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James 2:3

in James 2

If you lavish attention on the man in fine clothes and say, “Here is a seat of honor,” but say to the poor man, “You must stand” or “Sit at my feet,”

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

and ye have regard to him that weareth the fine clothing, and say, Sit thou here in a good place; and ye say to the poor man, Stand thou there, or sit under my footstool;

KJV

And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:

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This verse in James 2

Commentary

11 notes on this verse

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

Assembly here is meant of those meetings which were appointed for deciding matters of difference among the members of the church, or for determining when censures should be passed upon any, and what those censures should be; therefore the Greek word here used, synagoge, signifies such an assembly as that in the Jewish synagogues, when they met to do justice.

This site's exposition

do not show favoritism

on James 2:1-4

As you hold out your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, do not show favoritism, prosopolempsia, the face-receiving Leviticus 19:15 forbade judges. The scene is set in your meeting, sunagoge, the synagogue's word. Those who seat the rich and stand the poor become judges with evil thoughts.

This site's exposition

a seat of honor

The ushers give their verdict with seats. The rich man receives a seat of honor while the poor man must stand or sit on the floor. Matthew Henry reads the meeting as a church court, and Adam Clarke calls this favoritism a distinction made before the case is heard.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers1 voice

A commentator

John Chrysostom

CATENA · Written before 407.

proposed

There is no difference between rich and poor in Christ. Pay no attention to the outward appearance, but look for the inner faith instead.

The Medieval Church2 voices

A commentator

Theophylact of Ohrid

Commentary on James · Written before 1107.

proposed

Thus, wisely making use of small concessions, he presented what was fitting for Christians precisely when they were listening to his words without hindrance.

A commentator

Bede

Commentary on the Catholic Epistles · Written before 735.

proposed

For if there comes into your assembly a man with a gold ring, in fine clothing, and there also comes in a poor man in shabby clothing, and you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, "You sit here in …

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

And ye have respect to him that wears the gay clothing,.... Take notice of him, and show favour to him, to the neglect and contempt of the other.

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

have respect to him, &c.--though ye know not who he is, when perhaps he may be a heathen. It was the office of the deacons to direct to a seat the members of the congregation [CLEMENT OF ROME, Apostolical Constitutions, 2.57, 58]. unto him--not in the best manuscripts.

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase

3 more voices on this verse

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

Sit here under my footstool - Thus evidently prejudging the cause, and giving the poor man to see that he was to expect no impartial administration of justice in his cause.
And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing - If you show him superior attention on account of his rich and gay apparel, giving him a seat by himself, and treating others with neglect or contempt.

Modern Voices1 voice

A commentator

GK Chesterton

All Things Considered, Demagogues and Mystagogues (1908) (1908)

proposed

The truth of the matter is really quite simple. An aristocracy is a secret society; and this is especially so when, as in the modern world, it is practically a plutocracy. The one idea of a secret society is to change the password. Lady Grove …

The words behind it

28 Greek words

Every Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

8 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

2 Corinthians 8:9For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.11 worksJames 2:1My brothers, as you hold out your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, do not show favoritism.10 worksJames 2:6But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who oppress you and drag you into court?6 worksLuke 7:44–46And turning toward the woman, He said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? When I entered your house, you did not give Me water for My feet, but she wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.5 worksProverbs 18:23The poor man pleads for mercy, but the rich man answers harshly.5 worksIsaiah 65:5They say, ‘Keep to yourself; do not come near me, for I am holier than you!’ Such people are smoke in My nostrils, a fire that burns all day long.4 works
The other 2 cross-references, with their words ▾
Jude 1:16These men are discontented grumblers, following after their own lusts; their mouths spew arrogance; they flatter others for their own advantage.4 worksPsalms 84:10For better is one day in Your courts than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.4 works

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    2 Corinthians 8:9

    For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.

    it leads to

    • Romans 8:32

      He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also, along with Him, freely give us all things?

    • Philippians 2:6–8

      Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,

    • Matthew 20:28

      just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”

    • Romans 5:8

      But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

    • 2 Corinthians 6:10

      sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

  • Through

    Jude 1:16

    These men are discontented grumblers, following after their own lusts; their mouths spew arrogance; they flatter others for their own advantage.

    it leads to

    • 2 Peter 2:18

      With lofty but empty words, they appeal to the sensual passions of the flesh and entice those who are just escaping from others who live in error.

    • Philippians 2:14

      Do everything without complaining or arguing,

  • Through

    James 2:6

    But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who oppress you and drag you into court?

    it leads to

    • Proverbs 17:5

      He who mocks the poor insults their Maker; whoever gloats over calamity will not go unpunished.

Where this verse is studied

About James

Saint James the Younger, El Greco, 1600. Public domain.
Saint James the Younger, El Greco, 1600. Public domain.
James: the study guide →Read James 2 →
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Commentary on the Catholic Epistles; GK Chesterton, All Things Considered, Demagogues and Mystagogues (1908); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, CATENA; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on James.

Read on in James 2 →