James 4:6

James 4:6

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.

8 ^aDraw near to God and He will draw near to you. ^bCleanse your hands, you sinners; and ^cpurify your hearts, you double-minded.

9 ^aLament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.

Commentaries:

Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown

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But—"Nay, rather."

he—God.

giveth more grace—ever increasing grace; the farther ye depart from "envy" [BENGEL].

he saith—The same God who causes His spirit to dwell in believers (James 4:5), by the Spirit also speaks in Scripture. The quotation here is probably from Proverbs 3:34; as probably Proverbs 21:10 was generally referred to in James 4:5. In Hebrew it is "scorneth the scorners," namely, those who think "Scripture speaketh in vain."

resisteth—literally, "setteth Himself in array against"; even as they, like Pharaoh, set themselves against Him. God repays sinners in their own coin. "Pride" is the mother of "envy" (James 4:5); it is peculiarly satanic, for by it Satan fell.

the proud—The Greek means in derivation one who shows himself above his fellows, and so lifts himself against God.

the humble—the unenvious, uncovetous, and unambitious as to the world. Contrast James 4:4.

**Other Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown entries containing James 4:6:**

Job 22:29
Proverbs 16:19
Ezekiel 2:2
Ezekiel 21:26
Acts 10:35
James 4:7
James 5:6
1 Peter 5:5

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James 4:7 >>

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