Jakobus 5:2 Kommentar

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 (Jam 5:1-6). Hereupon, all the faithful are exhorted to patience under their trials and sufferings (Jam 5:7-11). The sin of swearing is cautioned against (Jam 5:12). We are directed how to act, both under affliction and in prosperity (Jam 5:13). Prayer for the sick, and anointing with oil, are prescribed (Jam 5:14, Jam 5:15). Christians are directed to acknowledge their faults one to another, and to pray one for another, and the efficacy of prayer is proved (Jam 5:16-18). And, lastly, it is recommended to us to do what we can for bringing back those that stray from the ways of truth.

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, Jam 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, Jam 5:2, and because of their injustice in detaining the hire of labourers from them, Jam 5:4 and because of their wantonness and luxury, Jam 5:5 and because of their cruelty to the innocent, Jam 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, Jam 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, Jam 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, Jam 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, Jam 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, Jam 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, Jam 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, Jam 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, Jam 5:19.

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.

Riches cannot harm a good person, because he spends them kindly. Likewise they cannot help an evil person as long as he keeps them avariciously or wastes them in dissipation.

Your riches are corrupt: and your garments are eaten by moths. Your gold and silver is rusted: and their rust shall be for a testimony to you, and shall eat your flesh as fire. You have stored to yourselves wrath in the last days. "Your riches." Or your wealth. It must be understood, that is, what wealth, as the saying goes: Your riches, which you have hidden like fire as a treasure, will exceed your flesh. "Your garments are eaten by moths." The rotting, James says, of riches and the corrosion or consumption of garments by moths, and the rust of gold and silver will bear witness against you, arguing your greed. Because of this, in the last days (the Lord says of His coming), you will find your riches hidden for you like fire for destruction: which also happened to the rich man, of whom it is told in the Gospel. (Luke 15:24)

The rotting of wealth, he says, the eating of garments by moths, and the rust of silver and gold will testify against you, exposing you for having given nothing. Therefore in the last days, that is, at the coming of the Lord, your wealth will prove to be, as it were, fire gathered for your destruction, which the rich man mentioned in the Gospel also experienced. This must be joined with the words "your riches," so that the speech reads as follows: "your riches, which you have heaped up like fire, and on earth have spent on pleasures and squandered."

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.

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.

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 (Jam 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 (Jam 5:7); primarily, at the destruction of Jerusalem; finally, at His visible coming to judge the world.

corrupted--about to be destroyed through God's curse on your oppression, whereby your riches are accumulated (Jam 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 Mat 6:19-20.