 1:3. He here reverts to the subject which he began with.
Job--This passage shows the history of him is concerning a real, not an imaginary person; otherwise his case could not be quoted as an example at all. Though he showed much of impatience, yet he always returned to this, that he committed himself wholly to God, and at last showed a perfect spirit of enduring submission.
and have seen--(with the eyes of your mind). ALFORD translates from the old and genuine reading, "see also," &c. The old reading is, however, capable of being translated as English Version.
the end of the Lord--the end which the Lord gave. If Job had much to "endure," remember also Job's happy "end." Hence, learn, though much tried, to "endure to the end."
that--ALFORD and others translate, "inasmuch as," "for."
pitiful . . . of tender mercy--The former refers to the "feeling"; the latter, to the act. His pity is shown in not laying on the patient endurer more trials than he is able to bear; His mercy, in His giving a happy "end" to the trials [BENGEL].
5:125:12: Յառաջ քան զամենայն ինչ ե՛ղբարք իմ, մի՛ երդնուցուք, մի՛ յերկինս, մի՛ յերկիր, մի՛ յայլ ինչ երդումն, այլ եղիցի ձեր այոյն՝ այո՛, եւ ոչն՝ ո՛չ. զի մի՛ ՚ի կեղծաւորութիւն ինչ անկանիցիք[2972]։ [2972] Ոմանք. Յառաջ քան զայն ամենայն եղբարք... եւ մի՛ յերկրի... ձեր բան՝ այոն այո. եւ։
12 Ամէն բանից առաջ, եղբայրե՛ր իմ, մի՛ երդուէք ո՛չ երկնքով, ո՛չ երկրով, ո՛չ էլ այլ երդումով. այլ ձեր այոն թող լինի՝ այո, եւ ոչը՝ ոչ, որպէսզի կեղծաւորութեան պատճառով չընկնէք[23]:[23] Յունարէնն ունի՝ դատաստանի տակ չընկնէք:
12 Արդ՝ ամէն բանէ առաջ, եղբայրնե՛րս, երդում մի՛ ընէք, ո՛չ երկնքի վրայ, ո՛չ երկրի վրայ, ո՛չ ալ ուրիշ երդում մը. հապա ձեր Այոն այո ըլլայ եւ Ոչը՝ ոչ, որ չըլլայ թէ դատապարտութեան տակ իյնաք։
Յառաջ քան զամենայն ինչ, եղբարք իմ, մի՛ երդնուցուք, մի՛ յերկինս, մի՛ յերկիր, մի՛ յայլ ինչ երդումն, այլ եղիցի ձեր այոն` այո, եւ ոչն` ոչ, զի մի՛ [26]ի կեղծաւորութիւն ինչ`` անկանիցիք:

5:12: Յառաջ քան զամենայն ինչ ե՛ղբարք իմ, մի՛ երդնուցուք, մի՛ յերկինս, մի՛ յերկիր, մի՛ յայլ ինչ երդումն, այլ եղիցի ձեր այոյն՝ այո՛, եւ ոչն՝ ո՛չ. զի մի՛ ՚ի կեղծաւորութիւն ինչ անկանիցիք[2972]։
[2972] Ոմանք. Յառաջ քան զայն ամենայն եղբարք... եւ մի՛ յերկրի... ձեր բան՝ այոն այո. եւ։
12 Ամէն բանից առաջ, եղբայրե՛ր իմ, մի՛ երդուէք ո՛չ երկնքով, ո՛չ երկրով, ո՛չ էլ այլ երդումով. այլ ձեր այոն թող լինի՝ այո, եւ ոչը՝ ոչ, որպէսզի կեղծաւորութեան պատճառով չընկնէք[23]:
[23] Յունարէնն ունի՝ դատաստանի տակ չընկնէք:
12 Արդ՝ ամէն բանէ առաջ, եղբայրնե՛րս, երդում մի՛ ընէք, ո՛չ երկնքի վրայ, ո՛չ երկրի վրայ, ո՛չ ալ ուրիշ երդում մը. հապա ձեր Այոն այո ըլլայ եւ Ոչը՝ ոչ, որ չըլլայ թէ դատապարտութեան տակ իյնաք։
zohrab-1805▾ eastern-1994▾ western am▾
5:1212: Прежде же всего, братия мои, не клянитесь ни небом, ни землею, и никакою другою клятвою, но да будет у вас: 'да, да' и 'нет, нет', дабы вам не подпасть осуждению.
5:12  πρὸ πάντων δέ, ἀδελφοί μου, μὴ ὀμνύετε, μήτε τὸν οὐρανὸν μήτε τὴν γῆν μήτε ἄλλον τινὰ ὅρκον· ἤτω δὲ ὑμῶν τὸ ναὶ ναὶ καὶ τὸ οὒ οὔ, ἵνα μὴ ὑπὸ κρίσιν πέσητε.
5:12. Πρὸ (Before) πάντων ( of-all ) δέ, (moreover," ἀδελφοί ( Brethrened ) μου, (of-me,"μὴ (lest) ὀμνύετε, (ye-should-oath,"μήτε (lest-also) τὸν (to-the-one) οὐρανὸν (to-a-sky) μήτε (lest-also) τὴν (to-the-one) γῆν (to-a-soil) μήτε (lest-also) ἄλλον (to-other) τινὰ (to-a-one) ὅρκον: (to-a-fencee) ἤτω (it-should-be) δὲ (moreover) ὑμῶν (of-ye) τό (the-one,"Ναί (Yea) ναὶ (yea,"καὶ (and) τό (the-one,"Οὔ (Not) οὔ, (not,"ἵνα (so) μὴ (lest) ὑπὸ (under) κρίσιν (to-a-separating) πέσητε. (ye-might-have-had-fallen)
5:12. ante omnia autem fratres mei nolite iurare neque per caelum neque per terram neque aliud quodcumque iuramentum sit autem vestrum est est non non uti non sub iudicio decidatisBut above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath. But let your speech be: Yea, Yea: No, No: that you fall not under judgment.
12. But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by the heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath: but let your yea be yea, and your nay, nay; that ye fall not under judgment.
5:12. But before all things, my brothers, do not choose to swear, neither by heaven, nor by the earth, nor in any other oath. But let your word ‘Yes’ be yes, and your word ‘No’ be no, so that you may not fall under judgment.
5:12. But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and [your] nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.
But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and [your] nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation:

12: Прежде же всего, братия мои, не клянитесь ни небом, ни землею, и никакою другою клятвою, но да будет у вас: 'да, да' и 'нет, нет', дабы вам не подпасть осуждению.
5:12  πρὸ πάντων δέ, ἀδελφοί μου, μὴ ὀμνύετε, μήτε τὸν οὐρανὸν μήτε τὴν γῆν μήτε ἄλλον τινὰ ὅρκον· ἤτω δὲ ὑμῶν τὸ ναὶ ναὶ καὶ τὸ οὒ οὔ, ἵνα μὴ ὑπὸ κρίσιν πέσητε.
5:12. ante omnia autem fratres mei nolite iurare neque per caelum neque per terram neque aliud quodcumque iuramentum sit autem vestrum est est non non uti non sub iudicio decidatis
But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath. But let your speech be: Yea, Yea: No, No: that you fall not under judgment.
5:12. But before all things, my brothers, do not choose to swear, neither by heaven, nor by the earth, nor in any other oath. But let your word ‘Yes’ be yes, and your word ‘No’ be no, so that you may not fall under judgment.
5:12. But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and [your] nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.
ru▾ el▾ el-en-gloss▾ vulgate▾ erva_1895▾ catholic_pdv▾ kjv_1900▾
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А. П. Лопухин: Tолковая Библия или комментарий на все книги Св.Писания Ветхого и Нового Заветов - 1903-1914
12-13: Без видимой связи с предыдущим, Апостол предостерегает христиан от неумеренного употребления клятвы. Известно, что иудеи около времени Иисуса Христа чрезвычайно часто и в весьма разнообразных формах клялись. Господь Спаситель осудил эти иудейские клятвы и указал Своим последователям простое заверение истины или отрицание неправды - в качестве клятвы (Мф 5:33-7). Апостол запрещение злоупотребления клятвами и указание нормального употребления клятвы излагает почти словами Господа, и, подобно же Господу, не отменяет клятву вообще, а лишь недостойное ее употребление, - мотивируя свое наставление словами "чтобы вам не подпасть осуждению", upo krisin". осуждение легкомысленно клянущегося весьма легко и возможно. По принятому чтению: eiV upokrisin, слав. в лицемерие, дается мысль о неизбежности лицемерия при легкомысленном употреблении клятвы. "Лицемерием называет или то осуждение, которое постигнет нещадно клянущихся и от привычки к клятве доходящих до преступления, или и самое лицемерие, которое иное есть и иным кажется" (блаж. Феофил.). В ст. 13: Апостол дает наставление общего характера, чтобы христианин в радости и скорби помнил Господа, чтобы скорбные и радостные чувства свои разрешал молитвою и псалмопением. "Злостраданию пусть сопутствует молитва, чтобы для искушаемого легче был выход из искушений. Потом, когда волнения наши через молитву умолкнут и душа достигнет свойственного ей состояния, тогда пусть ждет, чтобы блаженство ее приумножилось" (блаж. Феофил.).
Matthew Henry: Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible - 1706
Caution against Swearing; Profaneness Condemned; Confession and Prayer; Efficacy of Prayer.A. D. 61.
12 But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation. 13 Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. 14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: 15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. 16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. 17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit. 19 Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; 20 Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.

This epistle now drawing to a close, the penman goes off very quickly from one thing to another: hence it is that matters so very different are insisted on in these few verses.

I. The sin of swearing is cautioned against: But above all things, my brethren, swear not, &c., v. 12. Some understand this too restrictedly, as if the meaning were, "Swear not at your persecutors, at those that reproach you and say all manner of evil of you; be not put into a passion by the injuries they do you, so as in your passion to be provoked to swear." This swearing is no doubt forbidden here: and it will not excuse those that are guilty of this sin to say they sear only when they are provoked to it, and before they are aware. But the apostle's warning extends to other occasions of swearing as well as this. Some have translated the words, pro panton--before all things; and so have made sense of this place to be that they should not, in common conversation, before every thing they say, put an oath. All customary needless swearing is undoubtedly forbidden, and all along in scripture condemned, as a very grievous sin. Profane swearing was very customary among the Jews, and, since this epistle is directed in general to the twelve tribes scattered abroad (as before has been observed), we may conceive this exhortation sent to those who believed not. It is hard to suppose that swearing should be one of the spots of God's children, since Peter, when he was charged with being a disciple of Christ and would disprove the charge, cursed and swore, thereby thinking most effectually to convince them that he was no disciple of Jesus, it being well known of such that they durst not allow themselves in swearing; but possibly some of the looser sort of those who were called Christians might, among other sins here charged upon them, be guilty also of this. It is a sin that in later years has most scandalously prevailed, even among those who would be thought above all others entitled to the Christian name and privileges. It is very rare indeed to hear of a dissenter from the church of England who is guilty of swearing, but among those who glory in their being of the established church nothing is more common; and indeed the most execrable oaths and curses now daily wound the ears and hearts of all serious Christians. James here says,

1. Above all things, swear not; but how many are there who mind this the least of all things, and who make light of nothing so much as common profane swearing! But why above all things is swearing here forbidden? (1.) Because it strikes most directly at the honour of God and most expressly throws contempt upon his name and authority. (2.) Because this sin has, of all sins, the least temptation to it: it is not gain, nor pleasure, nor reputation, that can move men to it, but a wantonness in sinning, and a needless showing an enmity to God. Thy enemies take thy name in vain, Ps. cxxxix. 20. This is a proof of men's being enemies to God, however they may pretend to call themselves by his name, or sometimes to compliment him in acts of worship. (3.) Because it is with most difficulty left off when once men are accustomed to it, therefore it should above all things be watched against. And, (4.) "Above all things swear not, for how can you expect the name of God should be a strong tower to you in your distress if you profane it and play with it at other times?" But (as Mr. Baxter observes) "all this is so far from forbidding necessary oaths that it is but to confirm them, by preserving the due reverence of them." And then he further notes that "The true nature of an oath is, by our speech, to pawn the reputation of some certain or great thing, for the averring of a doubted less thing; and not (as is commonly held) an appeal to God or other judge." Hence it was that swearing by the heavens, and by the earth, and by the other oaths the apostle refers to, came to be in use. The Jews thought if they did but omit the great oath of Chi-Eloah, they were safe. But they grew so profane as to swear by the creature, as if it were God; and so advanced it into the place of God; while, on the other hand, those who swear commonly and profanely by the name of God do hereby put him upon the level with every common thing.

2. But let your yea be yea, and your nay nay; lest you fall into condemnation; that is, "let it suffice you to affirm or deny a thing as there is occasion, and be sure to stand to your word, an be true to it, so as to give no occasion for your being suspected of falsehood; and then you will be kept from the condemnation of backing what you say or promise by rash oaths, and from profaning the name of God to justify yourselves. It is being suspected of falsehood that leads men to swearing. Let it be known that your keep to truth, and are firm to your word, and by this means you will find there is no need to swear to what you say. Thus shall you escape the condemnation which is expressly annexed to the third commandment: The Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain."

II. As Christians we are taught to suit ourselves to the dispensations of Providence (v. 13): Is any among you afflicted? Let him pray. Is any merry? Let him sing psalms. Our condition in this world is various; and our wisdom is to submit to its being so, and to behave as becomes us both in prosperity and under affliction. Sometimes we are in sadness, sometimes in mirth; God has set these one over against the other that we may the better observe the several duties he enjoins, and that the impressions made on our passions and affections may be rendered serviceable to our devotions. Afflictions should put us upon prayer, and prosperity should make us abound in praise. Not that prayer is to be confined to a time of trouble, nor singing to a time of mirth; but these several duties may be performed with special advantage, and to the happiest purposes, at such seasons. 1. In a day of affliction nothing is more seasonable than prayer. The person afflicted must pray himself, as well as engage the prayers of others for him. Times of affliction should be praying times. To this end God sends afflictions, that we may be engaged to seek him early; and that those who at other times have neglected him may be brought to enquire after him. The spirit is then most humble, the heart is broken and tender; and prayer is most acceptable to God when it comes from a contrite humble spirit. Afflictions naturally draw out complaints; and to whom should we complain but to God in prayer? It is necessary to exercise faith and hope under afflictions; and prayer is the appointed means both for obtaining and increasing these graces in us. Is any afflicted? Let him pray. 2. In a day of mirth and prosperity singing psalms is very proper and seasonable. In the original it is only said sing, psalleto, without the addition of psalms or any other word: and we learn from the writings of several in the first ages of Christianity (particularly from a letter of Pliny's, and from some passages in Justin Martyr and Tertullian) that the Christians were accustomed to sing hymns, either taken out of scripture, or of more private composure, in their worship of God. Though some have thought that Paul's advising both the Colossians and Ephesians to speak to one another psalmois kai hymnois kai odais pneumatikais--in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, refers only to the compositions of scripture, the psalms of David being distinguished in Hebrew by Shurim, Tehillim, and Mizmorim, words that exactly answer these of the apostle. Let that be as it will, this however we are sure of, that the singing of psalms is a gospel ordinance, and that our joy should be holy joy, consecrated to God. Singing is so directed to here as to show that, if any be in circumstances of mirth and prosperity, he should turn his mirth, though alone, and by himself, in this channel. Holy mirth becomes families and retirements, as well as public assemblies. Let our singing be such as to make melody with our hearts unto the Lord, and God will assuredly be well pleased with this kind of devotion.

III. We have particular directions given as to sick persons, and healing pardoning mercy promised upon the observance of those directions. If any be sick, they are required, 1. To send for the elders, presbyterous tes ekklesias--the presbyters, pastors or ministers of the church, v. 14, 15. It lies upon sick people as a duty to send for ministers, and to desire their assistance and their prayers. 2. It is the duty of ministers to pray over the sick, when thus desired and called for. Let them pray over him; let their prayers be suited to his case, and their intercessions be as becomes those who are affected wit his calamities. 3. In the times of miraculous healing, the sick were to be anointed with oil in the name of the Lord. Expositors generally confine this anointing with oil to such as had the power of working miracles; and, when miracles ceased, this institution ceased also. In Mark's gospel we read of the apostle's anointing with oil many that were sick, and healing them, Mark vi. 13. And we have accounts of this being practiced in the church two hundred years after Christ; but then the gift of healing also accompanied it, and, when the miraculous gift ceased, this rite was laid aside. The papists indeed have made a sacrament of this, which they call the extreme unction. They use it, not to heal the sick, as it was used by the apostles; but as they generally run counter to scripture, in the appointments of their church, so here they ordain that this should be administered only to such as are at the very point of death. The apostle's anointing was in order to heal the disease; the popish anointing is for the expulsion of the relics of sin, and to enable the soul (as they pretend) the better to combat with the powers of the air. When they cannot prove, by any visible effects, that Christ owns them in the continuance of this rite, they would however have people to believe that the invisible effects are very wonderful. But it is surely much better to omit this anointing with oil than to turn it quite contrary to the purposes spoken of in scripture. Some protestants have thought that this anointing was only permitted or approved by Christ, not instituted. But it should seem, by the words of James here, that it was a thing enjoined in cases where there was faith for healing. And some protestants have argued for it with this view. It was not to be commonly used, not even in the apostolical age; and some have thought that it should not be wholly laid aside in any age, but that where there are extraordinary measures of faith in the person anointing, and in those who are anointed, an extraordinary blessing may attend the observance of this direction for the sick. However that be, there is one thing carefully to be observed here, that the saving of the sick is not ascribed to the anointing with oil, but to prayer: The prayer of faith shall save the sick, &c., v. 15. So that, 4. Prayer over the sick must proceed from, and be accompanied with, a lively faith. There must be faith both in the person praying and in the person prayed for. In a time of sickness, it is not the cold and formal prayer that is effectual, but the prayer of faith. 5. We should observe the success of prayer. The Lord shall raise up; that is, if he be a person capable and fit for deliverance, and if God have any thing further for such a person to do in the world. And, if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him; that is, where sickness is sent as a punishment for some particular sin, that sin shall be pardoned, and in token thereof the sickness shall be removed. As when Christ said to the impotent man, Go and sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee, it is intimated that some particular sin was the cause of his sickness. The great thing therefore we should beg of God for ourselves and others in the time of sickness is the pardon of sin. Sin is both the root of sickness and the sting of it. If sin be pardoned, either affliction shall be removed in mercy or we shall see there is mercy in the continuance of it. When healing is founded upon pardon, we may say as Hezekiah did: Thou hast, in love to my soul, delivered it from the pit of corruption, Isa. xxxviii. 17. When you are sick and in pain, it is most common to pray and cry, O give me ease! O restore me to health! But your prayer should rather and chiefly be, O that God would pardon my sins!

IV. Christians are directed to confess their faults one to another, and so to join in their prayers with an for one another, v. 16. Some expositors connect this with v. 14. As if when sick people send for ministers to pray over them they should then confess their faults to them. Indeed, where any are conscious that their sickness is a vindictive punishment of some particular sin, and they cannot look for the removal of their sickness without particular applications to God for the pardon of such a sin, there it may be proper to acknowledge and tell his case, that those who pray over him may know how to plead rightly for him. But the confession here required is that of Christians to one another, and not, as the papists would have it, to a priest. Where persons have injured one another, acts of injustice must be confessed to those against whom they have been committed. Where persons have tempted one another to sin or have consented in the same evil actions, there they ought mutually to blame themselves and excite each other to repentance. Where crimes are of a public nature, and have done any public mischief, there they ought to be more publicly confessed, so as may best reach to all who are concerned. And sometimes it may be well to confess our faults to some prudent minister or praying friend, that he may help us to plead with God for mercy and pardon. But then we are not to think that James puts us upon telling every thing that we are conscious is amiss in ourselves or in one another; but so far as confession is necessary to our reconciliation with such as are at variance with us, or for gaining information in any point of conscience and making our own spirits quiet and easy, so far we should be ready to confess our faults. And sometimes also it may be of good use to Christians to disclose their peculiar weaknesses and infirmities to one another, where there are great intimacies and friendships, and where they may help each other by their prayers to obtain pardon of their sins and power against them. Those who make confession of their faults one to another should thereupon pray with and for one another. The 13th verse directs persons to pray for themselves: Is any afflicted let him pray; the 14th directs to seek for the prayers of ministers; and the 16th directs private Christians to pray one for another; so that here we have all sorts of prayer (ministerial, social, and secret) recommended.

V. The great advantage and efficacy of prayer are declared and proved: The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much, whether he pray for himself or for others: witness the example of Elias, v. 17, 18. He who prays must be a righteous man; not righteous in an absolute sense (for this Elias was not, who is here made a pattern to us), but righteous in a gospel sense; not loving nor approving of any iniquity. If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear my prayer, Ps. lxvi. 18. Further, the prayer itself must be a fervent, in-wrought, well-wrought prayer. It must be a pouring out of the heart to God; and it must proceed from a faith unfeigned. Such prayer avails much. It is of great advantage to ourselves, it may be very beneficial to our friends, and we are assured of its being acceptable to God. It is good having those for friends whose prayers are available in the sight of God. The power of prayer is here proved from the success of Elijah. This may be encouraging to us even in common cases, if we consider that Elijah was a man of like passions with us. He was a zealous good man and a very great man, but he had his infirmities, and was subject to disorder in his passions as well as others. In prayer we must not look to the merit of man, but to the grace of God. Only in this we should copy after Elijah, that he prayed earnestly, or, as it is in the original, in prayer he prayed. It is not enough to say a prayer, but we must pray in prayer. Our thoughts must be fixed, our desires firm and ardent, and our graces in exercise; and, when we thus pray in prayer, we shall speed in prayer. Elijah prayed that it might not rain; and God heard him in his pleading against an idolatrous persecuting country, so that it rained not on the earth for the space of three years and six months. Again he prayed, and the heaven gave rain, &c. Thus you see prayer is the key which opens and shuts heaven. To this there is an allusion, Rev. xi. 6, where the two witnesses are said to have power to shut heaven, that it rain not. This instance of the extraordinary efficacy of prayer is recorded for encouragement even to ordinary Christians to be instant and earnest in prayer. God never says to any of the seed of Jacob, Seek my face in vain. If Elijah by prayer could do such great and wonderful things, surely the prayers of no righteous man shall return void. Where there may not be so much of a miracle in God's answering our prayers, yet there may be as much of grace.

VI. This epistle concludes with an exhortation to do all we can in our places to promote the conversion and salvation of others, v. 19, 20. Some interpret these verses as an apology which the apostle is making for himself that he should so plainly and sharply reprove the Jewish Christians for their many faults and errors. And certainly James gives a very good reason why he was so much concerned to reclaim them from their errors, because in thus doing he should save souls, and hide a multitude of sins. But we are not to restrain this place to the apostle's converting such as erred from the truth; no, nor to other ministerial endeavours of the like nature, since it is said, "If any err, and one convert him, let him be who he will that does so good an office for another, he is therein an instrument of saving a soul from death." Those whom the apostle here calls brethren, he yet supposes liable to err. It is no mark of a wise or a holy man to boast of his being free from error, or to refuse to acknowledge when he is in an error. But if any do err, be they ever so great, you must not be afraid to show them their error; and, be they ever so weak and little, you must not disdain to make them wiser and better. If they err from the truth, that is, from the gospel (the great rule and standard of truth), whether it be in opinion or practice, you must endeavour to bring them again to the rule. Errors in judgment and in life generally go together. There is some doctrinal mistake at the bottom of every practical miscarriage. There is no one habitually bad, but upon some bad principle. Now to convert such is to reduce them from their error, and to reclaim them from the evils they have been led into. We are not presently to accuse and exclaim against an erring brother, and seek to bring reproaches and calamities upon him, but to convert him: and, if by all our endeavours we cannot do this, yet we are nowhere empowered to persecute and destroy him. If we are instrumental in the conversion of any, we are said to convert them, though this be principally and efficiently the work of God. And, if we can do no more towards the conversion of sinners, yet we may do this--pray for the grace and Spirit of God to convert and change them. And let those that are in any way serviceable to convert others know what will be the happy consequence of their doing this: they may take great comfort in it at present, and they will meet with a crown at last. He that is said to err from the truth in v. 19 is described as erring in his way in v. 20, and we cannot be said to convert any merely by altering their opinions, unless we can bring them to correct and amend their ways. This is conversion--to turn a sinner from the error of his ways, and not to turn him from one party to another, or merely from one notion and way of thinking to another. He who thus converteth a sinner from the error of his ways shall save a soul from death. There is a soul in the case; and what is done towards the salvation of the soul shall certainly turn to good account. The soul being the principal part of the man, the saving of that only is mentioned, but it includes the salvation of the whole man: the spirit shall be saved from hell, the body raised from the grave, and both saved from eternal death. And then, by such conversion of heart and life, a multitude of sins shall be hid. A most comfortable passage of scripture is this. We learn hence that though our sins are many, even a multitude, yet they may be hid or pardoned; and that when sin is turned from or forsaken it shall be hid, never to appear in judgment against us. Let people contrive to cover or excuse their sin as they will, there is no way effectually and finally to hide it but by forsaking it. Some make the sense of this text to be, that conversion shall prevent a multitude of sins; and it is a truth beyond dispute that many sins are prevented in the party converted, many also may be prevented in others that he may have an influence upon, or may converse with. Upon the whole, how should we lay out ourselves with all possible concern for the conversion of sinners! It will be for the happiness and salvation of the converted; it will prevent much mischief, and the spreading and multiplying of sin in the world; it will be for the glory and honour of God; and it will mightily redound to our comfort and renown in the great day. Those that turn many to righteousness, and those who help to do so, shall shine as the stars for ever and ever.
Adam Clarke: Commentary on the Bible - 1831
5:12: Above all things - swear not - What relation this exhortation can have to the subject in question, I confess I cannot see. It may not have been designed to stand in any connection, but to be a separate piece of advice, as in the several cases which immediately follow. That the Jews were notoriously guilty of common swearing is allowed on all hands; and that swearing by heaven, earth, Jerusalem, the temple, the altar, different parts of the body, was not considered by them as binding oaths, has been sufficiently proved. Rabbi Akiba taught that "a man might swear with his lips, and annul it in his heart; and then the oath was not binding." See the notes on Mat 5:33, etc., where the subject is considered in great detail.
Let your yea be yea, etc. - Do not pretend to say yea with your lips, and annul it in your heart; let the yea or the nay which you express be bona fide such. Do not imagine that any mental reservation can cancel any such expressions of obligation in the sight of God.
Lest ye fall into condemnation - Ἱνα μη ὑπο κρισιν πεσητε· Lest ye fall under judgment. Several MSS. join ὑπο and κρισιν together, ὑποκρισιν, and prefix εις, into, which makes a widely different reading: Lest ye fall into hypocrisy. Now, as it is a fact, that the Jews did teach that there might be mental reservation, that would annul the oath, how solemnly soever it was taken; the object of St. James, if the last reading be genuine, and it is supported by a great number of excellent MSS., some versions, and some of the most eminent of the fathers, was to guard against that hypocritical method of taking an oath, which is subversive of all moral feeling, and must make conscience itself callous.
Albert Barnes: Notes on the Bible - 1834
5:12: But above all things - That is be especially careful on this point; whatever else is done, let not this be. The manner in which James speaks of the practice referred to here, shows that he regarded it as a sin of a very heinous nature; one that was by all means to be avoided by those whom he addressed. The habit of swearing by various things was a very common one among the Jews, and it was important to guard those who from among them had been converted to Christianity on that subject.
Swear not - See this command illustrated in the notes at Mat 5:33-34. Nearly the same things are mentioned here, as objects by which they were accustomed to swear, which are referred to by the Saviour.
But let our yea be yea - Let there be a simple affirmation, unaccompanied by any oath or appeal to God or to any of his works. A man who makes that his common method of speech is the man who will be believed. See the notes at Mat 5:37.
Lest you fall into condemnation - That is, for profaning the name of God. "The Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain," Exo 20:7.
R. A. Torrey - Treasury: Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge - 1880
5:12: above: Pe1 4:8; Jo3 1:2
swear not: Mat 5:33-37, Mat 23:16-22
but: Co2 1:17-20
lest: Jam 3:1, Jam 3:2; Co1 11:34
Geneva 1599
5:12 (7) But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let (f) your yea be yea; and [your] nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.
(7) Because even the best men sometimes through impatience slip and speak oaths sometimes lesser, sometimes greater, the apostle warns us to detest such wickedness, and to accustom our tongues to simple and true talk.
John Gill
5:12 But above all things, my brethren, swear not,.... As impatience should not show itself in secret sighs, groans, murmurings, and repinings, so more especially it should not break forth in rash oaths, or in profane swearing; for of such sort of swearing, and of such oaths, is the apostle to be understood; otherwise an oath is very lawful, when taken in the fear and name of God, and made by the living God, and is used for the confirmation of anything of moment, and in order to put an end to strife; God himself, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and angels, and good men, are in Scripture sometimes represented as swearing: and that the apostle is so to be understood, appears from the form of swearing prohibited,
neither by the heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath; of the like kind; such as are forbidden, and cautioned, and reasoned against by our Lord, in Mt 5:34 to which the apostle manifestly refers; See Gill on Mt 5:34, Mt 5:35, Mt 5:36.
But let your yea be yea, and your nay, nay; that is, whenever there is an occasion for affirming, or denying anything, let it be done nakedly, simply, and absolutely, without any form of oath annexed to it; for whatever addition of that kind is made comes from evil, and tends to it, and is evil:
lest ye fall into condemnation; by the Lord; for either false, or rash, or profane swearing; for he will not suffer it to go unpunished; see Ex 20:7. Some copies read, "lest ye fall into hypocrisy"; or dissimulation, and get into a habit and custom of lying and deceiving, as common swearers do; and so reads the Arabic version.
John Wesley
5:12 Swear not - However provoked. The Jews were notoriously guilty of common swearing, though not so much by God himself as by some of his creatures. The apostle here particularly forbids these oaths, as well as all swearing in common conversation. It is very observable, how solemnly the apostle introduces this command: above all things, swear not - As if he had said, Whatever you forget, do not forget this. This abundantly demonstrates the horrible iniquity of the crime. But he does not forbid the taking a solemn oath before a magistrate. Let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay - Use no higher asseverations in common discourse; and let your word stand firm. Whatever ye say, take care to make it good.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown
5:12 But above all--as swearing is utterly alien to the Christian meek "endurance" just recommended.
swear not--through impatience, to which trials may tempt you (Jas 5:10-11). In contrast to this stands the proper use of the tongue, Jas 5:13. James here refers to Mt 5:34, &c.
let your yea be yea--Do not use oaths in your everyday conversation, but let a simple affirmative or denial be deemed enough to establish your word.
condemnation--literally, "judgment," namely, of "the Judge" who "standeth before the doors" (Jas 5:9).
5:135:13: Վշտանայցէ ոք ՚ի ձէնջ, յաղօ՛թս կայցէ. բերկրիցի ոք, սաղմո՛ս ասասցէ[2973]։ [2973] Ոմանք. Յաղօթս կացցէ. բերկրեսցի ոք, սաղ՛՛։
13 Ձեզնից մէկը վշտի՞ մէջ է ընկել, թող աղօթի. մէկը բերկրանքի՞ մէջ է, սաղմոս թող ասի.
13 Եթէ ձեզմէ մէկը նեղութեան մէջ է, աղօթք թող ընէ։ Եթէ մէկը ուրախ է, սաղմոս թող երգէ։
Վշտանայցէ՞ ոք ի ձէնջ, յաղօթս կայցէ. բերկրիցի՞ ոք, սաղմոս ասասցէ:

5:13: Վշտանայցէ ոք ՚ի ձէնջ, յաղօ՛թս կայցէ. բերկրիցի ոք, սաղմո՛ս ասասցէ[2973]։
[2973] Ոմանք. Յաղօթս կացցէ. բերկրեսցի ոք, սաղ՛՛։
13 Ձեզնից մէկը վշտի՞ մէջ է ընկել, թող աղօթի. մէկը բերկրանքի՞ մէջ է, սաղմոս թող ասի.
13 Եթէ ձեզմէ մէկը նեղութեան մէջ է, աղօթք թող ընէ։ Եթէ մէկը ուրախ է, սաղմոս թող երգէ։
zohrab-1805▾ eastern-1994▾ western am▾
5:1313: Злостраждет ли кто из вас, пусть молится. Весел ли кто, пусть поет псалмы.
5:13  κακοπαθεῖ τις ἐν ὑμῖν; προσευχέσθω· εὐθυμεῖ τις; ψαλλέτω.
5:13. Κακοπαθεῖ (It-disruptively-experienceth-unto,"τις (a-one,"ἐν (in) ὑμῖν; (unto-ye?" προσευχέσθω : ( It-should-goodly-hold-toward ) εὐθυμεῖ (it-goodly-passioneth-unto,"τις; (a-one?"ψαλλέτω. (It-should-twang)
5:13. tristatur aliquis vestrum oret aequo animo est psallatIs any of you sad? Let him pray: Is he cheerful in mind? Let him sing.
13. Is any among you suffering? let him pray. Is any cheerful? let him sing praise.
5:13. Is any of you sad? Let him pray. Is he even-tempered? Let him sing psalms.
5:13. Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.
Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms:

13: Злостраждет ли кто из вас, пусть молится. Весел ли кто, пусть поет псалмы.
5:13  κακοπαθεῖ τις ἐν ὑμῖν; προσευχέσθω· εὐθυμεῖ τις; ψαλλέτω.
5:13. tristatur aliquis vestrum oret aequo animo est psallat
Is any of you sad? Let him pray: Is he cheerful in mind? Let him sing.
5:13. Is any of you sad? Let him pray. Is he even-tempered? Let him sing psalms.
5:13. Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.
ru▾ el▾ el-en-gloss▾ vulgate▾ erva_1895▾ catholic_pdv▾ kjv_1900▾
jfb▾ jg▾ gnv▾ tr▾ ab▾ ac▾ all ▾
Adam Clarke: Commentary on the Bible - 1831
5:13: Is any among you afflicted? let him pray - The Jews taught that the meaning of the ordinance, Lev 13:45, which required the leper to cry, Unclean! unclean! was, "that thus making known his calamity, the people might be led to offer up prayers to God in his behalf," Sota, page 685, ed. Wagens. They taught also, that when any sickness or affliction entered a family, they should go to the wise men, and implore their prayers. Bava bathra, fol. 116, 1.
In Nedarim, fol. 40, 1, we have this relation: "Rabba, as often as he fell sick, forbade his domestics to mention it for the first day; if he did not then begin to get well, he told his family to go and publish it in the highways, that they who hated him might rejoice, and they that loved him might intercede with God for him."
Is any merry? let him sing psalms - These are all general but very useful directions. It is natural for a man to sing when he is cheerful and happy. Now no subject can be more noble than that which is Divine: and as God alone is the author of all that good which makes a man happy, then his praise should be the subject of the song of him who is merry. But where persons rejoice in iniquity, and not in the truth, God and sacred things can never be the subject of their song.
Albert Barnes: Notes on the Bible - 1834
5:13: Is any among you afflicted? - By sickness, bereavement, disappointment, persecutions, loss of health or property. The word used here refers to suffering evil of any kind, (κακοπαθεῖ kakopathei.)
Let him pray - That is, prayer is appropriate to trial. The mind naturally resorts to it, and in every way it is proper. God only can remove the source of sorrow; he can grant unto us "a happy issue out of all our afflictions;" he can make them the means of sanctifying the soul. Compare Ch2 33:12; Psa 34:4; Psa 107:6, Psa 107:13, Psa 107:28. It matters not what is the form of the trial, it is a privilege which all have to go to God in prayer. And it is an inestimable privilege. Health fails, friends die, property is lost, disappointments come upon us, danger threatens, death approaches - and to whom shall we go but to God? He ever lives. He never fails us or disappoints us if we trust in him, and his ear is ever open to our cries. This would be a sad world indeed, if it were not for the privilege of prayer. The last resource of millions who suffer - for millions suffer every day - would be taken away, if men were denied the access to the throne of grace. As it is, there is no one so poor that he may not pray; no one so disconsolate and forsaken that he may not find in God a friend; no one so broken-hearted that he is not able to bind up his spirit. One of the designs of affliction is to lead us to the throne of grace; and it is a happy result of trials if we are led by our trials to seek God in prayer.
Is any merry? - The word merry now conveys an idea which is not properly found in the original word here. It refers now, in common usage, to light and noisy pleasure; to that which is jovial; to that which is attended with laughter, or which causes laughter, as a merry jest. In the Scriptures, however, the word properly denotes "cheerful, pleasant, agreeable," and is applied to a state of mind free from trouble - the opposite of affliction - happy, Pro 15:13, Pro 15:15; Pro 17:22; Isa 24:7; Luk 15:23-24, Luk 15:29, Luk 15:32. The Greek word used here (εὐθυμεῖ euthumei) means, literally, "to have the mind well" (εῦ eu and θυμὸς thumos;) that is, to have it happy, or free from trouble; to be cheerful.
Let him sing psalms - That is, if anyone is happy; if he is in health, and is prospered; if he has his friends around him, and there is nothing to produce anxiety; if he has the free exercise of conscience and enjoys religion, it is proper to express that in notes of praise. Compare Eph 5:19-20. On the meaning of the word here rendered "sing psalms," see the notes at Eph 5:19, where it is rendered "making melody." It does not mean to sing psalms in contradistinction from singing hymns, but the reference is to any songs of praise. Praise is appropriate to such a state of mind. The heart naturally gives utterance to its emotions in songs of thanksgiving. The sentiment in this verse is well expressed in the beautiful stanza:
In every joy that crowns my days,
In every pain I bear,
My heart shall find delight in praise,
Or seek relief in prayer.
- Mrs. Williams.
R. A. Torrey - Treasury: Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge - 1880
5:13: any among: Ch2 33:12, Ch2 33:13; Job 33:26; Psa 18:6, Psa 50:15, Psa 91:15, Psa 116:3-5, Psa 118:5; Psa 142:1-3; Lam 3:55, Lam 3:56; Hos 6:1; Jon 2:2, Jon 2:7; Luk 22:44, Luk 23:42; Act 16:24, Act 16:25; Co2 12:7-10; Heb 5:7
any merry: Jdg 16:23-25; Dan 5:4
let him sing: Ch1 16:9; Psa 95:2, Psa 105:2; Mic 4:5; Mat 26:30; Co1 14:26; Eph 5:19; Col 3:16, Col 3:17; Rev 5:9-14, Rev 7:10, Rev 14:3, Rev 19:1-6
Geneva 1599
5:13 (8) Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.
(8) He shows the best remedy against all afflictions, that is, prayers which have their place both in sorrow and joy.
John Gill
5:13 Is any among you afflicted?.... As the people of God generally are; they are commonly a poor, and an afflicted people; at least there are many among them that are so, and many are their afflictions: those whom Christ loves, as he did Lazarus, are not free from sicknesses and diseases; and these are rather signs of love than arguments against it; and when this is the case of any of the saints, what is to be done?
let him pray; to God that can save him; in the name of Christ; under the influence of the Spirit; believing in the word of promise. Times of afflictions are proper times for prayer; there is then more especially need of it; and God sometimes lays his afflicting hand upon his people, when they have been negligent of their duty, and he has not heard of them for some time, in order to bring them near to him, to seek his face, pay him a visit, and pour out a prayer before him; see Ps 50:15.
Is any merry? in good heart and spirit, in a good frame of mind, as well as in prosperous circumstances, in soul, body and estate:
let him sing psalms; let him not only be inwardly joyful, as he should be in prosperity, and be thankful to God for his many mercies, temporal and spiritual, he enjoys; but let him express it vocally, and melodiously, by singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs: not that these are the only persons that are to sing psalms, or this the only time, any more than that afflicted persons are the only ones that are to pray, or the time of affliction the only time of prayer; but as affliction more especially calls for prayer, so spiritual joy, and rejoicing in prosperous seasons, for singing of psalms: weeping, and singing of psalms, were thought, by the Jews, inconsistent. Kimchi, on the title of the third psalm, observes, that their Rabbins say, that when David went up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, he wept; and if he wept, why is this called a psalm? and if a psalm, , "why did he weep?"
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown
5:13 afflicted--referring to the "suffering affliction" (Jas 5:10).
let him pray--not "swear" in rash impatience.
merry--joyous in mind.
sing psalms--of praise. Paul and Silas sang psalms even in affliction.
5:145:14: Հիւանդանայցէ ոք ՚ի ձէնջ՝ կոչեսցեն զերիցունս եկեղեցւոյն, եւ արասցեն ՚ի վերայ նորա աղօթս, օծցե՛ն իւղով յանուն Տեառն[2974]. [2974] Ոմանք. Կոչեսցէ զերի՛՛. եկեղեցւոյ... եւ օծցեն իւղով։
14 հիւա՞նդ է ձեզնից մէկը, թող կանչի եկեղեցու երէցներին, եւ նրանք նրա վրայ թող աղօթք անեն, թող իւղով օծեն նրան Տիրոջ անունով:
14 Եթէ ձեզմէ մէկը հիւանդ է, եկեղեցիին երէցները թող կանչէ, որպէս զի իր վրայ աղօթք ընեն ու Տէրոջը անունով թող իւղով օծեն զինք։
Հիւանդանայցէ՞ ոք ի ձէնջ, կոչեսցէ զերիցունս եկեղեցւոյն, եւ արասցեն ի վերայ նորա աղօթս, օծցեն իւղով յանուն Տեառն:

5:14: Հիւանդանայցէ ոք ՚ի ձէնջ՝ կոչեսցեն զերիցունս եկեղեցւոյն, եւ արասցեն ՚ի վերայ նորա աղօթս, օծցե՛ն իւղով յանուն Տեառն[2974].
[2974] Ոմանք. Կոչեսցէ զերի՛՛. եկեղեցւոյ... եւ օծցեն իւղով։
14 հիւա՞նդ է ձեզնից մէկը, թող կանչի եկեղեցու երէցներին, եւ նրանք նրա վրայ թող աղօթք անեն, թող իւղով օծեն նրան Տիրոջ անունով:
14 Եթէ ձեզմէ մէկը հիւանդ է, եկեղեցիին երէցները թող կանչէ, որպէս զի իր վրայ աղօթք ընեն ու Տէրոջը անունով թող իւղով օծեն զինք։
zohrab-1805▾ eastern-1994▾ western am▾
5:1414: Болен ли кто из вас, пусть призовет пресвитеров Церкви, и пусть помолятся над ним, помазав его елеем во имя Господне.
5:14  ἀσθενεῖ τις ἐν ὑμῖν; προσκαλεσάσθω τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους τῆς ἐκκλησίας, καὶ προσευξάσθωσαν ἐπ᾽ αὐτὸν ἀλείψαντες [αὐτὸν] ἐλαίῳ ἐν τῶ ὀνόματι τοῦ κυρίου·
5:14. ἀσθενεῖ (It-un-vigoreth-unto,"τις (a-one,"ἐν (in) ὑμῖν; (unto-ye?" προσκαλεσάσθω ( It-should-have-called-toward-unto ) τοὺς ( to-the-ones ) πρεσβυτέρους ( to-more-eldered ) τῆς (of-the-one) ἐκκλησίας, (of-a-calling-out-unto,"καὶ (and) προσευξάσθωσαν ( they-should-have-goodly-held-toward ) ἐπ' (upon) αὐτὸν (to-it) ἀλείψαντες ( having-smeared-along ) ἐλαίῳ (unto-an-oillet) ἐν (in) τῷ (unto-the-one) ὀνόματι (unto-a-name) [τοῦ "[of-the-one) κυρίου]: (of-Authority-belonged],"
5:14. infirmatur quis in vobis inducat presbyteros ecclesiae et orent super eum unguentes eum oleo in nomine DominiIs any man sick among you? Let him bring in the priests of the church and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.
14. Is any among you sick? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
5:14. Is anyone ill among you? Let him bring in the priests of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.
5:14. Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:

14: Болен ли кто из вас, пусть призовет пресвитеров Церкви, и пусть помолятся над ним, помазав его елеем во имя Господне.
5:14  ἀσθενεῖ τις ἐν ὑμῖν; προσκαλεσάσθω τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους τῆς ἐκκλησίας, καὶ προσευξάσθωσαν ἐπ᾽ αὐτὸν ἀλείψαντες [αὐτὸν] ἐλαίῳ ἐν τῶ ὀνόματι τοῦ κυρίου·
5:14. infirmatur quis in vobis inducat presbyteros ecclesiae et orent super eum unguentes eum oleo in nomine Domini
Is any man sick among you? Let him bring in the priests of the church and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.
5:14. Is anyone ill among you? Let him bring in the priests of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.
5:14. Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
ru▾ el▾ el-en-gloss▾ vulgate▾ erva_1895▾ catholic_pdv▾ kjv_1900▾
jfb▾ jw▾ jg▾ gnv▾ tr▾ ab▾ ac▾ tb▾ all ▾
А. П. Лопухин: Tолковая Библия или комментарий на все книги Св.Писания Ветхого и Нового Заветов - 1903-1914
14-15: Апостол теперь дает всему обществу верующих, всей Церкви, наставление на случай болезни, более или менее тяжелой (как показывают выражения: asqenei и kamnonta), кого-либо из членов. В этом случае болящий - свободно выраженным желанием или просьбою должен пригласить пресвитеров Церкви, touV presbuterouV ekklhsiaV, - не просто старейшин или старцев, но лиц особенных иерархических полномочий и благодатных дарований через рукоположение (см. Деян 14:23; 1: Сол 5:12; Евр 13:17), которые и должны совершить над болящим молитву и помазание елеем во имя Господне, причем Апостол указывает и благодатное действие или, точнее, разнообразные благодатные действия "молитвы веры" (ст. 15): эта "молитва веры" (h euch thV pistewV) спасет болящего (swzei ton kamnta), и восставит (слав. воздвигнет, греч. egerei) его Господь, и, если он соделал грехи, простятся (afeqhsetai) ему... Западная экзегетика при анализе и изъяснении этих слов Апостола усиливается доказать, что здесь нет речи о таинстве елеопомазания, а имеется будто бы обычное и распространенное в иудействе помазание елеем больных, совершавшееся раввинами, старейшинами, причем некоторые раввины со своим законоведением соединяли и искусство врача. Действительно, с внешней стороны елеопомазание, как и крещение, не представляет чего-либо нового в христианстве. Об известности и распространенности помазания в иудействе свидетельствуют и Библия (Ис 1:6; Лк 10:34), и иудейское предание - Иосиф Флавий (Иуд. война 1:33, 5: и др.), и Талмуд. В иудействе помазание елеем употреблялось при самых разнообразных болезнях, наружных и внутренних - как ввиду освежающего и смягчающего кожу и тело действия елея, так отчасти вследствие верования иудеев, что в раю из древа жизни истекал елей, который и должен был обеспечить людям бессмертие. Однако рассматриваемое с внутренней стороны, елеопомазание христианское является действием совершенно новым, неведомым иудейству, именно есть действительное таинство, причем, впрочем, Апостол Иаков не устанавливает таинства вновь, а лишь советует христианам благовременное его употребление. Признаками же таинственного, благодатного свойства действия елеопомазания являются следующие, указываемые Апостолом, черты: а) совершение елеопомазание не рядовыми христианами, а нарочитыми пресвитерами церковными; б) "молитва веры" над болящим, именно, "в присутствии его, а не заочно, как можно молиться о всяком" (еп. Михаил); в) помазание болящего елеем во имя Господне, чем ясно показывается, что здесь не имеется в виду целебное действие елея самого по себе; наконец, г) врачующее действие приписывается не елею, но молитве веры, елей же является внешним посредством или проводником высшей силы, врачующей душу и тело болящего; выражается здесь это благодатное действие таинства, во-первых, общим понятием спасения (душевного и телесного), во-вторых, в частности, телесным исцелением болящего ("восставит его Господь" - безусловная, абсолютная речь вместо условной) и, в-третьих, разрешением грехов, т. е. врачеванием даже и душевных немощей болящего.

Из сказанного ясно, что в ряду других таинств церковных таинство елеосвящения имеет ту особенность, тот специфический характер, что приносит лицу, над которым совершается, вместе с духовным и телесное исцеление. Неправилен поэтому взгляд католической Церкви на таинство елеопомазания, как на extrema unctio (последнее помазание), sacramentum exeuntium (таинство умирающих). В основании этого взгляда лежит мнение, будто Апостол Иаков не говорит о телесном выздоровлении болящего, так как будто бы swzein означает лишь духовное спасение через излияние благодати, "egeirein, может, указывает на укрепление и ободрение духа болящего во время борьбы души со смертью. Но неправильность этого понимания очевидна уже при сопоставлении слов Ап. Иакова со свидетельством евангелиста Марка (VI:13) об исцеляющем действии елеопомазания в руках апостолов. Равным образом, не подлежит сомнению, что гл. swzei n в Библии не раз означает телесное исцеление (Пс 6:5; 7:2; ХXI:22); тем более гл. egeirein весьма нередко означает поднятие больного с одра болезни, выздоровление (Мф 8:15; 9:5). Ошибочно также видеть с католиками указание на смертельное состояние болящего, над которым Апостол заповедует совершать таинство елеопомазания, в гл. asqenin, который в действительности указывает только на тяжесть болезни, но не на смертельность ее (Мф 10:8; Лк 4:10), и в гл. kamnein, имеющем подобное же значение (Евр 12:3). Справедливо поэтому обличает латинян св. Симеон, еп. Солунский: "Латиняне говорят, что не должно совершать елеосвящение над болящим, а только над умирающим. О безумие! Брат Божий говорит: молитва веры спасет болящего, и воздвигнет его Господь, а они говорят, что он умрет... Священное Писание говорит: мазаху маслом многи недужные и исцелеваху (Мк 6:13), а они говорят, что его должно преподавать не для того, чтобы больные исцелялись, а чтобы остались неисцеленными и умирали" (еп. Георгий).
Adam Clarke: Commentary on the Bible - 1831
5:14: Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders - This was also a Jewish maxim. Rabbi Simeon, in Sepher Hachaiyim, said: "What should a man do who goes to visit the sick? Ans. He who studies to restore the health of the body, should first lay the foundation in the health of the soul. The wise men have said, No healing is equal to that which comes from the word of God and prayer. Rabbi Phineas, the son of Chamma, hath said, 'When sickness or disease enters into a man's family, let him apply to a wise man, who will implore mercy in his behalf.'" See Schoettgen.
St. James very properly sends all such to the elders of the Church, who had power with God through the great Mediator, that they might pray for them.
Anointing him with oil - That St. James neither means any kind of incantation, any kind of miracle, or such extreme unction as the Romish Church prescribes, will be sufficiently evident from these considerations:
1. Be was a holy man, and could prescribe nothing but what was holy.
2. If a miracle was intended, it could have been as well wrought without the oil, as with it.
3. It is not intimated that even this unction is to save the sick man, but the prayer of faith, Jam 5:15.
4. What is here recommended was to be done as a natural means of restoring health, which, while they used prayer and supplication to God, they were not to neglect.
5. Oil in Judea was celebrated for its sanative qualities; so that they scarcely ever took a journey without carrying oil with them, (see in the case of the Samaritan), with which they anointed their bodies, healed their wounds, bruises, etc.
6. Oil was and in frequently used in the east as a means of cure in very dangerous diseases; and in Egypt it is often used in the cure of the plague. Even in Europe it has been tried with great success in the cure of dropsy. And pure olive oil is excellent for recent wounds and bruises; and I have seen it tried in this way with the best effects.
7. But that it was the custom of the Jews to apply it as a means of healing, and that St. James refers to this custom, is not only evident from the case of the wounded man ministered to by the good Samaritan, Luk 10:34, but from the practice of the Jewish rabbins. In Midrash Koheleth, fol. 73, 1, it is said: "Chanina, son of the brother of the Rabbi Joshua, went to visit his uncle at Capernaum; he was taken ill; and Rabbi Joshua went to him and anointed him with oil, and he was restored." They had, therefore, recourse to this as a natural remedy; and we find that the disciples used it also in this way to heal the sick, not exerting the miraculous power but in cases where natural means were ineffectual. And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them; Mar 6:13. On this latter place I have supposed that it might have been done symbolically, in order to prepare the way for a miraculous cure: this is the opinion of many commentators; but I am led, on more mature consideration, to doubt its propriety, yet dare not decide. In short, anointing the sick with oil, in order to their recovery, was a constant practice among the Jews. See Lightfoot and Wetstein on Mar 6:13. And here I am satisfied that it has no other meaning than as a natural means of restoring health; and that St. James desires them to use natural means while looking to God for an especial blessing. And no wise man would direct otherwise.
8. That the anointing recommended here by St. James cannot be such as the Romish Church prescribes, and it is on this passage principally that they found their sacrament of extreme unction, is evident from these considerations:
1. St. James orders the sick person to be anointed in reference to his cure; but they anoint the sick in the agonies of death, when there is no prospect of his recovery; and never administer that sacrament, as it is called, while there is any hope of life.
2. St James orders this anointing for the cure of the body, but they apply it for the cure of the soul; in reference to which use of it St. James gives no directions: and what is said of the forgiveness of sins, in Jam 5:15, is rather to be referred to faith and prayer, which are often the means of restoring lost health, and preventing premature death, when natural means, the most skillfully used, have been useless.
3. The anointing with oil, if ever used as a means or symbol in working miraculous cures, was only applied in some cases, perhaps very few, if any; but the Romish Church uses it in every case; and makes it necessary to the salvation of every departing soul. Therefore, St. James' unction, and the extreme unction of the Romish Church, are essentially different. See below.
Albert Barnes: Notes on the Bible - 1834
5:14: Is any sick among you? - In the pRev_ious verse the reference was to affliction in general, and the duty there urged was one that was applicable to all forms of trial. The subject of sickness, however, is so important, since it so often occurs, that a specific direction was desirable. That direction is to call in the aid of others to lead our thoughts, and to aid us in our devotions, because one who is sick is less able to direct his own reflections and to pray for himself than he is in other form of trial. Nothing is said here respecting the degree of sickness, whether it is that which would be fatal if these means were used or not; but the direction pertains to any kind of illness.
Let him call for the elders of the church - Greek "presbyters." See the notes at Act 15:2; Act 11:30. It cannot be supposed that this refers to the apostles, for it could not be that they would be always accessible; besides, instructions like this were designed to have a permanent character, and to be applicable to the church at all times and in all places. The reference, therefore, is doubtless to the ordinary religious teachers of the congregation; the officers of the church intrusted with its spiritual interests. The spirit of the command would embrace those who are pastors, and any others to whom the spiritual interests of the congregation are confided - ruling elders, deacons, etc. If the allusion is to the ordinary officers of the church, it is evident that the cure to be hoped for Jam 5:15 was not miraculous, but was that to be expected in the use of appropriate means accompanied by prayer.
It may be added, as worthy of note, that the apostle says they should "call" for the elders of the church; that is, they should send for them. They should not wait for them to hear of their sickness, as they might happen to, but they should cause them to be informed of it, and give them an opportunity of visiting them and praying with them. Nothing is more common than for persons - even members of the church - to be sick a long time, and to presume that their pastor must know all about it; and then they wonder that he does not come to see them, and think hard of him because he does not. A pastor cannot be supposed to know everything; nor can it be presumed that he knows when persons are sick, any more than he can know anything else, unless he is apprized of it; and many hard thoughts, and many suspicions of neglect would be avoided, if, when persons are sick, they would in some way inform their pastor of it. It should always be presumed of a minister of the gospel that he is ready to visit the sick. But how can he go unless he is in some way apprized of the illness of those who need his counsel and his prayers? The sick send for their family physician; why should they presume that their pastor will know of their illness any more than that their physician will?
And let them pray over him - With him, and for him. A man who is sick is often little capable of praying himself; and it is a privilege to have some one to lead his thoughts in devotion. Besides, the prayer of a good man may be of avail in restoring him to health, Jam 5:15. Prayer is always one important means of obtaining the divine favor, and there is no place where it is more appropriate than by the bed-side of sickness. That relief from pain may be granted; that the mind may be calm and submissive; that the medicines employed may be blessed to a restoration to health; that past sins may be forgiven; that he who is sick may be sanctified by his trials; that he may be restored to health, or prepared for his "last change" - all these are subjects of prayer which we feel to be appropriate in such a case, and every sick man should avail himself of the aid of those who "have an interest at the throne of grace," that they may be obtained.
Anointing him with oil - Oil, or unguents of various kinds, were much used among the ancients, both in health and in sickness. The oil which was commonly employed was olive oil. See the Isa 1:6 note; Luk 10:34 note. The custom of anointing the sick with oil still pRev_ails in the East, for it is believed to have medicinal or healing properties. Niebuhr (Beschrieb. von Arabien, s. 131) says, "The southern Arabians believe that to anoint with oil strengthens the body, and secures it against the oppressive heat of the sun, as they go nearly naked. They believe that the oil closes the pores of the skin, and thus pRev_ents the effect of the excessive heat by which the body is so much weakened; perhaps also they regard it as contributing to beauty, by giving the skin a glossy appearance. I myself frequently have observed that the sailors in the ships from Dsjidda and Loheia, as well as the common Arabs in Tehama, anointed their bodies with oil, in order to guard themselves against the heat. The Jews in Mocha assured Mr. Forskal, that the Mohammedans as well as the Jews, in Sana, when they were sick, were accustomed to anoint the body with oil." Rosenmuller, Morgenland, in loc.
In the name of the Lord - By the authority or direction of the Lord; or as an act in accordance with his will, and that will meet with his approbation. When we do anything that tends to promote virtue, to alleviate misery, to instruct ignorance, to save life, or to prepare others for heaven, it is right to feel that we are doing it in the name of the Lord Compare, for such uses of the phrase "in the name of the Lord," and "in my name," Mat 10:22; Mat 18:5, Mat 18:20; Mat 19:29; Mat 24:9; Mar 9:41; Mar 13:13; Luk 21:12, Luk 21:17; Rev 2:3; Col 3:17. There is no reason to think that the phrase is used here to denote any peculiar religious rite or "sacrament." It was to be done in the name of the Lord, as any other good deed is.
R. A. Torrey - Treasury: Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge - 1880
5:14: for: Act 14:23, Act 15:4; Tit 1:5
pray: Kg1 17:21; Kg2 4:33, Kg2 5:11; Act 9:40, Act 28:8
anointing: Mar 6:13, Mar 16:18
Geneva 1599
5:14 (9) Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with (g) oil in the (h) name of the Lord:
(9) He shows peculiarly, to what physicians especially we must go when we are diseased, that is, to the prayers of the elders, which then also could cure the body, (for so much as the gift of healing was then in force) and take away the main cause of sickness and diseases, by obtaining healing for the sick through their prayers and exhortations.
(g) This was a sign of the gift of healing: and now seeing we have the gift no more, the sign is no longer necessary.
(h) By calling on the name of the Lord.
John Gill
5:14 Is any sick among you?.... Which is often the case; the bodies of the saints, as well as others, are liable to a variety of diseases; they are sick, and sometimes nigh unto death, as Epaphroditus was: and then,
let him call for the elders of the church; in allusion to the elders of the congregation of Israel, Lev 4:15. By these may be meant, either the elder members of the church, men of gravity and soundness in the faith, persons of long standing and experience; who have the gift and grace of prayer, and are not only capable of performing that duty, but of giving a word of counsel and advice to the sick. It was a kind of proverbial saying of Aristophanes the grammarian;
"the works of young men, the counsels of middle aged persons, and , "the prayers of ancient men" (z):''
or rather officers of churches are meant, particularly pastors, who are so called in Scripture; these should be sent for in times of sickness, as well as physicians; and rather than they, since their prayers may be the means of healing both soul and body: so in former times, the prophets of God were sent to in times of sickness, for advice and assistance. It is a saying of R. Phinehas ben Chama (a) that
"whoever has a sick person in his house, let him go to a wise man, and he will seek mercy for him.''
And it follows here,
and let them pray over him; or for him, for the recovery of his health:
anointing him with oil, in the name of the Lord; which some think was only done in a common medicinal way, oil being used much in the eastern countries for most disorders; and so these elders used ordinary medicine, as well as prayer: or rather this refers to an extraordinary gift, which some elders had of healing diseases, as sometimes by touching, and by laying on of hands, or by expressing some words, and so by anointing with oil; see Mk 6:13 which extraordinary gifts being now ceased, the rite or ceremony of anointing with oil ceases in course: however, this passage gives no countenance to the extreme unction of the Papists; that of theirs being attended with many customs and ceremonies, which are not here made mention of; that being used, as is pretended, for the healing of the souls of men, whereas this was used for corporeal healing; that is only performed when life is despaired of, and persons are just going out of the world; whereas this was made use of to restore men to health, and that they might continue longer in it, as follows.
(z) Apud Harpocratian. Lex. p. 125. (a) T. Bab. Bava Bathra, fol. 116. 1.
John Wesley
5:14 Having anointed him with oil - This single conspicuous gift, which Christ committed to his apostles, Mk 6:13, remained in the church long after the other miraculous gifts were withdrawn. Indeed, it seems to have been designed to remain always; and St. James directs the elders, who were the most, if not the only, gifted men, to administer at. This was the whole process of physic in the Christian church, till it was lost through unbelief. That novel invention among the Romanists, extreme unction, practised not for cure, but where life is despaired of, bears no manner of resemblance to this.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown
5:14 let him call for the elders--not some one of the elders, as Roman Catholics interpret it, to justify their usage in extreme unction. The prayers of the elders over the sick would be much the same as though the whole Church which they represent should pray [BENGEL].
anointing him with oil--The usage which Christ committed to His apostles was afterwards continued with laying on of hands, as a token of the highest faculty of medicine in the Church, just as we find in 1Cor 6:2 the Church's highest judicial function. Now that the miraculous gift of healing has been withdrawn for the most part, to use the sign where the reality is wanting would be unmeaning superstition. Compare other apostolic usages now discontinued rightly, 1Cor 11:4-15; 1Cor 16:20. "Let them use oil who can by their prayers obtain recovery for the sick: let those who cannot do this, abstain from using the empty sign" [WHITAKER]. Romish extreme unction is administered to those whose life is despaired of, to heal the soul, whereas James' unction was to heal the body. CARDINAL CAJETAN [Commentary] admits that James cannot refer to extreme unction. Oil in the East, and especially among the Jews (see the Talmud, Jerusalem and Babylon), was much used as a curative agent. It was also a sign of the divine grace. Hence it was an appropriate sign in performing miraculous cures.
in the name of the Lord--by whom alone the miracle was performed: men were but the instruments.
5:155:15: եւ աղօթքն հաւատովք՝ փրկեսցէ զաշխատեալն, եւ յարուսցէ զնա Տէր. եւ եթէ մեղս ինչ իցէ գործեալ՝ թողցին նմա[2975]։ [2975] Ոմանք. Փրկեսցեն զաշխատեալն... թողցի նմա։
15 Եւ հաւատով եղած աղօթքը կը փրկի հիւանդին, ու Տէրը նրան ոտքի կը կանգնեցնի: Եւ եթէ մեղք գործած լինի, այդ նրան պիտի ներուի:
15 Հաւատքով եղած աղօթքը պիտի փրկէ հիւանդը ու Տէրը զանիկա ոտքի պիտի հանէ։ Եւ եթէ մեղք ալ գործեր է, պիտի ներուի անոր։
եւ աղօթքն հաւատովք փրկեսցեն զաշխատեալն, եւ յարուսցէ զնա Տէր. եւ եթէ մեղս ինչ իցէ գործեալ, թողցի նմա:

5:15: եւ աղօթքն հաւատովք՝ փրկեսցէ զաշխատեալն, եւ յարուսցէ զնա Տէր. եւ եթէ մեղս ինչ իցէ գործեալ՝ թողցին նմա[2975]։
[2975] Ոմանք. Փրկեսցեն զաշխատեալն... թողցի նմա։
15 Եւ հաւատով եղած աղօթքը կը փրկի հիւանդին, ու Տէրը նրան ոտքի կը կանգնեցնի: Եւ եթէ մեղք գործած լինի, այդ նրան պիտի ներուի:
15 Հաւատքով եղած աղօթքը պիտի փրկէ հիւանդը ու Տէրը զանիկա ոտքի պիտի հանէ։ Եւ եթէ մեղք ալ գործեր է, պիտի ներուի անոր։
zohrab-1805▾ eastern-1994▾ western am▾
5:1515: И молитва веры исцелит болящего, и восставит его Господь; и если он соделал грехи, простятся ему.
5:15  καὶ ἡ εὐχὴ τῆς πίστεως σώσει τὸν κάμνοντα, καὶ ἐγερεῖ αὐτὸν ὁ κύριος· κἂν ἁμαρτίας ᾖ πεποιηκώς, ἀφεθήσεται αὐτῶ.
5:15. καὶ (and) ἡ (the-one) εὐχὴ (a-goodly-holding) τῆς (of-the-one) πίστεως (of-a-trust) σώσει (it-shall-save) τὸν (to-the-one) κάμνοντα, (to-wearying,"καὶ (and) ἐγερεῖ (it-shall-rouse) αὐτὸν (to-it,"ὁ (the-one) κύριος: (Authority-belonged) κἂν (and-ever) ἁμαρτίας (to-un-adjustings-along-unto) ᾖ (it-might-be) πεποιηκώς, (having-had-come-to-do-unto,"ἀφεθήσεται (it-shall-be-sent-off) αὐτῷ. (unto-it)
5:15. et oratio fidei salvabit infirmum et adlevabit eum Dominus et si in peccatis sit dimittentur eiAnd the prayer of faith shall save the sick man. And the Lord shall raise him up: and if he be in sins, they shall be forgiven him.
15. and the prayer of faith shall save him that is sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, it shall be forgiven him.
5:15. And a prayer of faith will save the infirm, and the Lord will alleviate him. And if he has sins, these will be forgiven him.
5:15. And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him:

15: И молитва веры исцелит болящего, и восставит его Господь; и если он соделал грехи, простятся ему.
5:15  καὶ ἡ εὐχὴ τῆς πίστεως σώσει τὸν κάμνοντα, καὶ ἐγερεῖ αὐτὸν ὁ κύριος· κἂν ἁμαρτίας ᾖ πεποιηκώς, ἀφεθήσεται αὐτῶ.
5:15. et oratio fidei salvabit infirmum et adlevabit eum Dominus et si in peccatis sit dimittentur ei
And the prayer of faith shall save the sick man. And the Lord shall raise him up: and if he be in sins, they shall be forgiven him.
5:15. And a prayer of faith will save the infirm, and the Lord will alleviate him. And if he has sins, these will be forgiven him.
5:15. And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
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Adam Clarke: Commentary on the Bible - 1831
5:15: And the prayer of faith; shall save the sick - That is, God will often make these the means of a sick man's recovery; but there often are cases where faith and prayer are both ineffectual, because God sees it will be prejudicial to the patient's salvation to be restored; and therefore all faith and prayer on such occasions should be exerted on this ground: "If it be most for thy glory, and the eternal good of this man's soul, let him be restored; if otherwise, Lord, pardon, purify him, and take him to thy glory."
The Lord shall raise him up - Not the elders, how faithfully and fervently soever they have prayed.
And if he have committed sins - So as to have occasioned his present malady, they shall be forgiven him; for being the cause of the affliction it is natural to conclude that, if the effect be to cease, the cause must be removed. We find that in the miraculous restoration to health, under the powerful hand of Christ, the sin of the party is generally said to be forgiven, and this also before the miracle was wrought on the body: hence there was a maxim among the Jews, and it seems to be founded in common sense and reason, that God never restores a man miraculously to health till he has pardoned his sins; because it would be incongruous for God to exert his miraculous power in saving a body, the soul of which was in a state of condemnation to eternal death, because of the crimes it had committed against its Maker and Judge. Here then it is God that remits the sin, not in reference to the unction, but in reference to the cure of the body, which he is miraculously to effect.
Albert Barnes: Notes on the Bible - 1834
5:15: And the prayer of faith - The prayer offered in faith, or in the exercise of confidence in God. It is not said that the particular form of the faith exercised shall be that the sick man will certainly recover; but there is to be unwavering confidence in God, a belief that he will do what is best, and a cheerful committing of the cause into his hands. We express our earnest wish, and leave the case with him. The prayer of faith is to accompany the use of means, for all means would be ineffectual without the blessing of God.
Shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up - This must be understood, as such promises are everywhere, with this restriction, that they will be restored to health if it shall be the will of God; if he shall deem it for the best. It cannot be taken in the absolute and unconditional sense, for then, if these means were used, the sick person would always recover, no matter how often he might be sick, and he need never die. The design is to encourage them to the use of these means with a strong hope that it would be effectual. It may fairly be inferred from this statement:
(1) that there would be cases in large numbers where these means would be attended with this happy result; and,
(2) that there was so much encouragement to do it that it would be proper in any case of sickness so make use of these means.
It may be added, that no one can demonstrate that this promise has not been in numerous instances fulfilled. There are instances, not a few, where recovery from sickness seems to be in direct answer to prayer, and no one can prove that it is not so. Compare the case of Hezekiah, in Isa 38:1-5.
And if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him - Perhaps there may be a particular allusion here to sins which may have brought on the sickness as a punishment. In that case the removal of the disease in answer to prayer would be an evidence that the sin was pardoned. Compare Mat 9:2. But the promise may be understood in a more general sense as denoting that such sickness would be the means of bringing the sins of the past life to remembrance, especially if the one who was sick had been unfaithful to his Christian vows; and that the sickness in connection with the prayers offered would bring him to true repentance, and would recover him from his wanderings. On backsliding and erring Christians sickness often has this effect; and the subsequent life is so devoted and consistent as to show that the past unfaithfulness of him who has been afflicted is forgiven.
This passage Jam 5:14-15 is important, not only for the counsel which it gives to the sick, but because it has been employed by the Roman Catholic communion as almost the only portion of the Bible referred to to sustain one of the peculiar rites of their religion - that of "extreme unction" - a "sacrament," as they suppose, to be administered to those who are dying. It is of importance, therefore, to inquire more particularly into its meaning. There can be but three views taken of the passage:
I. That it refers to a miraculous healing by the apostles, or by other early ministers of religion who were endowed with the power of healing diseases in this manner. This is the interpretation of Doddridge, Macknight, Benson, and others. But to this view the objections seem to me to be insuperable.
(a) Nothing of this kind is said by the apostle, and this is not necessary to be supposed in order to a fair interpretation of the passage.
(b) The reference, as already observed, is clearly not to the apostles, but to the ordinary officers of the church - for such a reference would be naturally understood by the word presbyters; and to suppose that this refers to miracles, would be to suppose that this was a common endowment of the ordinary ministers of religion. But there was no promise of this, and there is no evidence that they possessed it. In regard to the extent of the promise, "they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover," see the notes at Mar 16:17-18.
(c) If this referred to the power of working miracles, and if the promise was absolute, then death would not have occurred at all among the early disciples. It would have been easy to secure a restoration to health in any instance where a minister of religion was at hand,
II. It is supposed by the Roman Catholics to give sanction to the practice of "extreme unction," and to prove that this was practiced in the primitive church. But the objections to this are still more obvious.
(a) It was not to be performed at death, or in the immediate prospect of death, but in sickness at any time. There is no hint that it was to be only when the patient was past all hope of recovery, or in view of the fact that he was to die. But "extreme unction," from its very nature, is to be practiced only where the patient is past all hope of recovery.
(b) It was not with a view to his death, but to his living, that it was to be practiced at all. It was not that he might be prepared to die, but that he might be restored to health - "and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up." But "extreme unction" can be with no such reference, and no such hope. It is only with the expectation that the patient is about to die; and if there were any expectation that he would be raised up even by this ordinance, it could not be administered as "extreme unction."
(c) The ordinance practiced as "extreme unction" is a rite wholly unauthorized in the Scriptures, unless it be by this passage. There are instances indeed of persons being embalmed after death. It was a fact also that the Saviour said of Mary, when she poured ointment on his body, that she "did it for his burial," or with reference to his burial, (Notes, Mat 26:12) but the Saviour did not say that it was with reference to his death or was designed in any way to prepare him to die, nor is there any instance in the Bible in which such a rite is mentioned. The ceremony of extreme unction has its foundation in two things: first, in superstition, in the desire of something that shall operate as a charm, or that shall possess physical efficiency in calming the apprehensions of a troubled conscience, and in preparing the guilty to die; and, second, in the fact that it gives immense power to the priesthood. Nothing is better adapted to impart such power than a pRev_alent belief that a minister of religion holds in his hands the ability to alleviate the pangs of the dying, and to furnish a sure passport to a world of bliss. There is deep philosophy in that which has led to the belief of this doctrine - for the dying look around for consolation and support, and they grasp at anything which will promise ease to a troubled conscience, and the hope of heaven. The gospel has made arrangements to meet this state of mind in a better way - in the evidence which the guilty may have that by repentance and faith their sins are blotted out through the blood of the cross.
III. The remaining supposition, therefore, and, as it seems to me, the true one, is, that the anointing with oil was, in accordance with a common custom, regarded as medicinal, and that a blessing was to be invoked on this as a means of restoration to health. Besides what has been already said, the following suggestions may be made in addition:
(a) This was, as we have seen, a common usage in the East, and is to this day.
(b) This interpretation meets all that is demanded to a fair understanding of what is said by the apostle.
(c) Everything thus directed is rational and proper.
It is proper to call in the ministers of religion in time of sickness, and to ask their counsels and their prayers. It is proper to make use of the ordinary means of restoration to health. It was proper then, as it is now, to do this "in the name of the Lord;" that is, believing that it is in accordance with his benevolent arrangements, and making use of means which he has appointed. And it was proper then, as it is now, having made use of those means, to implore the divine blessing on them, and to feel that their efficacy depends wholly on him. Thus used, there was ground of hope and of faith in regard to the recovery of the sufferer; and no one can show that in thousands of instances in the apostles" day, and since, the prayer of faith, accompanying the proper use of means, may not have raised up those who were on the borders of the grave, and who but for these means would have died.
R. A. Torrey - Treasury: Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge - 1880
5:15: the prayer: Jam 5:13, Jam 5:16, Jam 1:6; Mat 17:20, Mat 17:21, Mat 21:21, Mat 21:22; Mar 11:22-24, Mar 16:17, Mar 16:18; Co1 12:28-30
if he: Isa 33:24; Mat 9:2-6; Mar 2:5-11; Joh 5:14; Co1 11:30-32; Jo1 5:14-16
Geneva 1599
5:15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed (i) sins, they shall be forgiven him.
(i) He has reason in making mention of sins, for diseases are often sent because of sins.
John Gill
5:15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick,.... That is, the prayer of the elders, being put up in faith by them, and in which the sick person joins by faith; such a prayer is a means of bringing down from God a blessing on the sick man, and of restoring him to his former health:
and the Lord shall raise him up; from his bed of sickness, on which he is laid, and bring him forth to praise his name, and to fear and glorify him.
And if he have committed sins; not that it is a question whether he has or not, for no man lives without sin, nor the commission of it; but the sense is, if he has been guilty of any sins, which God in particular has taken notice of, and on account of which he has laid his chastising hand upon him, in order to bring him to a sense of them, and to acknowledge them; which is sometimes the case, though not always, at the same time that his bodily health is restored:
they shall be forgiven him; he shall have a discovery, and an application of pardoning grace to him: and indeed the removing the sickness or disease may be called the forgiveness of his sins, which is sometimes the sense of this phrase in Scripture, as in 3Kings 8:34.
John Wesley
5:15 And the prayer offered in faith shall save the sick - From his sickness; and if any sin be the occasion of his sickness, it shall be forgiven him.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown
5:15 prayer--He does not say the oil shall save: it is but the symbol.
save--plainly not as Rome says, "save" the soul. but heal "the sick": as the words, "the Lord shall raise him up," prove. So the same Greek is translated, "made (thee) whole," Mt 9:21-22.
and if . . . sins--for not all who are sick are so because of some special sins. Here a case is supposed of one visited with sickness for special sins.
have committed--literally, "be in a state of having committed sins," that is, be under the consequences of sins committed.
they--rather, "it": his having committed sins shall be forgiven him. The connection of sin and sickness is implied in Is 33:24; Mt 9:2-5; Jn 5:14. The absolution of the sick, retained in the Church of England, refers to the sins which the sick man confesses (Jas 5:16) and repents of, whereby outward scandal has been given to the Church and the cause of religion; not to sins in their relation to God, the only Judge.
5:165:16: Խոստովա՛ն եղերուք միմեանց զմեղս, եւ աղօ՛թս արարէք ՚ի վերայ միմեանց, որպէս զի բժշկեսջիք. քանզի յո՛յժ զօրաւոր են աղօթք արդարոց յօգնականութիւն[2976]։ [2976] Ոմանք. Խոստովա՛ն լերուք... որպէս զի բժշկիջիք... աղօթք արդարոյն յօգ՛՛։
16 Ձեր մեղքերը միմեանց խոստովանեցէ՛ք եւ միմեանց համար աղօ՛թք արէք, որպէսզի բժշկուէք. քանզի արդարի աղօթքը շատ ազդեցիկ է եւ օգնում է:
16 Ձեր յանցանքները իրարու խոստովանեցէ՛ք ու աղօ՛թք ըրէք իրարու համար, որպէս զի բժշկուիք։ Արդարին ջերմեռանդ աղօթքը շատ ազդեցութիւն ունի։
Խոստովան եղերուք միմեանց զմեղս, եւ աղօթս արարէք ի վերայ միմեանց որպէս զի բժշկեսջիք. քանզի յոյժ զօրաւոր են աղօթք արդարոյ յօգնականութիւն:

5:16: Խոստովա՛ն եղերուք միմեանց զմեղս, եւ աղօ՛թս արարէք ՚ի վերայ միմեանց, որպէս զի բժշկեսջիք. քանզի յո՛յժ զօրաւոր են աղօթք արդարոց յօգնականութիւն[2976]։
[2976] Ոմանք. Խոստովա՛ն լերուք... որպէս զի բժշկիջիք... աղօթք արդարոյն յօգ՛՛։
16 Ձեր մեղքերը միմեանց խոստովանեցէ՛ք եւ միմեանց համար աղօ՛թք արէք, որպէսզի բժշկուէք. քանզի արդարի աղօթքը շատ ազդեցիկ է եւ օգնում է:
16 Ձեր յանցանքները իրարու խոստովանեցէ՛ք ու աղօ՛թք ըրէք իրարու համար, որպէս զի բժշկուիք։ Արդարին ջերմեռանդ աղօթքը շատ ազդեցութիւն ունի։
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5:1616: Признавайтесь друг пред другом в проступках и молитесь друг за друга, чтобы исцелиться: много может усиленная молитва праведного.
5:16  ἐξομολογεῖσθε οὗν ἀλλήλοις τὰς ἁμαρτίας καὶ εὔχεσθε ὑπὲρ ἀλλήλων, ὅπως ἰαθῆτε. πολὺ ἰσχύει δέησις δικαίου ἐνεργουμένη.
5:16. ἐξομολογεῖσθε ( Ye-should-along-forthee-out-unto ) οὖν (accordingly) ἀλλήλοις ( unto-one-to-other ) τὰς (to-the-ones) ἁμαρτίας (to-un-adjustings-along-unto) καὶ (and) προσεύχεσθε ( ye-should-goodly-hold-toward ) ὑπὲρ (over) ἀλλήλων , ( of-one-to-other ,"ὅπως (unto-which-whither) ἰαθῆτε. (ye-might-have-been-cured-unto) πολὺ (To-much) ἰσχύει (it-force-holdeth,"δέησις (a-binding) δικαίου (of-course-belonged) ἐνεργουμένη . ( working-in-unto )
5:16. confitemini ergo alterutrum peccata vestra et orate pro invicem ut salvemini multum enim valet deprecatio iusti adsiduaConfess therefore your sins one to another: and pray one for another, that you may be saved. For the continual prayer of a just man availeth much.
16. Confess therefore your sins one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The supplication of a righteous man availeth much in its working.
5:16. Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be saved. For the unremitting prayer of a just person prevails over many things.
5:16. Confess [your] faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
Confess [your] faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much:

16: Признавайтесь друг пред другом в проступках и молитесь друг за друга, чтобы исцелиться: много может усиленная молитва праведного.
5:16  ἐξομολογεῖσθε οὗν ἀλλήλοις τὰς ἁμαρτίας καὶ εὔχεσθε ὑπὲρ ἀλλήλων, ὅπως ἰαθῆτε. πολὺ ἰσχύει δέησις δικαίου ἐνεργουμένη.
5:16. confitemini ergo alterutrum peccata vestra et orate pro invicem ut salvemini multum enim valet deprecatio iusti adsidua
Confess therefore your sins one to another: and pray one for another, that you may be saved. For the continual prayer of a just man availeth much.
5:16. Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be saved. For the unremitting prayer of a just person prevails over many things.
5:16. Confess [your] faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
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А. П. Лопухин: Tолковая Библия или комментарий на все книги Св.Писания Ветхого и Нового Заветов - 1903-1914
16-18: После речи о таинстве елеопомазания, служащем главным образом врачеванию телесных недугов, Апостол дает средство против недугов духа - разнообразных греховных падений (paraptwmata), именно: разъясняет необходимость взаимной молитвы христиан друг за друга, как верного и всеобщего средства духовного врачевания. "Но такая молитва предполагает взаимное исповедание верующими своих грехов, ибо нужно знать, в чем виновен наш брат, что лежит на его совести, чтобы наша молитва о нем была благоуспешна" (проф. прот. Д. И. Богдашевский). Отсюда - увещание св. Апостола: "исповедайте друг другу (exomologeisqe allhloiV) согрешения..." Вопреки мнению некоторых древних и новых толкователей, здесь нет речи о таинстве покаяния или исповеди; Апостол говорит лишь о простом взаимном признании христиан пред другими верующими в своих проступках, в целях взаимного примирения, утешения, облегчения, совета, главным же образом для того, чтобы дать возможность христианам молиться о согрешившем брате. Конечно, не исключается здесь и исповедь пред пресвитерами, облеченными от Господа властью прощения грехов (Мф 18:18; Ин 20:23). Но ближе всего Апостол говорит не о таинстве покаяния, а о взаимообщении христианском, которое так неизменно требуется в жизни Церкви, как единого тела, единого организма. Рядом с взаимною исповедью христиан Апостол сейчас же поставляет взаимную же молитву христиан друг за друга: "и молитесь друг за друга, яко да исцелеете" (iaqhte), т. е. духовно исцеляете от душевных немощей - грехов, имеющих опору в чувственных вожделениях (см. IV:1-2). В качестве же побуждения к христианской взаимопомощи в форме молитвы Апостол указывает на великую силу молитвы праведника: "много бо может молитва праведного споспешествуема" (energoumenh). "Молитва праведника имеет большую силу тогда, когда и тот, за кого он молится, содействует его молитве душевною скорбью. Ибо если тогда, когда молятся за нас другие, проводим время в роскоши, неге и невоздержании, то мы через это ослабляем силу молитвы подвизающегося за нас" (блаж. Феофил.). Впрочем, выражение energoumenh может быть передано и без всякого условного оттенка, напр., так: "сильно действует молитва праведного".

В пример того, как много может молитва праведного, Апостол приводит двукратную молитву пророка Илии - сначала о засухе (ст. 17, см. 3Цар. 17:1), а затем о дожде (ст. 18, см. 3Цар. 18:42), причем в обоих случаях молитва пророка была точно исполнена Богом. Для того, чтобы пример великого пророка (см. Сир XLVIII:1-15) не сочтен был неподходящим для обыкновенных людей, Апостол при самом упоминании имени великого Илии называет его подобным, подобен страстным нам, omoiopaqhV hmϊn, т. е. человеком одинаковой со всеми смертными ограниченной природы (ср. Деян 14:15; Прем 7:1).
Adam Clarke: Commentary on the Bible - 1831
5:16: Confess your faults one to another - This is a good general direction to Christians who endeavor to maintain among themselves the communion of saints. This social confession tends much to humble the soul, and to make it watchful. We naturally wish that our friends in general, and our religious friends in particular, should think well of us; and when we confess to them offenses which, without this confession, they could never have known, we feel humbled, are kept from self-applause, and induced to watch unto prayer, that we may not increase our offenses before God, or be obliged any more to undergo the painful humiliation of acknowledging our weakness, fickleness, or infidelity to our religious brethren.
It is not said, Confess your faults to the Elders that they may forgive them, or prescribe penance in order to forgive them. No; the members of the Church were to confess their faults to each other; therefore auricular confession to a priest, such as is prescribed by the Romish Church, has no foundation in this passage. Indeed, had it any foundation here it would prove more than they wish, for it would require the priest to confess his sins to the people, as well as the people to confess theirs to the priest.
And pray one for another - There is no instance in auricular confession where the penitent and the priest pray together for pardon; but here the people are commanded to pray for each other that they may be healed.
The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much - The words δεησις ενεργουμενη signify energetic supplication, or such a prayer as is suggested to the soul and wrought in it by a Divine energy. When God designs to do some particular work in his Church he pours out on his followers the spirit of grace and supplication; and this he does sometimes when he is about to do some especial work for an individual. When such a power of prayer is granted, faith should be immediately called into exercise, that the blessing may be given: the spirit of prayer is the proof that the power of God is present to heal. Long prayers give no particular evidence of Divine inspiration: the following was a maxim among the ancient Jews, שתפלת צדיקים קצדה the prayers of the righteous are short. This is exemplified in almost every instance in the Old Testament.
Albert Barnes: Notes on the Bible - 1834
5:16: Confess your faults one to another - This seems primarily to refer to those who were sick, since it is added, "that ye may be healed." The fair interpretation is, that it might be supposed that such confession would contribute to a restoration to health. The case supposed all along here (see Jam 5:15) is, that the sickness referred to had been brought upon the patient for his sins, apparently as a punishment for some particular transgressions. Compare the notes at Co1 11:30. In such a case, it is said that if those who were sick would make confession of their sins, it would, in connection with prayer, be an important means of restoration to health. The duty inculcated, and which is equally binding on all now, is, that if we are sick, and are conscious that we have injured any persons, to make confession to them. This indeed is a duty at all times, but in health it is often neglected, and there is a special propriety that such confession should be made when we are sick. The particular reason for doing it which is here specified is, that it would contribute to a restoration to health - "that ye may be healed." In the case specified, this might be supposed to contribute to a restoration to health from one of two causes:
(1) If the sickness had been brought upon them as a special act of divine visitation for sin, it might be hoped that when the confession was made the hand of God would be withdrawn; or
(2) in any case, if the mind was troubled by the recollection of guilt, it might be hoped that the calmness and peace resulting from confession would be favorable to a restoration to health.
The former case would of course be more applicable to the times of the apostles; the latter would pertain to all times. Disease is often greatly aggravated by the trouble of mind which arises from conscious guilt; and, in such a case, nothing will contribute more directly to recovery than the restoration of peace to the soul agitated by guilt and by the dread of a judgment to come. This may be secured by confession - confession made first to God, and then to those who are wronged. It may be added, that this is a duty to which we are prompted by the very nature of our feelings when we are sick, and by the fact that no one is willing to die with guilt on his conscience; without having done everything that he can to be at peace with all the world. This passage is one on which Roman Catholics rely to demonstrate the propriety of "auricular confession," or confession made to a priest with a view to an absolution of sin. The doctrine which is held on that point is, that it is a duty to confess to a priest, at certain seasons, all our sins, secret and open, of which we have been guilty; all our improper thoughts, desires, words, and actions; and that the priest has power to declare on such confession that the sins are forgiven. But never was any text less pertinent to prove a doctrine than this passage to demonstrate that. Because:
(1) The confession here enjoined is not to be made by a person in health, that he may obtain salvation, but by a sick person, that he may be healed.
(2) as mutual confession is here enjoined, a priest would be as much bound to confess to the people as the people to a priest.
(3) no mention is made of a priest at all, or even of a minister of religion, as the one to whom the confession is to be made.
(4) the confession referred to is for "faults" with reference to "one another," that is, where one has injured another; and nothing is said of confessing faults to those whom we have not injured at all.
(5) there is no mention here of absolution, either by a priest or any other person.
(6) if anything is meant by absolution that is Scriptural, it may as well be pronounced by one person as another; by a layman as a clergyman. All that it can mean is, that God promises pardon to those who are truly penitent, and this fact may as well be stated by one person as another. No priest, no man whatever, is empowered to say to another either that he is truly penitent, or to forgive sin. "Who can forgive sins but God only?" None but he whose law has been violated, or who has been wronged, can pardon an offence. No third person can forgive a sin which a man has committed against a neighbor; no one but a parent can pardon the offences of which his own children have been guilty towards him; and who can put himself in the place of God, and presume to pardon the sins which his creatures have committed against him?
(7) the practice of "auricular confession" is "evil, and only evil, and that continually." Nothing gives so much power to a priesthood as the supposition that they have the power of absolution. Nothing serves so much to pollute the soul as to keep impure thoughts before the mind long enough to make the confession, and to state them in words. Nothing gives a man so much power over a female as to have it supposed that it is required by religion, and appertains to the sacred office, that all that passes in the mind should be disclosed to him. The thought which but for the necessity of confession would have vanished at once; the image which would have departed as soon as it came before the mind, but for the necessity of retaining it to make confession - these are the things over which a man would seek to have control, and to which he would desire to have access, if he wished to accomplish purposes of villany. The very thing which a seducer would desire would be the power of knowing all the thoughts of his intended victim; and if the thoughts which pass through the soul could be known, virtue would be safe nowhere. Nothing probably under the name of religion has ever done more to corrupt the morals of a community than the practice of auricular confession.
And pray one for another - One for the other; mutually. Those who have done injury, and those who are injured, should pray for each other. The apostle does not seem here, as in Jam 5:14-15, to refer particularly to the prayers of the ministers of religion, or the elders of the church, but refers to it as a duty pertaining to all Christians.
That ye may be healed - Not with reference to death, and therefore not relating to "extreme unction," but in order that the sick maybe restored again to health. This is said in connection with the duty of confession, as well as prayer; and it seems to be implied that both might contribute to a restoration to health. Of the way in which prayer would do this, there can be no doubt; for all healing comes from God, and it is reasonable to suppose that this might be bestowed in answer to prayer. Of the way in which confession might do this, see the remarks already made. We should be deciding without evidence if we should say that sickness never comes now as a particular judgment for some forms of sin, and that it might not be removed if the suffering offender would make full confession to God, or to him whom he has wronged, and should resolve to offend no more. Perhaps this is, oftener than we suppose, one of the methods which God takes to bring his offending and backsliding children back to himself, or to warn and reclaim the guilty. When, after being laid on a bed of pain, his children are led to reflect on their violated vows and their unfaithfulness, and resolve to sin no more, they are raised up again to health, and made eminently useful to the church. So calamity, by disease or in other forms, often comes upon the vicious and the abandoned. They are led to reflection and to repentance. They resolve to reform, and the natural effects of their sinful course are arrested, and they become examples of virtue and usefulness in the world.
The effectual fervent prayer - The word effectual is not the most happy translation here, since it seems to do little more than to state a truism - that a prayer which is effectual is availing - that is, that it is effectual. The Greek word (ἐνεργουμένη energoumenē) would be better rendered by the word energetic, which indeed is derived from it. The word properly refers to that which has power; which in its own nature is fitted to produce an effect. It is not so much that it actually does produce an effect, as that it is fitted to do it. This is the kind of prayer referred to here. It is not listless, indifferent, cold, lifeless, as if there were no vitality in it, or power, but that which is adapted to be efficient - earnest, sincere, hearty, persevering. There is but a single word in the original to answer to the translation effectual fervent. Macknight and Doddridge suppose that the reference is to a kind of prayer "inwrought by the Spirit," or the "inwrought prayer;" but the whole force of the original is expressed by the word energetic, or earnest.
Of a righteous man - The quality on which the success of the prayer depends is not the talent, learning, rank, wealth, or office of the man who prays, but the fact that he is a "righteous man," that is, a good man; and this may be found in the ranks of the poor, as certainly as the rich; among laymen, as well as among the ministers of religion; among slaves, as well as among their masters.
Availeth much - ἰσχύει ischuei. Is strong; has efficacy; pRev_ails. The idea of strength or power is that which enters into the word; strength that overcomes resistance and secures the object. Compare Mat 7:28; Act 19:16; Rev 12:8. It has been said that "prayer moves the arm that moves the world;" and if there is anything that can pRev_ail with God, it is prayer - humble, fervent, earnest petitioning. We have no power to control him; we cannot dictate or prescribe to him; we cannot resist him in the execution of his purposes; but we may asK him for what we desire, and he has graciously said that such asking may effect much for our own good and the good of our fellow-men. Nothing has been more clearly demonstrated in the history of the world than that prayer is effectual in obtaining blessings from God, and in accomplishing great and valuable purposes. It has indeed no intrinsic power; but God has graciously purposed that his favor shall be granted to those who call upon him, and that what no mere human power can effect should be produced by his power in answer to prayer.
R. A. Torrey - Treasury: Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge - 1880
5:16: Confess: Gen 41:9, Gen 41:10; Sa2 19:19; Mat 3:6, Mat 18:15-17; Luk 7:3, Luk 7:4; Act 19:18
pray: Col 1:9; Th1 5:17, Th1 5:23, Th1 5:25; Heb 13:18
that: Gen 20:17; Ch2 30:20; Luk 9:6; Act 10:38
The effectual: Gen 18:23-32, Gen 19:29, Gen 20:7, Gen 20:17, Gen 32:28; Exo 9:28, Exo 9:29, Exo 9:33, Exo 17:11, Exo 32:10-14; Num 11:2, Num 14:13-20, Num 21:7-9; Deu 9:18-20; Jos 10:12; Sa1 12:18; Kg1 13:6, Kg1 17:18-24; Kg2 4:33-35, Kg2 19:15-20, Kg2 20:2-5; Ch2 14:11, Ch2 14:12; Ch2 32:20-22; Job 42:8; Psa 10:17, Psa 10:18, Psa 34:15, Psa 145:18, Psa 145:19; Pro 15:8, Pro 15:29; Pro 28:9; Jer 15:1, Jer 29:12, Jer 29:13, Jer 33:3; Dan 2:18-23, Dan 9:20-22; Hos 12:3, Hos 12:4; Mat 7:7-11, Mat 21:22; Luk 11:11-13, Luk 18:1-8; Joh 9:31; Act 4:24-31, Act 12:5-11; Jo1 3:22
a righteous: Rom 3:10, Rom 5:19; Heb 11:4, Heb 11:7
Geneva 1599
5:16 (10) Confess [your] faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. (11) The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
(10) Because God pardons the sins of those who confess and acknowledge them, and not those who justify themselves. Therefore the apostle adds, we ought to freely confer with one another concerning those inward diseases, that we may help one another with our prayers.
(11) He commends prayers by the effects that come of them, that all men may understand that there is nothing more effectual than they are, so that they proceed from a pure mind.
John Gill
5:16 Confess your faults one to another,.... Which must be understood of sins committed against one another; which should be acknowledged, and repentance for them declared, in order to mutual forgiveness and reconciliation; and this is necessary at all times, and especially on beds of affliction, and when death and eternity seem near approaching: wherefore this makes nothing for auricular confession, used by the Papists; which is of all sins, whereas this is only of such by which men offend one another; that is made to priests, but this is made by the saints to one another, by the offending party to him that is offended, for reconciliation, whereby a good end is answered; whereas there is none by the other, and very often bad consequences follow.
And pray for one another, that ye may be healed; both corporeally and spiritually:
the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Not any man's prayer; not the prayer of a profane sinner, for God heareth not sinners; nor of hypocrites and formal professors: but of the righteous man, who is justified by the righteousness of Christ, and has the truth of grace in him, and lives soberly and righteously; for a righteous man often designs a good man, a gracious man, one that is sincere and upright, as Job, Joseph of Arimathea, and others; though not without sin, as the person instanced in the following verse shows; "Elias, who was a man of like passions", but a just man, and his prayer was prevalent: and not any prayer of a righteous man is of avail, but that which is "effectual, fervent"; that has power, and energy, and life in it; which is with the Spirit, and with the understanding, with the heart, even with a true heart, and in faith; and which is put up with fervency, and not in a cold, lukewarm, lifeless, formal, and customary way: it is but one word in the original text; and the Vulgate Latin version renders it, "daily"; that prayer which is constant and continual, and without ceasing, and is importunate; this prevails and succeeds, as the parable of the widow and the unjust judge shows. Some translate the word "inspired": the Spirit of God breathes into men the breath of spiritual life, and they live, and being quickened by him, they breathe; and prayer is the breath of the spiritual man, and is no other than the reverberation of the Spirit of God in him; and such prayer cannot fail of success: it may be rendered "inwrought"; true prayer is not what is written in a book, but what is wrought in the heart, by the Spirit of God; who is the enditer of prayer, who impresses the minds of his people with a sense of their wants, and fills their mouths with arguments, and puts strength into them to plead with God, and makes intercession for them according to the will of God; and such prayer is always heard, and regarded by him: this has great power with God; whatever is asked, believing, is received; God can deny nothing prayed for in this manner; it has great power with Christ, as Jacob had over the angel, when he wrestled with him; and as the woman of Canaan, when she importuned him, on account of her daughter, and would have no denial: such prayer has often been of much avail against Satan, who has been dispossessed by it; even the most stubborn kind of devils have been dislodged by fasting and prayer: it has often been the means of preserving kingdoms and nations, when invaded by enemies, as the instances of Jehoshaphat and Hezekiah show; and of removing judgments from a people, as was often done, through the prayers of Moses, as when fire and fiery serpents were sent among them; and of bringing down blessings as rain from heaven by Elijah; and of delivering particular persons from trouble, as Peter was delivered from prison, through the incessant prayer of the church for him: and this power, and efficacy, and prevalence of prayer, does not arise from any intrinsic worth and merit in it, but from the grace of the Spirit, who influences and endites it, directs to it, and assists in it; and from the powerful mediation, precious blood, and efficacious sacrifice of Christ; and from the promise of God and Christ, who have engaged, that whatever is asked according to the will of God, and in the name of Christ, shall be done. The Jews have had formerly a great notion of prayer: the power of prayer, they say (b), is strong; and extol it above all other services: they say (c), it is better than good works, or than offerings and sacrifices; and particularly, the prayer of righteous men: says R. Eliezar (d).
"to what is , "prayer of righteous men" like? it is like a shovel: the sense is, that as the shovel turns the corn on the floor, from one place to another, so prayer turns the holy blessed God from wrath to mercy.''
(b) Zohar in Exod. fol. 100. 1. (c) T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 32. 2. (d) T. Bab. Succa, fol. 14. 1. & Yebamot, fol. 64. 1.
John Wesley
5:16 Confess your faults - Whether ye are sick or in health. To one another - He does not say, to the elders: this may, or may not, be done; for it is nowhere commanded. We may confess them to any who can pray in faith: he will then know how to pray for us, and be more stirred up so to do. And pray one for another, that ye may be healed - Of all your spiritual diseases.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown
5:16 The oldest authorities read, "Confess, THEREFORE," &c. Not only in the particular case of sickness, but universally confess.
faults--your falls and offenses, in relation to one another. The word is not the same as sins. Mt 5:23-24; Lk 17:4, illustrate the precept here.
one to another--not to the priest, as Rome insists. The Church of England recommends in certain cases. Rome compels confession in all cases. Confession is desirable in the case of (1) wrong done to a neighbor; (2) when under a troubled conscience we ask counsel of a godly minister or friend as to how we may obtain God's forgiveness and strength to sin no more, or when we desire their intercessory prayers for us ("Pray for one another"): "Confession may be made to anyone who can pray" [BENGEL]; (3) open confession of sin before the Church and the world, in token of penitence. Not auricular confession.
that ye may be healed--of your bodily sicknesses. Also that, if your sickness be the punishment of sin, the latter being forgiven on intercessory prayer, "ye may be healed" of the former. Also, that ye may be healed spiritually.
effectual--intense and fervent, not "wavering" (Jas 1:6), [BEZA]. "When energized" by the Spirit, as those were who performed miracles [HAMMOND]. This suits the collocation of the Greek words and the sense well. A righteous man's prayer is always heard generally, but his particular request for the healing of another was then likely to be granted when he was one possessing a special charism of the Spirit. ALFORD translates, "Availeth much in its working." The "righteous" is one himself careful to avoid "faults," and showing his faith by works (Jas 2:24).
5:175:17: Եղիայ մա՛րդ էր իբրեւ զմեզ չարչարելի՛. եւ յաղօթս եկաց, եւ ո՛չ տեղեաց յերկիր զերիս ամս եւ զվեց ամիս[2977]։ [2977] Ոմանք. Եւ ոչ տեղաց անձրեւ յերկիր։
17 Եղիան մարդ էր մեզ նման՝ կրքերի ենթակայ. նա աղօթեց, ու երկրի վրայ երեք տարի ու վեց ամիս անձրեւ չտեղաց:
17 Եղիան մեզի պէս կրքերու ենթակայ մարդ մըն էր։ Աղօթք ըրաւ որ անձրեւ չգայ եւ երեք տարի ու վեց ամիս երկրի վրայ անձրեւ չեկաւ։
Եղիա մարդ էր իբրեւ զմեզ չարչարելի. եւ յաղօթս [27]եկաց, եւ ոչ տեղաց յերկիր զերիս ամս եւ զվեց ամիս:

5:17: Եղիայ մա՛րդ էր իբրեւ զմեզ չարչարելի՛. եւ յաղօթս եկաց, եւ ո՛չ տեղեաց յերկիր զերիս ամս եւ զվեց ամիս[2977]։
[2977] Ոմանք. Եւ ոչ տեղաց անձրեւ յերկիր։
17 Եղիան մարդ էր մեզ նման՝ կրքերի ենթակայ. նա աղօթեց, ու երկրի վրայ երեք տարի ու վեց ամիս անձրեւ չտեղաց:
17 Եղիան մեզի պէս կրքերու ենթակայ մարդ մըն էր։ Աղօթք ըրաւ որ անձրեւ չգայ եւ երեք տարի ու վեց ամիս երկրի վրայ անձրեւ չեկաւ։
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5:1717: Илия был человек, подобный нам, и молитвою помолился, чтобы не было дождя: и не было дождя на землю три года и шесть месяцев.
5:17  ἠλίας ἄνθρωπος ἦν ὁμοιοπαθὴς ἡμῖν, καὶ προσευχῇ προσηύξατο τοῦ μὴ βρέξαι, καὶ οὐκ ἔβρεξεν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἐνιαυτοὺς τρεῖς καὶ μῆνας ἕξ·
5:17. Ἠλείας (A-Heleias) ἄνθρωπος (a-mankind) ἦν (it-was) ὁμοιοπαθὴς (along-experience-belonged) ἡμῖν, (unto-us,"καὶ (and) προσευχῇ (unto-a-goodly-holding-toward) προσηύξατο ( it-goodly-held-toward ) τοῦ (of-the-one) μὴ (lest) βρέξαι, (to-have-showered,"καὶ (and) οὐκ (not) ἔβρεξεν (it-showered) ἐπὶ (upon) τῆς (of-the-one) γῆς (of-a-soil) ἐνιαυτοὺς (to-being-in-unto-its) τρεῖς ( to-three ) καὶ (and) μῆνας (to-months) ἕξ: (to-six)
5:17. Helias homo erat similis nobis passibilis et oratione oravit ut non plueret super terram et non pluit annos tres et menses sexElias was a man passible like unto us: and with prayer he prayed that it might not rain upon the earth. And it rained not for three years and six months.
17. Elijah was a man of like passions with us, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain; and it rained not on the earth for three years and six months.
5:17. Elijah was a mortal man like us, and in prayer he prayed that it would not rain upon the earth. And it did not rain for three years and six months.
5:17. Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.
Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months:

17: Илия был человек, подобный нам, и молитвою помолился, чтобы не было дождя: и не было дождя на землю три года и шесть месяцев.
5:17  ἠλίας ἄνθρωπος ἦν ὁμοιοπαθὴς ἡμῖν, καὶ προσευχῇ προσηύξατο τοῦ μὴ βρέξαι, καὶ οὐκ ἔβρεξεν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἐνιαυτοὺς τρεῖς καὶ μῆνας ἕξ·
5:17. Helias homo erat similis nobis passibilis et oratione oravit ut non plueret super terram et non pluit annos tres et menses sex
Elias was a man passible like unto us: and with prayer he prayed that it might not rain upon the earth. And it rained not for three years and six months.
5:17. Elijah was a mortal man like us, and in prayer he prayed that it would not rain upon the earth. And it did not rain for three years and six months.
5:17. Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.
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jfb▾ jw▾ jg▾ tr▾ ab▾ ac▾ all ▾
Adam Clarke: Commentary on the Bible - 1831
5:17: Elias was a man subject to like passions - This was Elijah, and a consistency between the names of the same persons as expressed in the Old and the New Testaments should be kept up.
The word ὁμοιοπαθης signifies of the same constitution, a human being just as ourselves are. See the same phrase and its explanation in Act 14:15, and the note there. There was some reason to apprehend that because Elijah was translated, that therefore he was more than human, and if so, his example could be no pattern for us; and as the design of St. James was to excite men to pray, expecting the Divine interference whenever that should be necessary, therefore he tells them that Elijah was a man like themselves, of the same constitution, liable to the same accidents, and needing the same supports.
And he prayed earnestly - Προσευχῃ προσηυξατο· He prayed with prayer; a Hebraism for, he prayed fervently.
That it might not rain - See this history, Kg1 17:1, etc.
And it rained not on the earth - Επι της γης· On that land, viz. the land of Judea; for this drought did not extend elsewhere.
Three years and six months - This is the term mentioned by our Lord, Luk 4:25; but this is not specified in the original history. In Kg1 18:1, it is said, In the third year the word of the Lord came to Elijah, that is, concerning the rain; but this third year is to be computed from the time of his going to live at Zarephath, which happened many days after the drought began, as is plain from this, that he remained at the brook Cherith till it was dried up, and then went to Zarephath, in the country of Zidon; Kg1 17:7-9. Therefore the three years and six months must be computed from his denouncing the drought, at which time that judgment commenced. Macknight.
Albert Barnes: Notes on the Bible - 1834
5:17: Elias - The common way of writing the word "Elijah" in the New Testament, Mat 11:14; Mat 16:14; Mat 17:3, etc.
Was a man subject to like passions as we are - This does not mean that Elijah was passionate in the sense in which that word is now commonly used; that is, that he was excitable or irritable, or that he was the victim of the same corrupt passions and propensities to which other men are subject; but that he was like affected; that he was capable of suffering the same things, or being affected in the same manner. In other words, he was a mere man, subject to the same weaknesses and infirmities as other men. Compare the notes at Act 14:15. The apostle is illustrating the efficacy of prayer. In doing this, he refers to an undoubted case where prayer had such efficacy. But to this it might be objected that Elijah was a distinguished prophet, and that it was reasonable to suppose that his prayer would be heard. It might be said that his example could not be adduced to prove that the prayers of those who were not favored with such advantages would be heard; and especially that it could not be argued from his case that the prayers of the ignorant, and of the weak, and of children and of servants, would be answered. To meet this, the apostle says that he was a mere man, with the same natural propensities and infirmities as other men, and that therefore his case is one which should encourage all to pray. It was an instance of the efficacy of prayer, and not an illustration of the power of a prophet.
And he prayed earnestly - Greek, "He prayed with prayer" - a Hebraism, to denote that he prayed earnestly. Compare Luk 22:15. This manner of speaking is common in Hebrew. Compare Sa1 26:25; Psa 118:18; Lam 1:2. The reference here is undoubtedly to Kg1 17:1. In that place, however, it is not said that Elijah prayed, but that he said, "As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these three years, but according to my word." Either James interprets this as a prayer, because it could be accomplished only by prayer, or he states what had been banded down by tradition as the way in which the miracle was effected. There can be no reasonable doubt that prayer was employed in the case, for even the miracles of the Saviour were accomplished in connection with prayer, Joh 11:41-42.
That it might not rain - Not to gratify any private resentment of his, but as a punishment on the land for the idolatry which pRev_ailed in the time of Ahab. Famine was one of the principal methods by which God punished his people for their sins.
And it rained not on the earth - On the land of Palestine, for so the word earth is frequently understood in the Bible. See the notes at Luk 2:1. There is no reason to suppose that the famine extended beyond the country that was subject to Ahab.
By the space - For the time.
Of three years and six months - See this explained in the notes at Luk 4:25. Compare Lightfoot, Horae Hebraicae, on Luk 4:25.
R. A. Torrey - Treasury: Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge - 1880
5:17: Elias: Kg1 17:1, Elijah
subject: Act 10:26, Act 14:15
and he: Rom 11:2; Rev 11:6
earnestly: or, in prayer
and it rained not: Luk 4:25
John Gill
5:17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are,.... The apostle gives an instance of earnest and fervent prayer, and of the efficacy of it in Elias; who is the same with the prophet Elijah, or Elijah the Tishbite; who, by the Septuagint in Mal 4:5 is called Elias, as here, and elsewhere, in the New Testament: of him James says, that he was a "man", contrary to the notion of some of the Jewish writers, who affirm, that Elijah was not born of a father and mother, but was an angel, who was clothed with the four elements of the world (e); but he was not only born, but born in sin, as others are, and was by nature no better than others; and he himself confesses that he was no better than his fathers, 3Kings 19:4. And the apostle further observes; concerning him, that be was "subject to like passions as we are"; both in body and soul; he was subject to hunger and weariness, and was fed by ravens, and by the widow of Zarephath, and by an angel; and he was subject to reproach, affliction, and persecution, being charged by Ahab as a troubler of Israel, and persecuted by Jezebel, who sought his life; he was a mortal man, and liable to death, and requested to die, and must have died, had it not been for the wonderful power of God, which translated him, that he should not see death; and he was not free from sinful passions, as impatience, fear, and unbelief, 3Kings 17:20. And he prayed earnestly; or prayed in prayer; an Hebraism: it is said (f) of one, that , "he prayed his prayer"; and of others, that , "they prayed prayers"; though the phrase here seems to design something more than bare praying; a praying, not merely externally, or formally, and with the lip only, but with the Spirit, and with the understanding, and with the heart engaged in it, with inwrought prayer. The prophet prayed with much earnestness, with great vehemence and intenseness of Spirit, as this Hebraism denotes; his prayer was fervent, and it was constant, and importunate, and was continued till he had an answer: he may be thought to have prayed each of the seven times he sent his servant to look out for a sign of rain, 3Kings 18:43, he first prayed,
that it might not rain; this is not recorded in express words, but may be gathered from 3Kings 17:1 where he says, "as the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew, nor rain, these years, but according to my word"; so the passage is understood by the Jewish interpreters: the phrase, "before whom I stand", is paraphrased by one of them (g) thus; before whom I am used to stand, "in prayer"; and it is a common saying with the Jews, there is no standing ever mentioned, but prayer is intended; See Gill on Mt 6:5 And the other phrase, "according to my word", is, by another (h), interpreted to this sense, that the rain should not descend naturally, according to the custom of the world, but it should descend when Elijah , "prayed for it", and so it was:
and it rained not on the earth: on the land of Israel, which is only meant; it rained in other parts of the world, for the drought in those times was not universal: and this was,
by the space of three years and six months; which exactly agrees with the words of Christ, Lk 4:25 and this was in judgment upon the land of Israel, for the idolatry it was filled with in the times of Ahab: and this instance of prayer is mentioned, not with a view that it should be imitated; we are not to pray for judgments, unless we have a divine order for it, as Elijah had; but to show the efficacy of prayer made according to the will of God.
(e) Zohar in Gen. fol. 31. 1. & Imre Binah in ib. (f) Ib. in Exod. fol. 4. 2. & in Numb. fol. 79. 2. (g) R. David, Kimchi in loc. (h) Vid. Laniado in loc.
John Wesley
5:17 Elijah was a man of like passions - Naturally as weak and sinful as we are. And he prayed - When idolatry covered the land.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown
5:17 Elias . . . like passions as we--therefore it cannot be said that he was so raised above us as to afford no example applicable to common mortals like ourselves.
prayed earnestly--literally, "prayed with prayer": Hebraism for prayed intensely. Compare Lk 22:15, "With desire I have desired," that is, earnestly desired. ALFORD is wrong in saying, Elias' prayer that it might not rain "is not even hinted at in the Old Testament history." In 3Kings 17:1 it is plainly implied, "As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word." His prophecy of the fact was according to a divine intimation given to him in answer to prayer. In jealousy for God's honor (3Kings 19:10), and being of one mind with God in his abhorrence of apostasy, he prayed that the national idolatry should be punished with a national judgment, drought; and on Israel's profession of repentance he prayed for the removal of the visitation, as is implied in 3Kings 18:39-42; compare Lk 4:25.
three years, &c.--Compare 3Kings 18:1, "The third year," namely, from Elijah's going to Zarephath; the prophecy (Jas 5:1) was probably about five or six months previously.
5:185:18: Եւ դարձեալ եկաց յաղօթս՝ եւ ետո՛ւն երկինք զանձրեւ՝ եւ բուսոյց երկիր զպտուղ իւր։
18 Ապա դարձեալ աղօթեց, եւ երկինքը անձրեւ տուեց, ու երկիրը բուսցրեց իր պտուղը:
18 Եւ նորէն աղօթք ըրաւ ու երկինք անձրեւ տուաւ եւ երկիր իր պտուղը բուսցուց։
Եւ դարձեալ եկաց յաղօթս, եւ ետուն երկինք զանձրեւ, եւ բուսոյց երկիր զպտուղ իւր:

5:18: Եւ դարձեալ եկաց յաղօթս՝ եւ ետո՛ւն երկինք զանձրեւ՝ եւ բուսոյց երկիր զպտուղ իւր։
18 Ապա դարձեալ աղօթեց, եւ երկինքը անձրեւ տուեց, ու երկիրը բուսցրեց իր պտուղը:
18 Եւ նորէն աղօթք ըրաւ ու երկինք անձրեւ տուաւ եւ երկիր իր պտուղը բուսցուց։
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5:1818: И опять помолился: и небо дало дождь, и земля произрастила плод свой.
5:18  καὶ πάλιν προσηύξατο, καὶ ὁ οὐρανὸς ὑετὸν ἔδωκεν καὶ ἡ γῆ ἐβλάστησεν τὸν καρπὸν αὐτῆς.
5:18. καὶ (and) πάλιν (unto-furthered) προσηύξατο , ( it-goodly-held-toward ,"καὶ (and) ὁ (the-one) οὐρανὸς (a-sky) ὑετὸν (to-a-rain) ἔδωκεν (it-gave) καὶ (and) ἡ (the-one) γῆ (a-soil) ἐβλάστησεν (it-sprouted) τὸν (to-the-one) καρπὸν (to-a-fruit) αὐτῆς. (of-it)
5:18. et rursum oravit et caelum dedit pluviam et terra dedit fructum suumAnd he prayed again. And the heaven gave rain: and the earth brought forth her fruit.
18. And he prayed again; and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.
5:18. And he prayed again. And the heavens gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.
5:18. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.
And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit:

18: И опять помолился: и небо дало дождь, и земля произрастила плод свой.
5:18  καὶ πάλιν προσηύξατο, καὶ ὁ οὐρανὸς ὑετὸν ἔδωκεν καὶ ἡ γῆ ἐβλάστησεν τὸν καρπὸν αὐτῆς.
5:18. et rursum oravit et caelum dedit pluviam et terra dedit fructum suum
And he prayed again. And the heaven gave rain: and the earth brought forth her fruit.
5:18. And he prayed again. And the heavens gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.
5:18. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.
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Adam Clarke: Commentary on the Bible - 1831
5:18: And he prayed again - This second prayer is not mentioned in the history in express words, but as in Kg1 18:42, it is said, He cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees; that was probably the time of the second praying, namely, that rain might come, as this was the proper posture of prayer.
Albert Barnes: Notes on the Bible - 1834
5:18: And he prayed again - The allusion here seems to be to Kg1 18:42, Kg1 18:45, though it is not expressly said there that he prayed. Perhaps it might be fairly gathered from the narrative that he did pray, or at least that would be the presumption, for he put himself into a natural attitude of prayer. "He cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees," Kg1 18:42. In such circumstances, it is to be fairly presumed that such a man would pray; but it is remarkable that it is not expressly mentioned, and quite as remarkable that James should have made his argument turn on a thing which is not expressly mentioned, but which seems to have been a matter of inference. It seems probable to me, therefore, that there was some tradition on which he relied, or that it was a common interpretation of the passage in 1 Kings, that Elijah prayed earnestly, and that this was generally believed by those to whom the apostle wrote. Of the fact that Elijah was a man of prayer, no one could doubt; and in these circumstances the tradition and common belief were sufficient to justify the argument which is employed here.
And the heaven gave rain - The clouds gave rain. "The heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain," Kg1 18:45.
And the earth brought forth her fruit - The famine ceased, and the land again became productive. The case referred to here was indeed a miracle, but it was a case of the power of prayer, and therefore to the point. If God would work a miracle in answer to prayer, it is reasonable to presume that he will bestow upon us the blessings which we need in the same way.
R. A. Torrey - Treasury: Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge - 1880
5:18: Kg1 18:18, Kg1 18:42-45; Jer 14:22; Act 14:17
John Gill
5:18 And he prayed again,.... 3Kings 18:42. Here also is no express mention of his prayer, but it may be concluded from his gestures; and so the Jewish interpreters understand these words, "Elijah went up to the top of Carmel", "to pray, and he cast himself down upon the earth", , "to pray for rain; and he put his face between his knees", "and prayed, and said to his servant, go up now, look toward the sea"; and this he said while he was "in his prayers" (i): and the effect of this his prayer was,
and the heaven gave rain; see 3Kings 18:45.
And the earth brought forth her fruit: which for the years past it had not; hence there was a sore famine in the land, 3Kings 18:2. Now the apostle chose to give this example, because it was a common thing for the Jews to ask for rain: we often read of such a doctor, that he prayed for rain, and it came; and of another, that he asked for the rains, and they descended (k): and his view is to observe, that the weakness and infirmities of the saints ought not to discourage them from prayer; and that they should be earnest and fervent in it, as was Elias, a man of like passions with themselves.
(i) Jarchi, Kimchi, Ralbag, & Laniado in loc. (k) T. Bab. Moed Katon, fol. 28. 1. & Taanith, fol. 19. 1. 23. 1. 24. 2. 25. 2. & Yoma, fol. 53. 2.
John Wesley
5:18 He prayed again - When idolatry was abolished.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown
5:18 prayed . . . and--that is, "and so." Mark the connection between the prayer and its accomplishment.
her fruit--her usual and due fruit, heretofore withheld on account of sin. Three and a half years is the time also that the two witnesses prophesy who "have power to shut and open heaven that it rain not."
5:195:19: Եղբա՛րք իմ, եթէ ոք ՚ի ձէնջ մոլորեսցի ՚ի ճանապարհէ ճշմարտութեան, եւ դարձուսցէ ոք զնա[2978]. [2978] Ոմանք. Մոլորիցի ՚ի ճշմարտութեան ճանապարհէ անտի. եւ դարձուցանիցէք ոք։ Ուր Ոսկան. մոլորեալ իցէ ՚ի ճշմար՛՛։
19 Եղբայրնե՛ր իմ, եթէ ձեզնից մէկը շեղուի ճշմարտութեան ճանապարհից, իսկ մէկ ուրիշը նրան յետ բերի,
19 Ե՛ղբայրներ, եթէ ձեզմէ մէկը ճշմարտութենէն մոլորի, մէկը թող զանիկա դարձի բերէ։
Եղբարք իմ, եթէ ոք ի ձէնջ մոլորեսցի [28]ի ճանապարհէ ճշմարտութեան``, եւ դարձուսցէ ոք զնա:

5:19: Եղբա՛րք իմ, եթէ ոք ՚ի ձէնջ մոլորեսցի ՚ի ճանապարհէ ճշմարտութեան, եւ դարձուսցէ ոք զնա[2978].
[2978] Ոմանք. Մոլորիցի ՚ի ճշմարտութեան ճանապարհէ անտի. եւ դարձուցանիցէք ոք։ Ուր Ոսկան. մոլորեալ իցէ ՚ի ճշմար՛՛։
19 Եղբայրնե՛ր իմ, եթէ ձեզնից մէկը շեղուի ճշմարտութեան ճանապարհից, իսկ մէկ ուրիշը նրան յետ բերի,
19 Ե՛ղբայրներ, եթէ ձեզմէ մէկը ճշմարտութենէն մոլորի, մէկը թող զանիկա դարձի բերէ։
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5:1919: Братия! если кто из вас уклонится от истины, и обратит кто его,
5:19  ἀδελφοί μου, ἐάν τις ἐν ὑμῖν πλανηθῇ ἀπὸ τῆς ἀληθείας καὶ ἐπιστρέψῃ τις αὐτόν,
5:19. Ἀδελφοί ( Brethrened ) μου, (of-me,"ἐάν (if-ever) τις (a-one) ἐν (in) ὑμῖν (unto-ye) πλανηθῇ (it-might-have-been-wandered-unto) ἀπὸ (off) τῆς (of-the-one) ἀληθείας (of-an-un-secluding-of) καὶ (and) ἐπιστρέψῃ (it-might-have-beturned-upon,"τις (a-one,"αὐτόν, (to-it,"
5:19. fratres mei si quis ex vobis erraverit a veritate et converterit quis eumMy brethren, if any of you err from the truth and one convert him:
19. My brethren, if any among you do err from the truth, and one convert him;
5:19. My brothers, if anyone of you strays from the truth, and if someone converts him,
5:19. Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him;
Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him:

19: Братия! если кто из вас уклонится от истины, и обратит кто его,
5:19  ἀδελφοί μου, ἐάν τις ἐν ὑμῖν πλανηθῇ ἀπὸ τῆς ἀληθείας καὶ ἐπιστρέψῃ τις αὐτόν,
5:19. fratres mei si quis ex vobis erraverit a veritate et converterit quis eum
My brethren, if any of you err from the truth and one convert him:
5:19. My brothers, if anyone of you strays from the truth, and if someone converts him,
5:19. Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him;
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А. П. Лопухин: Tолковая Библия или комментарий на все книги Св.Писания Ветхого и Нового Заветов - 1903-1914
19-20: В заключение своего послания Апостол - с любвеобильным воззванием - "братия" - указывает на величайшее дело помощи христиан брату, отступившему от истины христианской, истины веры, мысли и жизни. Желая побудить христиан к такой деятельности, требуемой идеею органической связи всех членов Церкви, Апостол говорит об исключительной важности такого подвига: "пусть знает, что обративший грешника от ложного пути его, спасет душу от смерти и покроет множество грехов" (ст. 20). К кому относится это последнее обещание, к обращенному ли грешнику или к обратившему его, получающему великую награду за свое высокое дело? В первом случае смысл тот, что "дело обращения грешника велико тем, что здесь, во-первых, спасается душа грешника от смерти, под которою, конечно, разумеется вечная смерть в духовном смысле и, во-вторых, дается основание такого спасения - покрывается множество грехов" (еп. Георгий). Принимая это объяснение (разделяемое проф. прот. Д. И. Богдашевским, еще ранее еп. Михаилом и др.), мы, однако, полагаем, что не исключается здесь и мысль о награде самого обратившего. В аналогичном рассматриваемому выражении Апостола Петра (1Пет. 4:8): "любовь покрывает множество грехов" по разъяснению блаж. Феофилакта, мысль та, что "милость к ближнему делает милостивым к нам Бога" (см. Мф 6:14-15). Увещанием к важнейшему подвигу любви христианской Апостол и заканчивает свое послание, полное высокого богословия и святого нравоучения.
Adam Clarke: Commentary on the Bible - 1831
5:19: Err from the truth - Stray away from the Gospel of Christ; and one convert him - reclaim him from his error, and bring him back to the fold of Christ.
Albert Barnes: Notes on the Bible - 1834
5:19: Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth - Either doctrinally and speculatively, by embracing error; or practically, by falling into sinful practices. Either of these may be called "erring from the truth," because they are contrary to what the truth teaches and requires. What is here said does not appear to have any connection with what precedes, but the apostle seems to have supposed that such a case might occur; and, in the conclusion of the Epistle, he called their attention to the importance of endeavoring to save an erring brother, if such an instance should happen. The exhortation would be proper in addressing a letter to any church, or in publicly addressing any congregation.
And one convert him - This does not mean "convert him as a sinner, or regenerate him," but turn him from the error of his way; bring him back from his wanderings; re-establish him in the truth, and in the practice of virtue and religion. So far as the word used here is concerned, ἐπιστρέψῃ epistrepsē he who had erred from the truth, and who was to be converted, may have been a true Christian before. The word means simply to turn, sc., from his way of error. See the notes at Luk 22:32.
R. A. Torrey - Treasury: Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge - 1880
5:19: err: Psa 119:21, Psa 119:118; Pro 19:27; Isa 3:12; Ti1 6:10, Ti1 6:21; Ti2 2:18; Pe2 3:17; Jde 1:11
and one: Jam 5:20; Eze 34:4, Eze 34:16; Mat 18:15; Luk 22:32; Gal 6:1; Heb 12:12, Heb 12:13; Jde 1:22, Jde 1:23
Geneva 1599
5:19 (12) Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one (k) convert him;
(12) The taking away of an objection: all rebukes are not condemned, seeing that on the contrary there is nothing more acceptable to God than to call into the holy way, a brother that was wandering out of the way.
(k) Has called him back from his way.
John Gill
5:19 Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth,.... Either from Christ, who is the truth, by departing from him, forsaking his ways, worship, and ordinances; or from the Scriptures of truth, not speaking according to them, and embracing notions that are contrary unto them; or from the Gospel, the word of truth, from the doctrine of faith, and from uprightness of life and conversation, after having made a profession of Christianity; for this is to be understood of one who has embraced the Christian religion, become a member of a church, and has walked in the path of truth and holiness, but now fallen into error, either in principle, or in practice, or both:
and one convert him; or turn him from his error, to truth again; for this designs not first conversion, or the turning of a sinner from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to God, and from the evil of a man's heart and ways and from a dependence on his own righteousness, to the Lord Jesus Christ, to look to him for righteousness, life, and salvation, which is wholly and entirely God's work, and not man's; but conversion after backslidings; for a restoration from a fallen condition is sometimes so called, Ps 51:1 and which one brother may be an instrument of to another, by showing him, and setting before him, the evil of his errors, whether in principle or practice; and by instructing him in the doctrines of the Gospel, and in the duties of religion; and by reproving him in meekness, and according to the rules of Christ; which means are sometimes blessed for the gaining of such; and which may be called conversion: and also, this is sometimes done by praying for him; and which seems chiefly to be intended here; for from praying for the healing of the diseases of the body, the apostle proceeds to encourage the saints to pray for one another, for the healing of the diseases of the mind; and suggests, that if prayer avails to the one, it may to the other; and which is the most desirable, and the greatest blessing, as follows.
John Wesley
5:19 As if he had said, I have now warned you of those sins to which you are most liable; and, in all these respects, watch not only over yourselves, but every one over his brother also. Labour, in particular, to recover those that are fallen. If any one err from the truth - Practically, by sin.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown
5:19 The blessing of reclaiming an erring sinner by the mutual consent and intercessory prayer just recommended.
do err--more literally, "be led astray."
the truth--the Gospel doctrine and precepts.
one--literally, "any"; as "any" before. Everyone ought to seek the salvation of everyone [BENGEL].
5:205:20: գիտասցէ՛ զի որ դարձուսցէ՛ զմեղաւորն ՚ի մոլորութեան ճանապարհէն իւրմէ, փրկեսցէ զոգի իւր ՚ի մահուանէ, եւ ծածկեսցէ զբազմութիւն մեղաց[2979]։ Տունք մլէ̃[2980]։[2979] Ոմանք. Որ դարձուցանէ զմե՛՛... ճանապարհէ, փրկեսցէ զհոգի նորա ՚ի մահ՛՛։[2980] ՚Ի վախճանի բազումք. Կատարեցաւ թուղթ Յակովբայ. կամ՝ Յակոբու. եւ ոմանք. կատարումն ՚ի Քրիստոս թղթոյն Յակոբայ. եւ զկնի ամենեքեան համաձայն մերումս. Տունք. եւ այլն։
20 թող իմանայ, որ, ով մեղաւորին իր մոլորութեան ճանապարհից յետ է բերում, կը փրկի նրա հոգին մահուանից եւ կը ծածկի մեղքերի մի ամբողջ բազմութիւն:
20 Գիտցած եղէք թէ ան, որ մեղաւորը իր մոլորութեան ճամբայէն կը դարձնէ, հոգի մը մահուանէ կ’ազատէ ու մեղքերու բազմութիւնը կը ծածկէ։
գիտասցէ զի որ դարձուսցէ զմեղաւորն ի մոլորութեան ճանապարհէն իւրմէ, փրկեսցէ զոգի [29]իւր ի մահուանէ եւ ծածկեսցէ զբազմութիւն մեղաց:

5:20: գիտասցէ՛ զի որ դարձուսցէ՛ զմեղաւորն ՚ի մոլորութեան ճանապարհէն իւրմէ, փրկեսցէ զոգի իւր ՚ի մահուանէ, եւ ծածկեսցէ զբազմութիւն մեղաց[2979]։ Տունք մլէ̃[2980]։
[2979] Ոմանք. Որ դարձուցանէ զմե՛՛... ճանապարհէ, փրկեսցէ զհոգի նորա ՚ի մահ՛՛։
[2980] ՚Ի վախճանի բազումք. Կատարեցաւ թուղթ Յակովբայ. կամ՝ Յակոբու. եւ ոմանք. կատարումն ՚ի Քրիստոս թղթոյն Յակոբայ. եւ զկնի ամենեքեան համաձայն մերումս. Տունք. եւ այլն։
20 թող իմանայ, որ, ով մեղաւորին իր մոլորութեան ճանապարհից յետ է բերում, կը փրկի նրա հոգին մահուանից եւ կը ծածկի մեղքերի մի ամբողջ բազմութիւն:
20 Գիտցած եղէք թէ ան, որ մեղաւորը իր մոլորութեան ճամբայէն կը դարձնէ, հոգի մը մահուանէ կ’ազատէ ու մեղքերու բազմութիւնը կը ծածկէ։
zohrab-1805▾ eastern-1994▾ western am▾
5:2020: пусть тот знает, что обративший грешника от ложного пути его спасет душу от смерти и покроет множество грехов.
5:20  γινωσκέτω ὅτι ὁ ἐπιστρέψας ἁμαρτωλὸν ἐκ πλάνης ὁδοῦ αὐτοῦ σώσει ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἐκ θανάτου καὶ καλύψει πλῆθος ἁμαρτιῶν.
5:20. γινώσκετε (ye-should-acquaint) ὅτι (to-which-a-one) ὁ (the-one) ἐπιστρέψας (having-beturned-upon) ἁμαρτωλὸν (to-un-adjusted-along) ἐκ (out) πλάνης (of-a-wandering) ὁδοῦ (of-a-way) αὐτοῦ (of-it) σώσει (it-shall-save) ψυχὴν (to-a-breathing) αὐτοῦ (of-it) ἐκ (out) θανάτου (of-a-death) καὶ (and) καλύψει ( it-shall-shroud ) πλῆθος (to-a-repletion) ἁμαρτιῶν . ( of-un-adjustings-along-unto )
5:20. scire debet quoniam qui converti fecerit peccatorem ab errore viae suae salvabit animam eius a morte et operit multitudinem peccatorum.He must know that he who causeth a sinner to be converted from the error of his way shall save his soul from death and shall cover a multitude of sins.
20. let him know, that he which converteth a sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall cover a multitude of sins.
5:20. he ought to know that whoever causes a sinner to be converted from the error of his ways will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
5:20. Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.
Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins:

20: пусть тот знает, что обративший грешника от ложного пути его спасет душу от смерти и покроет множество грехов.
5:20  γινωσκέτω ὅτι ὁ ἐπιστρέψας ἁμαρτωλὸν ἐκ πλάνης ὁδοῦ αὐτοῦ σώσει ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἐκ θανάτου καὶ καλύψει πλῆθος ἁμαρτιῶν.
5:20. scire debet quoniam qui converti fecerit peccatorem ab errore viae suae salvabit animam eius a morte et operit multitudinem peccatorum.
He must know that he who causeth a sinner to be converted from the error of his way shall save his soul from death and shall cover a multitude of sins.
5:20. he ought to know that whoever causes a sinner to be converted from the error of his ways will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
5:20. Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.
ru▾ el▾ el-en-gloss▾ vulgate▾ erva_1895▾ catholic_pdv▾ kjv_1900▾
jfb▾ jw▾ jg▾ tr▾ ab▾ ac▾ all ▾
Adam Clarke: Commentary on the Bible - 1831
5:20: Let him know - Let him duly consider, for his encouragement, that he who is the instrument of converting a sinner shall save a soul from eternal death, and a body from ruin, and shall hide a multitude of sins; for in being the means of his conversion we bring him back to God, who, in his infinite mercy, hides or blots out the numerous sins which he had committed during the time of his backsliding. It is not the man's sins who is the means of his conversion, but the sins of the backslider, which are here said to be hidden. See more below.
1. Many are of opinion that the hiding a multitude of sins is here to be understood of the person who converts the backslider: this is a dangerous doctrine, and what the Holy Spirit never taught to man. Were this true it would lead many a sinner to endeavor the reformation of his neighbor, that himself might continue under the influence of his own beloved sins and conversion to a particular creed would be put in the place of conversion to God, and thus the substance be lost in the shadow. Bishop Atterbury, (Ser. vol. i. p. 46), and Scott, (Christian Life, vol. i. p. 368), contend "that the covering a multitude of sins includes also, that the pious action of which the apostle speaks engages God to look with greater indulgence on the character of the person that performs it, and to be less severe in marking what he has done amiss." See Macknight. This from such authorities may be considered doubly dangerous; it argues however great ignorance of God, of the nature of Divine justice, and of the sinfulness of sin. It is besides completely antievangelical; it teaches in effect that something besides the blood of the covenant will render God propitious to man, and that the performance of a pious action will induce God's justice to show greater indulgence to the person who performs it, and to be less severe in marking what he has done amiss. On the ground of this doctrine we might confide that, had he a certain quantum of pious acts, we might have all the sins of our lives forgiven, independently of the sacrifice of Christ; for if one pious act can procure pardon for a multitude of sins, what may not be expected from many?
2. The Jewish doctrine, to which it is possible St. James may allude, was certainly more sound than that taught by these Christian divines. They allowed that the man who was the means of converting another had done a work highly pleasing to God, and which should be rewarded; but they never insinuate that this would atone for sin. I shall produce a few examples: -
In Synopsis Sohzar, p. 47, n. 17, it is said: Great is his excellence who persuades a sick person to turn from his sins. Ibid, p. 92, n. 18: Great is his reward who brings back the pious into the way of the blessed Lord.
Yoma, fol. 87, 1: By his hands iniquity is not committed, who turns many to righteousness; i.e. God does not permit him to fall into sin. What is the reason? Ans. Lest those should be found in paradise, while their instructer is found in hell.
This doctrine is both innocent and godly in comparison of the other. It holds out a motive to diligence and zeal, but nothing farther. In short, if we allow any thing to cover our sins beside the mercy of God in Christ Jesus, We shall err most dangerously from the truth, and add this moreover to the multitude of Our sins, that we maintained that the gift of God could be purchased by our puny acts of comparative righteousness.
3. As one immortal soul is of more worth than all the material creation of God, every man who knows the worth of his own should labor for the salvation of others. To be the means of depriving hell of her expectation, and adding even one soul to the Church triumphant, is a matter of infinite moment; and he who is such an instrument has much reason to thank God that ever he was born. He who lays out his accounts to do good to the souls of men, will ever have the blessing of God in his own. Besides, God will not suffer him to labor in vain, or spend his strength for naught. At first he may see little fruit; but the bread cast upon the waters shall be found after many days: and if he should never see it in this life, he may take for granted that whatsoever he has done for God, in simplicity and godly sincerity, has been less or more effectual.
After the last word of this epistle ἁμαρτιων, of sins, some versions add his, others theirs; and one MS. and the later Syriac have Amen. But these additions are of no authority.
The subscriptions to this epistle, in the Versions, are the following: The end of the Epistle of James the apostle. - Syriac. The catholic Epistle of James the apostle is ended. - Syriac Philoxenian. The end. - Aethiopic. Praise be to God for ever and ever; and may his mercy be upon us. Amen. - Arabic. The Epistle of James the son of Zebedee, is ended. - Itala, one copy. Nothing. - Coptic. Nothing. - Printed Vulgate. The Epistle of James is ended. - Bib. Vulg. Edit. Eggestein. The Epistle of St. James the apostle is ended. - Complutensian.
In the Manuscripts: Of James. - Codex Vaticanus, B. The Epistle of James. - Codex Alexandrinus. The end of the catholic Epistle of James. - Codex Vaticanus, 1210. The catholic Epistle of James the apostle. - A Vienna MS. The catholic Epistle of the holy Apostle James. - An ancient MS. in the library of the Augustins, at Rome. The end of the Epistle of the holy Apostle James, the brother of God. - One of Petavius's MSS., written in the thirteenth century. The same is found in a Vatican MS. of the eleventh century. The most ancient MSS. have little or no subscription.
Albert Barnes: Notes on the Bible - 1834
5:20: Let him know - Let him who converts the other know for his encouragement.
That he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way - Any sinner; anyone who has done wrong. This is a general principle, applicable to this case and to all others of the same kind. It is a universal truth that he who turns a sinner from a wicked path does a work which is acceptable to God, and which will in some way receive tokens of his approbation. Compare Deu 12:3. No work which man can perform is more acceptable to God; none will be followed with higher rewards. In the language which is used here by the apostle, it is evidently intended not to deny that success in converting a sinner, or in reclaiming one from the error of his ways, is to be traced to the grace of God; but the apostle here refers only to the divine feeling towards the individual who shall attempt it, and the rewards which he may hope to receive. The reward bestowed, the good intended and done, would be the same as if the individual were able to do the work himself. God approves and loves his aims and efforts, though the success is ultimately to be traced to himself.
Shall save a soul from death - It has been doubted whether this refers to his own soul, or to the soul of him who is converted. Several manuscripts, and the Vulgate, Syriac, Arabic, and Coptic versions, here read: "his soul." The most natural interpretation of the passage is to refer it to the soul of the one converted, rather than of him who converts him. This accords better with the uniform teaching of the New Testament, since it is nowhere else taught that the method of saving our souls is by converting others; and this interpretation will meet all that the scope of the passage demands. The object of the apostle is to present a motive for endeavoring to convert one who has wandered away; and assuredly a sufficient motive for that is furnished in the fact, that by this means an immortal soul would be saved from eternal ruin. The word death here must refer to eternal death, or to future punishment. There is no other death which the soul is in danger of dying. The body dies and moulders away, but the soul is immortal. The apostle cannot mean that he would save the soul from annihilation, for it is in no danger of that. This passage proves, then, that there is a death which the soul may die; that there is a condition which may properly be called death as a consequence of sin; and that the soul will suffer that unless it is converted.
And shall hide a multitude of sins - Shall cover them over so that they shall not be seen; that is, they shall not be punished. This must mean either the sins which he has committed who is thus converted and saved, or the sins of him who converts him. Whichever is the meaning, a strong motive is presented for endeavoring to save a sinner from the error of his ways. It is not easy to determine which is the true sense. Expositors have been about equally divided respecting the meaning. Doddridge adopts substantially both interpretations, paraphrasing it, "not only procuring the pardon of those committed by the convert, but also engaging God to look with greater indulgence on his own character, and to be less ready to mark severely what he has done amiss." The Jews regarded it as a meritorious act to turn a sinner from the error of his ways, and it is possible that James may have had some of their maxims in his eye. Compare Clarke, in loc. Though it may not be possible to determine with certainty whether the apostle here refers to the sins of him who converts another, or of him who is converted, yet it seems to me that the reference is probably to the latter, for the following reasons:
(1) Such an interpretation will meet all that is fairly implied in the language.
(2) this interpretation will furnish a strong motive for what the apostle expects us to do. The motive presented is, according to this, that sin will not be punished. But this is always a good motive for putting forth efforts in the cause of religion, and quite as powerful when drawn from our doing good to others as when applied to ourselves.
(3) this is a safe interpretation; the other is attended with danger. According to this, the effort would be one of pure benevolence, and there would be no danger of depending on what we do as a ground of acceptance with God. The other interpretation would seem to teach that our sins might be forgiven on some other ground than that of the atonement - by virtue of some act of our own.
(4) and there might be danger, if it be supposed that this refers to the fact that our sins are to be covered up by this act, of supposing that by endeavoriug to convert others we may live in sin with impunity; that however we live, we shall be safe if we lead others to repentance and salvation.
If the motive be the simple desire to hide the sins of others - to procure their pardon - to save a soul from death, without any supposition that by that we are making an atonement for our own sins - it is a good one, a safe one. But if the idea is that by this act we are making some atonement for our own offences, and that we may thus work out a righteousness of our own, the idea is one that is every way dangerous to the great doctrine of justification by faith, and is contrary to the whole teaching of the Bible. For these reasons it seems to me that the true interpretation is, that the passage refers to the sins of others, not our own; and that the simple motive here presented is, that in this way we may save a fellow-sinner from being punished for his sins. It may be added, in the conclusion of the notes at this Epistle, that this motive is one which is sufficient to stimulate us to great and constant efforts to save others. Sin is the source of all the evil in the universe: and the great object which a benevolent heart ought to have, should be that its desolating effects may be stayed; that the sinner may be pardoned; and that the guilty soul may be saved from its consequences in the future world. This is the design of God in the plan of redemption; this was the object of the Saviour in giving himself to die; this is the purpose of the Holy Spirit in renewing and sanctifying the soul; and this is the great end of all those acts of Divine Providence by which the sinner is warned and turned to God. When we come to die, as we shall soon, it will give us more pleasure to be able to recollect that we have been the means of saying one soul from death, than to have enjoyed all the pleasures which sense can furnish, or to have gained all the honor and wealth which the world can give.
R. A. Torrey - Treasury: Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge - 1880
5:20: that he: Jam 5:19
shall save: Pro 11:30; Rom 11:14; Co1 9:22; Ti1 4:16; Plm 1:19
from death: Jam 1:15; Pro 10:2, Pro 11:4; Joh 5:24; Rev 20:6
hide: Psa 32:1; Pro 10:12; Pe1 4:8
John Gill
5:20 Let him know,.... And observe it for his encouragement:
that he which converteth a sinner from the error of his way; who is the instrument of restoring a backsliding professor, for such an one is meant by a sinner, and not a profane person; or of turning a poor bewildered believer, who is got out of the way of truth and holiness, into the right way again; or of convincing him of the error of his way, whether it be in point of doctrine, or of duty; and so of bringing him to the fold of Christ again, from whence he has strayed:
shall save a soul from death; not efficiently, but instrumentally, as in Ti1 4:16 for otherwise Christ is the only Saviour; and he will be the means of saving "a soul", which is of more worth than a world; and that from death, the second death which lies in the separation of the soul from God, and in a sense of his wrath; which apostasy threatens with, and leads unto, if grace prevents not. The Alexandrian copy and others, and the Vulgate Latin version read, "his soul"; but the common reading is more emphatic; the Syriac and Arabic versions render it, "his own soul"; and the Ethiopic version, "himself", as respecting him that is the instrument of the conversion of the other, and not the person converted:
and shall hide a multitude of sins; either "his own", as the same versions read; and then the sense is, he shall be blessed with a discovery and application of the forgiveness of all his sins, though they have been many and great; or rather the sins of the person converted. Sin is only covered by the blood and righteousness of Christ; and thereby it is so covered, as not to be seen by the eye of vindictive justice and in such manner as that the persons of those who are covered therewith are all fair, without fault and unreproveable in the sight of God; and though their sins are many, even a multitude, they are blotted out as a thick cloud, and are abundantly pardoned; yea, all their sins are covered, be they ever so many, for God forgives all trespasses, for Christ's sake; and the blood of Christ cleanses from all sin, and his righteousness justifies from all: and whoever is an instrument of bringing a backslider to a sense of the evil of his ways, and to true repentance for the same; as he, upon such repentance, has his iniquities caused to pass from him, or, in other words, to be covered, as from the sight of God, so from his own; he may be said to be the instrument of this also.
John Wesley
5:20 He shall save a soul - Of how much more value than the body! Jas 5:14. And hide a multitude of sins - Which shall no more, how many soever they are, be remembered to his condemnation.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown
5:20 Let him--the converted.
know--for his comfort, and the encouragement of others to do likewise.
shall save--future. The salvation of the one so converted shall be manifested hereafter.
shall hide a multitude of sins--not his own, but the sins of the converted. The Greek verb in the middle voice requires this. Prov 10:12 refers to charity "covering" the sins of others before men; James to one's effecting by the conversion of another that that other's sins be covered before God, namely, with Christ's atonement. He effects this by making the convert partaker in the Christian covenant for the remission of all sins. Though this hiding of sins was included in the previous "shall save," James expresses it to mark in detail the greatness of the blessing conferred on the penitent through the converter's instrumentality, and to incite others to the same good deed.