James 5:7-11, Synonym Study of “patience” (3)

As I remember, we have had two individual verses that contained both of these synonyms: Col. 1:11 and 2 Tim. 3:10.  Today’s reading from James contains both terms (hupomone twice in 5:11, those who endure and Job’s patience; makrothumia in 5:7 twice, be patient & the farmer, 5:8, be patient, & 5:10 the prophets).  That helps us understand that while the two terms are quite similar and fitting for the same context, yet they are different, giving us some kind of additional encouragement from the Scripture.  The following has been helpful for me and so I am sharing it with you.  As you read, keep in mind that these terms speak to God’s provision for us to live joyfully in our trials.

STRONG: Hupomone is the temper which does not easily succumb under suffering.  Makrothumia is the self-restraint which does not hastily retaliate a wrong.  One is opposed to cowardice or despondency, the other to wrath, revenge.

VINE: 2 words 1)hupomone: literally an abiding under, is almost invariably rendered 'patience'. Patience which grows only in trial, may be passive, i.e. endurance; may be active, i.e. persistence, perseverance.  2)makrothumia: (under long-suffering) "forbearance, longsuffering, is usually rendered longsuffering.  Longsuffering is that quality of self-restraint in the face of provocation which does not hastily retaliate or promptly punish; it is the opposite of anger, and is associated with mercy, and is used of God. Patience is the quality that does not surrender to circumstances or succumb under trial; it is the opposite of despondence and is associated with hope; it is not used of God.

ISBE: Patience implies suffering, enduring, waiting, as a demonstration of the will & not simply under necessity. As such it is an essential of Christian virtue to the exercise of which there are many exhortations. We need to wait patiently for God, to endure uncomplainingly the various forms of sufferings, wrongs, and evils that we meet with and to bear patiently injustices which we cannot remedy and provocations we cannot remove.  The word in the NT rendered longsuffering...is literally long of mind and soul...Acc. to Trench the diff. between 'hupomone' and 'makrothumia' is that the latter work expresses patience in respect to persons, and the former in respect to things; hence 'hupomone' is never ascribed to God; when He is called the 'God of patience' it is as He gives it to His servants and saints.

One difference is that God does not need to be patient with “things” because He is the Creator and knows the beginning from the end. He needs no “impatience” in that regard.  But He is patient with people.  He does not treat us as our sins deserve.  When He pours out His wrath it is not that He is impatient.  It is because men have limits imposed by God.  Men must at some point be judged.  A good illustration is the Amorites of Gen. 15:16, whose iniquity was not yet complete.  God gave them several hundred years to repent.  Then, through Israel, He ordered their destruction.