Verse Lens · Concise explanation

James 5:10 Explained in Context

Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.

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Verse 10. Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.

King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions

Quick Meaning

This verse offers the Lord's prophets as examples of suffering and patient speech.

Read It With

  • James 5:7–12

Read James 5:10 with 5:7–12. This verse offers the Lord's prophets as examples of suffering and patient speech. The complete unit establishes this movement: In the face of oppression, the community should patiently strengthen its heart toward the Lord's coming, refuse to turn suffering into grumbling against one another, learn endurance from prophets and Job, trust the Lord's compassion, and make ordinary speech truthful without manipulative oaths.

Why This Verse Appears Here

James forms the oppressed community for durable hope and truthful internal life so external injustice does not reproduce accusatory fracture among siblings. Within that movement, this verse offers the Lord's prophets as examples of suffering and patient speech.

Read James 5:7–12 together

Why these verses belong together: The Lord's coming, farmer, Judge, prophets, Job, compassion, and truthful speech shape active endurance.

Verse 7. Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.

Verse 8. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.

Verse 9. Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door.

Verse 10. Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.

Verse 11. 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.

Verse 12. But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.

Phrase-by-Phrase Explanation

“prophets ... for an example”

In plain language: Truthful witnesses endured harm while speaking in the Lord's name.

offers the Lord's prophets as examples of suffering and patient speech. Faithfulness may require sustained truth-telling under pressure.

Why it matters: The wording identifies this verse's distinct contribution to the complete unit.

How certain? strong

What Remains True

Faithfulness may require sustained truth-telling under pressure.

How It Can Shape Life

  • Support verified truth-tellers with safety, advocacy, and practical care.

Continue in Context

The full thought-unit study remains the final contextual authority for this Verse Lens.

Read James 5:7–12 — Strengthen Hearts, Refuse Grumbling, Endure, and Speak Truthfully
Sources used for this Verse Lens

How certain is this explanation? strong

These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.

Biblical text

King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006

eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society

USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.

Supports: Exact KJV wording, paragraph markers, supplied-word markup, and complete verse coverage.

Exact location: James 5:7–12, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM corpus

Open source ↗

Greek textual evidence

The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition

Michael W. Holmes, editor; Society of Biblical Literature and Logos

Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software, 2010

Supports: Greek wording, clause relationships, and base text for original-language discussion.

Exact location: Faithlife SBLGNT repository, data/sblgnt/text/Jas.txt, 5:7–12

Open the James Greek text file ↗

Translation and textual notes

NET Bible — James with translators' and textual notes

Biblical Studies Press

Biblical Studies Press, 2005–2026 online edition

Supports: Verse-level translation, syntax, textual alternatives, and interpretive notes.

Exact location: NET Bible official six-page James PDF, 5:7–12 translation and attached translator, study, and textual notes

Open the official NET James PDF ↗
Open the complete thought-unit research record
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