The Meaning of James 1:9 Explained

James 1:9

KJV: Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted:

YLT: And let the brother who is low rejoice in his exaltation,

Darby: But let the brother of low degree glory in his elevation,

ASV: But let the brother of low degree glory in his high estate:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

<1161> Let  the brother  of low degree  rejoice  in  that he  is exalted: 

What does James 1:9 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Materially poor believers should derive joy from focusing their thinking on their spiritual riches.

Context Summary

James 1:1-11 - Steadfast Faith
This Epistle is marked by the austere features of the Jerusalem church, which refused to be affected by that wider contact with the Gentile world, by which the life and teachings of St. Paul were so powerfully influenced. "Brother to Jesus" was the designation that James might have used, but he preferred the more modest title of bond-servant. The slaves of such a king are nobles! The times were full of severe testing. Each believer had to face ignominy, loss and death for his testimony to Jesus and His saving power. But James encourages these harried souls by the immense revenues that would accrue, more especially in the acquisition of patience. While patience is drawn out almost to the breaking-point, God is developing our characters with perfect beauty, so that no side is incomplete.
There are three urgent requirements for us all: (1) Wisdom to act and speak wisely in the hour of trial; (2) faith that refuses to respond to the surging billows of doubt; (3) humility and contentment with God's dealings. [source]

Chapter Summary: James 1

1  James greets the twelve tribes among the nations;
2  exhorts to rejoice in trials and temptations;
5  to ask patience of God;
13  and in our trials not to impute our weakness, or sins, to him,
19  but rather to hearken to the word, to meditate on it, and to do thereafter
26  Otherwise men may seem, but never be, truly religious

Greek Commentary for James 1:9

But [δε]
Return to the point of view in James 1:2. [source]
Of low degree [ο ταπεινος]
“The lowly” brother, in outward condition (Luke 1:52), humble and poor as in Psalm 9:12; Proverbs 30:14, not the spiritually humble as in Matthew 11:29; James 4:6. In the lxx ταπεινος — tapeinos was used for either the poor in goods or the poor in spirit. Christianity has glorified this word in both senses. Already the rich and the poor in the churches had their occasion for jealousies.Glory in his high estate (καυχαστω εν τωι υπσει αυτου — kauchasthō en tōi hupsei autou). Paradox, but true. In his low estate he is “in his height” (υπσος — hupsos old word, in N.T., also in Luke 1:78; Ephesians 3:1; etc.). [source]
Glory in his high estate [καυχαστω εν τωι υπσει αυτου]
Paradox, but true. In his low estate he is “in his height” (υπσος — hupsos old word, in N.T., also in Luke 1:78; Ephesians 3:1; etc.). [source]
But []
Omitted in A. V. Introducing a contrast with the double-minded. [source]
The brother of low degree [ὁ ἀδελφὸς ὁ ταπεινὸς]
Lit., the brother, the lowly one. Not in the higher Christian sense of ταπεινὸς (see on Matthew 11:29), but, rather, poor and afflicted, as contrasted with rich. [source]
Rejoice [καυχάσθω]
Not strong enough. It is, rather, boast. So Rev., glory. Compare Romans 5:3; Philemon 3:3. [source]
In that he is exalted [ἐν τῷ ὕψει αὐτοῦ]
Lit., in his exaltation. Rev., in his high estate. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for James 1:9

2 Corinthians 7:6 The lowly [τους ταπεινους]
See note on Matthew 11:29. Literally, low on the ground in old sense (Ezekiel 17:24). Low in condition as here; James 1:9. In 2 Corinthians 10:1 regarded as abject. In this sense in papyri. “Humility as a sovereign grace is the creation of Christianity” (Gladstone, Life, iii, p. 466). By the coming (en tēi parousiāi). Same use of parousia as in 1 Corinthians 16:7 which see. See also 2 Corinthians 7:7; 2 Corinthians 10:10. [source]
Hebrews 3:6 The confidence and the rejoicing of the hope [τὴν παρρησίαν καὶ τὸ καύχημα τῆς ἐλπίδος]
The combination confidence and rejoicing N.T.oRejoicing or boasting of hope N.T.obut comp. 1 Thessalonians 2:19. For παρρησία confidencesee on 1 Timothy 3:13. The entire group of words, καύχημα groundof glorying, καύχησις actof glorying, and καυχᾶσθαι toglory, is peculiarly Pauline. Outside of the Pauline letters καυχᾶσθαι occurs only James 1:9; James 4:16; καύχησις only James 4:16; and καύχημα only here. The thought here is that the condition of being and continuing the house of God is the holding fast of the hope in Christ ( ἐλπίδος of the object of hope) and in the consummation of God's kingdom in him; making these the ground of boasting, exultantly confessing and proclaiming this hope. There must be, not only confidence, but joyful confidence. Comp. Romans 5:3; Ephesians 3:12, Ephesians 3:13; Philemon 3:3. [source]
James 1:4 Perfect [τελειον]
See Romans 5:3. for a like chain of blessings. Carry on the work to the end or completion (from τελος — telos end) as in John 17:4 Purpose clause with ινα — hina and present active subjunctive of ειμι — eimi This is the goal of patience.Perfect and entire Perfected at the end of the task “Perfected all over.” These two adjectives often occur together in Philo, Plutarch, etc. See Acts 3:16 for ολοκληριαν — holoklērian (perfect soundness).Lacking in nothing (εν μηδενι λειπομενοι — en mēdeni leipomenoi). Present passive participle of λειπω — leipō to leave. Negative statement of the preceding positive as often in James (cf. James 1:6). There is now a digression (James 1:5-8) from the discussion of πειρασμος — peirasmos which is taken up again in James 1:9. The word λειπομενοι — leipomenoi (lacking) suggests the digression. [source]
James 1:4 Perfect and entire [τελειοι και ολοκληροι]
Perfected at the end of the task “Perfected all over.” These two adjectives often occur together in Philo, Plutarch, etc. See Acts 3:16 for ολοκληριαν — holoklērian (perfect soundness).Lacking in nothing (εν μηδενι λειπομενοι — en mēdeni leipomenoi). Present passive participle of λειπω — leipō to leave. Negative statement of the preceding positive as often in James (cf. James 1:6). There is now a digression (James 1:5-8) from the discussion of πειρασμος — peirasmos which is taken up again in James 1:9. The word λειπομενοι — leipomenoi (lacking) suggests the digression. [source]
James 1:4 Lacking in nothing [εν μηδενι λειπομενοι]
Present passive participle of λειπω — leipō to leave. Negative statement of the preceding positive as often in James (cf. James 1:6). There is now a digression (James 1:5-8) from the discussion of πειρασμος — peirasmos which is taken up again in James 1:9. The word λειπομενοι — leipomenoi (lacking) suggests the digression. [source]
James 1:10 In that he is made low [εν τηι ταπεινωσει αυτου]
“In his low estate.” Play on ταπεινωσις — tapeinōsis (from ταπεινοω — tapeinoō Philemon 3:7), like ταπεινος — tapeinos of James 1:9, old word in various senses, in N.T. only here, Luke 1:48; Acts 8:33; Philemon 3:21. The Cross of Christ lifts up the poor and brings down the high. It is the great leveller of men. [source]
James 2:5 As to the world [τωι κοσμωι]
The ethical dative of interest, as the world looks at it as in Acts 7:20; 1 Corinthians 1:18; 2 Corinthians 10:4; James 4:4. By the use of the article (the poor) James does not affirm that God chose all the poor, but only that he did choose poor people (Matthew 10:23-26; 1 Corinthians 1:26-28).Rich in faith (πλουσιους εν πιστει — plousious en pistei). Rich because of their faith. As he has shown in James 1:9.Which he promised Genitive of the accusative relative ην — hēn attracted to the case of the antecedent βασιλειας — basileias (the Messianic kingdom), the same verb and idea already in James 1:12 Cf. the beatitude of Jesus in Matthew 5:3 for the poor in spirit. [source]
James 2:5 Rich in faith [πλουσιους εν πιστει]
Rich because of their faith. As he has shown in James 1:9. [source]
James 4:6 Wherefore [διο]
To prove this point James quotes Proverbs 3:34.God resisteth the proud (ο τεος υπερηπανοις αντιτασσεται — ho theos huperēphanois antitassetai). Present middle (direct) indicative of αντιτασσω — antitassō old military term, to range in battle against, with dative case (Romans 13:2) as in James 5:6. υπερηπανοις — Huperēphanois (υπερ παινομαι — huperταπεινοις δε διδωσιν χαριν — phainomai) is like our vernacular “stuck-up folks” (Romans 1:30), “haughty persons.”But giveth grace to the humble Anarthrous adjective again, “to humble or lowly persons,” for which word see James 1:9. Cf. James 2:5-7; James 5:1-6. [source]
James 4:6 But giveth grace to the humble [tapeinois de didōsin charin)]
Anarthrous adjective again, “to humble or lowly persons,” for which word see James 1:9. Cf. James 2:5-7; James 5:1-6. [source]
James 4:10 Humble yourselves [ταπεινωτητε]
First aorist passive imperative of ταπεινοω — tapeinoō old verb from ταπεινος — tapeinos (James 1:9), as in Matthew 18:4. The passive here has almost the middle or reflexive sense. The middle voice was already giving way to the passive. See 1 Peter 5:6 for this same form with the same promise of exaltation. [source]

What do the individual words in James 1:9 mean?

Let boast however the brother - of low degree in the exaltation of him
Καυχάσθω δὲ ἀδελφὸς ταπεινὸς ἐν τῷ ὕψει αὐτοῦ

Καυχάσθω  Let  boast 
Parse: Verb, Present Imperative Middle or Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: καυχάομαι  
Sense: to glory (whether with reason or without).
δὲ  however 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: δέ  
Sense: but, moreover, and, etc.
ἀδελφὸς  brother 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἀδελφός  
Sense: a brother, whether born of the same two parents or only of the same father or mother.
  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ταπεινὸς  of  low  degree 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ταπεινός  
Sense: not rising far from the ground.
ὕψει  exaltation 
Parse: Noun, Dative Neuter Singular
Root: ὕψος  
Sense: height.
αὐτοῦ  of  him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.