James 1:10 (DRB)

Passage

And the rich, in his being low: because as the flower of the grass shall he pass away.

Nearby Context

James 1:8 A double minded man is inconstant in all his ways.

James 1:9 But let the brother of low condition glory in his exaltation:

James 1:10 And the rich, in his being low: because as the flower of the grass shall he pass away.

James 1:11 For the sun rose with a burning heat and parched the grass: and the flower thereof fell off, and the beauty of the shape thereof perished. So also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.

James 1:12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for, when he hath been proved, he shall receive the crown of life which God hath promised to them that love him.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "rich", "flower", "grass", "shall", "pass", and "away". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "rich" and "flower", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 9's "But let the brother of low condition..." into verse 11's "For the sun rose with a burning...", so "rich" and "flower" 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 "rich" and "flower" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.