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In this chapter we are directed to consider, I. Some causes of contention, besides those mentioned in the foregoing chapter, and to watch against them (Jam 4:1-5). II. We are taught to abandon the friendship of this world, so as to submit and subject ourselves entirely to God (Jam 4:4-10). III. All detraction and rash judgment of others are to be carefully avoided (Jam 4:11, Jam 4:12). IV. We must preserve a constant regard, and pay the utmost deference to the disposals of divine Providence (Jam 4:13 to the end).

INTRODUCTION TO JAMES 4 In this chapter the apostle gives the true cause of contentions and strifes; and cautions against intemperance, covetousness, pride, detraction, and vain confidence. Having, in the latter part of the preceding chapter, inveighed against strife and contention, he here shows from whence they spring, from a covetous desire of riches and honour; and which yet are not obtained, because they did not ask these things of God with submission to his will; or they asked with a wrong view, namely, to gratify their lusts, Jam 4:1 and he dissuades from such unlawful desires, partly because they were no other than adultery; and partly because indulging them was declaring themselves enemies of God, Jam 4:4 and he deters from pride, under the name of envy, proud men being generally envious; from the sense of the Scripture, which says, not in vain, that the spirit lusts unto it; and from the consequence of it, such as are proud being resisted by the Lord, when he gives more grace to humble ones, Jam 4:5 hence follow several exhortations, and various duties relating to humility; as to submit to God, and resist the devil, encouraged thereunto by this motive, he will flee, Jam 4:7, to draw nigh to God in a way of religious worship, who will draw nigh in a way of grace to his people; to purity of action, and of heart, or to that which is outward and inward, Jam 4:8 to be humbled, mourn, and weep, instead of joy and laughter, Jam 4:9 to lie low before the Lord, who will raise such up, Jam 4:10 and not to speak evil of anyone, since this is judging a brother; nay, a speaking evil of the law, and a judging of that; which is to invade the prerogative of God, the lawgiver, who is able to save, and to destroy; and therefore one man should not take upon him to judge another, Jam 4:11 and as another instance of great neglect of God, and his providence, and disrespect unto it, the apostle takes notice of a common practice among men, and even professors of religion, who resolve to go to such a place, and continue so long, and there make merchandise, and promise themselves success; not considering what frail short lived creatures they are, and how much all depends upon the will of God; and which they should consider, submit to, and be determined by, Jam 4:13 and he reproves them for their boastings and joy in them, as evil, Jam 4:16, and observes, that it is not enough to know what is right and good, unless it is done; and that such knowledge is but an aggravation of the evil of sin committed, Jam 4:17.

Ye ask, and receive not,.... Some there were that did ask of God the blessings of his goodness and providence, and yet these were not bestowed on them; the reason was, because ye ask amiss; not in the faith of a divine promise; nor with thankfulness for past mercies; nor with submission to the will of God; nor with a right end, to do good to others, and to make use of what might be bestowed, for the honour of God, and the interest of Christ: but that ye may consume it upon your lusts; indulge to intemperance and luxury; as the man that had much goods laid up for many years did, to the neglect of his own soul, Luk 12:19 or the rich man, who spent all upon his back and his belly, and took no notice of Lazarus at his gate; Luk 16:19.

If someone intends to misuse what he receives, he will not receive it. Instead, God will pity him.

The Savior said: “Ask and you will receive. Everyone who asks will receive.” How can it be then that some people pray but do not get what they ask for? To this it must be answered that if someone comes to prayer in the right way, omitting none of the prerequisites for intercession, he will receive everything he asks for. But if someone appears to be going beyond the permissible bounds laid down for intercession, he will appear to be asking for something in the wrong way and therefore will not obtain it.

and you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. "You ask and do not receive." Just as the Pharisee, of whom it is written in the Gospel according to Luke (18:11); for the more he recounted his good works, the more he blocked the divine ears, and the empty splendor of words flowed around his lips and dissolved into foam like a surging wave. But someone will say: if the promise of the Lord Jesus, who cannot be deceived, is true, in which He says: "Everyone who asks receives," (Matt. 7:8) how does the present apostle say this now? But we say that he who proceeds in the proper way and order to ask also has the complete promise, not being frustrated in anything he asks for. If, however, he seems to ask outside the scope of the given petition, not asking as he ought, he does not even ask, and therefore he will not receive. For example, if a grammar teacher promises to teach everyone who comes to him grammar, but the one who wishes to learn approaches improperly and does not direct himself towards the reception of what has been promised, then if he falls into absurdity similar to his own, will anyone justly accuse the teacher of lying? Certainly, such a person would not act wisely. Nor did the one who was to receive the discipline approach as the teacher exhorts. However, someone might say: And how or what should one ask? Listen to Him who made the promise. "Seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness." (Matt. 6:33) Therefore, it is clear that he who asks in this way, especially concerning such things, will not be disappointed in other matters, since receiving them will not fall outside of what is for his salvation. But he who asks for harmful and damaging things will not have them from Him who gives every good gift. Moreover, if one seeks divine knowledge or some spiritual gift out of pleasure, he will not receive it: for he asks wrongly, and it is for his own destruction; furthermore, God does not grant evil things at all.

It appears that some ask but do not receive. God ignores those who attack him and those who ask wrongly, according to their own desires. But someone will say that even those who ask for divine wisdom and virtue do not receive them. In reply it must be said that such people may be worthy to receive these good things, but they must do so in the right way. Perhaps they want such things merely for the pleasure of having them, and if so, they will not get them.

Those who continue in their sins ask wrongly. They entreat the Lord ill-advisedly to forgive them sins which they are not prepared to forgive in others.

You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, etc. He had foretold that they do not ask, and now he says that they ask wrongly, because he who asks wrongly seems to ask nothing at all in the sight of the inner witness. He asks wrongly who, despising the Lord’s commands, desires supreme benefits from the Lord. He also asks wrongly who, having lost the love of higher things, seeks merely to gain lower goods, and this not for the sustenance of human frailty, but for the excess of unrestrained pleasure. This is indeed what he means when he says: So that you may spend it on your passions.

So it was with the Pharisee mentioned in the Gospel (Luke 18:10–14). The more he enumerated his virtues, the more he blocked the Divine hearing, and his lofty speech was idle on his lips and turned to foam like a raging wave. But someone will say: if the promise of the Lord Jesus, that truthful Teacher, is true — "everyone who asks receives" (Matt. 7:8) — then how does the present apostle say this? We answer: for one who approaches prayer in the proper way, the aforementioned promise is true; he will not be disappointed in anything he asks for. But whoever, having departed from the purpose of devout prayer, asks in appearance only but does not ask as he ought, in reality does not even ask, and therefore will not receive. Imagine, for example, that a grammar teacher promises to teach grammatical knowledge to everyone who comes to him, but the one desiring to learn comes not as he should and does not exert himself to master what is taught, so that in practice the result does not correspond to the promise. Would anyone justly ascribe the falsehood in this case to the teacher himself? Such a person would act unreasonably, for the one who wished to learn did not come as the teacher required. How then and for what should one ask, someone will say. Listen to the One Who gave the aforementioned promise: "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness" (Matt. 6:33). Evidently, whoever asks in this way and chiefly for this will not be disappointed in other things either, the receiving of which will not tear him away from salvation. But to the one who asks for what is harmful and destructive, He from Whom comes "every good gift" (Jas. 1:17) will not give. Even the one who asks for knowledge of the Divine or some other spiritual gift, but asks for the sake of his own desires, will not receive, because he asks badly and to his own destruction, and God does not give what is bad.

The origin of wars and contentions, and the wretched lot of those who are engaged in them, Jam 4:1, Jam 4:2. Why so little heavenly good is obtained, Jam 4:3. The friendship of the world is enmity with God, Jam 4:4, Jam 4:5. God resists the proud, Jam 4:6. Men should submit to God, and pray, Jam 4:7, Jam 4:8. Should humble themselves, Jam 4:9, Jam 4:10. And not speak evil of each other, Jam 4:11, Jam 4:12. The impiety of those who consult not the will of God, and depend not on his providence, Jam 4:13-15. The sin of him who knows the will of God, and does not do it, Jam 4:16, Jam 4:17.

Ye ask, and receive not - Some think that this refers to their prayers for the conversion of the heathen; and on the pretense that they were not converted thus; they thought it lawful to extirpate them and possess their goods. Ye ask amiss - Κακως αιτεισθε· Ye ask evilly, wickedly. Ye have not the proper dispositions of prayer, and ye have an improper object. Ye ask for worldly prosperity, that ye may employ it in riotous living. This is properly the meaning of the original, ἱνα εν ταις ἡδοναις ὑμων δαπανησητε, That ye may expend it upon your pleasures. The rabbins have many good observations on asking amiss or asking improperly, and give examples of different kinds of this sort of prayer; the phrase is Jewish and would naturally occur to St. James in writing on this subject. Whether the lusting of which St. James speaks were their desire to make proselytes, in order that they might increase their power and influence by means of such, or whether it were a desire to cast off the Roman yoke, and become independent; the motive and the object were the same, and the prayers were such as God could not hear.

AGAINST FIGHTINGS AND THEIR SOURCE; WORLDLY LUSTS; UNCHARITABLE JUDGMENTS, AND PRESUMPTUOUS RECKONING ON THE FUTURE. (Jam. 4:1-17) whence--The cause of quarrels is often sought in external circumstances, whereas internal lusts are the true origin. wars, &c.--contrasted with the "peace" of heavenly wisdom. "Fightings" are the active carrying on of "wars." The best authorities have a second "whence" before "fightings." Tumults marked the era before the destruction of Jerusalem when James wrote. He indirectly alludes to these. The members are the first seat of war; thence it passes to conflict between man and man, nation and nation. come they not, &c.--an appeal to their consciences. lusts--literally, "pleasures," that is, the lusts which prompt you to "desire" (see on Jam 4:2) pleasures; whence you seek self at the cost of your neighbor, and hence flow "fightings." that war--"campaign, as an army of soldiers encamped within" [ALFORD] the soul; tumultuously war against the interests of your fellow men, while lusting to advance self. But while warring thus against others they (without his knowledge) war against the soul of the man himself, and against the Spirit; therefore they must be "mortified" by the Christian.

Some of them are supposed to say in objection, But we do "ask" (pray); compare Jam 4:2. James replies, It is not enough to ask for good things, but we must ask with a good spirit and intention. "Ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it (your object of prayer) upon (literally, 'in') your lusts (literally, 'pleasures')"; not that ye may have the things you need for the service of God. Contrast Jam 1:5 with Mat 6:31-32. If ye prayed aright, all your proper wants would be supplied; the improper cravings which produce "wars and fightings" would then cease. Even believers' prayers are often best answered when their desires are most opposed.