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Jam_5:2. Description of the judgment destroying all riches: ὁ πλοῦτος ὑμῶν σέσηπεν ] In a prophetical manner the future is described as having already taken place (Hottinger, Schneckenburger, de Wette, Wiesinger, Bouman, and others). By πλοῦτος is not here—as Estius, Raphelius, Wolf, Semler, Gebser, Bouman on account of σέσηπεν think—to be understood such things (fruit, etc.) as undergo literal rottenness, but is to be understood generally; and σέσηπε as a figurative expression denotes generally the destruction to which riches is abandoned. The explanation of Calvin is incorrect: hic immensa divitum rapacitas perstringitur, dum supprimunt, quicquid undecunque possunt ad se trahere, ut inutiliter in area computrescat (similarly Hornejus, Laurentius, Grotius, Bengel, Theile[218]); James “does not here intend to give the natural result of covetousness, and thus the reason of the judgment, but the effect of the judgment breaking forth” (Wiesinger).[219] James describes the reason from Jam_5:4 and onwards.
The verb σήπω , to cause to rot, in the passive and second perfect to corrupt, is in the N. T. ἅπ . λεγ ., but often occurs in the LXX.; comp. Job_33:21; Job_40:7; as here in a general sense (= φθείρεσθαι ) it is found in Sir_14:19.
καὶ τὰ ἱμάτια ὑμῶν κ . τ . λ .] The general idea πλοῦτος is here and in what follows specialized.
σητόβρωτος ] moth-eaten, in the N. T. ἅπ . λεγ ., does not occur in the classics, but in Job_13:20, LXX.: ὥσπερ ἱμάτιον σητόβρωτον ; comp. Isa_51:8. σκωληκόβρωτος in Act_12:23 is similarly formed.
[218] Theile, who takes the preterite in its literal sense, thus explains the passage: divitiae a vobis coacervatae perierunt nulla vestra aliorumque utilitate … atque ideo vos coram judice perdent. Ita causa additur istarum calamitatum perferendi, gravi oppositione eorum quae per absurda et impia ipsorum avaritia jam facta sunt eorumque, quae pro justa Dei retributione adhuc fient.
[219] In agreement with his explanation of πλούσιοι , Lange understands also τλοῦτος in a symbolical sense, namely, the externalized Judaistic righteousness—“connected, of course, with worldly prosperity.” His assertion is also incorrect, that here not the last judgment, but “the natural immanent judgments of sinners” are meant.