James 4

This article is about a book chapter of the Bible. For James IV, see James IV of Scotland.
James 4

Epistle of James 3:13-4:4 on the recto side of Papyrus 100, from the 3rd century.
Book Epistle of James
Bible part New Testament
Order in the Bible part 20
Category General epistles

James 4 is the fourth chapter of the Epistle of James in the New Testament of the Christian Bible.[1][2] The author identifies himself as "James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ" and the epistle is traditionally attributed to James the brother of Jesus.[3][4]

Text

Structure

This chapter can be grouped (with cross references to other parts of the Bible):[7]

Verse 1

New King James Version

Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?[8]

Verse 6

New King James Version

But He gives more grace. Therefore He says:
“God resists the proud,
But gives grace to the humble.”[9]

Citation from: Proverbs 3:34

Verse 15

New King James Version

Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.”[10]

Instead of saying we will go to such and such a place, and do this, and that, and the other thing, it should be said,[11]

the last "and" is left out in the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions; and the passage rendered thus, "if the Lord will, and we shall live, we will do this": so that here are two conditions of doing anything; the one is, if it should be agreeable to the determining will and purpose of God, by which everything in the world comes to pass, and into which the wills of men should be resolved, and resigned; and the other is, if we should live, since life is so very uncertain and precarious: and the sense is, not that this exact form of words should be always used, but what is equivalent to them, or, at least, that there should be always a sense of these things upon the mind; and there should be a view to them in all resolutions, designs, and engagements: and since the words are so short and comprehensive, it might be proper for Christians to use themselves to such a way of speaking; upon all occasions; we find it used by the Apostle Paul frequently, as in (Acts 18:2) (1 Corinthians 4:19) (Romans 1:10) (Hebrews 6:3), and even by Jews, Heathens, and Turks. It is a saying of Ben Syra, the Jew,[12]

let a man never say he will do anything, before he says, "if God will"

So Cyrus, king of Persia, when, under pretence of hunting, he designed an expedition into Armenia, upon which an hare started, and was caught by an eagle, said to his friends, this will be a good or prosperous hunting to us, "if God will".[13] And very remarkable are the words of Socrates to Alcibiades,[14] inquiring of him how he ought to speak; says Socrates, "if God will" {r}; and says he, in another place,[15]

but I will do this, and come unto thee tomorrow, "if God will".

And it is reported of the Turks,[16] that they submit everything to the divine will; as the success of war, or a journey, or anything, even of the least moment, they desire to be done; and never promise themselves, or others, anything, but under this condition, "In Shallah", if God will.[11]

Verse 16

New King James Version

But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.[17]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Halley, Henry H. Halley's Bible Handbook: an abbreviated Bible commentary. 23rd edition. Zondervan Publishing House. 1962.
  2. ↑ Holman Illustrated Bible Handbook. Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee. 2012.
  3. ↑ Davids, Peter H (1982). I Howard Marshall and W Ward Gasque, ed. New International Greek Testament Commentary: The Epistle of James (Repr. ed.). Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans. ISBN 0802823882.
  4. ↑ Evans, Craig A (2005). Craig A Evans, ed. Bible Knowledge Background Commentary: John, Hebrews-Revelation. Colorado Springs, Colo.: Victor. ISBN 0781442281.
  5. ↑ 20. James: Introduction, Outline, and Argument. Bible.org
  6. ↑ The New Testament Virtual Manuscript Room, Institute for New Testament Textual Research (INTF), Münster.
  7. ↑ James 4 NKJV
  8. ↑ James 4:1
  9. ↑ James 4:6
  10. ↑ James 4:15
  11. 1 2 John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible - James 4:15
  12. ↑ Sentent. 11.
  13. ↑ Xenophon. Cyropaed. l. 2. c. 25.
  14. ↑ Plato in Aleibiade, p. 135.
  15. ↑ Plato in Laches.
  16. ↑ Smith de Moribus Turc. p. 74.
  17. ↑ James 4:16

This article incorporates text from a work in the public domain: Gill, John. Exposition of the Entire Bible (1746-1763). 

External links

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