James 1:9 (KJV)

Passage

Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted:

Nearby Context

James 1:7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.

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

James 1:9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted:

James 1:10 But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.

James 1:11 For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "brother", "degree", "rejoice", and "exalted". 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 "A double minded man is unstable in..." into verse 10's "But the rich in that he is...", 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.