#28 James 4:13–5:6 Against Arrogance

The structure of James 4:13–5:6 as a pericope stands true. The preceding verses and the verses that follow use “brothers and sisters” to identify the audience in 4:11, 5:7, 9, 10. But in James 4:13–5:6 the audience is narrowed to those who say “today or tomorrow” (V. 13). The pericope ends in verse 6. The text also moves back to the majority with the use of “brothers and sisters” in verse 7. As well as by introducing the story of a farmer. The two parts of the pericope are one due to their similar content and the fact that together they are of a greater value. The second held in verse 5:1-6 expands on the ideas presents in 4:13-17 carrying them to their logical conclusion. They sections echo each other with the use of repetition in 4:13 and 5:1 with the words "pay attention.” 

In 4:13 and 5:1 the words “pay attention you” are used to address the audience. James Adamson in NICNT James, points out that the words “pay attention” or rather “come now” in his translation is an expression of encouragement which means that James is sarcastically egging on the rich to mourn and wipe over their actions and future in 5:1. While in 4:13 it is an attack on those who do not follow God.  

The text is outlined as: boasting is sin (4:13-17), with the people and their behavior in (4:13), and James response in (4:14-17), which talks about humility in (4:14-15), and boasting in (4:16); this section is attached to the following by verse (4:17) which says failing to do what is right is sin; this is followed by oppression by the rich (5:1-6), with the warning about future suffering (5:1), the impermanence of riches (5:2-3), and judgment for the rich (5:4-6). 

James 4:13–5:6 echoes the old and new testaments in many ways. Such as boasting in 4:13 is also seen in Proverbs 27:1 and Luke 12:13-21. 4:14 talking about tomorrow is echoed by Matthew 6:34. Wealth fading is seen in 5:2-3 Matthew 6:19-21. God hearing the oppressed is seen in 5:4, Leviticus 19:13, and Deuteronomy 24:14. While 5:5 talks about God as judge and also in Luke 16:19-31. The references to proverbs seem to suggest that James 4:13-5:6 should be read as part of the paths of proverbs which are the way of life and way of death which guides people away from the way of death. While the Comparisions to the Mosaic law show how James affirms the value of the law and character of God. Furthermore, the echoes of Jesus’s saying tell us that his teaching on wealth and oppression are still relevant to us and are important to James's ethical claims about how Christians ought to relate to the rich and poor. 

James 4:13-5:6 affirms a status reversal that is expressed throughout James and other gospels. Earlier in the book James compares the rich to flowers that burn away and the poor to as late blooms in James 1:9-11. This theme is continued in James 2:1-7 where James admonishes believers to not show favoritism to the rich. This idea is also reflected in Mathew’s gospel. With Jesus’s parable of the workers in the vineyard Matthew 20:1-16. Which concludes with the idea that the first shall be last and the last shall be first. This theme is seen in James 5:1 where the wealthy are told to weep. Furthermore James 4:13-5:6 paints a picture whereby the poor shall reap the rewards of the rich. Such as in James 5:5 where the rich are compared to animals that have been harvested. The implications being that they shall become food to the poor.  

James 5:4 seems to constitute an accusation against the rich that they have stolen from the poor. While the preceding verses of James say that there is only one judge in verse 4:12. It seems from this then that the case of the workers in the field and their wages will be decided by God in heaven. In our pericope James predicts the outcome of the trial by saying that they shall weep and moan 5:1. It also appears that in these verses the rich have acted as judges over the poor in verse 5:6 where James declares “You have condemned and murdered the righteous one.” Based on James 4:11 we can deduct that the rich are guilty of acting as judges. 

James 5:2 seems to echo Job 13:28 as well as Job 13 as a whole. In this passage Job and his friends act as judges over Job’s condition, even acting as judge against God. James echoes this by saying that you are destroyed and that moths have eaten the clothes of the rich. The conclusion seems to be that those who judge will be judged and that the rich who see their things destroyed will soon see themselves led to the slaughter.  

Interestingly the use of time throughout James 4:13-5:6 affirms and enhances this idea. Time is only used in the negative sense. Verse 4:13 speaks to the uncertainty of time. Verse 14 portrays life as short. Verse 15 portrays time as uncertain except in regard to the will of God. Verse 5:1 shows the future to hold pain. Verse 2-3 show the present time to be rotting away as the possessions of the rich. Verse 5 tells of the past “self-satisfying” life the rich have lived. The second half of verse 5 says that the rich have only succeeded in preparing for slaughter. The result of this view of time is that time is only useful for realizing the lack time and that the future holds suffering unless you prepare for it.  

What might be the meaning of James 5:6, who is the righteous one? In context it seems that James is referencing the workers in the field. If this is the case it could be that by righteous James more closely means innocent. That is they have done their work, and wait for God to justify them. But there is reason to think that James is referencing Jesus. The case to be made is that no one is righteous see Romans 3:10-12. Except that Jesus was righteous, so he is the only one that this verse could be referencing. Furthermore, the verse uses the word one not many suggesting that there is one righteous person whom the rich have condemned and murdered. There may also be the case that James is talking about himself saying that the rich are oppressing his ministry because he speaks out against them. I think that it is most likely the first case that is right based on the context. But there is a certain value to the ambiguity here. It could be that James meant all or none of these as the answer to the righteous ones that the rich have murdered. This leaves room for people to reaffirm Romans 3:10-12 that says “None is righteous, no, not one.” This also is an echo of Psalm 53:1-3 which claims that no one does good.  

What sort of murder is James talking about in verse 5:6? I don’t think that it is literal. The murder is that of stealing from the workers in the field in verse 5:4. Thus the crimes could lead to the death of the field workers from say starvation but it is not literal. Rather it is a metaphorical murder. Where the actions of the rich lead to death for the poor due to the lost wages and also death for the rich through the final judgement in 5:1. Thus the murder is metaphorical but it is also in the judicial sense by forcing their legal cases against the poor. Echoes of this can be seen in James 2:6 where the rich drag the poor to court. As well as in Isaiah 3:14 where God judges. These verses and others are a part of the Jewish piety-poverty tradition where the rich harass the poor for minor offenses in court. James 4:2 sets up this idea to the hearers of James. James suggests that people commit murder because of the things that they want and concludes this thought in 4:4 by saying that friendship with the world is hostility to God. 

Verse 5:4 admonishes the audience to listen. In some ways this seems to echo the calls to “pay attention” in verses 4:13 and 5:1. But in the first instance James is talking about the foolhardiness of planning, and in the second James is making a declaration. The admonition to listen is like an insult. It is as if James is saying that the reason the rich wrong the poor is because they cannot hear them. James takes this to an extreme by saying that the cries of the workers have reached God in heaven in verse 4:4. If God can hear the cries in heaven surely the master can hear them in his own fields.  

Verse 5:1 calls on the rich to “Weep and moan.” James gives four reasons for the rich to weep, rotting riches, destroyed clothes, rusted gold and silver, and their wealth eating away at their flesh. This too seems sarcastic in that it seems is saying that the rich must care more about their riches, gold, and clothes, more so than their very lives. The call to weep and moan is juxtaposed against the call to listen to the cries of the field workers in verse 5:4. It seems that while the pain of the workers is great it is nothing compared to the future pain of the rich. Their wealth pays them back in dividends in the form of suffering and as evidence in the heavenly trial.  

Signs of wealth in luxury in these verses are interesting. In verse 4:13 wealth is portrayed as perceived control over your environment such when and where you go and what you buy and sell. Verses 5:2-3 tell of the types of riches which were prevalent at the time that of clothes and metals as well as generic wealth which may be understood as food, housing, and flocks/farms. These verses might be an echo of Matthew 6:19-21 where Jesus tells us not to store up treasures on earth for “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” But as we see in verse 5:3 James tries to show the wealthy that their wealth ought not to be given a higher value than their lives. Furthermore, the claims that gold and silver will rust is impossible 5:3. Thus this is a sign of the supernatural intervention of gold. God will make their riches worthless. 

The only other mention of money in these verses is in reference to the wages of the field workers. Why did James bring this up? It doesn’t seem that James is necessarily trying to get the rich to pay the workers as he does not say to repent. But rather goes on to talk about how the wealthy have prepared themselves for the slaughter. If the rich wished to repent then they ought to make themselves unappealing for the slaughter by removing themselves from their luxuries presumably by paying the wages of the field workers. It is odd that James is not trying to get anyone to change but is rather acting as a prophet declaring the failures of the people around him. But this is also necessary since if James called on the rich to pay the field workers, he may become a hypocrite by being the judge and jury, and giving value to what the rich hold dear. Whereas if he was to try to change the ways of the rich they would likely have resisted. By choosing this route he doesn’t become a hypocrite and makes the rich ponder how they could be saved from judgment.  

“What is your life?” asks verse 4:14. The answer follows that you are a mist here today and gone tomorrow. It seems that this was a common theme in the ANE and also in the Bible. Such as in Proverbs 27:1 which says “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.” James suggests an alternative for what you ought to say about the future in verse 4:15. Which is to say “if the lord wills.”