James 2:9 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin; the second part of the apostle's answer, in which he sets persons in opposition to neighbour: q.d. If you, instead of loving your neighbour, which excludes no sort of men, poor no more than rich, choose and single out (as ye do) only some few (viz. rich men) to whom ye give respect, despising others, ye are so far from fulfilling the royal law, that ye sin against it. And are convinced of the law; either by the particular law against respecting persons, Leviticus 19:15, or rather, by that very law you urge; your thus partially respecting the rich to the excluding of the poor, being so contrary to the command of loving your neighbour, which excludes none. As transgressors; i.e. to be transgressors, viz. of the whole law, as fellows.