SEV Biblia, Chapter 1:12
Bienaventurado el varn que padece con paciencia la tentacin, porque cuando fuere probado, recibir la corona de vida, que Dios ha prometido a los que le aman.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - James 1:12
Verse 12. Blessed is the man that endureth temptation] This is a mere Jewish sentiment, and on it the Jews speak some excellent things. In Shemoth Rabba, sec. 31, fol. 129, and in Rab. Tanchum, fol. 29, 4, we have these words: "Blessed is the man wnwysnb dmw[ hyh shehayah omed benisyono who stands in his temptation; for there is no man whom God does not try. He tries the rich, to see if they will open their hands to the poor. He tries the poor, to see if they will receive affliction and not murmur. If, therefore, the rich stand in his temptation, and give alms to the poor, he shall enjoy his riches in this world, and his horn shall be exalted in the world to come, and the holy blessed God shall deliver him from the punishment of hell. If the poor stand in his temptation, and do not repine, (kick back,) he shall have double in the world to come." This is exactly the sentiment of James. Every man is in this life in a state of temptation or trial, and in this state he is a candidate for another and a better world; he that stands in his trial shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. It is only love to God that can enable a man to endure the trials of life. Love feels no loads; all practicable things are possible to him who loveth. There may be an allusion here to the contests in the Grecian games. He is crowned who conquers; and none else.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 12. Blessed is the man that endureth temptation , etc.] Or affliction, which is designed by temptation, as in ( James 1:2) and the man that endures it is he that so bears it, and bears up under it, as not to be offended at it, and stumble in the ways of Christ, and fall away from the truth, and a profession of it, as temporary believers in a time of temptation do; but manfully and bravely stands up under it, and does not sink under the weight of it, or faint on account of it; and endures afflictions in such manner as not to murmur and repine at them, but is quiet and still, and bears them patiently and constantly, and so endures to the end. Such expect afflictions, and when they come, they are not moved by them, but, notwithstanding them, continue in the ways and work of the Lord; and such are happy persons; they are happy now, and shall be hereafter. Saints are happy under afflictions, and even on account of them, for they are tokens of God's love to them, and evidences of their sonship; and especially they are happy under them, when they enjoy the presence of God in them, when they are instructive to them, and are saner, lifted, when they learn from them the useful lessons of faith, patience, humility, and resignation to the will of God, and are made more partakers of his holiness; and they will be happy hereafter, as follows. The Jews have a saying much like this, blessed is the man, wnwysnb dmw[ awh , who stands in his temptation, for there is no creature whom the holy blessed God does not tempt.
For when he is tried; by the fire of afflictions, as gold is tried in the fire; when God hereby has tried what is in his heart, and the truth of grace in him, as faith, love, patience, etc. and has purged away his dross and tin, and has refined and purified him, as gold and silver are refined and purified in the furnace, or refining pot: and when being thus tried and proved, and found genuine, and comes forth as gold, after this state of temptation and affliction is over, he shall receive the crown of life , eternal happiness, called a crown, because of the glory of it, which will be both upon the bodies and souls of believers to all eternity; and as suitable to their character, they being kings, and having a kingdom and thrones prepared for them; and in allusion to the crown that was given to the conquerors in the Olympic games: and it is called a crown of life, because it is for life, which an earthly crown is not always; and because it lies in eternal life, and is an everlasting crown; it is a crown of glory that fadeth not away, an incorruptible one; and differs from the corruptible crown given to the victors in the above mentioned games, which were made of fading herbs, and leaves of trees: and now the man that bears up under afflictions, and holds out unto the end, shall have this crown put upon him, and he shall receive it; not as merited by him, by his works or sufferings, for neither of them are worthy to be compared or mentioned with this crown of life and glory; but as the free gift of God, as it will be given him by the righteous Judge, as a reward of grace, and not of debt: which the Lord hath promised to them that love him ; either the Lord Jesus Christ, as in ( Matthew 5:10,12 10:22) or else God the Father; the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Ethiopic versions, read, God; and the Alexandrian copy leaves out the word Lord, which may be supplied by the word God; (see James 2:5) and this promise he made before the world was, who cannot lie, nor deceive, and who is able to perform, and is faithful, and will never suffer his faithfulness to fail; so that this happiness is certain, and may be depended upon: besides, the promise of this crown of life is in Christ, where all the promises are yea and amen; yea, the crown itself is in his hands, where it lies safe and secure for them that love him; either the Lord Jesus Christ, his person, his people, his truths, and ordinances, and his glorious appearing, ( 2 Timothy 4:8) or God the Father; not that their love is the cause of this crown of life, or eternal life, for then it would not be the free gift of God, as it is said to be; nor of the promise of it, for that was made before the world was, and when they had no love unto him; but this phrase is descriptive of the persons to whom God manifests his love now, admits to near communion and fellowship with himself, makes all things, even their afflictions, to work for their good, and whom he will cause to inherit substance, and will fill their treasures.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 12-18 - It is not every man who suffers, that is blessed; but he who with patience and constancy goes through all difficulties in the way of duty. Afflictions cannot make us miserable, if it be not our own fault The tried Christian shall be a crowned one. The crown of life i promised to all who have the love of God reigning in their hearts Every soul that truly loves God, shall have its trials in this worl fully recompensed in that world above, where love is made perfect. The commands of God, and the dealings of his providence, try men's hearts and show the dispositions which prevail in them. But nothing sinful in the heart or conduct can be ascribed to God. He is not the author of the dross, though his fiery trial exposes it. Those who lay the blam of sin, either upon their constitution, or upon their condition in the world, or pretend they cannot keep from sinning, wrong God as if he were the author of sin. Afflictions, as sent by God, are designed to draw out our graces, but not our corruptions. The origin of evil an temptation is in our own hearts. Stop the beginnings of sin, or all the evils that follow must be wholly charged upon us. God has no pleasur in the death of men, as he has no hand in their sin; but both sin an misery are owing to themselves. As the sun is the same in nature an influences, though the earth and clouds, often coming between, make i seem to us to vary, so God is unchangeable, and our changes and shadow are not from any changes or alterations in him. What the sun is in nature, God is in grace, providence, and glory; and infinitely more. A every good gift is from God, so particularly our being born again, an all its holy, happy consequences come from him. A true Christia becomes as different a person from what he was before the renewin influences of Divine grace, as if he were formed over again. We shoul devote all our faculties to God's service, that we may be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures.
Greek Textus Receptus
μακαριος 3107 ανηρ 435 ος 3739 υπομενει 5278 5719 πειρασμον 3986 οτι 3754 δοκιμος 1384 γενομενος 1096 5637 ληψεται 2983 5695 τον 3588 στεφανον 4735 της 3588 ζωης 2222 ον 3739 επηγγειλατο 1861 5662 ο 3588 κυριος 2962 τοις 3588 αγαπωσιν 25 5723 αυτον 846
Vincent's NT Word Studies
12. Is tried (dokimov genomenov). Lit., having become approved. See on trial, 1 Pet. i. 7. The meaning is not, as the A.V. suggests, when his trial is finished, but when he has been approved by trial. Rev., rightly, when he hath been approved.
The crown (stefanon). See on 1 Pet. v. 4.
Of life (thv zwhv). Lit., the life: the article pointing to the well-known eternal life. The figure is not that of the athlete's crown, for an image from the Grecian games, which the Jews despised, would be foreign to James' thought and displeasing to his readers. Rather the kingly crown, the proper word for which is diadhma, diadem. In Ps. xx. 3 (Sept.), stefanov is used of the royal crown. In Zech. vi. 11, 14, the reference seems to be to a priestly crown, forming part of the high priest's mitre.
