Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.
What does James 5:7 mean?
Consider him that waits for a crop of corn; and will not you wait for a crown of glory? If you should be called to wait longer than the husbandman, is not there something more worth waiting for?
Key themes
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Keep this verse inside James 5:7-8 and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on James 5:7
Be patient therefore, brethren - That is, under such wrongs as the apostle had described in the previous verses. Those whom he addressed were doubtless suffering under those oppressions, and his object was to induce them to bear their wrongs without murmuring and without resistance. One of the methods of doing this was by showing them, in an address to their rich oppressors, that those who injured and wronged them would be suitably punished at the day of judgment, or that their cause was in the hands of God; and another method of doing it was by the direct inculcation of the duty of patience. Compare the notes at Matthew 5:38-41 , Matthew 5:43-45 .
Key words
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brethren. (u) Bartenora in Misn. Taanith, c. 1. sect. 2.((w) T. Bab. Taanith, fol. 4. 2. & 6. 1.
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Be patient therefore, brethren,.
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Be patient therefore, brethren,.
Context in James 5
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James 5 belongs to the closing movement of the book, especially the section often described as patience, prayer, and restoration. James is a wisdom-shaped epistle about testing, speech, wealth, impartiality, works, prayer, and practical holiness. Read this chapter with the wider themes of works, wisdom, and speech in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.
Related topics
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Bible verses about patience and waiting
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