James 5:4
Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The passage emphasizes that it's not just the laborers themselves, but their wages – the very money they are owed – that are crying out to God. This highlights how God sees injustice not just as a wrong against people, but as a violation against what is rightfully theirs, a "fraud" that has a voice reaching heaven.
James is directly addressing wealthy people who have hoarded their riches and lived in luxury, contrasting their self-indulgent lives with the suffering of those they've exploited. This verse specifically condemns their fraudulent withholding of wages from laborers who worked hard to harvest their fields, stating that these unpaid wages and the laborers' cries have not gone unnoticed by God. The passage then continues to describe the coming judgment these wealthy oppressors will face.
Imagine the sound of your hard-earned money screaming for justice. James uses vivid imagery to show that unpaid wages don't just disappear – they make a noise that God hears.
James paints a powerful picture in verse 4. The 'hire of the laborers' and 'the cries of the harvesters' aren't just abstract concepts; they are personified, crying out like a person in anguish.
A Double Cry
Notice James mentions a double cry: first, the 'hire' itself cries out, and then the 'cries of them which have reaped' join in. This emphasizes the severity of the injustice. It’s not just that the people are suffering, but that the very payment due them has a voice.
The Nature of Fraud
The word used for 'fraud' points to a deliberate withholding of something rightfully owed. This wasn't an accidental oversight; it was a conscious act of theft, robbing the workers of the fruit of their labor.
The wealthy landowners in James's audience likely felt untouchable. But James reminds them of a much higher authority who is not only watching but listening.
James concludes the verse with a profound theological statement: 'the cries of the harvesters have entered into the ears of the Lord of hosts.'
The Lord of Hosts
Calling God 'the Lord of hosts' (or 'Lord of armies') is a powerful title rooted in the Old Testament. It signifies God's supreme authority over all powers, both heavenly and earthly.
Understand the original words
misthos · Greek Noun
The payment or recompense due to a worker for their service, which in biblical law is considered sacred and must be paid promptly, with withholding it viewed as a grave social and spiritual sin.
Sabaōth · Hebrew/Greek Noun phrase
A title for God reflecting His absolute sovereignty over all creation, including the heavenly hosts (angels) and earthly armies, indicating He is the ultimate Commander and Judge.
James' warning against withholding wages is deeply rooted in the Old Testament Law and prophetic tradition, reminding his audience that God hears the cries of the exploited and will judge those who unjustly enrich themselves.
c. 1500 BC - 500 BC
Law of Moses Enacted
The Law, given through Moses, contained specific statutes regarding fair treatment and prompt payment of laborers, reflecting God's concern for the vulnerable.
c. 450 BC
Malachi Denounces Oppression
The prophet Malachi vividly condemns those who defraud laborers of their wages, highlighting that such injustice cries out to God.
Early 1st Century AD
Jesus Teaches on Justice
Jesus' teachings, including parables and direct commands, emphasize compassion, fairness, and the proper use of wealth, often warning against the dangers of riches.
c. AD 40-50— this verse
James Writes His Epistle
James, an early leader in the Jerusalem church, addresses Jewish Christians scattered abroad, confronting them with practical faith and the dangers of worldliness, including exploitation.
This passage directly lays out the command to pay laborers promptly, warning that failure to do so is a sin that God will hear when the oppressed cry out to Him. James is echoing this Old Testament law to condemn the rich who are ignoring it.
Exodus 22:23This verse states that God will hear the cry of the oppressed, specifically mentioning the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow. James highlights that the cries of defrauded laborers reach the 'Lord of hosts,' showing God's active concern for the vulnerable.
Malachi 3:5The prophet Malachi warns against those who defraud laborers of their wages, stating that God will be a swift witness against them. James uses similar language and tone, emphasizing that God sees and will judge such injustice.
Luke 18:7Jesus tells the parable of the persistent widow who cries out to a judge, and God 'will grant justice to his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night.' This parallels James' point that the cries of the oppressed laborers have reached the Lord and will be addressed.
Job 31:38-39Job, in his defense, points to his integrity by stating that if his land cried out against him because he withheld wages from his laborers, he would accept condemnation. This highlights the ancient understanding and seriousness of defrauding workers, a theme James powerfully addresses.
barnesJames 5:4: "Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth."
Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields - In the previous verses the form of the sin which the apostle specified was that they had hoarded their property. He now states another form of their guilt, that, while doing this, they had withheld what was due from…
vincentJames 5:4: "Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth."
Reaped down (ἀμησάντων)Only here in New Testament. The primary meaning is to reap corn; also in classical Greek of mowing down in battle. The secondary, which some mistake for the primary sense, is to gather, as for harvest. Rev., mowed.Fields (χώρας)The more general word, place,…
The passage emphasizes that it's not just the laborers themselves, but their wages – the very money they are owed – that are crying out to God. This highlights how God sees injustice not just as a wrong against people, but as a violation against what is rightfully theirs, a "fraud" that has a voice reaching heaven.
James is directly addressing wealthy people who have hoarded their riches and lived in luxury, contrasting their self-indulgent lives with the suffering of those they've exploited. This verse specifically condemns their fraudulent withholding of wages from laborers who worked hard to harvest their fields, stating that these unpaid wages and the laborers' cries have not gone unnoticed by God. The passage then continues to describe the coming judgment these wealthy oppressors will face.
James is directly addressing wealthy people who have hoarded their riches and lived in luxury, contrasting their self-indulgent lives with the suffering of those they've exploited. This verse specifically condemns their fraudulent withholding of wages from laborers who worked hard to harvest their fields, stating that these unpaid wages and the laborers' cries have not gone unnoticed by God. The passage then continues to describe the coming judgment these wealthy oppressors will face.
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God's Attentive Justice
When James says God's ears have 'entered' the cries, it's not passive listening. It implies that God acknowledges, registers, and takes action. He is the ultimate defender of those who have no earthly recourse. The cries haven't gone unheard; they have reached the highest court imaginable.
"Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts." — The passage emphasizes that it's not just the laborers themselves, but their wages – the very money they are owed – that are crying out to God. This highlights how God sees injustice not just as a…
