James 5:2

2 Your riches have rotted away, and your clothes have been eaten by moths. ¹

James 5:2 Meaning and Commentary

James 5:2

Your riches are corrupted
Either through disuse of them; and so the phrase is expressive of their tenaciousness, withholding that from themselves and others which is meet, and which is keeping riches for the owners thereof, to their hurt; or these are corrupted, and are corruptible things, fading and perishing, and will stand in no stead in the day of wrath, and therefore it is great weakness to put any trust and confidence in them:

and your garments are moth eaten;
being neither wore by themselves, nor put upon the backs of others, as they should, but laid up in wardrobes, or in chests and coffers, and so became the repast of moths, and now good for nothing.

James 5:2 In-Context

1 And now, you rich people, listen to me! Weep and wail over the miseries that are coming upon you!

2 Your riches have rotted away, and your clothes have been eaten by moths.

3 Your gold and silver are covered with rust, and this rust will be a witness against you and will eat up your flesh like fire. You have piled up riches in these last days.

4 You have not paid any wages to those who work in your fields. Listen to their complaints! The cries of those who gather in your crops have reached the ears of God, the Lord Almighty.

5 Your life here on earth has been full of luxury and pleasure. You have made yourselves fat for the day of slaughter.

Cross References

• 1. 5.2,Matthew 6.19.