Commentaries:
Robertson's Word Pictures (NT)
Come now, ye rich (age nun oi plousioi). Exclamatory interjection as in James 4:13. Direct address to the rich as a class as in 1 Timothy 6:17. Apparently here James has in mind the rich as a class, whether believer, as in James 1:10 f., or unbeliever, as in James 2:1 f., James 2:6. The plea here is not directly for reform, but a warning of certain judgment (James 5:1-6) and for Christians "a certain grim comfort in the hardships of poverty" (Ropes) in James 5:7-11.
Weep and howl (klausate ololuzontev). "Burst into weeping (ingressive aorist active imperative of klaiw as in James 4:9), howling with grief" (present active participle of the old onomatopoetic verb ololuzw, here only in N.T., like Latin ululare, with which compare alalazw in Matthew 5:38.
For your miseries (epi taiv talaipwriaiv umwn). Old word from talaipwrov (Romans 7:24) and like talaipwrew in James 4:9 (from tlaw to endure and pwrov a callus).
That are coming upon you (taiv eperxomenaiv). Present middle participle of the old compound eperxomai to come upon, used here in futuristic prophetic sense.
Other commentary entries containing this verse:
Mark 5:38
Luke 6:24
John 11:33
James 4:6
James 4:9
James 4:13
James 5:1
James 5:7
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