James

weep and howl. Prophetic language for those under indictment by God when the day of the Lord arrives (e.g., Isa. 13:6; 15:3; Hos. 7:14; Amos 8:3). miseries that are coming. Referring to final judgment, rather than the miseries of this life.

Riches, garments, and gold sum up the sumptuous, materialistic lifestyle of these landowners. These things will not only be lost forever but will be evidence at their final trial before God and will feed the very flames of the lake of fire, where they will spend eternity (Rev. 20:11–15).

the cries of the harvesters. These landowners have cheated their field workers and harvesters to support their own lavish lifestyle, and now the cries of the defrauded have reached the ears of the final Judge, who will soon act in response. The Lord of hosts, or “Lord of heaven’s armies,” pictures God as a warrior going into battle against his enemies (1 Sam. 17:45; Rev. 17:14; 19:14).

fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. Like the cattle in their fields, the rich gorge themselves on luxuries and fail to realize that they are headed for the final slaughter (see Isa. 30:25; Jer. 12:3; Rev. 19:17–21).

Righteous (Gk. dikaios) person may have a double meaning: both “one of God’s forgiven people” and “a person who is innocent” of the death sentence that the wealthy have handed him. He does not resist. The righteous person does not avenge himself (Matt. 5:38–42).

Patience in Suffering. The attention turns from rich to poor, from the evil oppressors to the righteous oppressed, from presumption to patience. Rather than fighting back, they are called to patient endurance and to trust in God to vindicate them.

The righteous are to wait until the coming of the Lord (see 1 Thess. 4:15), when he will right all wrongs. The early and the late rains describe the Palestinian climate, in which the autumn rains occur just after sowing and the spring rains just before harvest (Jer. 5:24; Joel 2:23). Even though three-fourths of Palestine’s rain fell from December to February, these two rains were the most critical.

Do not grumble sums up the divisive complaining behind 3:1–4:12. It can be particularly painful in times of suffering when people explode in frustration and turn upon each other.

The example of the prophets centers on the many who suffered and died (see Heb. 11:32–38) for speaking in the name of the Lord.

The theme of enduring trials recalls 1:2–4, 12.

Skeptics argue that when James stated, “Above all … do not swear,” he was saying that taking an oath is the worst sin a believer may commit. However, James was instead instructing his readers not to use oaths flippantly to guarantee the truth of their statements (see Mt 5:34-37). James’s readers were being persecuted by the wicked rich (Jms 5:1-6). Consequently, he urged them to be patient until the Lord returned (vv. 7-8) and provided them with three examples of patience to emulate: the farmer (v. 7), the prophets (v. 10), and Job (v. 11). James admonished his readers not to complain about one another while enduring trials (v. 9). Above all, they were not to deny their Lord in the face of persecution. And when asked whether they were Christians by those who would persecute them, James’s readers were not to swear to God, to heaven, or to earth, using oaths to support their claims. Rather, when interrogated, they were simply and sincerely to say yes or no (v. 12). In this way they would not fall under judgment for their sin.

This understanding acts as a climax to James’s statement on endurance in v. 11 and makes good sense of the problematic phrase “above all” that he used initially in v. 12.

It is not entirely clear how do not swear is connected to vv. 7–11. Above all may indicate that this begins a three-part conclusion to the letter (vv. 12, 13–18, 19–20). Yet it could also refer back to the sins of the tongue and hence the grumbling of v. 9. Oaths were allowed in Israel, but the person was required to fulfill them, especially because they so often involved invoking the name of God (see Lev. 19:12; Jer. 5:2). James’s prohibition of oaths builds on Jesus’ prohibition in Matt. 5:33–37, and the point in both cases is that one’s word should be enough. Still, this does not mean all oaths (e.g., official oaths) are prohibited (cf. Rom. 1:9; 2 Cor. 1:23; Phil. 1:8). (See Jesus’ prohibition of oaths in Matt. 23:16–22.)

The Prayer of Faith. Speaking mainly of prayer, James restates some of the letter’s key themes, including trials (cf. 1:2–4) and misuse of the tongue. The ultimate way to “tame” one’s tongue (cf. 3:8) is to “pray for one another” (5:16).

There is another ABA pattern in these verses (cf. note on 3:1–4:12). James begins with those suffering (A), then addresses the cheerful (B), and concludes with those who are sick (A). He alludes back to 1:2, where the one under trial was to “count it all joy.” Though “sick” (Gk. astheneō) can also mean “to be weak” (even spiritually weak, as in Rom. 14:1), when used (as it is here) without any qualifiers, it usually refers to physical sickness. Elders were pastors and overseers (cf. Acts 20:17, 28; Titus 1:5, 7; 1 Pet. 5:1–2), known for wisdom and maturity, who functioned as leaders in the churches. This provides evidence for a plurality of elders in all the churches to which James was writing, for he simply assumes a sick person could call for “the elders of the church.” Some think that anointing … with oil was medicinal or sacramental (as in Roman Catholic extreme unction at death), but it is best seen as a symbol representing the healing power of the Holy Spirit to come upon the sick person (cf. the use of “anointing” for symbolic consecration to God’s use and service, both in the OT [Ex. 28:41] and in the NT [Luke 4:18; Acts 4:27; 10:38; 2 Cor. 1:21; Heb. 1:9]). In the name of the Lord means it is God, not the oil, that heals.

the prayer of faith. Not the faith of the sick person but the faith of those praying. In this instance, James mentions no requirement for the sick person to exercise faith, only that he call for the elders. Christians who are ill often find personal prayer difficult. Will save perhaps carries a double meaning here: (1) the sick person will be physically healed (one meaning of Gk. sōzō), and/or (2) the sick person may also experience spiritual salvation (another meaning of Gk. sōzō), or growth in the blessings of salvation (sins … forgiven). As seen throughout the Gospels, Jesus healed both physically and spiritually, and the same double connotation may be present here as well. James is not teaching that all illnesses will be healed if people would simply call on the elders, or try to make themselves have enough faith, or pray with enough conviction. Healing, when it does come, is always a gift from God, who is sovereign over all circumstances, including sickness and health. It does not follow, therefore, that lack of faith on the part of the sick person is the reason that the sick person may not be healed. (On the gifts of faith and of healing, see note on 1 Cor. 12:9.) Some interpreters suggest that James is referring to the promise of the resurrection rather than physical healing. If, in the phrase “if he has committed sins,” implies that not all sickness is connected to specific sins, though James seems to expect that some sickness is (cf. 1 Cor. 11:30).

confess your sins to one another. Sometimes confession in the community is needed before healing can take place, since sin may be the cause of the illness (cf. 1 Cor. 11:29–30). Pray for one another is directed to all the readers of James’s letter and indicates that he did not expect prayer for healing to be limited to the elders (James 5:14). The righteous will have great power in prayer, as God grants their requests.

Elijah illustrates how a man with a nature like ours could have the powerful prayer life of “a righteous person.” The drought recorded in 1 Kings 17–18 was punishment on King Ahab and Israel for idolatry, and the three years and six months is probably derived from “in the third year” (1 Kings 18:1) as symbolic of judgment (half of seven; see Dan. 7:25; 12:7; Rev. 11:2; 12:6, 14; 13:5).

Concluding Admonition. The style of James is abrupt, and there is no concluding greeting as in most NT letters. Instead, James calls the community to action in helping those who have fallen into the ethical sins dealt with in the book. Therefore, this closing section acts as a summary of various sins and their solutions.

The righteous saints must be vigilant in spotting anyone who wanders from the truth, namely, by not living in accord with the word of truth (1:18) as enunciated in this letter. Right belief is exhibited in right living (1:19–27).

save his soul from death. Not physical death (cf. 1 Cor. 11:30) but spiritual death (cf. 1 John 5:16–17). Timely intervention (see Gal. 6:1; Heb. 3:13) will “save his soul” and bring forgiveness from God. The person who saves the sinner in this case is the person who restores the one who has fallen. Ultimately, of course, only the Lord saves a person. The one who restores the person will cover the many sins of the one who had strayed, for the one who returns from the way of error receives forgiveness. Again, only God can cover sin, but Christians can be agents of God’s forgiveness.