James 4:2, NIV: You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. James 4:2, ESV: You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask.
Full Answer
What is the meaning of James 4 1 12?
James 4:1–12 builds on the end of chapter 3, describing how living according to the world's wisdom has led to great conflict among James's Christian readers. They were fighting with each other because they couldn't get what they wanted. James says that living that way is adultery.
What is the meaning of Jam 4?
Jam 4:2. Ἐπιθυμεῖτε, ye desire) A kind of Anaphora[47] whereby the sentiment is repeated with increased force.
What does James write about in Chapter 4 of James?
James wrote to believers who seemed to have quite a few problems with their behavior. The one he addresses at the beginning of chapter 4 has to do with their desire to get things. James 4:1–3: “What causes fights and quarrels among you?
What is the Adam Clarke Commentary on James 4?
"Commentary on James 4:2". "The Adam Clarke Commentary". https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/acc/james-4.html. 1832. Continuing his teaching on the evil results of worldly attitudes, James explains why fights and quarrels occur. Selfish ambition fights against the more spiritual motives.
What is the meaning of Ask and you shall receive?
notes for Ask, and it shall be given you This passage suggests that God will give whatever is needed to those who have the faith to ask for it.
What is the main point in James chapter 4?
In this section, James says his readers are guilty of behaving from fundamentally wrong motives. They are acting toward each other in bad faith. He says they seek both to fulfill their evil desires and to have friendship with the world, thereby rejecting their spiritual yearning for God.19-Sept-2019
What does let patience have her perfect work mean?
It's about facing problems with a sense of confidence that God, divine Truth, is always active and helping us gain a higher, more spiritual understanding of life – just as leaven helps the dough to rise. And when patience has “its perfect work,” the result is healing.28-Mar-2018
Why do God doesn't answer prayers?
- As long as your prayers are for selfish motives, driven by pride hidden in your heart, God will not answer them. - Other versions start this verse with “don't be anxious” in place of “Be careful…” - Once you know God has said yes, you know you will receive it.20-Apr-2015
What does James 4 say in the Bible?
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it.
What is the fourth chapter in the Bible?
Matthew 4 is the fourth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament of Christian Bible....Matthew 4← chapter 3 chapter 5 →Matthew 4:22-23 on Papyrus 102 (3rd century).BookGospel of MatthewCategoryGospel2 more rows
What does Proverbs have to say about patience?
“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.”30-Mar-2020
Who through faith and patience inherit the promises?
vi. 12. That ye be Followers of Them, who thro' Faith and Patience inherit the Promises.
What is the biblical definition of patience?
The quality or virtue of patience is presented as either forbearance or endurance. In the former sense it is a quality of self-restraint or of not giving way to anger, even in the face of provocation; it is attributed to both God and man and is closely related to mercy and compassion.
How can I hear God's voice?
How to practice listening prayerCome to God with your request for guidance. ... Wait in silence for God to speak for 10-12 minutes. ... Jot down any Scripture, songs, impressions, or pictures God gives you. ... Share how God spoke to you with your prayer partners and follow God's will.04-Jun-2019
What do I do when God is silent?
When God seems silent, bare your heart before him. Let us bare our hearts before him, even when our hearts are filled with questions and distress about what seems like the silence of God. As David writes in Psalm 62: “For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation.30-Aug-2019
When God is silent during difficult times?
Isaiah 65:24 (KJV) declares, “And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; And while they are yet speaking, I will hear.” Remember when God is quiet, He is up to something.19-Apr-2020
Verse Thoughts
So much in Scripture points to right thinking. We are to take every thought captive to Christ. We are to let His mind dwell in us richly. We are to have this same attitude in ourselves that was in Christ Jesus. We are to look to the Lord Jesus as our example in selfless humility.
My Prayer
Loving Father I do want to pray aright and to pray into Your perfect will.
What does 4:1-10 mean?
4:1-10 Since all wars and fightings come from the corruptions of our own hearts, it is right to mortify those lusts that war in the members. Wordly and fleshly lusts are distempers, which will not allow content or satisfaction. Sinful desires and affections stop prayer, and the working of our desires toward God.
Why was their attempt to convert the Gentiles to Judaism commendable?
So far their attempt was commendable, because, by converting the Gentiles to Judaism, they prepared them for receiving the gospel; and if for this they had asked the blessing of God sincerely, they might have been successful in their purpose.”. Ye ask, &c.
What does "ye lust" mean in the Bible?
Ye lust—A different Greek word from that in Jas 4:1. "Ye desire"; literally, "ye set your mind (or heart) on" an object. have not—The lust of desire does not ensure the actual possession. Hence "ye kill" (not as Margin, without any old authority, "envy") to ensure possession.
Adam Clarke Commentary
Verse James 4:2. Ye lust, and have not — Ye are ever covetous, and ever poor.
Bridgeway Bible Commentary
Continuing his teaching on the evil results of worldly attitudes, James explains why fights and quarrels occur. Selfish ambition fights against the more spiritual motives. Some Christians are constantly looking for more power, increased possessions and higher status. Because they want the wrong things, they do not pray.
Coffman Commentaries on the Bible
Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and covet, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war; ye have not, because ye ask not.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible
Ye lust, and have not - That is, you wish to have something which you do not now possess, and to which you have no just claim, and this prompts to the effort to obtain it by force. You desire extension of territory, fame, booty, the means of luxurious indulgence, or of magnificence and grandeur, and this leads to contest and bloodshed.
Calvin's Commentary on the Bible
2 Ye lust, or covet, and have not. He seems to intimate that the soul of man is insatiable, when he indulges wicked lusts; and truly it is so; for he who suffers his sinful propensities to rule uncontrolled, will know no end to his lust. Were even the world given to him, he would wish other worlds to be created for him.
Chuck Smith Bible Commentary
Chapter 4 This chapter could be entitled how to win friends and influence people. Guard your tongue, bring your tongue under control, use it for good, use it to encourage to build up, don't use it to tear down, to destroy, to cut, to hurt.
Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable
"James 4 continues the same topic of strife, and addresses now not only the teachers of James 3:14 but also the rest of the brotherhood who are in similar sin: strife springs from within (James 4:1-3) and is fostered by worldliness; love of the world and love of God cannot coexist (James 4:4-6); Christians must resist the devil and draw near to God (James 4:7-10)." [Note: Adamson, p.
What does it mean when God doesn't answer you?
He is God, after all, and he does have a plan for your life. It does mean that if you don’t receive the answer you want, it’s not because you didn’t ask or because you asked with wrong motives. It simply means God has something different in mind for you.
What is the burning desire that drives all the others?
James identifies some of these wrong motives, but the ultimate desire that drives all the others is the burning desire to get something you do not have. This is known as coveting. To covet is to be jealous of something that someone else has, or to possess a strong eagerness to get something that does not belong to you.
What does Hebrews 11:6 mean?
– Hebrews 11:6. Any prayer you bring to God must be in faith so make sure you have faith. 2.
What does James 4 say about asking God for something?
James 4 does not really address those larger issues. It simply says that, if there is something we want, we need to ask God for it, instead of resorting to ungodly means. It stands to reason that there are some things that we will not get unless we ask for them, but, if we ask, we will receive them. So, if there is something that we want, we need ...
What does James write about?
James wrote to believers who seemed to have quite a few problems with their behavior. The one he addresses at the beginning of chapter 4 has to do with their desire to get things.
Why does God say "no"?
There are some times when God may say “no” because we ask with the wrong motives , and there may be some times that He says “yes” because He wants us to have what we ask for. (His “yes” does not mean that the object of our desire will necessarily arrive “on a silver platter” from heaven.
Why did people fight and quarrel?
1. The people wanted a lot, and this was causing them to fight and quarrel among themselves. Presumably, they were frustrated with each other as they could not get what they wanted. 2. The inability to get what they wanted had driven some of them to “kill.”.
When you ask God for something, do you receive?
Likewise, when we ask God for something, He reserves the right to do what is best for us. James 4:3 brings up another situation where God may not grant our requests: “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”. So, while it is better to ask God for things ...
Does God change his mind?
There is debate in theological circles about whether God actually “changes His mind” in response to our prayers. Some would say that God never changes His mind, that He will always do what He had planned in the first place. Others go to the opposite extreme and say that God cannot or will not do anything unless we ask.
Is it better to ask God for things than to fight?
So, while it is better to ask God for things than to scheme and fight and try to get them at the expense of other people, there are some requests that are still selfish at their root, and these God will deny. The bottom line is that, when you want something, you need to ask God and let Him decide what is best for you.
What does James 2:1-13 mean?
James 2:1–13 continues the prior passage's focus on Christians living out what the Word of God says. Those who hold the faith of Christ should obey the command to love our neighbors as ourselves. This includes not showing favoritism to the rich over the poor.
Is James' faith in God true?
It is not trust, or true, biblical saving faith. James doesn't deny that belief in God is essential to salvation, nor does he claim that works are necessary to obtain salvation. Rather, he makes the case that works are to faith what the breath is to the body: a sign of life.