"Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near."
— James 5:7-8 (NIV)
James 5:7-8 uses a farmer to explain patience: you plant, you wait for rain you cannot control, and you trust the harvest is coming. This page gives the verses, what the key Greek words mean, where they sit in James 5, and a plain reading. For more on the theme, see Bible verses about patience and Love and patience.
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The verses
The King James reads: "Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh."
"Be patient" is makrothymeō (G3114), to be long-tempered, slow to give up. "Coming" is parousia (G3952), arrival or presence. "Farmer" is geōrgos (G1092), one who works the ground, and "waits" is ekdechomai (G1551), to wait expecting something. "Valuable" or "precious" is timios (G5093) and "crop" or "fruit" is karpos (G2590). "Stand firm" or "stablish" is stērizō (G4741), to set fast or strengthen. "Is near" is engizō (G1448), to draw close.
Where it sits in James 5
James 5 opens with a sharp warning to rich people who held back their workers' wages (James 5:1-6). Then he turns to the believers who were on the receiving end, and his word to them is patience.
Right after these verses he says, "Don't grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!" (James 5:9). Then he gives examples: "Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy" (James 5:10-11).
What the verses are saying
A farmer cannot make it rain. In Israel the autumn rains came at planting and the spring rains came before harvest, and between them the farmer kept working and waited. James says the same about waiting on the Lord: you keep doing the work in front of you, and you trust what you cannot hurry.
"Stand firm" adds the other half. Patience here is not passive. It means settling your heart so that waiting does not wear you down or turn you against the people around you, which is why verse 9 warns against grumbling.
Questions people ask
What does James 5:7-8 say?
In the NIV it says, "Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near."
What does the farmer in James 5:7 teach about patience?
The farmer plants and then waits for rain he cannot control. He keeps working and trusts the harvest will come. James uses that picture for waiting on the Lord.
What are the early and latter rains in James 5:7?
In the land of Israel the early (autumn) rains came around planting, and the latter (spring) rains came before harvest. A farmer needed both and could do nothing to bring either one.
What does "stand firm" mean in James 5:8?
The Greek word stērizō means to set fast or strengthen. The KJV says "stablish your hearts." It means settling your heart so you do not give up while you wait.
What verses go with James 5:7-8?
James 1:2-4 (let perseverance finish its work), Romans 12:12 (patient in affliction), Galatians 6:9 (do not become weary in doing good), and Psalm 27:14 (wait for the Lord) are close companions.
