James 2:3

3 and if you take notice of the one wearing the fine clothes and say, "Have a seat here, please," while to the one who is poor you say, "Stand there," or, "Sit at my feet,"

James 2:3 Meaning and Commentary

James 2:3

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. This is an instance of respect of persons condemned and dissuaded from:

and say unto him, sit thou here in a good place;
the best place; whether it be in a religious assembly, or in a civil court of judicature:

and say to the poor, stand thou there;
or in a lower and meaner place:

or sit thou here under my footstool;
this also was contrary to the Jewish canons ^F20, that one should sit, and another stand, while their cause was trying; the law runs thus:

``one shall not sit, and another stand, but both shall stand; but if the sanhedrim, or court, please to let them sit, they sit; but one does not sit above, and the other below; but one by the side of the other.''

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FOOTNOTES:

F20 Maimon. ib. sect. 3. vid. T. Bab. Shebuot, fol. 30. 1.

James 2:3 In-Context

1 My brothers and sisters, do you with your acts of favoritism really believe in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ?

2 For if a person with gold rings and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and if a poor person in dirty clothes also comes in,

3 and if you take notice of the one wearing the fine clothes and say, "Have a seat here, please," while to the one who is poor you say, "Stand there," or, "Sit at my feet,"

4 have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?

5 Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters. Has not God chosen the poor in the world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him?

Footnotes

• [a]. Gk [Sit under my footstool]