 | Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near. |
 | Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. |
 | Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. |
| James 5:7-8 |
Commentary
James urges believers to maintain an attitude of patience while suffering injustices. Though every effort should be made to improve conditions and achieve justice, believers must keep a spirit of patient endurance, even in the midst of cruel treatment. At Christ's coming, wrongs will be righted and believers will be rewarded for their faithfulness to Christ (Prov. 14:14; Matt. 5:12).
Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1999). Nelson's new illustrated Bible commentary (Jas 5:7). Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers.
The "early" rain falls in Israel during October and November and softens the ground for planting. The "latter" rain falls in March and April, immediately before the spring harvest. Just as the farmer waits patiently from the early rain to the latter for his crop to ripen, so must Christians patiently wait for the Lord's return (cf. Gal. 6:9; 2 Tim. 4:8; Titus 2:13).
MacArthur, J. J. (1997, c1997). The MacArthur Study Bible (electronic ed.) (Jas 5:7). Nashville: Word Pub.
