Matthew Poole and continuators on James 5:4

4 Behold , the hire of your labourers which have reaped down your fields , which is of you kept back by fraud , crieth , and the cries of them which have reaped, are entred into the ears of the Lord of sabbaoth .

This is either a Note of Demonstration, as Iohn 1.29. q. d. the Case is plain, and cannot be denyed; or of Excitation, q. d. seriously consider it; or rather, of Confirmation, to intimate, that the Threatnings here denounced, should certainly be made good upon them. See Iude 1.4.

The Wages of those, by whose Labour and Sweat ye your selves live, and are nourished.

Either wholly denied them, or detained from them, when due to them, contrary to the Law, Lev. 19.13. Deut. 24.14, 15. Deferring Payment is a sort of defrauding, as it bereaves the Creditor of the Benefit of Improvement; and so they are taxed here with Injustice, as well as Covetousness, in that they lived upon other Men's Labours, and starved the Poor, to enrich themselves.

Viz. to God for Vengeance, as such Sins are said to do, which either are so openly and boldly committed, as to dare the Justice of God, or so secretly, or securely, that they are like to escape the Justice of Men, Gen. 4.10. and 18.20, 21. among others, Oppression of the Poor is a loud crying Sin, Exod. 2.23. Iob 24.11, 12. H[illegible: 1 letter]b. 2.9, 11, 12.

Zech. 10.1.

i. e. The Lord of Hosts, as having all the Creatures above and below, of all sorts, ranked under him as their great Commander, whose Will they are ready to execute. He mentions God by this Title, not only for the encouragement of the poor oppressed, whose Patron and Protector he avows himself to be, Exod. 22.23, 24, 27. Prov. 23.11. But for terror to the powerful Oppressors, who think themselves out of the reach of Men's Judgment.