James 1:11

For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its flower falls and its beauty is lost. So too, the rich man will fade away in the midst of his pursuits.

Berean Standard Bible

Follow its threads on the canvas →

Study note

Setting — James addresses his letter's recipients, placing this verse immediately after commanding the wealthy to rejoice in their lowly position. He uses the natural progression of a scorching sun to illustrate the inevitable fading of earthly wealth.

The words — ἀνέτειλεν (aneteilen) translates literally as "has risen," while καύσωνι (kausōni) means "burning heat." Together they describe the sun's ascent that triggers the plant's withering and the loss of its flower.

The thread — This imagery of vegetation withering under divine wind appears in Isaiah 40:7, while the pattern of worldly flourishing ending in loss echoes Psalms 37:35 and Luke 16:19. The motif connects James's observation to broader biblical warnings about temporal prosperity.

Why it lands — The text states that the rich man will fade away in the midst of his pursuits, independent of his efforts. It requires the reader to recognize the structural impermanence of material success and adjust their security accordingly.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Greek words

King James Version

For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.

Cross-references

Isaiah 40:7 The grass withers and the flowers fall when the breath of the LORD blows on them; indeed, the people are grass.
Psalms 37:35 I have seen a wicked, ruthless man flourishing like a well-rooted native tree,
Luke 16:19 Now there was a rich man dressed in purple and fine linen, who lived each day in joyous splendor.
Mark 4:6 But when the sun rose, the seedlings were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.
Psalms 49:6 They trust in their wealth and boast in their great riches.
James 5:1 Come now, you who are rich, weep and wail over the misery to come upon you.
Matthew 13:6 But when the sun rose, the seedlings were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.
Luke 12:16 Then He told them a parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced an abundance.
Job 21:24 His body is well nourished, and his bones are rich with marrow.
Psalms 73:18 Surely You set them on slick ground; You cast them down into ruin.