the Week of Proper 13 / Ordinary 18
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Myles Coverdale Bible
James 1:9
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Let the brother of humble circumstances boast in his exaltation,
Let the brother of low degree, reioyce in that he is exalted:
Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted:
Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation,
Now the brother or sister of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position;
Believers who are poor should take pride that God has made them spiritually rich.
But the brother of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position;
The brother in humble circumstances should exult in his high position.
Any of God's people who are poor should be glad that he thinks so highly of them.
Let the brother in humble circumstances boast about his high position.
But let the brother of low degree glory in his elevation,
Believers who are poor should be glad that God considers them so important.
Let the brother of lowe degree reioyce in that he is exalted:
Let the brother of low estate rejoice because he is exalted.
Those Christians who are poor must be glad when God lifts them up,
Now let the brother of humble circumstances boast in his high position,
But let the lowly brother rejoice in his lifting up;
Let the brother in humble circumstances glory in his high position [as a born-again believer, called to the true riches and to be an heir of God];
But let the brother of low degree glory in his high estate:
But let the brother of low position be glad that he is lifted up;
But let the brother in humble circumstances glory in his high position;
A brother of low status should boast in his exalted status,
But let the humble brother glory in his exaltation,
And let the depressed brother rejoice, in his elevation;
Let the brother of lowe degree, reioyce in that he is exalted:
But let the brother of low degree glory in his high estate:
But let the brother in humble circumstances glory in his high position;
Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted:
Let a brother in humble life rejoice when raised to a higher position;
And a meke brother haue glorie in his enhaunsyng,
But let the brother of low degree glory in his high estate:
Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted:
Now the believer of humble means should take pride in his high position.
Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation,
Believers who are poor have something to boast about, for God has honored them.
A Christian brother who has few riches of this world should be happy for what he has. He is great in the eyes of God.
Let the believer who is lowly boast in being raised up,
But boasting be the lowly brother in his uplifting;
But let the brother of low condition glory in his exaltation:
Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation,
Let the brother of lowe degre reioyce in yt he is exalted
And let the brother who is low rejoice in his exaltation,
Let him that is poor triumph in the advantages of being a christian.
When down-and-outers get a break, cheer! And when the arrogant rich are brought down to size, cheer! Prosperity is as short-lived as a wildflower, so don't ever count on it. You know that as soon as the sun rises, pouring down its scorching heat, the flower withers. Its petals wilt and, before you know it, that beautiful face is a barren stem. Well, that's a picture of the "prosperous life." At the very moment everyone is looking on in admiration, it fades away to nothing.
Now the lowly cowboy should be happy in his high position.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
the brother: James 2:5, James 2:6, Deuteronomy 15:7, Deuteronomy 15:9, Deuteronomy 15:11, Psalms 62:9, Proverbs 17:5, Proverbs 19:1, Luke 1:52
rejoice: or, glory, Jeremiah 9:23, Jeremiah 9:24, Romans 5:2, Romans 5:3, Philippians 3:3,*Gr.
in: James 2:5, 1 Samuel 2:8, Psalms 113:7, Psalms 113:8, Luke 9:48, Luke 10:20, Romans 8:17, 2 Corinthians 6:10, Philippians 3:14, 1 Peter 2:9, 1 John 3:1-3, Revelation 2:9, Revelation 5:9, Revelation 5:10, Revelation 7:9, Revelation 7:10
Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 2:7 - bringeth 2 Kings 14:10 - glory of this Job 5:11 - those Psalms 49:2 - General Psalms 86:1 - for I am Proverbs 18:23 - poor Isaiah 5:15 - the mean Isaiah 29:19 - the poor Jonah 3:6 - and he arose Habakkuk 3:18 - I will rejoice Matthew 19:23 - That Mark 8:36 - profit Luke 3:5 - valley Luke 6:20 - Blessed Luke 16:20 - a certain Acts 8:39 - and he 1 Corinthians 1:26 - not many mighty 2 Corinthians 10:17 - General 1 Timothy 6:17 - that they 1 Peter 1:6 - ye greatly 1 Peter 5:6 - that
Cross-References
In ye begynnynge God created heauen & earth:
and ye earth was voyde and emptie, and darcknes was vpon the depe, & ye sprete of God moued vpo the water.
and called the light, Daye: and the darcknes, Night Then of the euenynge and mornynge was made the first daye.
And God sayde: let there be a firmament betwene the waters, and let it deuyde ye waters a sunder.
And God called ye firmament, Heauen. Then of the euenynge & mornynge was made the seconde daye.
And God sayde: let the waters vnder heauen gather theselues vnto one place, yt the drye londe maye appeare. And so it came to passe.
And God sayde: let ye earth bringe forth grene grasse and herbe, that beareth sede: & frutefull trees, that maye beare frute, euery one after his kynde, hauynge their owne sede in them selues vpon the earth. And so it came to passe.
And God blessed them, and sayde vnto them: Growe, and multiplie, and fyll the earth, and subdue it, & haue domynion ouer the fish of the see, and ouer the foules of the ayre, and ouer all the beastes that crepe vpo the earth.
And God sayde: lo, I haue geuen you all maner herbes that beare sede vpon the whole earth, and all maner frutefull trees that beare sede, to be meate for you.
He stretcheth out ye north ouer the emptie, & hageth ye earth vpo nothinge.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
Let the brother of low degree,.... By "the brother" is meant, not one in a natural, but in a spiritual relation; one of Christ's brethren, and who is of that family that is named of him; of the household of faith, and is in church communion: and whereas he is said to be of "low degree", or "humble", this regards not the affection of his mind, or his conduct and deportment, he being meek and lowly, and clothed with humility, as every brother is, or ought to be; but his outward state and condition, being, as to the things of this world, poor, and mean in his outward circumstances, and so humbled and afflicted. This appears from the rich man, who, in the next verse, is opposed unto him, and distinguished from him; see
Psalms 62:9 such an one is advised to
rejoice in that he is exalted; or to "glory in his exaltation"; in that high estate, to which he is advanced; for a person may be very low and mean, as to his worldly circumstances, and yet be very high, and greatly exalted in a spiritual sense: and this height of honour and grandeur, of which he may boast and glory, amidst his outward poverty, lies in his high birth and descent, being born from above, and of God, and belonging to his family; in being an adopted Son of God, and so an heir of God, and a joint-heir with Christ, and of the heavenly inheritance and kingdom; in the present riches of grace he is possessed of, as justifying, pardoning, and sanctifying grace; and in the high titles he bears, as besides the new name, the name better than that of sons and daughters of the greatest potentate, even that of a Son of the Lord God Almighty, his being a King, and a priest unto God, and for whom a kingdom, crown, and throne are prepared; and also in the company he daily keeps, and is admitted to, as of God, and Christ, and the holy angels: and this height of honour have all the saints, be they ever so poor in this world, who can vie with the greatest of princes for sublimity and grandeur.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Let the brother of low degree - This verse seems to introduce a new topic, which has no other connection with what precedes than that the apostle is discussing the general subject of trials. Compare James 1:2. Turning from the consideration of trials in general, he passes to the consideration of a particular kind of trials, that which results from a change of circumstances in life, from poverty to affluence, and from affluence to poverty. The idea which seems to have been in the mind of the apostle is, that there is a great and important trial of faith in any reverse of circumstances; a trial in being elevated from poverty to riches, or in being depressed from a state of affluence to want. Wherever change occurs in the external circumstances of life, there a man’s religion is put to the test, and there he should feel that God is trying the reality of his faith. The phrase “of low degree” (ταπεινὸς tapeinos) means one in humble circumstances; one of lowly rank or employment; one in a condition of dependence or poverty. It stands here particularly opposed to one who is rich; and the apostle doubtless had his eye, in the use of this word, on those who had been poor.
Rejoice - Margin, “glory.” Not because, being made rich, he has the means of sensual gratification and indulgence; not because he will now be regarded as a rich man, and will feel that he is above want; not even because he will have the means of doing good to others. Neither of these was the idea in the mind of the apostle; but it was, that the poor man that is made rich should rejoice because his faith and the reality of his religion are now tried; because a test is furnished which will show, in the new circumstances in which he is placed, whether his piety is genuine. In fact, there is almost no trial of religion which is more certain and decisive than that furnished by a sudden transition from poverty to affluence from adversity to prosperity, from sickness to health. There is much religion in the world that will bear the ills of poverty, sickness, and persecution, or that will bear the temptations arising from prosperity, and even affluence, which will not bear the transition from one to the other; as there is many a human frame that could become accustomed to bear either the steady heat of the equator, or the intense cold of the north, that could not bear a rapid transition from the one to the other. See this thought illustrated in the notes at Philippians 4:12.
In that he is exalted - A good man might rejoice in such a transition, because it would furnish him the means of being more extensively useful; most persons would rejoice because such a condition is that for which men commonly aim, and because it would furnish them the means of display, of sensual gratification, or of ease; but neither of these is the idea of the apostle. The thing in which we are to rejoice in the transitions of life is, that a test is furnished of our piety; that a trial is applied to it which enables us to determine whether it is genuine. The most important thing conceivable for us is to know whether we are true Christians, and we should rejoice in everything that will enable us to settle this point.
(Yet it seems not at all likely that an Apostle would exhort a poor man to rejoice in his exaltation to wealth. An exhortation to fear and trembling appears more suitable. Wealth brings along with it so many dangerous temptations, that a man must have greater confidence in his faith and stability than he ought to have, who can rejoice in its acquisition, simply as furnishing occasion to try him: the same may be said of poverty, or of the transition front riches to poverty. The spirit of Agar is more suitable to the humility of piety, “Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me, lest I be full and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain, “Proverbs 30:8-9. Besides, there is no necessity for resorting to this interpretation. The words will, without any straining, bear another sense, which is both excellent in itself, and suitable in its connection. The poor man, or man in humble life, may well rejoice “in that he is exalted” to the dignity of a child of God, and heir of glory.
If he be depressed with his humble rank in this life, let him but think of his spiritual elevation, of his relation to God and Christ, and he shall have an antidote for his dejection. What is the world’s dignity in comparison of his! The rich man, or the man of rank, on the other hand, has reason to rejoice “in that he is made low” through the possession of a meek and humble spirit which his affluence illustrates, but neither destroys nor impairs. It would be matter of grief were he otherwise minded; since all his adventitious splendor is as evanescent as the flower which, forming for a time the crown of the green stalk on which it hangs, perishes before it. This falls admirably in with the design of the Apostle, which was to fortify Christians against trial. Every condition in life had its own trials. The two great conditions of poverty and wealth had theirs; but Christianity guards against the danger, both of the one state and of the other. It elevates the poor under his depression, and humbles the rich in his elevation, and bids both rejoice in its power to shield and bless them. The passage in this view is conceived in the same spirit with one of Paul, in which he beautifully balances the respective conditions of slaves and freemen, by honoring the former with the appellation of the Lord’s freemen, and imposing on the latter that of Christ’s servants, 1 Corinthians 7:22.)
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse 9. Let the brother of low degree — The poor, destitute Christian may glory in the cross of Christ, and the blessed hope laid up for him in heaven; for, being a child of God, he is an heir of God, and a joint heir with Christ.
