James 1:9 (DBY)

Passage

But let the brother of low degree glory in his elevation,

Nearby Context

James 1:7 for let not that man think that he shall receive anything from the Lord;

James 1:8 [he is] a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

James 1:9 But let the brother of low degree glory in his elevation,

James 1:10 and the rich in his humiliation, because as [the] grass's flower he will pass away.

James 1:11 For the sun has risen with its burning heat, and has withered the grass, and its flower has fallen, and the comeliness of its look has perished: thus the rich also shall wither in his goings.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "brother", "degree", "glory", and "elevation". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "brother" and "degree", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 8's "he is a double-minded man unstable in..." into verse 10's "and the rich in his humiliation because...", so "brother" and "degree" belong inside that flow. In James context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "brother" and "degree" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.