Commentaries:
Robertson's Word Pictures (NT)
Whereas ye know not (oitinev ouk epistasqe). The longer relative ostiv defines here more precisely (like Latin qui) oi legontev (ye who say) of verse James 4:13 in a causal sense, as in Acts 10:47, "who indeed do not know" (present middle indicative of epistamai).
What shall be on the morrow (thv aurion). Supply hmerav (day) after aurion. This is the reading of B (Westcott) "on the morrow" (genitive of time), but Aleph K L cursives have to thv aurion ("the matter of tomorrow"), while A P cursives have ta thv aurion ("the things of tomorrow"). The sense is practically the same, though to thv aurion is likely correct.
What is your life? (poia h zwh umwn). Thus Westcott and Hort punctuate it as an indirect question, not direct. Poia is a qualitative interrogative (of what character).
As vapour (atmiv). This is the answer. Old word for mist (like atmov, from which our "atmosphere"), in N.T. only here and Acts 2:19 with kapnou (vapour of smoke (from Joel 2:30).
For a little time (prov oligon). See same phrase in I Timothy 4:8, prov kairon in Luke 8:13, prov wran in John 5:35.
That appeareth and then vanisheth away (fainomenh epeita kai afanizomenh). Present middle participles agreeing with atmiv, "appearing, then also disappearing," with play on the two verbs (fainomai, afanizw as in Matthew 6:19, from afanhv hidden Hebrews 4:13) with the same root fan (fainw, a-fan-hv).
Other Robertson's Word Pictures (NT) entries containing James 4:14:
1 Timothy 4:8
2 Peter 2:22
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