James 5:6 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Ye have condemned and killed the Just;— By τον Δικαιον, the Just, some understand our Lord Jesus Christ, who is so termed, Acts 3:14 and in other places. Him the Jews murdered, and he did not resist them; and they did it at the timeof a great festival, when their hearts were elevated with high living and jollity; for which crime particularly wrath was now swiftly coming upon them. All these things maybe alledged in favour of that interpretation;—but I scarce think, says Benson, that the apostle did here refer to the crucifixion of our Lord: for it was chiefly the Jerusalem Jews, and not they of the dispersions, who were his murderers; and how often is the singular number put for the plural?—I should therefore choose to interpret this text of any of the Christians put to death by means of the Jews, who were dispersed among the nations. Our Saviour prophesied that his disciples should meet with such treatment; and St. Paul confessed that, while he was a Jew, he had persecuted some of the Christians to death. Some of the Jews likewise of the dispersions were the occasion of stoning St. Paul himself, till they thought he had been dead. It may possibly be some confirmation that by the Just is meant, not our Lord, but his disciples; that in ch. James 2:6 rich men are represented as then continuing to oppress the Christians by their power, and as dragging them before the heathen tribunals to condemn them: and none were more forward to do this than the unbelieving Jews. Michaelis supports the common interpretation by supposing the relative ος, who, to be understood;—who doth not resist you. His reasons are, first, That it was usual with the Hebrews, and much more with the Arabs, to omit the pronoun relative; which, among the Europeans, is particularly common with the English. Secondly, It was the greatest reproach to kill the innocent, who did not so muchasresist. And then, from commending the Just Man, who had patiently resigned his life, the apostle proceeds torecommend patience to the surviving Christians, from the consideration of all that he had said, James 5:1-6.