Bible Strands
James 5:11
See how blessed we consider those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen the outcome from the Lord. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — James writes to scattered Jewish believers, calling them "brothers," in a passage that moves from the prophets' patience (v. 10) to a prohibition on oaths (v. 12). This verse is the hinge: it names a concrete example before pivoting to conduct.
The words — μακαριζόμεν (makarizomen, "we count blessed") is an active declaration, not a passive state, and ὑπομονή (hupomonē, "perseverance") appears twice in the verse as both participle and noun, binding the act to the quality. The pair makes the point: blessing is something the community actively assigns to endurance.
The thread — James 1:12 uses the same root (hupomeinō/hupomonē) and the same "blessed" language, tying the promise of the crown of life to the same verb. Exodus 34:6 supplies the "compassionate and gracious" descriptor James borrows, and Job 1:21 records the man whose story anchors the argument.
Why it lands — The verse asks a reader in the middle of suffering to stop treating it as a verdict and start treating it as a process with a known endpoint, the way the community already treats Job's. It is a call to hold, not to explain.
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
Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.
Cross-references
- James 1:12 Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.
- Exodus 34:6 Then the LORD passed in front of Moses and called out: “The LORD, the LORD God, is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness,
- Job 1:21 saying: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.”
- Isaiah 55:6 Seek the LORD while He may be found; call on Him while He is near.
- Matthew 5:10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
- Matthew 10:22 You will be hated by everyone because of My name, but the one who perseveres to the end will be saved.
- Job 2:10 “You speak as a foolish woman speaks,” he told her. “Should we accept from God only good and not adversity?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.
- Job 42:10 After Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD restored his prosperity and doubled his former possessions.
- Psalms 86:15 But You, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness.
- 2 Peter 2:9 if all this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment.