James 5:4 Meaning and Explanation
“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.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The withheld wages of laborers cry out, and their cries reach the Lord of hosts.
What Does James 5:4 Mean?
James names the specific sin: the wages of the laborers who reaped the fields, kept back by fraud, cry out. The defrauded pay itself lifts a voice, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. God hears the wronged worker.
The title Lord of sabaoth, Lord of armies, presents God as the mighty Defender of the oppressed. Withholding the laborer's due was condemned throughout Scripture, and here that cry rises straight to heaven. James assures the poor and exploited that their suffering is not unseen; the Almighty has heard. The reader is confronted with how seriously God takes justice for the worker. The God who hears the cry of the defrauded is the same who will set all wrongs right, and He misses nothing.
James 5:4 in the Original Language
sabaoth (σαβαώθ), 'of hosts' -- of armies, a title presenting God as the Lord of heavenly armies.
Frequently Asked Questions About James 5:4
What does James 5:4 mean?
The withheld wages of laborers cry out, and their cries reach the Lord of hosts.