James 5:2

Verse 1–6. Go now rich men, and so forth In the first six verses, he gives admonitions to those among the Christians who were rich, not to rely on riches, nor value themselves on this account. You must look upon your riches and treasures as if they were already putrefied and corrupted, your gold and silver eaten and consumed with rust: and their rust shall rise in testimony and judgment against you, for not making better use of them. As your coin is eaten with rust, so shall your bodies be hereafter as it were eaten and consumed by fire. You heap up to yourselves a treasure in the day of wrath, while through covetousness, and hard heartedness, you defraud labourers of their hire, living at the same time in feasting and luxury, as in the day of slaughter. That is, feasting as men are accustomed to do, on the days when victims are slaughtered, offered, and eaten with great rejoicing. Others expound it, as if you were feeding, and making yourselves fit sacrifices and victims for God’s anger and indignation. Witham.—You have feasted, and so forth The Greek is, “you have lived in delicacies and debaucheries, and have feasted upon your hearts as for the day of sacrifice:” Ετρυφησατε, και εσπαταλησατε εθρεψατε τας καρδιας υμων ως εν ημερα σφαγης. That is, you have fattened yourselves with good cheer and sensual pleasures, like victims prepared for a solemn sacrifice. Calmet.—Others among you have unjustly oppressed, accused, and brought to condemnation the just one, by which seems to be understood just and innocent men, who are divers times deprived of their fortunes, and even of their lives, by the unjust contrivances of powerful wicked men. Witham.