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Selected Verse: James 2:6 - King James

Verse	Translation	Text
Jas 2:6	King James	But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?

Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse

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A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]
The world's judgment of the poor contrasted with God's. ye--Christians, from whom better things might have been expected; there is no marvel that men of the world do so. despised--literally, "dishonored." To dishonor the poor is to dishonor those whom God honors, and so to invert the order of God [CALVIN]. rich--as a class. oppress--literally, "abuse their power against" you. draw you--Translate, "is it not they (those very persons whom ye partially prefer, Jam 2:1-4) that drag you (namely, with violence)" [ALFORD]. before . . . judgment seats--instituting persecutions for religion, as well as oppressive lawsuits, against you.

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]

The world's judgment of the poor contrasted with God's.

ye--Christians, from whom better things might have been expected; there is no marvel that men of the world do so.

despised--literally, "dishonored." To dishonor the poor is to dishonor those whom God honors, and so to invert the order of God [CALVIN].

rich--as a class.

oppress--literally, "abuse their power against" you.

draw you--Translate, "is it not they (those very persons whom ye partially prefer, Jam 2:1-4) that drag you (namely, with violence)" [ALFORD].

before . . . judgment seats--instituting persecutions for religion, as well as oppressive lawsuits, against you.

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]
But ye have despised the poor - Koppe reads this as an interrogation: "Do ye despise the poor?" Perhaps it might be understood somewhat ironically: "You despise the poor, do you, and are disposed to honor the rich! Look then, and see how the rich treat you, and see whether you have so much occasion to regard them with any peculiar respect." The object of the apostle is to fix the attention on the impropriety of that partiality which many were disposed to show to the rich, by reminding them that the rich had never evinced towards them any such treatment as to lay the foundation of a claim to the honor which they were disposed to render them. Do not rich men oppress you? - Referring probably to something in their conduct which existed particularly then. The meaning is not that they oppressed the poor as such, but that they oppressed those whom James addressed. It is probable that then, as since, a considerable portion of those who were Christians were in fact poor, and that this would have all the force of a personal appeal; but still the particular thought is, that it was a characteristic of the rich and the great, whom they were disposed peculiarly to honor, to oppress and crush the poor. The Greek here is very expressive: "Do they not imperiously lord it over you?" The statement here will apply with too much force to the rich in every age. And draw you before the judgment-seats - That is, they are your persecutors rather than your friends. It was undoubtedly the case that many of the rich were engaged in persecuting Christians, and that on various pretences they dragged them before the judicial tribunals.

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]

But ye have despised the poor - Koppe reads this as an interrogation: "Do ye despise the poor?" Perhaps it might be understood somewhat ironically: "You despise the poor, do you, and are disposed to honor the rich! Look then, and see how the rich treat you, and see whether you have so much occasion to regard them with any peculiar respect." The object of the apostle is to fix the attention on the impropriety of that partiality which many were disposed to show to the rich, by reminding them that the rich had never evinced towards them any such treatment as to lay the foundation of a claim to the honor which they were disposed to render them.

Do not rich men oppress you? - Referring probably to something in their conduct which existed particularly then. The meaning is not that they oppressed the poor as such, but that they oppressed those whom James addressed. It is probable that then, as since, a considerable portion of those who were Christians were in fact poor, and that this would have all the force of a personal appeal; but still the particular thought is, that it was a characteristic of the rich and the great, whom they were disposed peculiarly to honor, to oppress and crush the poor. The Greek here is very expressive: "Do they not imperiously lord it over you?" The statement here will apply with too much force to the rich in every age.

And draw you before the judgment-seats - That is, they are your persecutors rather than your friends. It was undoubtedly the case that many of the rich were engaged in persecuting Christians, and that on various pretences they dragged them before the judicial tribunals.

Vincent's Word Studies, by Marvin R. Vincent [1886]
Despised (ἠτιμάσατε) Not strong enough. They had manifested their contempt; had done despite to them. Rev., correctly, dishonored. From the use of the aorist tense, ye dishonored, which the A. V. and Rev. render as a perfect, ye have dishonored, the reference would appear to be to a specific act like that described in Jam 2:2, Jam 2:3. Oppress (καταδυναστεύουσιν) Only here and Act 10:38. The preposition κατά, against, implies a power exercised for harm. Compare being lords over, Pe1 5:3, and exercise dominion, Mat 20:25, both compounded with this preposition. Draw (ἕλκουσιν) Not strong enough. The word implies violence. Hence, better, as Rev., drag. Compare Livy's phrase, "a lictoribus trahi, to be dragged by the lictors to judgment;" Act 8:3, of Saul haling or hauling men and women to prison; and Luk 12:58. Judgment-seats (κριτήρια) Only here and Co1 6:2, Co1 6:4.

Vincent's Word Studies, by Marvin R. Vincent [1886]

Despised (ἠτιμάσατε)

Not strong enough. They had manifested their contempt; had done despite to them. Rev., correctly, dishonored. From the use of the aorist tense, ye dishonored, which the A. V. and Rev. render as a perfect, ye have dishonored, the reference would appear to be to a specific act like that described in Jam 2:2, Jam 2:3.

Oppress (καταδυναστεύουσιν)

Only here and Act 10:38. The preposition κατά, against, implies a power exercised for harm. Compare being lords over, Pe1 5:3, and exercise dominion, Mat 20:25, both compounded with this preposition.

Draw (ἕλκουσιν)

Not strong enough. The word implies violence. Hence, better, as Rev., drag. Compare Livy's phrase, "a lictoribus trahi, to be dragged by the lictors to judgment;" Act 8:3, of Saul haling or hauling men and women to prison; and Luk 12:58.

Judgment-seats (κριτήρια)

Only here and Co1 6:2, Co1 6:4.

Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65]
Do not the rich often oppress you - By open violence; often drag you - Under colour of law.

Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65]

Do not the rich often oppress you - By open violence; often drag you - Under colour of law.

Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826
Do not rich men oppress you - The administration of justice was at this time in a miserable state of corruption among the Jews; but a Christian was one who was to expect no justice any where but from his God. The words καταδυναστευουσιν, exceedingly oppress, and ἑλκουσιν εις κριτηρια, drag you to courts of justice, show how grievously oppressed and maltreated the Christians were by their countrymen the Jews, who made law a pretext to afflict their bodies, and spoil them of their property.

Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826

Do not rich men oppress you - The administration of justice was at this time in a miserable state of corruption among the Jews; but a Christian was one who was to expect no justice any where but from his God. The words καταδυναστευουσιν, exceedingly oppress, and ἑλκουσιν εις κριτηρια, drag you to courts of justice, show how grievously oppressed and maltreated the Christians were by their countrymen the Jews, who made law a pretext to afflict their bodies, and spoil them of their property.

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