James 5

“Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.” Naming Your keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and…” The verse names Lord rather than leaving the action without a source. Watch whether the next line continues, answers, or contrasts that action.

“Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter.” The line’s distinctive content terms include earth, hearts, lived. Its relationship to verses 4 and 6 shows what work it does in this passage.

“Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you.” The line’s distinctive content terms include condemned, just, killed. Its relationship to verses 5 and 7 shows what work it does in this passage.

“Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of…” The verse names Lord rather than leaving the action without a source. Watch whether the next line continues, answers, or contrasts that action.

“Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.” The verse names Lord rather than leaving the action without a source. Watch whether the next line continues, answers, or contrasts that action.

“Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door.” The number one makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.

“Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and…” Naming Take keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord…” Naming Job keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but…” The promise, blessing, or covenant language needs its named recipient and scope. Those details prevent a personal word in the story from becoming a promise detached from context.

“Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.

“Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil…” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.

“And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a…” The number one makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.

“Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not…” The number three makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.

“And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.” The line’s distinctive content terms include earth, fruit, gave. Its relationship to verses 17 and 19 shows what work it does in this passage.

“Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him;” The number one makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.

“Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.