1What causes conflicts and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from the passions at war within you?†2You crave what you do not have; you kill and covet, but are unable to obtain it. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3And when you do ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may squander it on your pleasures.
ⓘJames explains the causes of conflict among people:...
James explains the causes of conflict among people: love for the world, divided loyalty, and arrogant criticism (4:11–12). He gives instructions that will fix these problems and lead to peace.
4You adulteresses!†Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever chooses to be a friend of the world renders himself†an enemy of God. 5Or do you think the Scripture says without reason that the Spirit†He caused to dwell in us yearns with envy? 6But He gives us more grace. This is why it says:
“God opposes the proud,but gives grace to the humble.”†
Drawing Near to God
7Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purifyyour hearts, you double-minded. 9Grieve, mourn, and weep. Turn your laughter to mourning, and your joy to gloom. 10Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.
ⓘThese verses discuss the teaching in Matthew 7:1...
11Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judgesit. And if you judgethe law, you are not a practitioner of the law, but a judge of it. 12There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?
ⓘTraveling merchants relied on their own determination to...
Traveling merchants relied on their own determination to overcome poverty and low social status. James encourages acknowledging God's providence. He also warns against making arrogant plans beyond one's control.
13Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business, and make a profit.” 14You do not even know what will happen tomorrow! What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.
15Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord is willing, we will live and do this or that.” 16As it is, you boast in your proud intentions. All such boasting is evil. 17Anyone, then, who knows the right thing to do, yet fails to do it, is guilty of sin.
Commentary
James 4:1
Conflicts and quarrels (literally wars and battles): James uses military imagery to show that their own evil desires cause the battles among church members. These desires are at war within themselves. James uses the Greek word for passions again in 4:3 (translated as “pleasures”). This frames the entire paragraph and show the source of conflict and unanswered prayer (Luke 8:14; Titus 3:3).
you kill and covet: Killing was the extreme but logical result of their greedy mindset. Some of James's readers might have joined the Jewish Zealot movement and committed murder for their cause. Hostile attitudes and violent methods do not bring satisfaction—you cannot achieve your goals with them.
Commentary
James 4:4
You adulteresses: James uses this prophetic imagery to challenge his audience (see, for example, Jeremiah 3:6; Hosea 3:1). They were seeking what friendship with the world could offer them. This included:
Divided loyalty toward God is like being unfaithful to a spouse (4:8).
In ancient times, “friend” was a title for special and exclusive relationships (Luke 23:12, Herod and Pilate). John 19:12 speaks of Pilate as “friend of Caesar” (see also 1 Maccabees 2:18; 6:28). The Scriptures call Moses and Abraham “friend of God” (Exodus 33:11; James 2:23; 2 Chronicles 20:7; Isaiah 41:8; compare John 15:15).
The world consists of society that opposes God and his kingdom. The world follows earthly wisdom, not heavenly wisdom (James 3:15–17). Evil desires, fighting, and killing mark the world (4:2–3).
do not slander one another: This appeal for peace among Christians means they must not speak badly about one another. Speaking badly about a neighbor is like speaking badly about God's law. This is because the law forbids slander and requires loving your neighbor (2:8; Leviticus 19:16–18; Matthew 7:1–5).
Christians can proudly share what God has done (1:9–10). But they should not brag about their own plans. When people make plans without considering God's will, they act as if they control their own future. These kinds of plans assume that God has no authority over people's lives.
who knows the right thing to do:this verse is probably a saying that James thought his audience would know. Its origin is unknown, but it aligns with Scripture teachings (compare Deuteronomy 24:15; Proverbs 3:27–28; Matthew 25:41–46; Luke 12:47).
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