James 2:16

Jas 2:16. Ἐξ ὑμῶν, of you) This tacit appeal to the judgment of his readers makes the Apodosis more forcible.—ὑπάγετε ἐν εἰρήνῃ, Go in peace) A form of repulse even now in use: God help you, that is, expect no help from me.—θερμαίνεσθε καὶ χορτάζεσθε, 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.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Jam_2:16 describes the conduct towards those requiring help.

τις ἐξ ὑμῶν] is to be taken generally, and is not, with Grotius, to be limited to those qui fidem creditis sufficere ad salutem.

The address: ὑπάγετε ἐν εἰρήνῃ] expresses a friendly wish at departure; similar to πορεύεσθε ἐν εἰρήνῃ, Act_16:36; Jdg_18:6. ὑπάγειν εἰς εἰρήνην (Mar_5:34; Luk_7:50, and other places) is somewhat different, where εἰρήνη and ὑπάγειν are not yet conceived as united.

With θερμαίνεσθε with reference to γυμνοί, 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).

θερμαίνεσθε and χορτάζεσθε 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 μὴ δῶτε δέ is explained from ἐξ ὑμῶν; τὰ ἐπιδήδεια (ἅπ. λεγ.) = τὰ ἀναγκαῖα (Gloss.: τὰ πρὸς τροφὴν ἁρμόδια; Suidas: ἀφορμαὶ εἰς τὸν βίον; 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 τί τὸ ὄφελος; brings forward that such a sympathy which is χωρὶς ἔργων profits nothing, has no efficacy; to this neither egentibus (Hottinger) nor dicentibus (Gomar, Baumgarten, Semler) is to be supplied.

Meyer — Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament — English translation by Peter Christie, edited by Frederick Crombie (T&T Clark, 1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Jas 2:16 . ὑπάγετε , θερμαίνεσθε , χορτάζεσθε : these words do not seem to be spoken in irony; this is clear from the τί τὸ ὄφελος . 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 πίστις that these people should leave to their Heavenly Father what, according to both Jewish and Christian teaching, it was their duty to do. μὴ δῶτε δὲ : “The plural is often used after an indefinite singular” (Mayor). τὰ ἐπιτήδεια τοῦ σώματος : only here in the N.T., but often found in classical writers; Mayor gives instances. τί τὸ ὄφελος : 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.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The habit of receiving passively sentimental impressions from sights of woe without carrying them out into active habits only hardens the heart.

one of you--James brings home the case to his hearers individually.

Depart in peace--as if all their wants were satisfied by the mere words addressed to them. The same words in the mouth of Christ, whose faith they said they had, were accompanied by efficient deeds of love.

be . . . warmed--with clothing, instead of being as heretofore "naked" (Jam 2:15; Job 31:20).

filled--instead of being "destitute of food" (Mat 15:37).

what doth it profit--concluding with the same question as at the beginning, Jam 2:14. Just retribution: kind professions unaccompanied with corresponding acts, as they are of no "profit" to the needy object of them, so are of no profit to the professor himself. So faith consisting in mere profession is unacceptable to God, the object of faith, and profitless to the possessor.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

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.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(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.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

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.”

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

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.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

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."

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

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.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Depart in peace (uJpagete ejn eijrhnh cf. nhn)" Act_16:36. This is something quite different from the fullness of our Lord"s benediction, "Go into peace (upage eijv eijrh) (Mar_5:34; cf. Luk_7:50 Luk_8:48)

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

16. Depart in peace. Express to the needy only kind wishes; that he be warmed by receiving good clothing and fed by food being provided. Such good wishes are worthless unless followed up by active help to the sufferer.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

16. χορτάζοσθε, from χόρτος, see note Jas 1:11, and for the verb note on Mat 5:6 in this series. First of cattle, ‘to feed,’ βοσκημάτων δίκην … βόσκονται χορταζόμενοι, Plato, Rep. 586: then, as a coarse comic word, of man, ‘to eat.’ In later Greek χορτάζειν means to satisfy, so frequently in synoptic gospels; elsewhere in N.T. only here and Joh 6:26; Php 4:12; Rev 19:21.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

16.] The quality, and unprofitableness, of such faith shewn, as in vv. 2, 3, by a familiar example.

16.] and (δέ 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 λέγῃ: 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 γυμνοί) and filled (both are in the present, as indicating the state in which),—but ye (answering to the τίς ἐξ ὑμῶν, and now applying the hypothesis to all) give them not (have not given them: but see above on εἴπῃ) the necessaries of the body (so Herod, ii. 174, ὅκως μιν ἐπιλείποι τὰ ἐπιτήδεια κ.τ.λ: Thuc. ii. 23, ὅσον εἶχον τὰ ἐπιτήδεια. See Kypke’s note here, and Wetstein), what is the profit (τό, see above, ver. 14)?

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

16. ὑπάγετε ἐν εἰρήνῃ, “good bye,” a Jewish expression; cf. Act 16:36, Mar 5:34, Luk 7:50, Jdg 18:6, 1Sa 1:17, 1Sa 1:20:42, 2Sa 15:9; cf. J. Friedmann, Der gesellschaftliche Verkehr und die Umgangsformeln in talmudischer Zeit, Berlin, 1914, p. 34.

θερμαίνεσθε καὶ χορτάζεσθε. The context requires that these be taken as passive; and, indeed, in order to say “warm and feed yourselves” it would be necessary in the late usage of the N. T. to use the active with a reflexive pronoun, ὑμᾶς αὐτούς, ἑαυτούς; cf. e. g. 1:22 παραλογιζόμενοι ἑαυτούς. Cf. Blass-Debrunner, § 310.

That θερμαίνειν was commonly used of the effect of warm clothes is shown by Job 31:20, Hag 1:6, but also by Plut. Quœst. conviv. vi, 6, p. 691 D, and a curious passage (quoted by Wetstein) in which Galen (De vir. medic. simpl. ii) criticises the common neglect of writers to observe the distinction between that which warms and that which merely keeps off the cold.

δῶτε, plural after τις, which is treated as a kind of collective. See Hadley-Allen, § 609 a; Krüger, § 58, 4, A. 5.

τὰ ἐπιτήδεια, “the necessaries of life.” Not elsewhere in the N. T.; occasionally in LXX, but with no corresponding Hebrew word.

ὄφελος] sine tov BC*; cf. v. 14.

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Depart in peace [υπαγετε εν ειρηνη] . Compare upage or paoreuou eijv eijrhnhn, go into peace, Mr 5:34; Luk 7:50. Be filled [χορταζεσθε] . See on Mt 5:6.

Those things which are needful [τα επιτηδεια] . Only here in New Testament.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.