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James 4:4
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2 You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and1 war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask.  
3 aYou ask and do not receive, bbecause you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.  
4 1Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that afriendship with the world is enmity with God? bWhoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.  
5 Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, a“The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”?  
6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says:
a“God resists the proud,
But gives grace to the humble.”  

Humility Cures Worldliness

7 Therefore submit to God. aResist the devil and he will flee from you.  
Commentaries:
Robertson's Word Pictures (NT)
<< James 4:3   James 4:5 >>


James 4:4

Ye adulteresses (moixalidev). Moixoi kai (ye adulterers) is spurious (Syrian text only). The feminine form here is a common late word from the masculine moixoi. It is not clear whether the word is to be taken literally here as in Romans 7:3, or figuratively for all unfaithful followers of Christ (like an unfaithful bride), as in II Corinthians 11:1 f.; Ephesians 5:24-28 (the Bride of Christ). Either view makes sense in this context, probably the literal view being more in harmony with the language of verses James 4:2 f. In that case James may include more than Christians in his view, though Paul talks plainly to church members about unchastity (Ephesians 5:3-5).

Enmity with God (exqra tou qeou). Objective genitive qeou with exqra (predicate and so without article), old word from exqrov, enemy (Romans 5:10), with eiv qeon (below and Romans 8:7).

Whosoever therefore would be (ov ean oun boulhqh). Indefinite relative clause with ov and modal ean and the first aorist passive (deponent) subjunctive of boulomai, to will (purpose).

A friend of the world (filov tou kosmou). Predicate nominative with infinitive einai agreeing with ov. See James 2:23 for filov qeou (friend of God).

Maketh himself (kaqistatai). Present passive (not middle) indicative as in James 3:6, "is constituted," "is rendered."

An enemy of God (exqrov tou qeou). Predicate nominative and anarthrous and objective genitive (qeou).




Other Robertson's Word Pictures (NT) entries containing James 4:4:

Matthew 12:39
James 1:19
James 2:5
James 2:10
2 Peter 2:14
1 John 2:15

 

<< James 4:3   James 4:5 >>

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