Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of James 5:5
Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter.
5. Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton ] Better, Ye lived luxuriously and spent wantonly, the latter word emphasising the lavish and profligate expenditure by which the luxury which the former expresses was maintained.
ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter ] Many of the best MSS. omit the particle of comparison, ye nourished your heart in the day of slaughter. With this reading, the “day of slaughter” is that of the carnage and bloodshed of war, such a “sacrifice” as that which the Lord of Hosts had, of old, by the river Euphrates (Jer 46:10), or the “great slaughter” in the land of Iduma (Isa 34:6). The “rich men” of Juda, in their pampered luxury, were but fattening themselves, all unconscious of their doom, as beasts are fattened, for the slaughter. The insertion of the particle of comparison suggests a different aspect of the same thought. A sacrifice was commonly followed by a sumptuous feast upon what had been offered. Comp. the union of the two thoughts in the harlot’s words (“I have peace-offerings with me; this day have I paid my vows”) in Pro 7:14. Taking this view St James reproaches the self-indulgent rich with making their life one long continuous feast. The former interpretation seems preferable, both on critical and exegetical grounds.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth – One of the things to which the rich are peculiarly addicted. Their wealth is supposed to be of value, because it furnishes them the means of doing it. Compare Luk 12:19; Luk 16:19. The word translated lived in pleasure, ( truphao) occurs only here in the New Testament. It means, to live delicately, luxuriously, at ease. There is not in the word essentially the idea or vicious indulgence, but that which characterizes those who live for enjoyment. They lived in ease and affluence on the avails of the labors of others; they indulged in what gratified the taste, and pleased the ear and the eye, while those who contributed the means of this were groaning under oppression. A life of mere indolence and ease, of delicacy and luxury, is nowhere countenanced in the Bible; and even where unconnected with oppression and wrong to others, such a mode of living is regarded as inconsistent with the purpose for which God made man, and placed him on the earth. See Luk 12:19-20. Every man has high and solemn duties to perform, and there is enough to be done on earth to give employment to every human being, and to fill up every hour in a profitable and useful way.
And been wanton – This word now probably conveys to most minds a sense which is not in the original. Our English word is now commonly used in the sense of lewd, lustful, lascivious. It was, however, formerly used in the sense of sportive, joyous, gay, and was applied to anything that was variable or fickle. The Greek word used here ( spatalao) means, to live luxuriously or voluptuously. Compare the notes at 1Ti 5:6, where the word is explained. It does not refer necessarily to gross criminal pleasures, though the kind of living here referred to often leads to such indulgences. There is a close connection between what the apostle says here, and what he refers to in the previous verses – the oppression of others, and the withholding of what is due to those who labor. Such acts of oppression and wrong are commonly resorted to in order to obtain the means of luxurious living, and the gratification of sensual pleasures. In all countries where slavery exists, the things here referred to are found in close connection. The fraud and wrong by which the reward of hard toil is withheld from the slave is connected with indolence and sensual indulgence on the part of the master.
Ye have nourished your hearts – Or, yourselves – the word hearts here being equivalent to themselves. The meaning is, that they appeared to have been fattening themselves, like stall-fed beasts, for the day of slaughter. As cattle are carefully fed, and are fattened with a view to their being slaughtered, so they seemed to have been fattoned for the slaughter that was to come on them – the day of vengeance. Thus many now live. They do no work; they contribute nothing to the good of society; they are mere consumers – fruges, consumere nati; and, like stall-fed cattle, they seem to live only with reference to the day of slaughter, and to the recompense which awaits them after death.
As in a day of slaughter – There has been much variety in the interpretation of this expression. Robinson (lex.) renders it, like beasts in the day of slaughter, without care or forethought. Rosenmuller (Morgenland) supposes that it means, as in a festival; referring, as he thinks, to the custom among the ancients of having a feast when a part of the animal was consumed in sacrifice, and the rest was eaten by the worshippers. So Benson. On such occasions, indulgence was given to appetite almost without limit; and the idea then would be, that they had given themselves up to a life of pampered luxury. But probably the more correct idea is, that they had fattened themselves as for the day of destruction; that is, as animals are fattened for slaughter. They lived only to eat and drink, and to enjoy life. But, by such a course, they were as certainly preparing for perdition, as cattle were prepared to be killed by being stall-fed.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 5. Ye have lived in pleasure] . Ye have lived luxuriously; feeding yourselves without fear, pampering the flesh.
And been wanton] . Ye have lived lasciviously. Ye have indulged all your sinful and sensual appetites to the uttermost; and your lives have been scandalous.
Ye have nourished your hearts] . Ye have fattened your hearts, and have rendered them incapable of feeling, as in a day of slaughter, , a day of sacrifice, where many victims are offered at once, and where the people feast upon the sacrifices; many, no doubt, turning, on that occasion, a holy ordinance into a riotous festival.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Ye have lived in pleasure; luxuriously and deliciously, giving up yourselves to your sensual appetites, Amo 6:4-6; Luk 16:19,25.
On the earth; where you place your happiness without looking higher, and from whence you fetch your delights, Phi 3:19.
And been wanton: the same word is used 1Ti 5:6; it seems to imply effeminate, lascivious behaviour, as the effect of their riotous living.
Ye have nourished your hearts: either by a Hebrew phrase, ye have nourished your hearts, for ye have nourished yourselves, Est 6:6; Job 10:13; or, ye have cheered up and encouraged your hearts in your luxury by pampering your flesh, {Luk 12:19} and feeding not to the satisfaction of nature, but the inflaming of your lusts.
As in a day of slaughter; either securely, and without fear of the destruction coming upon you, as sheep graze quietly, though by and by to be brought to the shambles; or rather, in a day of slaughter, i.e. in a day of solemn feasting, when many beasts were killed in sacrifice, on which they were wont to feast, Pro 7:14; 17:1. They made every day a feasting day, and that, too, lavishing out other mens dues upon their own flesh, and sparing from their labourers that they might spend upon their lusts. This he brings to aggravate their sin.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
5. Translate, “Ye haveluxuriated . . . and wantoned.” The former expresses luxuriouseffeminacy; the latter, wantonness and prodigality.Their luxury was at the expense of the defrauded poor (Jas5:4).
on the earthThe sameearth which has been the scene of your wantonness, shall be the sceneof the judgment coming on you: instead of earthly delights ye shallhave punishments.
nourished . . . heartsthatis glutted your bodies like beasts to the full extent of your hearts’desire; ye live to eat, not eat to live.
as in a day of slaughterTheoldest authorities omit “as.” Ye are like beasts which eatto their hearts’ content on the very day of their approachingslaughter, unconscious it is near. The phrase answers to “thelast days,” Jas 5:3, whichfavors ALFORD’Stranslation there, “in,” not “for.”
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth,…. This is said of other rich men; for all that is here said is not to be understood of the same individuals, but some things of one, and some of another; some made no use of their riches, either for themselves, or others; some did make use of them, and employed the poor, and then would not give them their wages; and others lived a voluptuous and luxurious life, indulged themselves in carnal lusts and pleasures, and gratified the senses by eating, drinking, gaming, and so were dead while they lived. The phrase suggests, that their pleasures were but short lived, but for a season, even while they were on earth; and that hereafter they would not live in pleasure:
and been wanton; through the abundance and plenty of good things, their delicious way of living, and the swing of pleasures which they took; the allusion is to fatted beasts, which being in good pastures, grow fat and wanton:
ye have nourished your hearts as in a day of slaughter, when beasts were slain for some extraordinary entertainment, or for the solemn festivals and sacrifices the Jews, when they lived more deliciously than at other times; and then the sense is, that these rich men fared sumptuously every day; every day was a festival with them; they indulged themselves in intemperance; they ate and drank, not merely what was necessary, and satisfying, and cheering to nature, but to excess, and gorged, and filled themselves in an extravagant manner: the Syriac version, instead of “hearts”, reads “bodies” and one copy reads, “your flesh”: and the last phrase may be rendered, as it is in the same version, “as unto”, or “for the day of slaughter”; and so the Arabic version, “ye have nourished your hearts, as fattened for the day of slaughter”: like beasts that are fattened in order to be killed, so were they preparing and fitting up by their sins for destruction.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Ye have lived delicately (). First aorist (constative, summary) active indicative of , old verb from (luxurious living as in Lu 7:25, from , to break down, to enervate), to lead a soft life, only here in N.T.
Taken your pleasure (). First aorist (constative) active indicative of , late and rare verb to live voluptuously or wantonly (from , riotous living, wantonness, once as bracelet), in N.T. only here and 1Ti 5:6.
Ye have nourished (). First aorist (constative) active indicative of , old verb, to feed, to fatten (Mt 6:26). They are fattening themselves like sheep or oxen all unconscious of “the day of slaughter” ( , definite without the article) ahead of them. For this use of see Ro 8:36 ( , sheep for the slaughter, from , to slay), consummate sarcasm on the folly of sinful rich people.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Ye have lived in pleasure [] . Only here in New Testament. See on 2Pe 2:13, on the kindred noun trufh, riot or revel. Rev., ye have lived delicately.
Been wanton [] . Only here and 1Ti 5:6.
‘Etrufhsate denotes dainty living : this word, luxurious or prodigal living. Rev., taken your pleasure, is colorless, and is no improvement on the A. V.
As in a day of slaughter [ ] . All the best texts reject wJv, as. The meaning of the passage is disputed. Some find the key to it in the words last days (ver. 3). The phrase day of slaughter is used for a day of judgment, Jer 12:3; Jer 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.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
With consummate sarcasm, James asserts that these rich had gorged themselves and lived like dumb fattening hogs, sleeping just before slaying time, or hog killing time. Luxuriously they had lived the soft life, riotously they had fattened their hearts as fattening ox before slaughter. In spite of all their indulgence, they had still been in want, found no peace and rest in their getting and wallowing in gain of materialism. Isa 57:20-21; Joh 15:5.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
5 In pleasure. He comes now to another vice, even luxury and sinful gratifications; for they who abound in wealth seldom keep within the bounds of moderation, but abuse their abundance by extreme indulgences. There are, indeed, some rich men, as I have said, who pine themselves in the midst of their abundance. For it was not without reason that the poets have imagined Tantalus to be hungry near a table well furnished. There have ever been Tantalians in the world. But James, as it has been said, does not speak of all rich men. It is enough that we see this vice commonly prevailing among the rich, that they are given too much to luxuries, to pomps and superfluities.
And though the Lord allows them to live freely on what they have, yet profusion ought to be avoided and frugality practiced. For it was not in vain that the Lord by his prophets severely reproved those who slept on beds of ivory, who used precious ointments, who delighted themselves at their feasts with the sound of the harp, who were like fat cows in rich pastures. For all these things have been said for this end, that we may know that moderation ought to be observed, and that extravagance is displeasing to God.
Ye have nourished your hearts. He means that they indulged themselves, not only as far as to satisfy nature, but as far as their cupidity led them. He adds a similitude, as in a day of slaughter, because they were wont in their solemn sacrifices to eat more freely than according to their daily habits. He then says, that the rich feasted themselves every day of their life, because they immersed themselves in perpetual indulgences.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(5) Ye have lived in pleasure.And what an indictment is this brought against them by the Apostle:Ye revelled upon earth, and wantoned; ye nourished your hearts in a day of slaughter. The pleasure and wantonness wherein the rich had lived, the selfishness with which they had cared for their own hearts, in a time of death for othersnay, preparation of like for themselves: this is the aggravated wrong, and the inexpiable shame. In the Received text above they are accused of having nourished their hearts as in a day of slaughter, the cries of the victims thus seeming an addition to their own delights; but the charge against them is heavy enough without this insertion.
As they had dealt to others, so the vengeance of God dealt with them. The Passover called together the richest Jews from all parts of the earth, and they themselves were the victims in their last sacrifice. No words can overdraw the fury of the Roman onset, under Titus, when the Temple floors ran with blood, and the roofs raged in fire till all was utter desolation.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
5. On the earth Spoken, as above said, as if from the judgment throne.
Wanton Lascivious, as a result of wealth and luxury.
Nourished Fattened like swine.
In a day of slaughter The crime lasted so as to be, as it were, in the very time of the penalty. The penalty was so sudden as to be in the day of the crime. The (rather, a) day of slaughter ever interrupts the days of oppression, luxury, and lust. So it was in the Jewish state, the Roman empire, the French revolution, and, finally, our own days of slaveholding.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘You have lived delicately on the earth, and been wanton,
You have nourished your hearts in a day of slaughter.’
The rich had already received their consolation (Luk 6:24). They have enjoyed ‘soft luxury’. They have lived in extravagance and wantonly enjoyed many pleasures of overindulgence (compare Jas 4:1). We can compare the rich man in Luk 16:19 who ‘was clothed in purple and fine linen and feasted sumptuously every day’ (and see Amo 6:1-6). Even at a time when many were dying around them, either as a result of the famine or as a result of violence, or even partly because they had not received their wages, the hearts of the rich continued to be nourished, and they fattened themselves up. In other words with death all around them, they have continued with their luxuries unconcerned. Alternately ‘in a day of slaughter’ may signify Judgment day so that we would then translate ‘in the face of the Day of Slaughter’ (compare Isa 34:6; Eze 21:15).
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Jam 5:5. Ye have lived in pleasure, &c. Ye have passed your lives in luxury and voluptuousness; ye have satiated yourselves [every day] as on a day of sacrifice.
It is well known that at their high festivals, or when they offered their eucharistical sacrifices, the Jews used to fare sumptuously, and devote the day to feasting and joy; and very often would drink to excess. How justly was their luxury condemned, when the rich persons here addressed, pampered themselves every day, as other persons used commonly to do on the day of a high sacrifice and festival;while, notwithstanding their plenty, they neglected the poor, and hoarded up riches to spend luxuriously upon themselves!
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Jas 5:5 . A second sin of the rich, namely, their luxurious and gluttonous life , which forms a sharp contrast to the toilsome life of the labourers.
] synonymous terms: , in the N. T. . , in the LXX. Neh 9:25 ; Isa 66:11 (Isa 57:4 ). , only here and in 1Ti 5:6 ; in the LXX. Eze 16:49 ; Amo 6:4 , and other places. Hottinger thus states the distinction between them: deliciarum est et exquisitae voluptatis; luxuriae atque prodigalitatis; comp. the description of the rich man in Luk 16:19 . These and the following verbs are in the aorist, not “because the conduct of the rich is described as viewed from the day of judgment” (1st ed. of this commentary; similarly also Wiesinger), for “this does not suit the present ” (Gunkel), but because James will mark the present conduct as a constant occurrence. The addition ] forms a sharp contrast to the preceding . Whilst the Lord in heaven hears the complaints of the unjustly oppressed, the rich on earth enjoy their lusts, undisturbed by the wrath of God, which shall be revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men (Rom 1:18 ).
] does not add a new idea to the preceding, but brings forward the fact that the rich in their luxurious living find the satisfaction of the desires of their heart. Luther’s translation: “Ye have pastured your heart,” does not sufficiently correspond to the idea ; something bad is evidently denoted by it. Since is literally “to make firm, thick,” it is best here to render it by “to satiate. ” Other expositors translate it by “to fatten; “Lange, by “to make fat. ” is equivalent neither to nor to ; comp. Act 14:17 , and Meyer on that passage; [225] Winer, p. 141 [E. T. 195].
] corresponds to the preceding . These last times are designated by James with reference to the rich as , the day of slaughter , because the sentence of death, which they have incurred, will be directly executed, upon them at the approach of the of Christ (comp. Jas 5:7 ) and the judgment; so also Wiesinger, Brckner, Lange, only the latter arbitrarily understands by the day of slaughter, the day of Israel’s judgment, comprehending the time from the death of Christ to the destruction of Jerusalem. This designation of the day of judgment is also found in the O. T., particularly Jer 12:3 , LXX.: ; Jer 25:34 . By the reading before . a comparison occurs, namely, with the beasts who are to be slaughtered, so that Pott after directly supplies . De Wette explains it: “Ye have pastured your hearts as in the day of slaughter; i.e. according to the comparison with beasts, who on the day on which they are to be slaughtered feed carelessly and devour greedily;” so also Bouman. But the idea “carelessly and greedily” is introduced; also the comparison is unsuitable, since beasts on the day of slaughter do not eat more greedily than on other days. Other expositors, as Wolf, Augusti, Hottinger, and others, take as equivalent to ; Hottinger: corpora vestra aluistis, tanquam pecora, quae saginari solent ad mactationem; but this change of prepositions is arbitrary. Several expositors, as Calvin, Beza, Grotius, Laurentius, Bengel, and others, understand by the day of sacrifice; Calvin: addit similitudinem, sicut etc., quia solebant in sacrificiis solemnibus liberalius vesci. quam pro quotidiano more; the meaning then is: tota vita vestra est quasi perpetuum epulum ac festum continuum (Laurentius); but that expression never elsewhere occurs in this signification. Had James thought on the sacrificial feast or the like, he would have expressed it more definitely; besides, by this explanation the reference to the judgment is entirely awanting, and only the luxurious life is described; but this contradicts the character of the whole section, for if James, from Jas 5:4 onwards, assigns the reason of , he does this not without an earnest pointing to the judgment and its nearness.
[225] Meyer: “The heart is filled with food, inasmuch as the sensation of being filled, the pleasant feeling of satisfaction, is in the heart.”
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
5 Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter.
Ver. 5. Ye have lived in pleasure ] Ye have lain melting in sensual delights, which have drawn out your spirits, and dissolved them, , of .
Upon earth ] No place of pleasure to good men, but of purgatory, banishment, and bondage. A place of that nature, that (as it is reported of the Straits of Magellan) which way soever a man bend his course (if homeward) he is sure to have the wind against him. It was a heavy charge laid upon Dives, “Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things,” Luk 16:25 .
And been wanton ] Fulness breeds forgetfulness,Deu 32:15Deu 32:15 . The word properly signifies, Ye have petulantly skipped up and down, like young kids; ye are so wanton that ye know not whether to go on your heads or on your feet. This was the guise of these rich roiters.
As in a day of slaughter ] For sacrifice; when they used to have good cheer, Pro 7:14 . And hereunto the wise man alludeth, Pro 17:1 . The apostle here seemeth to intimate that these rich sensualists lived upon the cream of sinning, and had such plenty that they picked out none but the sweetest bits to nourish their hearts also.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
5 .] Second class of sins: luxury and self-indulgence . Ye luxuriated on the earth (the last words of Jam 5:4 placed the thought in heaven, where the judgment is laid up) and wantoned ( ., ., “luxuriare, lascivire: alterum deliciarum, alterum prodigenti,” Theile. See on ref. 1 Tim.), ye nourished (satiated, fattened) your hearts ( as in reff., and in Act 14:17 , . Although the body is really that which is filled, the heart is that in which the satisfaction of repletion is felt) in the (the omission of the art. as so common before , , : cf. Mat 8:29 ; Winer, 19. 1) day of slaughter (i. e. as Theile, “Similes sunt pecudibus qu ipso adeo mactationis die se pascunt saginantque lt et secur.” Cf. ref. Jer. is again not for . This seems the simplest and most obvious interpretation. It need not be dependent on the insertion of the ; the sudden and direct application of the image to the persons addressed requires no particle of comparison. And it is no reason against it, which Huther somewhat petulantly alleges against De Wette, that beasts do not eat more greedily on the day of their slaughter than on any other day; for this is not implied. Even if we grant Huther’s own view, that is an expression for the day of judgment, this expression derives its force from the above comparison, and will not let us forget it. Many Commentators, as Calvin, Beza, Grot., Laurentius, Bengel, al., understand . to mean a day of banqueting, when oxen and fatlings are slain. Calvin says, “Solebant in sacrificiis solemnibus liberalius vesci quam pro quotidiano more. Dicit ergo divites tota vita continuare festum.” This might be allowable, were it not that the analogy of above seems to demand the other. It is no objection to it (Huther), that thus all allusion to the judgment is lost; this comes in with the other interpretation, and appositely: but is not absolutely required by the sentiment of the verse, which regards the self-indulgence, &c., of the rich while on earth).
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Jas 5:5 . : . . in N.T.; it occurs in Sir 14:4 for the Hebrew , [59] which means “to revel,” followed by . Luther translates: Ihr habt wohlgelebet, “Ye have lived well”; but the German word “schwelgen” so exactly describes the Greek that one wonders why he did not adopt it; the English “to revel” comes nearest to it, and this is the R.V. rendering of the word in the Sir. passage referred to. with its compounds is used in a good as well as in a bad sense; for the former see Psa 37:4 ; Psa 37:11 ; Isa 55:2 ; Isa 66:11 ; Neh 9:25 . : the contrast is between their enjoyment of the good things of the earth and what their lot is to be hereafter; cf. Luk 16:25 , “Remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted, and thou art in anguish”. : only elsewhere in N.T. in 1Ti 5:6 ; it occurs in Eze 16:49 of the women of Jerusalem who are compared to those of Sodom; see also Sir 21:15 ; the compound . occurs in Amo 6:4 ; Pro 29:21 ; neither the word itself nor its compound is used in a good sense, expressing as it does the living of a life of wanton self-indulgence. : this use of is thoroughly Hebraic, being used in a very wide sense in Hebrew, cf. Psa 104:15 , “ and bread that strengtheneth man’s heart” ( which does not differ from in meaning), cf. Jdg 19:5 . : there is something extremely significant in this quotation from Jer 12:3 , because Jeremiah uses this expression ( ) as the day of judgment; and not only so, but this prophet had also coined a new word for Gehenna, viz. , “Gehargah” = “the valley of slaughter” (Jer 7:32 ; Jer 19:6 ). These expressions “day of slaughter” and “valley of slaughter” belong to Jeremiah ( Enoch , xvi. 1 quotes the expression ), and in using the words “day of slaughter” the writer of our Epistle is undoubtedly giving them the meaning that they had originally; the passage before us probably means that these luxurious livers will be revelling in self-indulgence on the very day of judgment, cf. our Lord’s words in Luk 17:27 ff., “They ate, they drank and the flood came and destroyed them all after the same manner shall it be in the day that the Son of man is revealed”. The tense is in accordance with Hebrew usage of regarding a thing in the future as having already taken place; it is wholly in the prophetic style.
[59] This is not biblical Hebrew, which would be (Isa 66:11 ), or (Neh 9:25 ); occurs in the Targums, but means there “to shout for joy”.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
have. Omit.
lived in pleasure. Greek. truphao. Only here. Compare 2Pe 2:13 (riot).
earth. App-129.
been wanton. See 1Ti 5:6.
slaughter. See Act 8:32. Compare Isa 30:25; Isa 34:6. Jer 12:3.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
5.] Second class of sins: luxury and self-indulgence. Ye luxuriated on the earth (the last words of Jam 5:4 placed the thought in heaven, where the judgment is laid up) and wantoned (., ., luxuriare, lascivire: alterum deliciarum, alterum prodigenti, Theile. See on ref. 1 Tim.), ye nourished (satiated, fattened) your hearts ( as in reff., and in Act 14:17, . Although the body is really that which is filled, the heart is that in which the satisfaction of repletion is felt) in the (the omission of the art. as so common before , , : cf. Mat 8:29; Winer, 19. 1) day of slaughter (i. e. as Theile, Similes sunt pecudibus qu ipso adeo mactationis die se pascunt saginantque lt et secur. Cf. ref. Jer. is again not for . This seems the simplest and most obvious interpretation. It need not be dependent on the insertion of the ; the sudden and direct application of the image to the persons addressed requires no particle of comparison. And it is no reason against it, which Huther somewhat petulantly alleges against De Wette, that beasts do not eat more greedily on the day of their slaughter than on any other day; for this is not implied. Even if we grant Huthers own view, that is an expression for the day of judgment, this expression derives its force from the above comparison, and will not let us forget it. Many Commentators, as Calvin, Beza, Grot., Laurentius, Bengel, al., understand . to mean a day of banqueting, when oxen and fatlings are slain. Calvin says, Solebant in sacrificiis solemnibus liberalius vesci quam pro quotidiano more. Dicit ergo divites tota vita continuare festum. This might be allowable, were it not that the analogy of above seems to demand the other. It is no objection to it (Huther), that thus all allusion to the judgment is lost; this comes in with the other interpretation, and appositely: but is not absolutely required by the sentiment of the verse, which regards the self-indulgence, &c., of the rich while on earth).
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Jam 5:5. , ye have lived in pleasure) with specious delights, which you have supported from that very hire.- , on the earth) now about to be laid waste.- , and ye have been wanton) with luxury, sordid and mad, and wasting yourselves. Luxury () produces wantonness (); and wantonness is closely joined to slaughter ( ). James describes together the pleasure and the cruelty of the rich, as is suitable to the gradation.- , as in the day of slaughter) An adage. The slaughter here intended is not that of the rich, but of oxen and sheep, etc., for banquets. The thiop. omits it;[67] Mill approves of the omission. Baumgarten blames me for not refuting that approbation; but I have sufficiently refuted such matters, Appar. p. 443 (Ed. ii. p. 78).
[67] AB Vulg. Memph. omit , but support () . Rec. Text prefixes the without good authority. thiop. Vers. omits all the words.-E.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
have lived: 1Sa 25:6, 1Sa 25:36, Job 21:11-15, Psa 17:14, Psa 73:7, Ecc 11:9, Isa 5:11, Isa 5:12, Isa 47:8, Isa 56:12, Amo 6:1, Amo 6:4-6, Luk 16:19, Luk 16:25, 1Ti 5:6, 2Ti 3:4, Jud 1:12, Rev 18:7
been: Isa 3:16, Rom 13:13
as in: Pro 7:14, Pro 17:1, Isa 22:13, Eze 39:17, Rev 19:17, Rev 19:18
Reciprocal: Job 36:11 – spend Pro 1:32 – and the Pro 4:17 – General Ecc 2:1 – I will Isa 32:11 – be troubled Jer 5:28 – waxen Jer 12:3 – the day Luk 12:19 – take 1Ti 5:11 – to wax Heb 11:25 – the pleasures 2Pe 2:18 – wantonness
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jas 5:5. Day of slaughter signifies a day of great preparation for gratification of self at the expense of others. Been wanton means they had lived in luxury upon the things they had fraudulently taken from the poor.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Jas 5:5. The second sin is luxury or self-indulgence. Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wantonrevelled. The Jews at this time were especially addicted to luxury and debauchery.
ye have nourished your hearts, that is, yourselves, as in a day of slaughter. The conjunction as is omitted in the best manuscripts. Various meanings have been given to this expression. Some suppose that it denotes a day of feasting, indicative of the luxurious living of the rich; but the omission of the particle of comparison as is opposed to this meaning, and besides it would be a mere repetition of the previous clause. Others think that it denotes the carelessness and infatuation of these revellers; that they were like cattle which graze and feed, on the very day of their slaughter, utterly unaware of their danger; the day of slaughter being here regarded as the day of Gods vengeance. Perhaps the correct meaning is: You have nourished yourselves like fed beasts prepared for the slaughter. Thus Neander: As the ox is fattened which is led to the slaughter, so have ye by your devotion to the service of your lusts, and by enjoying yourselves in all security, made yourselves ripe for the impending judgment.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
The next sin he charges upon them, is sensuality, luxury, lasciviousness, their eating and drinking to excess in their feasts, pampering themselves for the slaughter and the shambles. These are sins very natural to corrupt nature, but chiefly incident to the rich. Pride, idleness, fulness of bread, and living in pleasure, are too frequently sins that do abound in rich men’s houses: though their abundance is no excuse, but rather an aggravation of their sin.
God allows us to use pleasure, but not to live in pleasure; and by calling it pleasure upon earth, he intimates,
1. That sensual delights are only enjoyed here in this world: 2. That their desires ran after these earthly pleasures only:
The pleasures of the beast only pleased them; whereas the delights of sense are so far from being the chief pleasure for which God designed us, that, on the contrary, he intended we should take our chief pleasure, not in gratifying, but in restraining our sensual appetite, in reducing that rebellious power under the government and dominion of reason and religion.
Fuente: Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament
Jas 5:5-6. Ye have lived in pleasure, and have been wanton . The former word signifies, ye have lived luxuriously; or, as the Vulgate has it, Epulati estis, ye have feasted; it being intended of their luxuries and intemperance in eating and drinking: the latter word is intended of their indulging themselves in lasciviousness and carnal lusts. Ye have nourished Or cherished; your hearts Have indulged yourselves to the uttermost; as in a day of slaughter That is, as beasts are fed for a day of slaughter; or, as the words may be rendered, as in a day of sacrifice, which were solemn feast-days among the Jews. The apostles meaning is, both that the rich Jews pampered themselves every day, as the luxurious did on high festival-days; and that, by their luxury and lasciviousness, they had rendered themselves fit to be destroyed in the day of Gods wrath. Ye have condemned and killed, , the Just One Many just men, and in particular that Just One, termed, (Act 3:14,) the Holy One and Just. They had killed Stephen, also, and they afterward killed James, the writer of this epistle, surnamed the Just. But the expression might be intended to comprehend all the righteous persons who were murdered by the Jews from first to last. And he The Just One; doth not resist you With that display of power which he can easily exert to your utter destruction, and therefore you are secure. But the day will speedily come when God will avenge his own cause, and pour out upon you the judgments he has threatened.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Verse 5
Nourished your hearts; nourished yourselves,–that is, given yourselves up to luxuries and pleasures.–As in a day of slaughter; as in preparation for a day of slaughter. The meaning is, that they have abandoned themselves to every gratification, like an animal fattening for the slaughter.
Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament
Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. 6 Ye have condemned [and] killed the just; [and] he doth not resist you.
These verses would add to the thought that these rich people were believers that knew better, and were living in outward rebellion against what they knew to be right. Isn’t that the context – knowing what is good, and not doing it?
One must wonder how quiet the church assembly was when this portion was being read. The poor and subjugated are quietly saying to themselves, “YES!” “It is about time someone blasts these characters.” And the rich are sitting there wondering if the poor are getting the full implication of this and wondering if they should head for the closest exit before someone takes him down and pounds some sense into him. It had to have been a scene of quiet and tension.
One wonders also if these rich people made good use of James words and changed their ways. Can you imagine being confronted with such bluntness and not making some changes in your life? Don’t count on it. I have seen sinning Christian’s confronted and they have walked away as if they have heard nothing. On the other hand, thank God for His Spirit’s working in lives, I have seen it work the other way as well. This is God’s desire, He does not like to blast a believer, but if they are living in open sin, often He will do that which is needed to change the person’s course.
May each of us, no matter what our sin, be serious about living a righteous life. When the Spirit tweaks our conscience, let us respond immediately to change our ways to His.
“Lived in pleasure” and “been wonton” are very similar in meaning. The first descriptive of the lifestyle and the second the result of that same lifestyle. They have lived to their fullest in pleasure. We have all seen the modern day examples of this pleasure and luxury of the rich.
I was going to use Bill Gates as an example here, but I am not sure I should. He probably lives quite high on the hog and his new home in the Seattle area isn’t a medium income two bedroom home, but he doesn’t really seem to live the “pleasure” and “wonton” lifestyle. He goes to work; he does live nicely etc. but doesn’t seem to be the pleasure seeker than many of the rich seem to be.
We know that the rich and famous usually live like they are rich, and find grand pleasure in it. The last phrase seems to go to the extent of their pleasure and wantonness. They live as if every day is the day the animals are slaughtered and they have all that they could possibly want or use.
I would guess the difference is that the wonton people are those that revel in pleasure, those that seek pleasure, and those that fail to do other things due to their involvement in seeking pleasure. Others simply enjoy what they have, yet have a healthy desire to live in a decent manner.
My in-laws knew the man that discovered artificial insemination for Chickens and had made his fortune. They were members of the same church and when visiting the in-laws one time we were invited into this couples home. It was a larger home, it was furnished nicely, but the home was not that uncommon for that period of time and very modest for the money that the couple obviously had. The only real extravagance in the home that I saw was a microwave oven. That was back when they cost over a thousand dollars and were first on the market.
The man had one wonton part to his being however; he had discovered an ice-cream shop that had every flavor of ice cream you could find on earth. His passion was trying the different types of ice cream. He would go out and come home with gallons of ice cream, pickle ice cream, bubble gum ice cream, every ice cream one could envision.
These two people were rich, but not locked into pleasure and wantonness, but were well grounded and just common folks. Being rich isn’t wrong, but wrong life going along with being rich can be very wrong.
We aren’t told what James meant by verse six, but we can be assured that the readers in his day knew clearly what he was talking about. They were condemning and killing. The word for killing seems to relate to any killing, but seems to lean toward murder more than just random killing. It may be that they were unjustly having people killed. Indeed, the last part of the verse would indicate this (“killed the just; [and] he doth not resist you.”).
Constable suggests that James may have been speaking hyperbolically when he mentioned killing. He suggests that these are day laborers and that if a person was not paid at the end of the day they could die. He continues that if they were not paid, they could not eat, and after a few days of not eating their strength would diminish and death would occur. True, but I see little to indicate hyperbole in the text.
Fuente: Mr. D’s Notes on Selected New Testament Books by Stanley Derickson
5:5 Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have {b} nourished your hearts, as in a {c} day of slaughter.
(b) You have pampered yourselves.
(c) The Hebrews call a day that is appointed to solemn banqueting, a day of slaughter or feasting.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
The rich are often soft and self-indulgent (cf. Luk 16:19-31; Amo 6:1-6). This is the connotation of luxury, a condition that our culture condones but Scripture condemns. "Wanton pleasure" implies extravagance and waste. In their greedy acquisitiveness the rich fatten themselves figuratively, and sometimes literally, not realizing that they are just preparing themselves for slaughter (judgment) like so many sacrificial animals.
"Like an OT prophet James denounces the wanton luxury of the rich, warning of their coming doom." [Note: Adamson, p. 87.]
This warning should challenge believers to avoid extravagance and self-indulgence when purchasing goods for ourselves.