SEV Biblia, Chapter 4:13
Ea ahora, los que decís: Vamos hoy y maana a tal ciudad, y estaremos all un ao y compraremos mercadería, y ganaremos;
Clarke's Bible Commentary - James 4:13
Verse 13. Go to now] age nun? Come now, the same in meaning as the Hebrew hbh habah, come, Gen. xi. 3, 4, 7. Come, and hear what I have to say, ye that say, &c. To-day, or to-morrow, we will go] This presumption on a precarious life is here well reproved; and the ancient Jewish rabbins have some things on the subject which probably St. James had in view. In Debarim Rabba, sec. 9, fol. 261, 1, we have the following little story; "Our rabbins tell us a story which happened in the days of Rabbi Simeon, the son of Chelpatha. He was present at the circumcision of a child, and stayed with its father to the entertainment. The father brought out wine for his guests that was seven years old, saying, With this wine will I continue for a long time to celebrate the birth of my new-born son. They continued supper till midnight. At that time Rabbi Simeon arose and went out, that he might return to the city in which he dwelt. On the way he saw the angel of death walking up and down. He said to him, Who art thou? He answered, I am the messenger of God. The rabbin said, Why wanderest thou about thus? He answered, I slay those persons who say, We will do this, or that, and think not how soon death may overpower them: that man with whom thou hast supped, and who said to his guests, With this wine will I continue for a long time to celebrate the birth of my new-born son, behold the end of his life is at hand, for he shall die within thirty days." By this parable they teach the necessity of considering the shortness and uncertainty of human life; and that God is particularly displeased with those ...
"Who, counting on long years of pleasure here, Are quite unfurnished for a world to come." And continue there a year, and buy and sell] This was the custom of those ancient times; they traded from city to city, carrying their goods on the backs of camels. The Jews traded thus to Tyre, Sidon, Caesarea, Crete, Ephesus, Philippi, Thessalonica, Corinth, Rome, &c. And it is to this kind of itinerant mercantile life that St. James alludes. See at the end of this chapter.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 13. Go to now, ye that say , etc.] The apostle passes from exposing the sin of detraction, and rash judgment, to inveigh against those of presumption and self-confidence; and the phrase, go to now, is a note of transition, as well as of attention, and contains the form of a solemn and grave address to persons, who either think within themselves, or vocally express, the following words, or the like unto them: today, or tomorrow, we will go into such a city ; in such a country, a place of great trade and merchandise; as Tyre then was in Phoenicia, Thessalonica in Macedonia, Ephesus in Asia, and others: some render this as an imperative, or as an exhortation, let us go, which does not alter the sense. And continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain ; as is customary for merchants to do; nor does the apostle design by this to condemn merchandise, and the lawful practice of buying and selling, and getting gain; but that men should not resolve upon those things without consulting God, and attending to his will, and subjecting themselves to it; and without considering the uncertainty and frailty of human life; as well as should not promise and assure themselves of success, of getting gain and riches, as if those things were in their own power, and had no dependence upon the providence and blessing of God.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 11-17 - Our lips must be governed by the law of kindness, as well as truth an justice. Christians are brethren. And to break God's commands, is to speak evil of them, and to judge them, as if they laid too great restraint upon us. We have the law of God, which is a rule to all; le us not presume to set up our own notions and opinions as a rule to those about us, and let us be careful that we be not condemned of the Lord. "God to now," is a call to any one to consider his conduct a being wrong. How apt worldly and contriving men are to leave God out of their plans! How vain it is to look for any thing good without God' blessing and guidance! The frailty, shortness, and uncertainty of life ought to check the vanity and presumptuous confidence of all project for futurity. We can fix the hour and minute of the sun's rising an setting to-morrow, but we cannot fix the certain time of a vapour being scattered. So short, unreal, and fading is human life, and all the prosperity or enjoyment that attends it; though bliss or woe for eve must be according to our conduct during this fleeting moment. We ar always to depend on the will of God. Our times are not in our ow hands, but at the disposal of God. Our heads may be filled with care and contrivances for ourselves, or our families, or our friends; but Providence often throws our plans into confusion. All we design, an all we do, should be with submissive dependence on God. It is foolish and it is hurtful, to boast of worldly things and aspiring projects; it will bring great disappointment, and will prove destruction in the end Omissions are sins which will be brought into judgment, as well a commissions. He that does not the good he knows should be done, as wel as he who does the evil he knows should not be done, will be condemned Oh that we were as careful not to omit prayer, and not to neglect to meditate and examine our consciences, as we are not to commit gros outward vices against light __________________________________________________________________
Greek Textus Receptus
αγε 71 5720 νυν 3568 οι 3588 λεγοντες 3004 5723 σημερον 4594 {1: και 2532 } {2: η 2228 } αυριον 839 πορευσωμεθα 4198 5667 εις 1519 τηνδε 3592 την 3588 πολιν 4172 και 2532 {1: ποιησωμεν 4160 5661 } {2: ποιησομεν 4160 5692 } εκει 1563 ενιαυτον 1763 ενα 1520 και 2532 {1: εμπορευσωμεθα 1710 5667 και 2532 κερδησωμεν 2770 5661 } {2: εμπορευσομεθα 1710 5695 και 2532 κερδησομεν 2770 5692 }
Vincent's NT Word Studies
13. Go to now (age nun). Go to is an obsolete phrase, though retained in Rev. It is a formula for calling attention: come now.Such a city (thnde thn polin). More accurately, as Rev., this city. Continue there a year (toihsomen ekei eniauton). Lit., we will make a year. See, for the same form of expression, Acts xv. 33; xviii. 23; 2 Corinthians xi. 25. Better, as Rev., spend a year there. (Compare the A.V., Acts xviii. 23, rightly retained by Rev.) The word poihsomen implies more than mere continuance; rather, a doing something with the year.
And. The frequent use of the copulative gives a lively tone to the passage, expressive of the lightness and thoughtlessness of a careless spirit. Buy and sell (emporeusomeqa). Rev., more concisely, trade. Only here and 2 Pet. ii. 3.
