James 2:1–5
James forbids treating the rich better than the poor in the meeting
Study it word by word1My brothers, do not hold the faith of our glorious Lord Jesus the Messiah with partiality.
2For if a man with gold rings in splendid clothing comes into your meeting, and a poor man in filthy clothing also comes in,
3and you pay attention to the one wearing the splendid clothing and say, You, sit here in a good place, and to the poor man you say, You, stand, or sit there under my footstool,
4have you not made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
5Listen, my beloved brothers: has not God chosen the poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which he promised to those who love him?
In its context
…
6But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you, and do they themselves not drag you into the courts?
7Do they not blaspheme the good name that was invoked over you?
Its words in the original
- ἈδελφοίAdelphoi· brother
Brother. Also a close relative, a fellow countryman and, among believers, a brother in the faith.
- προσωπολημψίαιςprosōpolēmpsiais· favoritism
Favoritism: favoring someone for their appearance or position.
- ἔχετεechete· have
Have, possess, hold.
- πίστινpistin· faith
Faith: firm trust in God; also faithfulness.
- κυρίουkyriou· Lord, lord
Lord, master, owner. Said of God, the Lord; in Old Testament quotations it stands for the name YHWH.
- ἸησοῦIēsou· Jesus
Jesus, the Greek form of the Hebrew Yehoshua (Joshua), which means "YHWH saves". It is the name the angel told Joseph to give him (Matthew 1:21).
- ΧριστοῦChristou· Messiah
Messiah: literally "anointed", the king or envoy God consecrates with oil. It is a title, not a surname; in Hebrew, mashiach.
- δόξηςdoxēs· glory
Glory: splendor, honor, the weight of God's presence.
- εἰσέλθῃeiselthēi· enter, go in
Enter, go in, come in.
- συναγωγὴνsynagōgēn· synagogue
Synagogue: the gathering of Jews to read Scripture and pray, and the building where they met.
- ἀνὴρanēr· man, husband
Man, adult male; with a possessive, "husband".
- χρυσοδακτύλιοςchrysodaktylios· gold-ringed
Wearing a gold ring.
- ἐσθῆτιesthēti· clothing
Clothing, robe.
- λαμπρᾷlamprai· bright, splendid
Bright, shining, splendid; also clear.
- πτωχὸςptōchos· poor
Poor, having nothing and depending on others. "Poor in spirit": someone who knows he is needy before God.
- ῥυπαρᾷrhyparai· filthy
Filthy, dirty.
- ἐπιβλέψητεepiblepsēte· look on
Look on, look with care; look on with favor.
- φοροῦνταphorounta· wear
Wear, have on.
- εἴπητεeipēte· say
Say, speak; in the passive, "be called".
- κάθουkathou· sit
Be sitting; dwell.
- καλῶςkalōs· well
Well, rightly.
- στῆθιstēthi· stand, set
Stand, stand still, stop; also set, establish.
- ὑποπόδιόνhypopodion· footstool
Footstool, where one rests the feet.
- διεκρίθητεdiekrithēte· judge, doubt
Distinguish, judge between two things; in the middle voice, doubt, or dispute.
- ἐγένεσθεegenesthe· become, happen
Become, happen, come about; be born.
- κριταὶkritai· judge
Judge: one who decides a case; also one who rules.
- διαλογισμῶνdialogismōn· thought, argument
Thought, reasoning; also a dispute, doubt.
- πονηρῶνponērōn· evil, wicked
Bad, wicked. "The evil one": the devil.
- ἀκούσατεakousate· hear, listen
Hear, listen; also heed.
- ἀγαπητοίagapētoi· beloved
Beloved, dear.
- θεὸςtheos· God, god
God. In the plural or in another sense, "gods".
- ἐξελέξατοexelexato· choose
Choose, select.
- κόσμῳkosmōi· world
World: what God created; also humanity, and humanity living with its back turned to God.
- πλουσίουςplousious· rich
Rich; a rich person.
- κληρονόμουςklēronomous· heir
Heir.
- βασιλείαςbasileias· kingdom
Kingdom: the reign of a king and the place where he reigns. "The kingdom of heaven" is the reign of God.
- ἐπηγγείλατοepēngeilato· promise
To promise.
- ἀγαπῶσινagapōsin· love
Love: to seek the good of the other, even of someone who does not deserve it.