Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of James 2:16
And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be [ye] warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what [doth it] profit?
16. Depart in peace ] The phrase was one of familiar benediction, and had been used by our Lord to those who came to Him seeking bodily or spiritual healing (Luk 7:50; Luk 8:48; Act 16:36). It would naturally only be used where such wants, if they existed, had been, or were going to be, relieved.
be ye warmed and filled ] The first verb refers obviously to the naked, the second to those who are destitute of food. The Greek verbs may be either in the imperative or indicative, “ Get yourselves warmed and filled,” or “ Ye are warming and filling yourselves.” The former is the more generally received interpretation, and represents the kind of benevolence which shews itself in good advice. The idea of mere good wishes is excluded by the use, on this assumption, of the imperative. It may perhaps, however, be questioned whether the indicative does not give a preferable meaning. The man whose faith was only the acceptance and the utterance of a dogma, was mocking the souls of others when he said “God is One God is your Father,” as much as if he said to the naked or hungry, “Ye are being warmed or filled.” No amount of faith on their part could turn that mockery of a feast into a reality, unless they had the food and clothing they needed; and the man who gave a bare dogma to men without the reality of love, was mocking them, yes, and cheating himself, in much the same manner.
notwithstanding ye give them not ] Better, and ye give them not. The change to the plural generalises the individual case presented in “one of you.”
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 16. Be ye warmed and filled] Your saying so to them, while you give them nothing, will just profit them as much as your professed faith, without those works which are the genuine fruits of true faith, will profit you in the day when God comes to sit in judgment upon your soul.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Depart in peace; a usual form of salutation, wherein, under the name of peace, they wished all prosperity and happiness to them they greeted, Mar 5:34; Luk 7:50; 8:48.
Be ye warmed; i.e. be ye clothed; the warmth here mentioned being such as is procured by clothes, Job 31:20.
And be ye filled, or, satisfied with food; a metaphor from the fatting of cattle with grass or hay. The same word is used, Mat 14:20; Mar 6:42; Phi 4:12. These two good wishes answer the two former great wants.
Notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; understand, when yet ye are able to relieve them; for he speaks to the rich, or such as were in a capacity of being helpful to others.
What doth it profit? Either, what do your good words and charitable wishes profit them, without charitable deeds? Or, what do they profit yourselves? Or both may be included: as your fair speeches convey no real good to them, so they bring in no reward to you from God.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
16. The habit of receivingpassively sentimental impressions from sights of woe without carryingthem out into active habits only hardens the heart.
one of youJames bringshome the case to his hearers individually.
Depart in peaceas ifall their wants were satisfied by the mere words addressed to them.The same words in the mouth of Christ, whose faith they said theyhad, were accompanied by efficient deeds of love.
be . . . warmedwithclothing, instead of being as heretofore “naked” (Jas 2:15;Job 31:20).
filledinstead of being”destitute of food” (Mt15:37).
what doth itprofitconcluding with the same question as at the beginning,Jas 2:14. Just retribution:kind professions unaccompanied with corresponding acts, as they areof no “profit” to the needy object of them, so are of noprofit to the professor himself. So faith consisting in mereprofession is unacceptable to God, the object of faith, andprofitless to the possessor.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And one of you say unto them,…. That is, one of the same faith, and in the same communion and church fellowship.
Depart in peace; wishing them all prosperity and happiness, inward and outward:
be ye warmed and filled; clothed and fed; signifying, that they wished them all the accommodations of life:
notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful for the body; neither clothes to wear, nor food to eat; nothing to warm their bodies, or fill their bellies:
what doth it profit? the Ethiopic version reads, “what doth it profit them?” either the poor brother, or sister, to whom these good words are given, and nothing else; for these will neither warm them, nor fill them; or the persons themselves, that say these tidings to them: and the apostle, by this instance, shows, that as that charity which lies only in words, and in tongue, and not in deed, and in truth, is unprofitable, and good for nothing, even to them that profess it; so that faith, which a man says he has, and yet is without works, is alike unprofitable unto him.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
And one of you say unto them ( ). Third-class condition again continued from verse 15 with second aorist active subjunctive .
Go in peace ( ). Present active imperative of . Common Jewish farewell (Judg 18:6; 1Sam 1:17; 1Sam 20:42; 2Sam 15:9). Used by Jesus (Mark 5:34; Luke 7:50).
Be ye warmed and filled ( ). Present imperative either middle (direct) or passive. We have as a direct middle in Joh 18:18 (were warming themselves) and that makes good sense here: “Warm yourselves.” was originally used for pasturing cattle, but came to be used of men also as here. “Feed yourselves” (if middle, as is likely). Instead of warm clothes and satisfying food they get only empty words to look out for themselves.
And yet ye give not ( ). Third-class condition with (and yet) and and the second aorist active subjunctive of , to give, cold deeds with warm words.
The things needful to the body ( ). “The necessities of the body” (the necessaries of life). Old adjective from adverb (enough), only here in N.T.
What doth it profit? ( ;). As in verse 14 and here the conclusion (apodosis) of the long condition begun in verse 15.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Depart in peace [ ] . Compare upage or paoreuou eijv eijrhnhn, go into peace, Mr 5:34; Luk 7:50. Be filled [] . See on Mt 5:6.
Those things which are needful [ ] . Only here in New Testament.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) Should any Christian say to such a person, needy, naked, hungry or in need of ephemeral things of food and clothing, I wish you well, I hope you find clothes and food”, yet not share with that person the -things which he himself has, things needful for his body – for clothing and food? What profit or gain is there to this needy person in this? Fool or hypocrite?
2) John, another of the inner circle disciples, wrote 1Jn 3:17, “But whoso hath this world’s goods and sees his brother hath need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in Him?” Rhetorically, John, this inner circle disciple, is simply saying that such an one does not manifest the Divine gift of faith or the Divine gift of love, either of the three spiritual gifts which God gives to His children, 1Co 13:13.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(16) And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled.Is it unlikely, knowing as we do the style of the rugged Apostle, that he was drawing other than from the life? Perhaps it was a scene in his own experience during that very famine foretold by Agabus (Act. 11:28-30).
There would, however, seem to be a worse interpretation of the words, beginning so softly with the Eastern benediction: namely, Ye are warming and filling yourselves. It is the rebuke of cool prosperity to importunate adversity: Why such impatience? God is one, and our Father: He will provide. No amount of faith could clothe the shivering limbs and still the hunger pangs; what greater mockery than to be taunted with texts and godly precepts, the usual outcome of a spurious and cheap benevolence.
Notwithstanding ye give them not.The one of you in the beginning of the verse, then, was representative of the whole body addressed by St. James; and now by his use of the plural ye, we see that no individual was singled out for condemnation: the offence was wider and worse.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Jas 2:16 describes the conduct towards those requiring help.
] is to be taken generally, and is not, with Grotius, to be limited to those qui fidem creditis sufficere ad salutem.
The address: ] expresses a friendly wish at departure; similar to , Act 16:36 ; Jdg 18:6 . (Mar 5:34 ; Luk 7:50 , and other places) is somewhat different, where and are not yet conceived as united.
With with reference to , warming by clothing is specially to be thought of (see Job 31:30 ; Hag 1:6 ); but it is inaccurate to explain the verb itself as equivalent to vestiri (Laurentius, Baumgarten, Pott, Bengel, Gebser, Hottinger, Theile).
and are not imperatives of the passive, and to be taken in an optative sense (Hottinger: utinam aliquis beneficens vobis vestimenta largiatur; similarly Grotius, Morus, Theile), but imperatives of the middle: Warm yourselves, satisfy yourselves; only thus does the contrast appear pointed and definite; that they are not properly to be considered as commanding, but as exhorting, is of itself evident. The plural is explained from ; ( . .) = (Gloss.: ; Suidas: ; see Herod. ii. 174; Thuc. ii. 23; Cicero, Off. i. 8: necessaria vitae praesidia); the things necessary for the support of the body, namely, clothing and food. The question ; brings forward that such a sympathy which is profits nothing, has no efficacy; to this neither egentibus (Hottinger) nor dicentibus (Gomar, Baumgarten, Semler) is to be supplied.
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
Ver. 16. And one of you say ] This age aboundeth with mouth mercy, which is good cheap. But a little handful were better than a great many such mouthfuls.
Be ye warmed ] But with what? with a fire of words. Be filled; but with what? with a mess of words. Away with those airy courtesies. How many have we today that will be but as friends at a sneeze! the most you can get of these benefactors is, “God bless you, Christ help you.”
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
16 .] and ( brings in the slight contrast between the want and the manner of its supply) some one from among you (not, as Grot., of you “qui fidem creditis sufficere ad salutem,” hut generally; and put in this form to bring the inference nearer home to themselves) say (rather, ‘ shall have said ,’ not : but the force of the aor. cannot be given in English without overdoing it), Go in peace (see, besides reff., Jdg 18:6 ; 2Ki 15:9 LXX. The words would imply, that the wants were satisfied), be warmed (as being ) and filled (both are in the present, as indicating the state in which), but ye (answering to the , and now applying the hypothesis to all) give them not ( have not given them : but see above on ) the necessaries of the body (so Herod, ii. 174, . . : Thuc. ii. 23, . See Kypke’s note here, and Wetstein), what is the profit ( , see above, Jam 2:14 ) ?
Jas 2:16 . , , : these words do not seem to be spoken in irony; this is clear from the . They are spoken in all seriousness, and it is quite possible that those whom the writer is addressing were acting upon a mistaken application of Christ’s words in Mat 6:25 ff., Be not anxious for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Be not therefore anxious, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? For after all these things do the Gentiles seek; for your Heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things . It was entirely in accordance with their idea of that these people should leave to their Heavenly Father what, according to both Jewish and Christian teaching, it was their duty to do. : “The plural is often used after an indefinite singular” (Mayor). : only here in the N.T., but often found in classical writers; Mayor gives instances. : in the earlier passage in which this phrase occurs there is no question of irony, it is a direct fallacy which is being combated; in this verse, too, the writer is correcting a mistaken idea, this comes out clearly in the next verse.
one. App-123., as in Jam 2:1, Jam 2:4, Jam 2:5.
needful. Greek. epitedeios. Only here.
16.] and ( brings in the slight contrast between the want and the manner of its supply) some one from among you (not, as Grot., of you qui fidem creditis sufficere ad salutem, hut generally; and put in this form to bring the inference nearer home to themselves) say (rather, shall have said, not : but the force of the aor. cannot be given in English without overdoing it), Go in peace (see, besides reff., Jdg 18:6; 2Ki 15:9 LXX. The words would imply, that the wants were satisfied), be warmed (as being ) and filled (both are in the present, as indicating the state in which),-but ye (answering to the , and now applying the hypothesis to all) give them not (have not given them: but see above on ) the necessaries of the body (so Herod, ii. 174, ..: Thuc. ii. 23, . See Kypkes note here, and Wetstein), what is the profit (, see above, Jam 2:14)?
Jam 2:16. , of you) This tacit appeal to the judgment of his readers makes the Apodosis more forcible.- , Go in peace) A form of repulse even now in use: God help you, that is, expect no help from me.- , be ye warm and filled) This is good and courteous advice, if it were realised, so that there were at hand clothing to warm, and food to satisfy.
one: Job 22:7-9, Pro 3:27, Pro 3:28, Mat 14:15, Mat 14:16, Mat 15:32, Mat 25:42-45, Rom 12:9, 2Co 8:8, 1Jo 3:16-18
what: Jam 2:14
Reciprocal: Deu 10:19 – General Deu 15:7 – thou shalt Jdg 19:20 – let all thy wants 2Ch 28:15 – clothed Job 31:19 – General Psa 112:9 – dispersed Pro 19:7 – yet Pro 25:20 – that taketh Isa 58:7 – to deal Mat 5:42 – General Mat 6:2 – when 2Co 8:10 – expedient 2Co 11:27 – nakedness Gal 2:10 – that Eph 4:15 – speaking the truth 1Pe 1:22 – unto 1Jo 1:6 – If 1Jo 3:18 – let
Jas 2:16. It is well to have sympathy for those in need if the expressed wishes are supplemented with actions. But the most touching sentiments that can be spoken will not put any clothing upon a naked body.
Jas 2:16. And one of you say to them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled: warmed in reference to their being naked, and filled in reference to their being destitute of daily food. Expressions of kind wishes toward the destitute; mere words, but no actions. The words are such as, if sincere, would have been followed by corresponding actions. Depart in peace, are the words which our Saviour employed when He dismissed those whom He had cured (Luk 7:50).
notwithstanding ye gave them not those things which are needful to the body, namely, food and raiment.
what doth it profit? What good do your kind words do either to them or to yourselves? Undoubtedly charity, if it have not works, is dead.
And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be [ye] warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what [doth it] profit?
I heard a pastor in a chapel session share that one day one of his church members came to his office and told him a long story of problems, and they had increased on that day, when the family car motor failed completely. The man was in desperate need of a car to keep plugging away at his problems through his job.
The pastor was moved, and asked the man if they could pray together about the problem, fully thinking the man would then leave. As the pastor began to pray, all he could think about was the extra car his family owned. It was sitting, waiting to be used. As his prayer went on, he interrupted himself, and told the man that it was not needed that they pray for a car, because it had already been provided. The pastor gave the man the car and the pastor went back to work knowing that he had served God already that day.
This verse illustrates the faith without works. If someone has a need and you bless them and send them away without help, what profit is there? Likewise, if you have faith without works, what profit is there?
When I was in grade school, if I walked an extra four blocks, I could go to the tiny little grocery store that was in the neighborhood. At lunch when I was leaving for school I would stop at the door and ask my dad for a dime. Sometimes he would give me one, other times there was “no profit” because he would send me away with only a goodbye.
On the destitute persons part, can you imagine the damage to that person when they would come to someone for help and be turned away with a blessing? I have been in this situation and it hurts deeply to be turned away from another believer with the ability to assist but only will send you away with a blessing. How cold those people seem, and how damaged the destitute become when faced with this in an ongoing fashion.
This is why we need to be very sensitive to people in our own time that come to us asking for assistance. When there are so many panhandlers, and scam artists, it is hard to trust anyone that comes looking with their hand out. We need to assist those in need, but we should take care, not to be scammed – a hard situation.
One Sunday morning a young couple with two children came to our church. As the pastor spoke to them, the man finally asked to talk to the pastor alone. He told the pastor that they were having a very hard time and that he would like the church to give them a hand.
The couple knew the staff at a sister church nearby and knew of other pastors in the area so the pastor and deacon opted to give them a check for fifty dollars.
That week the pastor and deacon went to visit the couple. When the man opened the door and saw the pastor and deacon he shut the door and hollered at them to go away. A fifty dollar learning lesson. There was no way that the pastor and deacon could have known this was a scammer, but God asks us to assist, we need to do that as the priority. If we are taken, God will deal with the person one day future.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Fuente: Mr. D’s Notes on Selected New Testament Books by Stanley Derickson