The Meaning of James 2:5 Explained

James 2:5

KJV: Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?

YLT: Hearken, my brethren beloved, did not God choose the poor of this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the reign that He promised to those loving Him?

Darby: Hear, my beloved brethren: Has not God chosen the poor as to the world, rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to them that love him?

ASV: Hearken, my beloved brethren; did not God choose them that are poor as to the world to be rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he promised to them that love him?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Hearken,  my  beloved  brethren,  Hath  not  God  chosen  the poor  of this  world  rich  in  faith,  and  heirs  of the kingdom  which  he hath promised  to them that love  him? 

What does James 2:5 Mean?

Study Notes

world
kosmos = mankind.
The Greek word kosmos means "order," "arrangement," and so, with the Greeks, "beauty"; for order and arrangement in the sense of system are at the bottom of the Greek conception of beauty.
When used in the N.T. of humanity, the "world" of men, it is organized humanity-- humanity in families, tribes, nations--which is meant. The word for chaotic, unorganized humanity--the mere mass of man is thalassa, the "sea" of men (e.g.) Revelation 13:1 (See Scofield " Revelation 13:8 ") . For "world" (kosmos) in the bad ethical sense, "world system" John 7:7 .

Verse Meaning

Since God has chosen the poor of this world to be the recipients of His blessings it is inconsistent for Christians to withhold blessings from them (cf. Matthew 5:3; Luke 6:20). Really God has chosen more poor people than rich ( Luke 1:52; 1 Corinthians 1:26). The "kingdom" is probably the messianic millennial kingdom in which Christians will participate with Christ whom they love. [1] This seems clear from the context. The heirs of this kingdom, those who will receive it, are believers (cf. James 1:12; Matthew 5:3; Matthew 5:5; Mark 10:17-22; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Galatians 5:21; Ephesians 5:5).

Context Summary

James 2:1-13 - Avoid Servility To The Rich
This sin of making distinctions in God's house is as rife today as ever; and wherever it is practiced the divine Spirit departs. God's love is impartial, so far as outward appearances might affect it; and in His Church the only real differences must be those of humility, purity and righteousness.
"Blessed are the poor in spirit," whether they be rich in this world's goods or not. But it is easier for a poor man to be rich in faith and an heir of the Kingdom, because he can give more of his attention to the things of the Spirit.
The law of love must be supreme with us; and we must love our fellows, whatever their position or property, as ourselves, for Christ's sake. If we fail in this, we show that we have never entered into the heart of the Christian faith. A man may observe all the laws of health; but if he inhale one whiff of poison he may die; so we may be outwardly obedient to the entire Decalogue, but delinquency in love will invalidate everything. [source]

Chapter Summary: James 2

1  Do not regard the rich and despise the poor brothers;
13  rather we are to be loving and merciful;
14  and not to boast of faith without deeds;
17  because faith without deeds is useless;
19  as is the faith of the demons;
21  however, Abraham displayed both faith and actions;
25  as did Rahab

Greek Commentary for James 2:5

Did not God choose? [ουχ ο τεος εχελεχατο]
Affirmative answer expected. First aorist middle (indirect, God chose for himself) indicative of εκλεγω — eklegō the very form used by Paul three times of God‘s choice in 1 Corinthians 1:27. [source]
As to the world [τωι κοσμωι]
The ethical dative of interest, as the world looks at it as in Acts 7:20; 1 Corinthians 1:18; 2 Corinthians 10:4; James 4:4. By the use of the article (the poor) James does not affirm that God chose all the poor, but only that he did choose poor people (Matthew 10:23-26; 1 Corinthians 1:26-28).Rich in faith (πλουσιους εν πιστει — plousious en pistei). Rich because of their faith. As he has shown in James 1:9.Which he promised Genitive of the accusative relative ην — hēn attracted to the case of the antecedent βασιλειας — basileias (the Messianic kingdom), the same verb and idea already in James 1:12 Cf. the beatitude of Jesus in Matthew 5:3 for the poor in spirit. [source]
Rich in faith [πλουσιους εν πιστει]
Rich because of their faith. As he has shown in James 1:9. [source]
Which he promised [ης επεγγειλατο]
Genitive of the accusative relative ην — hēn attracted to the case of the antecedent βασιλειας — basileias (the Messianic kingdom), the same verb and idea already in James 1:12 Cf. the beatitude of Jesus in Matthew 5:3 for the poor in spirit. [source]
Hearken, my beloved brethren []
Alford cites this phrase as one of the very few links which connect this epistle with the speech of James in Acts 15:13. [source]
The poor of this world [τοὺς πτωχοὺς τοῦ κόσμου]
But the correct reading is τῷ κόσμῳ , to the world; and the expression is to be explained in the same way as ἀστεῖος τῷ Θεῷ , fair unto God, Acts 7:20, and δυνατὰ τῷ Θεῷ , mighty through (Rev., before )God, 2 Corinthians 10:4. So Rev., poor as to the world, in the world's esteem. Poor, see on Matthew 5:3. [source]
Rich in faith []
The Rev., properly, inserts to be, since the words are not in apposition with poor, but express the object for which God has chosen them. Faith is not the quality in which they are to be rich, but the sphere or element; rich in their position as believers. “Not the measure of faith, in virtue of which one man is richer than another, is before the writer's mind, but the substance of the faith, by virtue of which every believer is rich” (Wiesinger, cited by Alford). [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for James 2:5

James 2:1 My brethren [αδελποι μου]
Transition to a new topic as in James 1:19; James 2:5, James 2:14; James 3:1; James 5:7. [source]
James 4:6 Wherefore [διο]
To prove this point James quotes Proverbs 3:34.God resisteth the proud (ο τεος υπερηπανοις αντιτασσεται — ho theos huperēphanois antitassetai). Present middle (direct) indicative of αντιτασσω — antitassō old military term, to range in battle against, with dative case (Romans 13:2) as in James 5:6. υπερηπανοις — Huperēphanois (υπερ παινομαι — huperταπεινοις δε διδωσιν χαριν — phainomai) is like our vernacular “stuck-up folks” (Romans 1:30), “haughty persons.”But giveth grace to the humble Anarthrous adjective again, “to humble or lowly persons,” for which word see James 1:9. Cf. James 2:5-7; James 5:1-6. [source]
James 4:6 But giveth grace to the humble [tapeinois de didōsin charin)]
Anarthrous adjective again, “to humble or lowly persons,” for which word see James 1:9. Cf. James 2:5-7; James 5:1-6. [source]
Revelation 2:9 Thy tribulation and thy poverty [σου την τλιπσιν και πτωχειαν]
Separate articles of same gender, emphasizing each item. The tribulation was probably persecution, which helped to intensify the poverty of the Christians (James 2:5; 1 Corinthians 1:26; 2 Corinthians 6:10; 2 Corinthians 8:2). In contrast with the wealthy church in Laodicea (Revelation 3:17). [source]

What do the individual words in James 2:5 mean?

Listen brothers my beloved Not - God has chosen the poor - in this world [to be] rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that He promised to those loving Him
Ἀκούσατε ἀδελφοί μου ἀγαπητοί οὐχ Θεὸς ἐξελέξατο τοὺς πτωχοὺς τῷ κόσμῳ πλουσίους ἐν πίστει καὶ κληρονόμους τῆς βασιλείας ἧς ἐπηγγείλατο τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν αὐτόν

Ἀκούσατε  Listen 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Active, 2nd Person Plural
Root: ἀκουστός 
Sense: to be endowed with the faculty of hearing, not deaf.
ἀδελφοί  brothers 
Parse: Noun, Vocative Masculine Plural
Root: ἀδελφός  
Sense: a brother, whether born of the same two parents or only of the same father or mother.
μου  my 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 1st Person Singular
Root: ἐγώ  
Sense: I, me, my.
ἀγαπητοί  beloved 
Parse: Adjective, Vocative Masculine Plural
Root: ἀγαπητός  
Sense: beloved, esteemed, dear, favourite, worthy of love.
  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Θεὸς  God 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: θεός  
Sense: a god or goddess, a general name of deities or divinities.
ἐξελέξατο  has  chosen 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Middle, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἐκλέγομαι  
Sense: to pick out, choose, to pick or choose out for one’s self.
πτωχοὺς  poor 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: πτωχός  
Sense: reduced to beggary, begging, asking alms.
τῷ  - 
Parse: Article, Dative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
κόσμῳ  in  this  world 
Parse: Noun, Dative Masculine Singular
Root: κόσμος  
Sense: an apt and harmonious arrangement or constitution, order, government.
πλουσίους  [to  be]  rich 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: πλούσιος  
Sense: wealthy, abounding in material resources.
πίστει  faith 
Parse: Noun, Dative Feminine Singular
Root: πίστις  
Sense: conviction of the truth of anything, belief; in the NT of a conviction or belief respecting man’s relationship to God and divine things, generally with the included idea of trust and holy fervour born of faith and joined with it.
κληρονόμους  heirs 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: κληρονόμος  
Sense: one who receives by lot, an heir.
τῆς  of  the 
Parse: Article, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
βασιλείας  kingdom 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: βασιλεία  
Sense: royal power, kingship, dominion, rule.
ἧς  that 
Parse: Personal / Relative Pronoun, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: ὅς 
Sense: who, which, what, that.
ἐπηγγείλατο  He  promised 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Middle, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἐπαγγέλλομαι  
Sense: to announce that one is about to do or furnish something.
τοῖς  to  those 
Parse: Article, Dative Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ἀγαπῶσιν  loving 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Dative Masculine Plural
Root: ἀγαπάω  
Sense: of persons.