James 5 1

James 5:1 kjv

Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.

James 5:1 nkjv

Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you!

James 5:1 niv

Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you.

James 5:1 esv

Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you.

James 5:1 nlt

Look here, you rich people: Weep and groan with anguish because of all the terrible troubles ahead of you.

James 5 verses

James 5 1 Meaning

James 5:1 is a stern, prophetic denunciation directed at a specific group of the wealthy who had unjustly acquired their riches and lived in self-indulgence, often at the expense of the poor. It serves as an urgent call for them to acknowledge their impending divine judgment, expressed through intense sorrow and lamentation for the miseries that God's wrath will bring upon them. The verse is not a condemnation of wealth itself, but a powerful warning against its abuse, particularly through oppression and a false sense of security derived from it.

James 5 1 Context

James 5:1 initiates a sharp prophetic indictment (James 5:1-6) against certain rich individuals within or influencing the Christian community. This warning directly follows James's instruction on humility and dependence on God's will regarding future plans (James 4:13-17), implicitly contrasting the arrogance and self-sufficiency often found among the wealthy.

Historically, the original audience for James's letter were likely scattered Jewish Christians facing social and economic hardships in the diaspora. Many would have been poor, working as daily laborers or tenant farmers, dependent on wealthier landowners for their livelihoods. James's denunciation speaks directly to those landowners or powerful merchants who, instead of using their resources justly and with compassion, were exploiting their laborers by withholding wages (as explicitly stated in James 5:4) and living luxuriously (James 5:5) while the poor suffered. This scenario echoes numerous Old Testament prophetic messages against social injustice. The immediate context clarifies that James is targeting specific actions of economic exploitation and arrogance, not simply the possession of wealth.

James 5 1 Word analysis

• Come now (Ἄγε νῦν, A-ge nyn): This is a strong, imperative, attention-grabbing phrase used to introduce an urgent summons or a prophetic denunciation. It's akin to "Listen up!" or "Take heed!" It signals a sudden, direct address and an imminent pronouncement, often preceding a critical or solemn warning.
• you rich (οἱ πλούσιοι, hoi plousioi): The definite article "the" indicates a specific group of rich people. In the context of James, these are not simply those with possessions, but those characterized by ungodly conduct concerning their wealth: oppressive, exploitative, self-indulgent, and indifferent to God's ways or their fellow humans. This distinguishes them from, for example, righteous individuals of means like Abraham or Lydia.
• weep (κλαύσατε, klausamate): An imperative verb commanding a profound, audible expression of sorrow. It denotes bitter, unrestrained lamentation, often in public, reflecting deep anguish, despair, or grief over an immense tragedy or loss. This is a call to total desolation, indicative of impending judgment.
• and howl (ὀλολύζοντες, ololuzontes): This word intensifies "weep." It describes a wailing cry, a loud lament, often associated with a professional mourner or someone overcome by a great catastrophe. In prophetic literature, it is frequently used to describe the anguished cries of those facing God's judgment or imminent destruction, implying absolute despair.
• for your miseries (ἐπὶ ταῖς ταλαιπωρίαις ὑμῶν, epi tais talaiporiais hymon):
  • miseries (talaiporiais): Refers to the distress, hardship, wretchedness, affliction, and calamity that are consequences of their sinful actions. It describes a state of deep and deserved suffering. This isn't just natural hardship but divine retribution for their injustice.
• that are coming upon you (ταῖς ἐπερχομέναις ὑμῖν, tais eperchomenais hymin): This participle phrase signifies the certain, inevitable, and imminent nature of the judgment. It's not a future possibility but a sure reality that is already in motion and quickly approaching them. The form implies something "supervening" or "supervening upon," underscoring divine causality and destiny.

Words-group analysis:

• Come now, you rich: This striking opening functions as an urgent, prophetic summons. It demands immediate attention from the specific wealthy group targeted, setting a severe, confrontational tone right from the start.
• weep and howl: The doubling of these strong verbs emphasizes the intensity and totality of the grief and despair that awaits the rich oppressors. It depicts a state of abject wretchedness, implying a judgment so severe that only public lamentation can adequately express their foreseen agony.
• for your miseries that are coming upon you: This phrase clearly states the reason for their mandated lamentation and the certainty of their impending doom. It refers not merely to earthly difficulties, but to divine, retributive suffering that is already appointed and quickly approaching, making escape impossible.

James 5 1 Bonus section

• James 5:1-6 represents a unified prophetic oracle within the epistle, distinct from surrounding themes like prayer or patience, yet thematically consistent with James's strong emphasis on practical righteousness and social justice throughout his letter.
• The severity of James's language ("weep and howl") indicates the gravity of the rich oppressors' sins in God's eyes, specifically their disregard for His law and the well-being of the poor, which amounted to direct contempt for God's created order and justice.
• The "miseries" spoken of are not simply general misfortunes, but divinely orchestrated tribulations as a consequence of their unrighteous accumulation and use of wealth, echoing numerous Old Testament examples where material blessings turned into a curse due to sin.
• The passage serves as a perennial warning to anyone, irrespective of their material status, against the dangers of trusting in wealth, exploiting others for gain, and living in self-centered indulgence. It asserts that true security lies not in earthly riches, but in righteousness and reliance on God.

James 5 1 Commentary

James 5:1 is a chilling, prophetic warning, a "woe" oracle akin to those uttered by Old Testament prophets and even Jesus himself against religious hypocrisy or injustice. It is addressed not to all who are rich, but to a specific category: those whose wealth has been amassed through exploitation and injustice, and who subsequently live in proud indulgence without regard for God or others. The imperative "weep and howl" underscores the severe nature of the "miseries" to come, which are nothing less than God's impending judgment. This isn't just about temporal troubles but refers to an ultimate divine reckoning, the gravity of which will provoke utter despair. James shocks his readers, challenging the common human tendency to find security and happiness in material possessions, asserting that such misplaced trust will ultimately lead to an agonizing undoing, marked by inescapable judgment.