The Meaning of James 5:3 Explained

James 5:3

KJV: Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.

YLT: your gold and silver have rotted, and the rust of them for a testimony shall be to you, and shall eat your flesh as fire. Ye made treasure in the last days!

Darby: Your gold and silver is eaten away, and their canker shall be for a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as fire. Ye have heaped up treasure in the last days.

ASV: Your gold and your silver are rusted; and their rust shall be for a testimony against you, and shall eat your flesh as fire. Ye have laid up your treasure in the last days.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Your  gold  and  silver  is cankered;  and  the rust  of them  shall be  a witness  against  you,  and  shall eat  your  flesh  as it were  fire.  Ye have heaped treasure together  for  the last  days. 

What does James 5:3 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Gold and silver do not literally rust. They corrode and tarnish. Nevertheless corrosion does the same thing as rust. It destroys the value of the metal. Christians should use money, not hoard it. Therefore the presence of rust or corroded gold in the rich man"s treasury will bear witness to his unfaithful stewardship of his wealth. James warned that the process that destroys gold and silver is the same process that destroys the people who collect these precious metals. Hoarding wealth is a particularly serious sin for Christians since we are living in the last days, the days immediately preceding the Lord"s return. We should be using our money to get the Lord"s work done, not to enable us to live lives of luxury and laziness (cf. Matthew 6:19-24).
"To lay up treasure in heaven means to use all that we have as stewards of God"s wealth. You and I may possess many things, but we do not own them. God is the Owner of everything, and we are His stewards.
"The Bible does not discourage saving, or even investing; but it does condemn hoarding." [1]
Hoarding, as used here, means accumulating wealth just to have lots of it, for security, prestige, or just selfishness.

Context Summary

James 5:1-11 - Patiently Await The Lord's Coming
There are many among the rich who are using money as a sacred trust. Not against these does the Apostle utter his terrible anathemas, but against those who make money by oppression and hoard it for their selfish ends. Riches, which have not been gotten righteously, ever bring a curse with them; and the rust of unused or misused wealth eats not only into the metal but into the miser's flesh. In the light of this passage, it is as great a wrong to hoard up for selfish ends money entrusted as a stewardship, as it is to obtain it unrighteously.
There is a sense in which the Lord is ever at hand and present. But He shall come again at the end of this age. Then all wrongs shall be righted and the oppressed avenged. Everything comes to him who can wait for it; do not judge the Lord by His unfinished work. Be patient till He unveils the perfected pattern in glory. Await the end of the Lord! [source]

Chapter Summary: James 5

1  Rich oppressors are to fear God's vengeance
7  We ought to be patient in afflictions, after the example of the prophets, and Job;
12  to forbear swearing;
13  to pray in adversity, to sing in prosperity;
14  to acknowledge mutually our several faults, to pray one for another;
19  and to correct a straying brother

Greek Commentary for James 5:3

Are rusted [κατιωται]
Perfect passive indicative (singular for χρυσος — chrusos and αργυρος — arguros are grouped as one) of κατιοω — katioō late verb (from ιος — ios rust) with perfective sense of κατα — kata to rust through (down to the bottom), found only here, Sir. 12:11, Epictetus (Diss. 4, 6, 14). [source]
Rust [ιος]
Poison in James 3:8; Romans 3:13 (only N.T. examples of old word). Silver does corrode and gold will tarnish. Dioscorides (V.91) tells about gold being rusted by chemicals. Modern chemists can even transmute metals as the alchemists claimed.For a testimony (εις μαρτυριον — eis marturion). Common idiom as in Matthew 8:4 (use of εις — eis with accusative in predicate).Against you Dative of disadvantage as in Mark 6:11 Future middle (late form from επαγον — ephagon) of defective verb εστιω — esthiō to eat.Your flesh The plural is used for the fleshy parts of the body like pieces of flesh (Revelation 17:16; Revelation 19:18, Revelation 19:21). Rust eats like a canker, like cancer in the body.As fire (ως πυρ — hōs pur). Editors differ here whether to connect this phrase with παγεται — phagetai just before (as Mayor), for fire eats up more rapidly than rust, or with the following, as Westcott and Hort and Ropes, that is the eternal fire of Gehenna which awaits them (Matthew 25:41; Mark 9:44). This interpretation makes a more vivid picture for ετησαυρισατε — ethēsaurisate (ye have laid up, first aorist active indicative of τησαυριζω — thēsaurizō Matthew 6:19 and see Proverbs 16:27), but it is more natural to take it with παγεται — phagetai f0). [source]
For a testimony [εις μαρτυριον]
Common idiom as in Matthew 8:4 (use of εις — eis with accusative in predicate). [source]
Against you [υμιν]
Dative of disadvantage as in Mark 6:11 Future middle (late form from επαγον — ephagon) of defective verb εστιω — esthiō to eat.Your flesh The plural is used for the fleshy parts of the body like pieces of flesh (Revelation 17:16; Revelation 19:18, Revelation 19:21). Rust eats like a canker, like cancer in the body.As fire (ως πυρ — hōs pur). Editors differ here whether to connect this phrase with παγεται — phagetai just before (as Mayor), for fire eats up more rapidly than rust, or with the following, as Westcott and Hort and Ropes, that is the eternal fire of Gehenna which awaits them (Matthew 25:41; Mark 9:44). This interpretation makes a more vivid picture for ετησαυρισατε — ethēsaurisate (ye have laid up, first aorist active indicative of τησαυριζω — thēsaurizō Matthew 6:19 and see Proverbs 16:27), but it is more natural to take it with παγεται — phagetai f0). [source]
Shall eat [παγεται]
Future middle (late form from επαγον — ephagon) of defective verb εστιω — esthiō to eat. [source]
Your flesh [τας σαρκας]
The plural is used for the fleshy parts of the body like pieces of flesh (Revelation 17:16; Revelation 19:18, Revelation 19:21). Rust eats like a canker, like cancer in the body.As fire (ως πυρ — hōs pur). Editors differ here whether to connect this phrase with παγεται — phagetai just before (as Mayor), for fire eats up more rapidly than rust, or with the following, as Westcott and Hort and Ropes, that is the eternal fire of Gehenna which awaits them (Matthew 25:41; Mark 9:44). This interpretation makes a more vivid picture for ετησαυρισατε — ethēsaurisate (ye have laid up, first aorist active indicative of τησαυριζω — thēsaurizō Matthew 6:19 and see Proverbs 16:27), but it is more natural to take it with παγεται — phagetai f0). [source]
As fire [ως πυρ]
Editors differ here whether to connect this phrase with παγεται — phagetai just before (as Mayor), for fire eats up more rapidly than rust, or with the following, as Westcott and Hort and Ropes, that is the eternal fire of Gehenna which awaits them (Matthew 25:41; Mark 9:44). This interpretation makes a more vivid picture for ετησαυρισατε — ethēsaurisate (ye have laid up, first aorist active indicative of τησαυριζω — thēsaurizō Matthew 6:19 and see Proverbs 16:27), but it is more natural to take it with παγεται — phagetai f0). [source]
Is cankered [κατίωται]
Only here in New Testament, from ἰός , rust, as in the following sentence. Also poison, as James 3:8. The preposition κατά indicates thoroughness, completely rusted. [source]
Flesh [τὰς σάρκας]
The noun is plural: thefleshy parts of the body. So Sept. (Revelation href="/desk/?q=re+19:18&sr=1">Revelation 19:18. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for James 5:3

Romans 3:13 Poison [ιος]
Old word both for rust (James 5:3) and poison (James 3:8). Of asps (ασπιδων — aspidōn). Common word for round bowl, shield, then the Egyptian cobra (a deadly serpent). Often in lxx. Only here in the N.T. The poison of the asp lies in a bag under the lips (χειλη — cheilē), often in lxx, only here in N.T. Genitive case after γεμει — gemei (is full). [source]
Romans 3:13 Open sepulchre [ταπος ανεωιγμενος]
Perfect passive participle of ανοιγω — anoigō “an opened grave.” Their mouth (words) like the odour of a newly opened grave. “Some portions of Greek and Roman literature stink like a newly opened grave” (Shedd). They have used deceit (εδολιουσαν — edoliousan). Imperfect (not perfect or aorist as the English implies) active of δολιοω — dolioō only in lxx and here in the N.T. from the common adjective δολιος — dolios deceitful (2 Corinthians 11:13). The regular form would be εδολιουν — edolioun The οσαν — ̇osan ending for third plural in imperfect and aorist was once thought to be purely Alexandrian because so common in the lxx, but it is common in the Boeotian and Aeolic dialects and occurs in ειχοσαν — eichosan in the N.T. (John 15:22, John 15:24). “They smoothed their tongues” in the Hebrew. Poison Old word both for rust (James 5:3) and poison (James 3:8). Of asps (ασπιδων — aspidōn). Common word for round bowl, shield, then the Egyptian cobra (a deadly serpent). Often in lxx. Only here in the N.T. The poison of the asp lies in a bag under the lips (χειλη — cheilē), often in lxx, only here in N.T. Genitive case after γεμει — gemei (is full). [source]
2 Corinthians 12:14 Not yours, but you [ου τα υμων αλλα υμας]
The motto of every real preacher. To lay up (thēsaurizein). For this use of the verb see note on 1 Corinthians 16:2 (Matthew 6:19-21; James 5:3). [source]
2 Corinthians 12:14 To lay up [thēsaurizein)]
For this use of the verb see note on 1 Corinthians 16:2 (Matthew 6:19-21; James 5:3). [source]
2 Timothy 3:1 In the last days [ἐπ ' ἐσχάταις ἡμέραις]
The phrase only here in Pastorals, Acts 2:17, James 5:3. Similar expressions are ἐν καιρῷ ἐσχάτῳ inthe last season, 1 Peter 1:5: ἐπ ' ἐσχάτου τῶν χρόνων atthe last of the times, 1 Peter 1:20: ἐπ ' ἐσχάτου χρόνου atthe last time, Judges 1:18: ἐπ ' ἐσχάτων τῶν ἡμερῶν atthe last of the days, 2 Peter 3:3: ἐν ὑστέροις καιροῖς inthe latter seasons, 1 Timothy 4:1. The times immediately preceding Christ's second appearing are meant. Comp. Hebrews 1:2; James 5:3. [source]
2 Timothy 3:1 In the last days [εν εσχαταις ημεραις]
See note on James 5:3 and 1 Timothy 4:1. Grievous (χαλεποι — chalepoi). Hard. See Ephesians 5:16. Shall come Future middle of ενιστημι — enistēmi (intransitive use), old verb, to stand on or be at hand, as in 2 Thessalonians 2:2. [source]
James 5:5 As in a day of slaughter [ὡς ἐν ἡμέρᾳ σφαγῆς]
All the best texts reject ὡς , as. The meaning of the passage is disputed. Some find the key to it in the words last days (James 5:3). The phrase day of slaughter is used for a day of judgment, Jeremiah 12:3; 25:34: (Sept.). According to this, the meaning is, the day of judgment, at the supposed near coming of Christ. Others explain that these men are like beasts, which, on the very day of their slaughter, gorge themselves in unconscious security. [source]
James 3:8 Poison [ἰοῦ]
Rendered rust at James 5:3; and found only in these two passages and in Romans 3:13, in the citation of Psalm 140:3. [source]
James 3:8 Full of deadly poison [μεστη ιου τανατηπορου]
Feminine adjective agreeing with γλωσσα — glōssa not with κακον — kakon (neuter). Ιου — Iou (poison here, as in Romans 3:13, but rust in James 5:3, only N.T. examples), old word. Genitive case after μεστη — mestē (full of). Τανατηπορου — Thanatēphorou old compound adjective (from τανατος — thanatos death, περω — pherō to bear or bring), death-bringing. Here only in N.T. Like the restless death-bringing tongue of the asp before it strikes. [source]
James 3:8 A restless evil [ακαταστατον κακον]
Correct reading, not ακατασχετον — akatascheton for which see note on James 1:8. The tongue is evil when set on fire by hell, not evil necessarily.Full of deadly poison (μεστη ιου τανατηπορου — mestē iou thanatēphorou). Feminine adjective agreeing with γλωσσα — glōssa not with κακον — kakon (neuter). Ιου — Iou (poison here, as in Romans 3:13, but rust in James 5:3, only N.T. examples), old word. Genitive case after μεστη — mestē (full of). Τανατηπορου — Thanatēphorou old compound adjective (from τανατος — thanatos death, περω — pherō to bear or bring), death-bringing. Here only in N.T. Like the restless death-bringing tongue of the asp before it strikes. [source]
1 Peter 1:5 Are guarded [προυρουμενους]
Present (continuous process) passive articular Intermediate agency (δια — dia), the immediate being (εν — en in, by) God‘s power.Unto a salvation Deliverance is the goal Prepared awaiting God‘s will (Galatians 3:23; Romans 8:18).To be revealed First aorist passive infinitive of αποκαλυπτω — apokaluptō to unveil. Cf. Colossians 3:4 for πανεροω — phaneroō (to manifest) in this sense.In the last time (εν καιρωι εσχατωι — en kairōi eschatōi). This precise phrase nowhere else, but similar ones in John 6:39; Acts 2:17; James 5:3; 2 Timothy 3:1; 2 Peter 3:3; Hebrews 1:2; Judges 1:18; 1 John 2:18. Hort translates it here “in a season of extremity,” but it is usually taken to refer to the Day of Judgment. That day no one knows, Jesus said. [source]
1 Peter 1:5 Unto a salvation [εις σωτηριαν]
Deliverance is the goal Prepared awaiting God‘s will (Galatians 3:23; Romans 8:18).To be revealed First aorist passive infinitive of αποκαλυπτω — apokaluptō to unveil. Cf. Colossians 3:4 for πανεροω — phaneroō (to manifest) in this sense.In the last time (εν καιρωι εσχατωι — en kairōi eschatōi). This precise phrase nowhere else, but similar ones in John 6:39; Acts 2:17; James 5:3; 2 Timothy 3:1; 2 Peter 3:3; Hebrews 1:2; Judges 1:18; 1 John 2:18. Hort translates it here “in a season of extremity,” but it is usually taken to refer to the Day of Judgment. That day no one knows, Jesus said. [source]
1 Peter 1:5 To be revealed [αποκαλυπτηναι]
First aorist passive infinitive of αποκαλυπτω — apokaluptō to unveil. Cf. Colossians 3:4 for πανεροω — phaneroō (to manifest) in this sense.In the last time (εν καιρωι εσχατωι — en kairōi eschatōi). This precise phrase nowhere else, but similar ones in John 6:39; Acts 2:17; James 5:3; 2 Timothy 3:1; 2 Peter 3:3; Hebrews 1:2; Judges 1:18; 1 John 2:18. Hort translates it here “in a season of extremity,” but it is usually taken to refer to the Day of Judgment. That day no one knows, Jesus said. [source]
1 Peter 1:5 In the last time [εν καιρωι εσχατωι]
This precise phrase nowhere else, but similar ones in John 6:39; Acts 2:17; James 5:3; 2 Timothy 3:1; 2 Peter 3:3; Hebrews 1:2; Judges 1:18; 1 John 2:18. Hort translates it here “in a season of extremity,” but it is usually taken to refer to the Day of Judgment. That day no one knows, Jesus said. [source]
1 John 2:18 The last hour [ἐσχάτη ὥρα]
The phrase only here in the New Testament. On John's use of ὥρα houras marking a critical season, see John 2:4; John 4:21, John 4:23; John 5:25, John 5:28; John 7:30; John 8:20; John 11:23, John 11:27; John 16:2, John 16:4, John 16:25, John 16:32. The dominant sense of the expression last days, in the New Testament, is that of a period of suffering and struggle preceding a divine victory. See Acts 2:17; James 5:3; 1 Peter 1:20. Hence the phrase here does not refer to the end of the world, but to the period preceding a crisis in the advance of Christ's kingdom, a changeful and troublous period, marked by the appearance of “many antichrists.” [source]
Revelation 17:16 Shall eat her flesh []
A token of extreme hostility. See Psalm 27:2; Micah 3:3. Xenophon, speaking of the hatred between the pure Spartans and the Helots, says that no one of the pure Spartans could conceal his readiness to eat the Helot raw. Notice the plural σάρκας fleshand see on James 5:3. [source]
Revelation 17:16 Shall eat her flesh [τας σαρκας αυτης παγονται]
Future middle of the defective verb εστιω — esthiō to eat. Note plural σαρκας — sarkas portions of flesh (James 5:3) as in Psalm 27:2; Micah 3:3. [source]
Revelation 17:16 Shall make her desolate and naked [ηρημωμενην ποιησουσιν αυτην και γυμνην]
Future active of ποιεω — poieō and perfect passive predicate accusative participle of ερημοω — erēmoō old verb (from ερημος — erēmos desolate), again in Revelation 18:16, Revelation 18:19. Γυμνην — Gumnēn (naked) is predicate adjective.Shall eat her flesh (τας σαρκας αυτης παγονται — tas sarkas autēs phagontai). Future middle of the defective verb εστιω — esthiō to eat. Note plural σαρκας — sarkas portions of flesh (James 5:3) as in Psalm 27:2; Micah 3:3.Shall burn her utterly with fire Future active of κατακαιω — katakaiō to burn down (perfective use of καιω — kaiō). John wrote before the days of Alaric, Genseric, Ricimer, Totila, with their hordes which devastated Rome and the west in the fifth and sixth centuries. “No reader of the Decline and Fall can be at a loss for materials which will at once illustrate and justify the general trend of St. John‘s prophecy” (Swete). [source]

What do the individual words in James 5:3 mean?

The gold of you and silver have corroded rust of them for a testimony against you will be will eat the flesh like fire You have treasured up in [the] last days
χρυσὸς ὑμῶν καὶ ἄργυρος κατίωται ἰὸς αὐτῶν εἰς μαρτύριον ὑμῖν ἔσται φάγεται τὰς σάρκας ὡς πῦρ Ἐθησαυρίσατε ἐν ἐσχάταις ἡμέραις

χρυσὸς  gold 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: χρυσός  
Sense: precious things made of gold, golden ornaments.
ὑμῶν  of  you 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 2nd Person Plural
Root: σύ  
Sense: you.
ἄργυρος  silver 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἄργυρος  
Sense: silver.
κατίωται  have  corroded 
Parse: Verb, Perfect Indicative Middle or Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: κατιόω  
Sense: to rust over, cover with rust.
ἰὸς  rust 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἰός  
Sense: poison (of animals).
αὐτῶν  of  them 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
μαρτύριον  a  testimony 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: μαρτύριον  
Sense: testimony.
ὑμῖν  against  you 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative 2nd Person Plural
Root: σύ  
Sense: you.
ἔσται  will  be 
Parse: Verb, Future Indicative Middle, 3rd Person Singular
Root: εἰμί  
Sense: to be, to exist, to happen, to be present.
φάγεται  will  eat 
Parse: Verb, Future Indicative Middle, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἐσθίω  
Sense: to eat.
σάρκας  flesh 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Plural
Root: σάρξ  
Sense: flesh (the soft substance of the living body, which covers the bones and is permeated with blood) of both man and beasts.
ὡς  like 
Parse: Adverb
Root: ὡς 
Sense: as, like, even as, etc.
πῦρ  fire 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root: πῦρ  
Sense: fire.
Ἐθησαυρίσατε  You  have  treasured  up 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 2nd Person Plural
Root: θησαυρίζω  
Sense: to gather and lay up, to heap up, store up.
ἐσχάταις  [the]  last 
Parse: Adjective, Dative Feminine Plural
Root: ἔσχατος  
Sense: extreme.
ἡμέραις  days 
Parse: Noun, Dative Feminine Plural
Root: ἡμέρα  
Sense: the day, used of the natural day, or the interval between sunrise and sunset, as distinguished from and contrasted with the night.