James 1:11 kjv

For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.

James 1:11 nkjv

For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits.

James 1:11 niv

For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.

James 1:11 esv

For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.

James 1:11 nlt

The hot sun rises and the grass withers; the little flower droops and falls, and its beauty fades away. In the same way, the rich will fade away with all of their achievements.

James 1 verses

James 1 11 Meaning

This verse graphically illustrates the fleeting nature of worldly wealth and the perishable existence of those who center their lives on material possessions. Just as tender grass and its beautiful flower rapidly wither and die under the scorching sun, so too will the rich man and all his accomplishments and pursuits quickly fade away into insignificance or utter ruin. It is a powerful analogy highlighting the ephemerality of human glory compared to the enduring spiritual realities discussed earlier in the chapter.

James 1 11 Context

James 1 opens with encouraging believers to embrace trials with joy, understanding that such testing of faith produces endurance. He then transitions to the topic of wisdom, essential for navigating these trials. The specific context for verse 11 is found in verses 9 and 10, where James provides a striking contrast: the humble brother should rejoice in his spiritual exaltation (his high status in Christ), while the rich brother should rejoice in his humiliation (recognizing the temporal and ultimately perishable nature of his earthly wealth). Verse 11 powerfully justifies this paradox for the rich man by presenting a vivid analogy. It prepares for the broader discussion on temptation, lust, and the origin of evil, framing all earthly concerns within the perspective of an enduring faith that leads to a "crown of life" (v.12). The imagery would have been instantly recognizable to an audience in the Near East, where intense sun rapidly parched vegetation, highlighting a core aspect of Palestinian agrarian life.

James 1 11 Word analysis

• For the sun: The Greek term ho hēlios (ὁ ἥλιος) denotes the specific and powerful agent. In the arid Middle East, the sun, especially during the hot kausōn season, was a force of destruction, not just warmth.
• rises: anatellō (ἀνατέλλω) - "to cause to rise, to appear." This emphasizes the natural, inevitable, and relentless onset of the scorching heat.
• with scorching heat: kausōn (καύσων) - A term for intense heat, often referring to a hot, easterly wind (sirocco). This is a hostile heat that devastates, not merely warms, highlighting the severity of the destructive power.
• and withers: xyrainō (ξηραίνω) - "to make dry, parch, wither." This verb depicts a process of desiccation, where all moisture and life are drawn out.
• the grass: chortos (χόρτος) - "grass, tender green fodder." Symbolizes extreme fragility and commonality; something universally seen and quickly perishing. It contrasts with anything deemed substantial or enduring.
• its flower: anthos (ἄνθος) - "a blossom, a flower." Represents the most beautiful, visible, and crowning part of the plant, suggesting that even the peak of worldly splendor is transient.
• falls: ekpiptō (ἐκπίπτω) - "to fall out, drop off." Implies a sudden and irreversible detachment, a collapse of what seemed to hold form.
• and its beauty: euprepeia (εὐπρέπεια) - "seemliness, comeliness, beauty." This refers specifically to outward attractiveness and visible glory, reinforcing the idea that superficial value vanishes.
• perishes: apollymi (ἀπόλλυμι) - "to destroy, perish completely, be ruined." A strong word signifying utter ruin and loss of being, not merely a decline. The imagery points to absolute eradication.
• So also: houtōs kai (οὕτως καί) - "Thus also, in the same way." This directly links the natural phenomenon to the human experience, making the analogy undeniable and absolute.
• will the rich man: ho plousios (ὁ πλούσιος) - "the wealthy man." Refers not just to possessing riches, but to one whose life identity and security are invested in wealth.
• fade away: marainomai (μαραίνομαι) - "to wither, waste away." This specific verb closely mirrors xyrainō ("withers" the grass), emphasizing the exact parallel in the process of decay. The passive voice suggests this is something that inevitably happens to him.
• in the midst of his pursuits: en tais poreiais autou (ἐν ταῖς πορείαις αὐτοῦ) - Literally "in his journeys, ways, goings." This critical phrase refers to the entirety of his life's activities, endeavors, ambitions, and movements. The rich man's demise isn't after his pursuits, but while he is actively engaged in them. This underscores the profound irony and futility: his busy life dedicated to worldly gain will be the very context of his spiritual or physical evaporation.

Words-group by words-group analysis

• "For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the grass": This phrase establishes the powerful, unavoidable, and destructive natural force. The sun, ordinarily a source of life, becomes an agent of desolation, illustrating that seemingly benevolent circumstances (like prosperity) can lead to ruin when viewed through a temporal lens.
• "its flower falls, and its beauty perishes": This part emphasizes the utter completeness of the loss. It is not just the commonplace grass, but its most prized, most vibrant, and visually appealing aspect—its flower and inherent beauty—that succumbs to complete ruin. It signifies that no worldly glory, no matter how outwardly impressive, can withstand time's, or death's, scrutiny.
• "So also will the rich man fade away": This directly translates the metaphor. The fate of the rich man is a certainty, just as the fate of the grass. The term "fade away" is a solemn and poignant parallel to the wilting plant, suggesting a quiet, inevitable, and ultimately powerless descent.
• "in the midst of his pursuits": This is a stark statement of irony and divine judgment on misplaced priorities. The rich man's fading occurs not after he has completed his ambitious endeavors, but while he is actively engaged in them. His very activities that he believes secure his life or legacy become meaningless as he simultaneously vanishes, emphasizing the ultimate emptiness and spiritual peril of a life consumed by material accumulation.

James 1 11 Bonus section

• The imagery of "grass and flower" as metaphors for the fragility of human life and the transience of all flesh is a recurring theme in Old Testament wisdom and prophetic literature (e.g., Ps 90, Isa 40). James effectively draws upon this deeply embedded biblical truth, grounding his New Testament teaching in familiar and respected prophetic wisdom.
• The "scorching heat" can be understood not only literally but also metaphorically as a type of trial or divine scrutiny that exposes the superficiality and unsustainable nature of earthly security.
• The "pursuits" of the rich man often include accumulating wealth, expanding influence, ensuring physical comforts, and planning for an earthly future. The verse's punch is that these very activities, which are supposed to grant him life and status, occur simultaneously with his inherent, unavoidable decay. His apparent busyness conceals his ultimate futility.
• This verse underpins a fundamental aspect of Christian discipleship: distinguishing between the temporal and the eternal. It implicitly asks, what foundations are we building on, knowing that all flesh, its glory, and its material achievements are ultimately like the fading grass?

James 1 11 Commentary

James 1:11 delivers a profound truth about the transient nature of all earthly glory and wealth, directly following the paradox that the humble find exaltation and the rich should embrace humility. The vivid imagery of the scorching sun withering a beautiful flower of the field would have been a common and poignant reality for the original audience in a Mediterranean climate. This illustration serves not as a curse on the rich, but as a crucial reminder of mortality and the ephemeral character of human achievements and material possessions when separated from eternal value. It’s an urgent call for introspection, compelling both the wealthy and the ambitious to reassess their foundations and invest in spiritual riches that do not fade. True security and enduring beauty are found in a right relationship with God, not in the fleeting pursuits of this world. This verse encourages a radical re-evaluation of what constitutes true prosperity and enduring significance.