{Come now, ye rich} (age nun hoi plousioi). Exclamatory
interjection as in 4:13 . Direct address to the rich as a class
as in 1Ti 6:17 . Apparently here James has in mind the rich as a
class, whether believer, as in 1:10f. , or unbeliever, as in
2:1f.,6 . The plea here is not directly for reform, but a
warning of certain judgment ( 5:1-6 ) and for Christians "a
certain grim comfort in the hardships of poverty" (Ropes) in
5:7-11 . {Weep and howl} (klausate ololuzontes). "Burst into
weeping (ingressive aorist active imperative of klai(935c) as in
4:9 ), howling with grief" (present active participle of the old
onomatopoetic verb ololuz(935c), here only in N.T., like Latin
_ululare_, with which compare alalaz(935c) in Mt 5:38 . {For your
miseries} (epi tais talaip(9372)iais hum(936e)). Old word from
alaip(9372)os ( Ro 7:24 ) and like alaip(9372)e(935c) in Jas 4:9 (from
la(935c) to endure and p(9372)os a callus). {That are coming upon
you} ( ais eperchomenais). Present middle participle of the old
compound eperchomai to come upon, used here in futuristic
prophetic sense.
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