Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary James 1:11

"For the sun ariseth with the scorching wind, and 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 goings." — James 1:11 (ASV)

The phenomenon James speaks of was a familiar one. Green grass and plants do not last long under the “scorching heat” of the Palestinian summer sun. More specifically, the reference may be to the sudden coming of a hot, searing wind known as the sirocco, which quickly withers and burns the vegetation. The withering of the plant and falling of its blossom are taken almost verbatim from Isa 40:7. It may be that the “beauty” of the blossom is suggestive of the fine clothes that the rich wear. As impressive and attractive as the garments may be, they soon fade and wear out. And, what is even more important, “the rich man” himself “will fade away, even while he goes about his business.” Unexpectedly, in the midst of a busy life, the end comes. These are sobering thoughts that tend to reduce the rich to the level of human beings in general, just as the privilege of suffering for Christ lifts the poor person to a new plane of dignity and worth.