Application of illustration , repeating the exhortation of James 5:7 , and supporting it by the assurance that "the coming of the Lord," till which they are to endure, "is at hand." Stablish your hearts . The coming of the Lord draweth nigh. So Isaiah had announced ( Isaiah 13:6 ), "The day of the Lord is near ( ἐγγὺς ἡμέρα κυρίου )." read more
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 Revelation 22:10, Revelation 22:12, Revelation 22:20; the notes at 1 Corinthians 15:51. It is... read more
James 5:7-9. Be patient therefore, brethren He now addresses the pious, oppressed, and persecuted disciples of Christ: as if he had said, Since the Lord will soon come to punish them, and relieve you, patiently bear the injuries which rich men offer you, and quietly wait till he come. Behold the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit Which will recompense his labour and patience; till he receive the early, or the former rain Immediately after sowing; and the latter Before... read more
5:7-20 THE NEED FOR PATIENCE AND PRAYERMany Christians were poor and oppressed, some of them no doubt farmers who suffered because of the rich landowners. James encourages them to wait patiently for the Lord’s return (which will bring them victory in the end), just as the farmer waits patiently for the rain that will bring his crops to final harvest (7-8). God is using these trials to teach them patience, so they must not fight against his purposes by grumbling. Some Old Testament examples show... read more
stablish . See Romans 1:11 . draweth nigh = hath drawn near. See Matthew 3:2 . read more
Be ye also patient; establish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord is at hand.It is difficult not to lose patience with those commentators who receive every such reference as this as an occasion for declaiming upon the "mistake" of all the New Testament writers in expecting the "coming of the Lord" (in his final advent, of course) as an event certain to occur in their lifetime. See extended discussion of "The Speedy Return" of Christ, under 1 Thessalonians 1:10, in CT. The particular "coming... read more
James 5:8. For the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.— The apostle by this phrase seems plainly to mean, the coming of the Romans to destroy or carry away captive the Jewish nation: for what God in his providence promises, he himself is very often said to do. See Matthew 27:33.Mark 13:29; Mark 13:29. Luke 21:20. Indeed it may be asked, What other coming of the Lord was then drawing nigh? Is it not intimated, Jam 5:1 that very great evils were just ready to fall upon the rich Jews? That they would... read more
8. coming . . . draweth nigh—The Greek expresses present time and a settled state. :-, "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. read more
VI. MONEY AND PATIENT ENDURANCE 5:1-18The final practical problem James addressed involves money. He wrote these instructions to warn his readers of a danger, to inform them of the ramifications of the problem, and to exhort them to deal with the situation appropriately. This is his third reference to the rich and the poor (cf. James 1:9-11; James 2:1-12). We might also consider James 4:13-17, as well as James 5:1-6, as dealing with the rich. [Note: For some helpful insights on the way... read more
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The Pulpit Commentary - James 5:7-20
CONCLUDING EXHORTATIONS read more