James here declares a coming judgment as a result of the sins of these “rich” people.  They have committed these four things: hoarded wealth, unpaid wages, luxury and self-indulgence, the murder of innocent people.  It is debated whether the people being addressed here are Christians or not.  Who has this letter been written to?  Yet here we see some differences.  These people are not addressed as “brothers,” and they are never given the instruction to repent.  They are only told to “weep and wail” for what they have done and because of the coming judgment.  This appears to be similar to the Old Testament prophetic approach to rebuking pagan idolatry.

1)      A new section of the letter begins here with the command “now listen.”  The rich are told to “weep and wail,” not in repentance as in v. 4:9, but because of the miseries of judgment that is coming upon them.

2)      Clothing was considered part of a man’s wealth.  These people have stored up so much wealth that it is just rotting away.  They have accumulated so much by hoarding it.   Hoard implies secretly storing up these things.  Mt. 6:19 is referring to garments among the riches which become moth eaten.  We need to read too much into this.  The rich were simply guilty of greedily hoarding so much food and clothing that it was going to waste.  Their uncontrolled greed was oppressing the poor.

3)      Another form of obvious wealth is gold and silver possessions.  In this case their gold and silver had been stored and laid idle for so long that it is tarnished while the workers are being deprived of their wages.  “In the last days” refers to the period between Christ’s resurrection and His second coming, when He will judge and set up His kingdom (Heb. 1:1-2; 1 Jn. 2:18).  It is during this time of anticipating Christ’s return as judge that these rich people oppressed the poor and hoarded wealth for themselves.  New Testament people thought Christ’s return was going to happen in their lifetimes, and the serious in Christ lived as though He would return any moment.  These actions of the rich were in opposition to this attitude.

4)      The rich here are accused of not paying the just wages to the workers in their fields.  This money (unpaid wages) calls out in their dishonesty.  The unpaid suffering are calling to God in their distress and their cries have reached the ears of the “Lord Almighty,” or Lord of hosts, or Lord of Sabaoth.  God always hears te cries of His suffering people (Ex. 3:7). 

1 Sam. 17:45, Lord of hosts – the God of the armies of Israel (human)

2 Chron. 18:18, the Lord as God of the heavenly hosts (angelic)

Deut. 4:19, The Lord, in charge of the stars, etc. (inanimate objects of the heavens)

He is almighty, God of the armies of the earth, angelic armies, and of the starry host.  He can and will vindicate His suffering people in due time – His time.  We need to know and remember who He is.

5)      The rich have lived in “luxury and self-indulgence.” These words show their attitude as well as their wealth.  They were rich and knew it.  Luxury carries a demoralizing overtone with it, and self-indulgence is wasteful and extravagant selfishness.  They “fattened” themselves as in the “day of slaughter.”  This day refers to judgment.  Think of an animal about to be slaughtered.  They are only interested in eating.  They keep feeding them and the animals keep eating with no clue as to the impending doom that awaits them.  So here, the rich, keep storing more, hoarding more, greeding after more, unaware of the impending doom that awaits them at the judgment.

6)      The last charge mentioned against the wicked rich is that of murder.  They have condemned and killed the righteous or just (the believers).  The believers were largely made up from the poor and were victims of these rich ungodly people.  Not only were they killing these innocent believers but they did not resist them or fight back.