James 5:2 Meaning and Explanation
“Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Their hoarded riches have rotted and their fine garments are moth-eaten.
What Does James 5:2 Mean?
James describes the decay of hoarded wealth. Your riches have rotted, and your garments are moth-eaten. What was stored up for security has spoiled, the food gone bad and the fine clothing eaten through. Earthly treasure proves perishable.
The picture echoes the Lord's teaching that earthly treasures are consumed by moth and rust, where thieves break in. Wealth piled up and clung to does not last; it decays even as it is held. James shows the emptiness of trusting in what cannot endure. The reader is reminded that possessions hoarded against the future offer no real safety. Only treasure laid up with God is secure, and a life poured out in love, rather than gathered in selfishness, is the only lasting wealth.
James 5:2 in the Original Language
ses (σής), 'motheaten' -- a moth, the destroyer that consumes stored garments.
Frequently Asked Questions About James 5:2
What does James 5:2 mean?
Their hoarded riches have rotted and their fine garments are moth-eaten.