Job 22:2

22:2 “Is it to God that a strong man is of benefit?

Is it to him that even a wise man is profitable?

Malachi 3:14

3:14 You have said, ‘It is useless to serve God. How have we been helped by keeping his requirements and going about like mourners before the Lord who rules over all?

Romans 6:21

6:21 So what benefit did you then reap from those things that you are now ashamed of? For the end of those things is death.

Hebrews 11:24-26

11:24 By faith, when he grew up, Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 11:25 choosing rather to be ill-treated with the people of God than to enjoy sin’s fleeting pleasure. 11:26 He regarded abuse suffered for Christ to be greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for his eyes were fixed on the reward.

James 1:9-11

1:9 Now the believer of humble means should take pride 10  in his high position. 11  1:10 But the rich person’s pride should be in his humiliation, because he will pass away like a wildflower in the meadow. 12  1:11 For the sun rises with its heat and dries up the meadow; the petal of the flower falls off and its beauty is lost forever. 13  So also the rich person in the midst of his pursuits will wither away.


tn Some do not take this to be parallel to the first colon, taking this line as a statement, but the parallel expressions here suggest the question is repeated.

tn Heb “What [is the] profit”; NIV “What did we gain.”

sn The people’s public display of self-effacing piety has gone unrewarded by the Lord. The reason, of course, is that it was blatantly hypocritical.

tn Grk “fruit.”

tn Grk “have,” in a tense emphasizing their customary condition in the past.

tn Grk “the abuse [or ‘reproach’] of Christ.”

tn Grk “he was looking away to.”

tn Grk “brother.” Here the term “brother” means “fellow believer” or “fellow Christian” (cf. TEV, NLT “Christians”; CEV “God’s people”). The term broadly connotes familial relationships within the family of God (cf. BDAG 18 s.v. ἀδελφός 2.a).

tn Grk “the lowly brother,” but “lowly/humble” is clarified in context by the contrast with “wealthy” in v. 10.

tn Grk “let him boast.”

tn Grk “his height,” “his exaltation.”

tn Grk “a flower of grass.”

tn Or “perishes,” “is destroyed.”