It is easy for us to blame one another for our present discomforts. [source][source][source]
"What is forbidden is not the loud and bitter denunciation of others but the unexpressed feeling of bitterness or the smothered resentment that may express itself in a groan or a sigh." [1][source]
James forbade this because it involves improper judging (cf. James 4:11-12). Judgment will take place soon. This verse is a clear indication that the early Christians expected the Lord Jesus to return imminently. [2] If Jesus could return at any moment, He will return before the seven-year Tribulation, which Scripture says must precede His Second Coming to establish His kingdom on the earth. Thus the Rapture must be distinct from the Second Coming, separated by at least seven years. [source][source][source]
"The early Christians" conviction that the parousia was "near", or "imminent", meant that they fully believed that it could transpire within a very short period of time-not that it had to." [3][source]
Imminent means something could happen very soon, not that it must. [2][source]
"In light of the concept of the imminent coming of Christ and the fact that the New Testament does teach His imminent coming, we can conclude that the Pretribulation Rapture view is the only view of the Rapture of the church that comfortably fits the New Testament teaching of the imminent coming of Christ. It is the only view that can honestly say that Christ could return at any moment, because it alone teaches that Christ will come to rapture the church before the70th week of Daniel 9 or the Tribulation period begins and that nothing else must happen before His return." [5][source]
James pictured Jesus poised at the door of heaven ready to welcome Christians into His heavenly throne room. The hope of His imminent (any moment) return should strongly motivate us to live patiently and sacrificially now. [source][source][source]
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
1Rich oppressors are to fear God's vengeance 7We ought to be patient in afflictions, after the example of the prophets, and Job; 12to forbear swearing; 13to pray in adversity, to sing in prosperity; 14to acknowledge mutually our several faults, to pray one for another; 19and to correct a straying brother
Greek Commentary for James 5:9
Murmur not [μη στεναζετε] Prohibition with μη mē and the present active imperative of στεναζω stenazō old verb, to groan. “Stop groaning against one another,” as some were already doing in view of their troubles. In view of the hope of the Second Coming lift up your heads. [source]
That ye be not judged [ινα μη κριτητε] Negative purpose clause with ινα μη hina mē and the first aorist passive subjunctive of κρινω krinō As already indicated (James 2:12.; James 4:12) and repeated in James 5:12. Reminiscence of the words of Jesus in Matthew 7:1.Standeth before the doors (προ των τυρων εστηκεν pro tōn thurōn hestēken). Perfect active indicative of ιστημι histēmi “is standing now.” Again like the language of Jesus in Matthew 24:33 (επι τυραις epi thurais) and Mark 13:29. Jesus the Judge is pictured as ready to enter for the judgment. [source]
Standeth before the doors [προ των τυρων εστηκεν] Perfect active indicative of ιστημι histēmi “is standing now.” Again like the language of Jesus in Matthew 24:33 (επι τυραις epi thurais) and Mark 13:29. Jesus the Judge is pictured as ready to enter for the judgment. [source]
Grudge not [μὴ στενάζετε] Better, as Rev., murmur not. The verb means to sigh or groan. [source]
Standeth before the doors [] In the act of entering. [source]
James 5:12Swear not [μη ομνυετε] Prohibition of the habit (or to quit doing it if guilty) with μη mē and the present active imperative of ομνυω omnuō The various oaths (profanity) forbidden The Jews were wont to split hairs in their use of profanity, and by avoiding God‘s name imagine that they were not really guilty of this sin, just as professing Christians today use “pious oaths” which violate the prohibition of Jesus.Let be (εστω ētō). Imperative active third singular of ινα μη υπο κρισιν πεσητε eimi late form (1 Corinthians 16:22) for ινα μη estō “Your yea be yea” (and no more). A different form from that in Matthew 5:37.That ye fall not under judgment Negative purpose with ινα μη κριτητε hina mē and the second aorist active subjunctive of Κρισις piptō to fall. See κρινω hina mē krithēte in James 5:9. κριμα Krisis (from krinō) is the act of judging rather than the judgment rendered (krima James 3:1). [source]
James 5:12That ye fall not under judgment [πιπτω] Negative purpose with ινα μη κριτητε hina mē and the second aorist active subjunctive of Κρισις piptō to fall. See κρινω hina mē krithēte in James 5:9. κριμα Krisis (from krinō) is the act of judging rather than the judgment rendered (krima James 3:1). [source]
Revelation 3:20I stand at the door and knock [] Compare Song of Solomon 5:2, Κρούω Iknock was regarded as a less classical word than κόπτω . Κρούω is to knock with the knuckles, to rap; κόπτω , with a heavy blow; ψοφεῖν of the knocking of some one within the door, warning one without to withdraw when the door is opened. Compare James 5:9. “He at whose door we ought to stand (for He is the Door, who, as such, has bidden us to knock), is content that the whole relation between Him and us should be reversed, and, instead of our standing at His door, condescends Himself to stand at ours” (Trench). The Greeks had a word θυραυλεῖν for a lover waiting at the door of his beloved. Trench cites a passage from Nicolaus Cabasilas, a Greek divine of the fourteenth century: “Love for men emptied God (Philemon 2:7). For He doth not abide in His place and summon to Himself the servant whom He loved; but goes Himself and seeks him; and He who is rich comes to the dwelling of the poor, and discloses His love, and seeks an equal return; nor does He withdraw from him who repels Him, nor is He disgusted at his insolence; but, pursuing him, remains sitting at his doors, and that He may show him the one who loves him, He does all things, and sorrowing, bears and dies.” [source]
Revelation 3:20I stand at the door [εστηκα επι την τυραν] Perfect active of ιστημι histēmi (intransitive). Picture of the Lord‘s advent as in Matthew 24:33; James 5:9, but true also of the individual response to Christ‘s call (Luke 12:36) as shown in Holman Hunt‘s great picture. Some see a use also of So James 5:2. [source]
What do the individual words in James 5:9 mean?
Notgrumblebrothersagainstone anotherso thatyou may be condemnedBeholdtheJudgebeforethedoorsis standing
Greek Commentary for James 5:9
Prohibition with μη mē and the present active imperative of στεναζω stenazō old verb, to groan. “Stop groaning against one another,” as some were already doing in view of their troubles. In view of the hope of the Second Coming lift up your heads. [source]
Negative purpose clause with ινα μη hina mē and the first aorist passive subjunctive of κρινω krinō As already indicated (James 2:12.; James 4:12) and repeated in James 5:12. Reminiscence of the words of Jesus in Matthew 7:1.Standeth before the doors (προ των τυρων εστηκεν pro tōn thurōn hestēken). Perfect active indicative of ιστημι histēmi “is standing now.” Again like the language of Jesus in Matthew 24:33 (επι τυραις epi thurais) and Mark 13:29. Jesus the Judge is pictured as ready to enter for the judgment. [source]
Perfect active indicative of ιστημι histēmi “is standing now.” Again like the language of Jesus in Matthew 24:33 (επι τυραις epi thurais) and Mark 13:29. Jesus the Judge is pictured as ready to enter for the judgment. [source]
Better, as Rev., murmur not. The verb means to sigh or groan. [source]
In the act of entering. [source]
Reverse Greek Commentary Search for James 5:9
Comp. 2 Timothy 4:1. Mostly in Luke and Acts. oP. Only here in Pastorals. Applied to Christ, Acts 10:42; James 5:9; to God, Hebrews 12:28; James 4:12. [source]
Lit. groaning. See Romans 8:23, 2 Corinthians 5:2, 2 Corinthians 5:4; James 5:9. [source]
Prohibition of the habit (or to quit doing it if guilty) with μη mē and the present active imperative of ομνυω omnuō The various oaths (profanity) forbidden The Jews were wont to split hairs in their use of profanity, and by avoiding God‘s name imagine that they were not really guilty of this sin, just as professing Christians today use “pious oaths” which violate the prohibition of Jesus.Let be (εστω ētō). Imperative active third singular of ινα μη υπο κρισιν πεσητε eimi late form (1 Corinthians 16:22) for ινα μη estō “Your yea be yea” (and no more). A different form from that in Matthew 5:37.That ye fall not under judgment Negative purpose with ινα μη κριτητε hina mē and the second aorist active subjunctive of Κρισις piptō to fall. See κρινω hina mē krithēte in James 5:9. κριμα Krisis (from krinō) is the act of judging rather than the judgment rendered (krima James 3:1). [source]
Negative purpose with ινα μη κριτητε hina mē and the second aorist active subjunctive of Κρισις piptō to fall. See κρινω hina mē krithēte in James 5:9. κριμα Krisis (from krinō) is the act of judging rather than the judgment rendered (krima James 3:1). [source]
Compare Song of Solomon 5:2, Κρούω Iknock was regarded as a less classical word than κόπτω . Κρούω is to knock with the knuckles, to rap; κόπτω , with a heavy blow; ψοφεῖν of the knocking of some one within the door, warning one without to withdraw when the door is opened. Compare James 5:9. “He at whose door we ought to stand (for He is the Door, who, as such, has bidden us to knock), is content that the whole relation between Him and us should be reversed, and, instead of our standing at His door, condescends Himself to stand at ours” (Trench). The Greeks had a word θυραυλεῖν for a lover waiting at the door of his beloved. Trench cites a passage from Nicolaus Cabasilas, a Greek divine of the fourteenth century: “Love for men emptied God (Philemon 2:7). For He doth not abide in His place and summon to Himself the servant whom He loved; but goes Himself and seeks him; and He who is rich comes to the dwelling of the poor, and discloses His love, and seeks an equal return; nor does He withdraw from him who repels Him, nor is He disgusted at his insolence; but, pursuing him, remains sitting at his doors, and that He may show him the one who loves him, He does all things, and sorrowing, bears and dies.” [source]
Perfect active of ιστημι histēmi (intransitive). Picture of the Lord‘s advent as in Matthew 24:33; James 5:9, but true also of the individual response to Christ‘s call (Luke 12:36) as shown in Holman Hunt‘s great picture. Some see a use also of So James 5:2. [source]