AUTHORIZED VERSION.

13 Who o Gal. vi. 4.

among you? let him shew

r Rom. xiii. 13.

15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.

and every evil work. 17 But

8

23.

ch. i. 17.

Gal. v. 20.

(as if the former sentence had been a negative one) can salt [water] bring forth sweet water (i. e. if the mouth emit cursing, thereby making itself a brackish spring, it cannot to any purpose also emit the sweet stream of praise and good words: if it appear to do so, all must be hypocrisy and mere seeming).

13-18.] Wisdom must be shewn by meekness and peaceableness, not by contentiousness. This paragraph is closely connected with the subject of the chapter as enounced in ver. 1. Where that ambition, and rivalry to be teachers, existed, there was sure to be contentiousness and every evil thing.

13.] Who is (compare the similar question in Ps. xxxiv. 12) wise and a man of knowledge (the same adjectives are joined in the Septuagint version in Deut. i. 13, 15; iv. 6. It is not easy to mark the difference, if any is here in tended) among you? Let him shew out of (the Apostle seems again to be referring to his reasoning in ch. ii. 18. The wisdom and knowledge would be dead without this exhibition, as faith without works) his good conduct (in life) his works (the good conduct is the general manifestation: the works, the particular results of that general manifestation. The sum of both makes up the works in the former case, ch. ii.) in meekness of wisdom (in that meekness which is the proper attribute of wisdom).

14-16.] Consequences of the opposite course. But if ye have (as is the fact: this is implied) bitter emulation (bitter seems to refer back to the example in vv. 11, 12) and rivalry in your heart (out of which come thoughts and words and acts, see Matt. xv. 18, 19), do not (in giving VOL. II.

yourselves out for wise, which [compare ver. 15] you cannot really be) boast against and lie against the truth (of which their whole lives would be thus a negation and an opposition;-which would be in their persons vaunted against and lied against).

15.] Designation of such pretended wisdom. This wisdom is not one descending from above (the verb is purposely thus broken up in the original, to throw out the negation, and to put the categorical word, descending, into prominence, as a class to which this wisdom does not belong. So that we must not miss this purpose by rendering "descendeth not," as does A. V.), but earthly (as the sharpest contrast to descending from above: belonging to this earth, and its life of sin and strife), sensual (it is almost impossible to express satisfactorily in English the idea given by the original word here [psychic, from psyché, the soul]. Our soul' is so identified with man's spiritual part in

common

parlance, that we have lost the distinction between soul and spirit, except when we can give a periphrastic explanation. The idea here is, belonging to the unspiritual mind of man. See the whole treated in the note on Jude 19), devilish (like, or partaking of the nature of, the devils. This word must not be figuratively taken: it betokens both the origin of this hypocritical wisdom [compare set on fire by hell, above, ver. 6], and its character: it is from,-not God, the giver of all true wisdom, ch. i. 5, but the devil, bears the character of its author). 16.] Justification of the foregoing assertion. For where is emulation (in a bad sense) and rivalry (see above), there

3 E

and

AUTHORIZED VERSION.

in your members?

2 Ye a Rom. vii. 23.

and desire to have, and

ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon

Gal, v. 17.

1 Pet. ii. 11.

MSS. b Job xxvii. 9.

& XXXV. 12. P's. xviii. 41.

your lusts. 4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye

our oldest MSS.

question contains in fact the answer to the former, in an appeal to the consciences of the readers), from your lusts (literally, your pleasures) which militate (campaign, have their camp, and, as it were, forage about. We are meant, in the figure used, to see as the adversaries, our fellow-men, against whom, to put down whom and set ourselves up, our lusts are as it were an army of soldiers ever encamped within us and waging war) in your members ?

2.] carries on the assertion in detail. Ye desire (generally: it is not said what: but evidently worldly possessions and honours are intended by the context, vv. 4 ff.), and possess not (lust of possession does not ensure possession itself, then comes a further step, out of this lust): ye murder (but how comes murder to be introduced at this early stage of the development of lust, before desire to have, which itself leads on to wars and fightings? It appears as if we were meant to understand it as alluding to such cases, e. g., as those in the Old Test. of David and Ahab, who, in their desire to possess, committed murder. And if it be said, that this is a hard saying of those who feared the Lord, be it remembered that the Apostle is speaking of wars and fightings, and though he may include under these terms the lesser forms of variance, the greater and more atrocious ones are clearly not excluded. In the state of Jewish society during the apostolic age, it is to be feared that examples of them were but too plentiful, and there is no saying how far the Christian portion of Jewish communities may have suffered themselves to become entangled in such quarrels and their murderous consequences) and envy, and are not able to obtain: ye fight and make war (these words form the final answer to the question with which the section

e 1 John ii. 15.

:

your

f John xv. 19. & xvii. 14.

Isa. i. 15.
Jer. xi. 11.
Micah iii. 4.
Zech. vii. 13.

e P. lxvi. 18. 22. v. 14. adderers

1 John iii.

d Ps. Ixxiii. 27.

is

omitted by all Gal. i. 10.

begins and are therefore not to be joined with the following, as in the A. V.). Reason why ye have not. Ye have not, because ye ask not (in prayer to God: in the following verse he explains, and as it were corrects this): 3.] ye ask and do not receive, because ye ask amiss (with evil intent, see below), that ye may spend [it] (that which ye ask for) in (‘in the exercise of,' under the dominion of:' in does not belong to the verb,- that ye may consume it upon,' as A. V.: 'may spend it,' but to the state in which the spenders are, in the course of satisfying) your lusts. The general sense is: if you really prayed aright, this feeling of continual craving after more worldly things would not exist: all your proper wants would be supplied: and these improper ones which beget wars and fightings among you would not exist. Ye would ask, and ask aright, and consequently would obtain.

4.] Ye adulteresses (the occurrence of the feminine only is rightly explained by Theile: "This denomination, taken from the feminine, and not from the masculine, might be suggested by the figure itself. For it puts God in the place of husband and thus it is as natural to call individual men adulteresses, as the whole human race, or any particular nation." Some have thought that St. James is addressing Churches here. But God is the Lord and husband of every soul that is His, as much as of every church; and the indignant exclamation of the Apostle is just as applicable to every one who forsakes his or her God, as to an apostate church. This is one of those cases where the testimony of our ancient MSS. is so valuable, in restoring to us the nervous and pregnant rebuke of the original), know ye not that the friendship of the world (the world here, precisely as in ch. i. 27, men, and

Numb. xi. 29.

19, 21.

+ So all our oldest MSS.

h

6 But he

lusteth to envy? giveth more grace. WhereWhere-fore he saith, God resisteth

Ps. cxxxviii.

men's interests and ambitions and employments, in so far as they are without God) is enmity (the state of being an enemy) of God (the man who is taken out of the world by Christ, cannot again become a friend and companion of worldly men and their schemes for self, without passing into enmity with God, of whose family he was a reconciled member. God and the world stand opposed to one another so that a man cannot join the one without deserting the other. This is further stated in what follows)? whosoever therefore (particular consequence on the general axiom just stated; carried however further, into all approach to, and not merely the completion of, the outward state) shall be minded (sets his mind and thought and wish that way. He that would be a friend of the world, must make up his mind to be God's enemy) to be a friend of the world, is (thereby, by the proceeding in the direction indicated by that mind) constituted (as above; not merely is,' or 'becomes:' becomes,' then and there,' is rather the meaning) an enemy of God.

5, 6.] Testimony from Scripture to convince further those who might question what has just been stated. Or (the formula puts a hypothetical alternative, the assumption of which negatives itself) do you think that the Scripture saith in vain, The Spirit that He (God) placed in us (viz. when the Spirit descended on the church) jealously desireth (us for his own)? These words connect naturally with the foregoing. We are married to one, even God, who has implanted in us His Spirit: and He is a jealous God, who will not suffer us to be friends of His enemy and His friends at the same time. The only difficulty seems to be, to trace this latter saying in any part of Scripture. I will state the solution which seems to me the most probable, and then give an account of other methods of solving it. The emphasis of this clause lies on the words jealously

desireth: and, interpreting those words as above, we are naturally led to ask, is there any chapter or passage especially, where such a mind towards His people is ascribed to God? And this directs our thoughts at once to Deut. xxxii., where the love of Jehovah for Israel, and His jealousy over them is described. In that song of Moses we have this very word used of God, ver. 19-21. So that here we have the elements of the sense of that which is cited, viz. the jealous desire of the Lord over His people. And for the rest, "the Spirit that He placed in us," the only solution seems to be, that the Apostle translates into the language of the Gospel the former declarations of the God of Israel, e. g. such as that Num. xxxv. 34, "I the Lord dwell among the children of Israel," combining them with such prophecies as Ezek. xxxvi. 27, “I will put my Spirit within you." I own that

such a solution does not seem to me wholly satisfactory: still there is nothing improbable in the idea that St. James may have combined the general sense of Scripture on the point of God's jealousy over His people, and instead of the God who dwelt in Israel, may have placed the Holy Spirit who dwelleth in us. At all events it is better to understand it thus, than to force the words of the citation

from their simple meaning. The statement of the other interpretations of this difficult verse would be quite unintelligible to an English reader. It will be found in my Greek Test. With regard to the sense above given, as fitting into the context, Theile well says, that it introduces us into the same figurative realm of thought in which the appellation “adulteresses” placed us before. The Apostle is speaking of the eager and jealous love of God towards those whom He has united as it were in the bond of marriage with Himself.

6. But He (God, by His Holy Spirit dwelling in us, the same subject as

AUTHORIZED VERSION.

i

Eph. iv. 27.

& vi. 11.
1 Pet. v. 9.

a

2.

Chron. xv.

i.

your joy to heaviness

10 Humble yourselves in the

1 John iii. 3.

o Matt. v. 4.

in the previous sentence) giveth the more grace (the more and greater, for this longing and jealous desire): wherefore he saith (the Spirit, again: for it is the same Spirit who is implanted in us that speaks in Scripture), God (the Lord, in the Septuagint and the same variation is found where the words are again cited in 1 Pet. v. 5) is set against the proud, but giveth grace to the lowly (see Rom. xii. 16. This is a proof that the ambitious and restless after worldly honours and riches, are God's enemies, whereas the humble and lowly are the objects of His gifts of ever-increasing grace. The inference follows in the shape of solemn exhortation). 7-10.] Submit yourselves therefore to God (addressed mainly to the proud-the "adulteresses above; but also to all): but resist the devil (the ruler of this world), and he shall flee (better than the A. V. 'will flee,' which is merely an assurance as from man to man: this is a divine promise) from you: draw near to God, and He will draw near (here better will in speaking of the divine dealings, positive declarations are better softened: see John xvi. 23, A. V. Not that this is always observed: see Rev. vii. 17, A. V.). But it is only the pure in heart and hand that can approach God: therefore-Purify your hands (the hands being the external organs of action, and becoming polluted by the act, as e. g. by blood in the act of murder: see Isa. i. 15, lix. 3: 1 Tim. ii. 8. And, for both the particulars here mentioned, Ps. xxiv. 4), ye sinners: and make chaste your hearts (in allusion to the figure of "adultery' above), ye double-minded (ye whose affections are divided between God and the

1 Pet. v. 6.

11 9 Speak

Matt, xxiii. 12. Luke xiv. 11. & xviii. 14.

q Eph. iv. 31. 1 l'et. ii. 1.

world. The Apostle is addressing not two classes of persons, but one and the same: the sinners are double-minded).

9.] This cannot be done without true and earnest repentance, leading them through deep sorrow. Be wretched (in your minds, from a sense of your sinfulness. That such feeling will have its outward demonstrations is evident: but this word itself does not allude to them), and mourn and weep (here again, the exhortation does not regard outward things, as mourning habit, or the like. These may follow on that which is here commanded, but are not the thing itself): let your laughter be turned into mourning (now he speaks rather of outward manifestations), and your joy into humiliation (literally, casting down of the eyes: hence shame or humiliation, which produces such downcast looks. These latter are more said of the inner states of mind).

10.] Conclusion of the exhortation: the true way to exaltation, through humility. Be humbled before the Lord (Matt. xxiii. 12, and 1 Pet. v. 6: but "under the hand of God" there is not an equivalent to in the sight of, or, before the Lord here. This latter gives more the realization in the soul of the presence of God, as drawing near to Him in humility: that, the subjection to Him in recognition of His providence and His judgments. the Lord,

not Christ, but the Father: see on ch. i. 7), and He shall exalt you (both here and hereafter: by His grace and counsel here to the hidden glory of His waiting children, and by His fruition and presence hereafter to the ineffable glory of His manifested children; in due time, as 1 Pet. v. 6. Compare Luke i. 52; Job v. 11; Ezek.xxi. 26).