santiago-4:5-7-nvi

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - James 4:7

Submit - to God - Continue to bow to all his decisions, and to all his dispensations. Resist the devil - He cannot conquer you if you continue to resist. Strong as he is, God never permits him to conquer the man who continues to resist him; he cannot force the human will. He who, in the terrible name of Jesus, opposes even the devil himself, is sure to have a speedy and glorious conquest. He flees from that name, and from his conquering blood. read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - James 4:5

Verse 5 5Do ye think. He seems to adduce from Scripture the next following sentence. Hence interpreters toil much, because none such, at least none exactly alike, is found in Scripture. But nothing hinders the reference to be made to what has been already said, that is, that the friendship of the world is adverse to God. Moreover; it has been rightly said, that this is a truth which occurs everywhere in Scripture. And that he has omitted the pronoun, which would have rendered the sentence... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - James 4:7

Verse 7 7Submit yourselves. The submission which he recommends is that of humility; for he does not exhort us generally to obey God, but requires submission; for the Spirit of God rests on the humble and the meek. (Isaiah 57:15.) On this account he uses the illative particle. For as he had declared that God’s Spirit is bountiful in increasing his gifts, he hence concludes that we ought to lay aside envy, and to submit to God. Many copies have introduced here the following sentence: “Wherefore... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - James 4:1-10

War or peace? He has just been speaking of peace. But this leads him to survey the actual state of things: disputes, strifes, murders. (For condition of Jewish society at this time, see Plumptre's notes: " rife with atrocities.") And he will ascend to the origin of them. Whence come they? They proceed from the restlessness of the unregenerate nature, seeking, but seeking in vain, its satisfaction in the world. These two topics, then, are introduced to us: dissatisfaction with the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - James 4:1-12

REBUKE OF QUARRELS ARISING FROM PRIDE AND GREED . A terribly sadden transition from the "peace" with which James 3:1-18 . closed. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - James 4:4-6

Worldliness enmity with God. Here the apostle follows up the words of rebuke and warning with which the chapter opened. The doctrine which he enunciates is uncompromising; and his language startling, as welt as solemn. I. THE ANTAGONISM BETWEEN THE LOVE OF THE WORLD AND THE LOVE OF GOD . ( James 4:4 ) This painful epithet, "Ye adulteresses," is the key-note of the chord which James strikes in his appeal. God is the rightful spiritual Husband of every... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - James 4:5-6

The difficulty of the passage is well shown by the hesitation of the Revisers. The first clause is rendered, "Or think ye that the Scripture speaketh in vain?" but as an alternative there is suggested in the margin, "Or think ye that the Scripture saith in vain?" as if the following clause were a quotation from Scripture. And of this following clause three possible renderings are suggested. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - James 4:6

God resisteth the proud. The connection of this with James 4:4 is very close, and is favorable to the view taken above as to the meaning of the first clause of James 4:5 , as the words appear to be cited in support of the statement that whosoever would be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. The quotation is from Proverbs 3:34 , LXX ., κύριος ὑπερηφάνοις ἀντιτάσσεται , ταπεινοῖς δὲ δίδωσι χάριν . St. James's version agrees with this exactly, except... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.