The Meaning of James 4:5 Explained

James 4:5

KJV: Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?

YLT: Do ye think that emptily the Writing saith, 'To envy earnestly desireth the spirit that did dwell in us,'

Darby: Think ye that the scripture speaks in vain? Does the Spirit which has taken his abode in us desire enviously?

ASV: Or think ye that the scripture speaketh in vain? Doth the spirit which he made to dwell in us long unto envying?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

<2228> Do ye think  that  the scripture  saith  in vain,  The spirit  that  dwelleth  in  us  lusteth  to  envy? 

What does James 4:5 Mean?

Verse Meaning

In this verse James gave scriptural support for what he just asserted ( James 4:4). However, he did not quote a particular verse but evidently summarized the scriptural teaching on God"s jealousy (cf. Exodus 20:5; Exodus 34:14; Psalm 42:1; Psalm 84:2; Zechariah 8:2) in a new statement. [1]
It is very difficult to translate this statement, but the best rendering seems to be something such as the following. "God jealously longs for the spirit that He made to live in us." Another translations Isaiah , "the Spirit which he made to dwell in us jealously yearns for the entire devotion of the heart" (cf. Romans 8:11; 1 Corinthians 3:16; Galatians 4:6; Ephesians 4:30; John 7:39; John 16:7). [1]0 Both translations fit the preceding context well. God"s people who love the world have committed spiritual adultery against Him ( James 4:4), but God (or His Spirit) jealously longs for their love ( James 4:5). Furthermore these translations accurately represent the Greek text. The phrase pros phthonon literally means "to envy," but it is also an adverbial idiom meaning "jealously." [3] The verb epipothei means "to long for" or "to yearn for" rather than "to tend toward." Another view is that the human spirit in us lusts enviously. [4]
"Thus, in James 4:4 James has accused his readers of spiritual unfaithfulness. If they are not willing to accept this indictment, he asks in James 4:5 what they think about the OT passages dealing with God"s jealous longing for his people. This is the significance of the introductory conjunction "or." Do they think Scripture speaks "without reason" or emptily? Of course they don"t think this. Consequently, it is necessary to believe that friendship with the world is enmity toward God, and thus it is spiritual unfaithfulness." [5]

Context Summary

James 4:1-10 - "draw Nigh To God"
The Apostle returns to "the jealousy and faction" of the previous chapter, James 3:14, and says that these evils are traceable to lust, that is, to inordinate desire. The restless inward war is the prolific parent of failure in speech and act. If we would pray more and better, we should soon find the inner fires dying down.
In James 4:5, r.v., margin, we learn that God has placed His Spirit within us, and that He yearns for complete control over our hearts. He can best overcome inordinate desire and teach us how to pray. God wants more of us. His love is insatiable in its yearning for every room and cupboard of our inner life, and He is ever wishful to give more grace.
There are four conditions which we must fulfill, if God is to have full possession:
1.We must be subject to the will of God, James 4:7;
2.We must draw nigh to God, James 4:8;
3.We must cleanse our hands and purify our hearts, James 4:8;
4.We must humble ourselves in His sight, James 4:10.
Then God will fill the soul, the sluice gates of which are open to Him. [source]

Chapter Summary: James 4

1  We are to strive against covetousness;
4  intemperance;
5  pride;
11  detraction and rash judgment of others;
13  and not to be boastful of our future plans

Greek Commentary for James 4:5

The Scripture [η γραπη]
Personification as in Galatians 3:8; James 2:23. But no O.T. passage is precisely like this, though it is “a poetical rendering” (Ropes) of Exodus 20:5. The general thought occurs also in Genesis 6:3-5; Isaiah 63:8-16, etc. Paul has the same idea also (Galatians 5:17, Galatians 5:21; Romans 8:6, Romans 8:8). It is possible that the reference is really to the quotation in James 4:6 from Proverbs 3:34 and treating all before as a parenthesis. There is no way to decide positively. [source]
In vain [κενως]
Old adverb (Aristotle) from κενως — kenōs (James 2:20), here alone in N.T. “Emptily,” not meaning what it says.Made to dwell (κατωικισεν — katōikisen). First aorist active of κατοικιζω — katoikizō old verb, to give a dwelling to, only here in N.T.Long unto envying A difficult phrase. Some even take προς πτονον — pros phthonon with λεγει — legei rather than with επιποτει — epipothei as it naturally does go, meaning “jealously.” But even so, with God presented as a jealous lover, does το πνευμα — to pneuma refer to the Holy Spirit as the subject of επιποτει — epipothei or to man‘s spirit as the object of επιποτει — epipothei Probably the former and επιποτει — epipothei then means to yearn after in the good sense as in Philemon 1:8. [source]
Made to dwell [κατωικισεν]
First aorist active of κατοικιζω — katoikizō old verb, to give a dwelling to, only here in N.T. [source]
Long unto envying [προς πτονον επιποτει]
A difficult phrase. Some even take προς πτονον — pros phthonon with λεγει — legei rather than with επιποτει — epipothei as it naturally does go, meaning “jealously.” But even so, with God presented as a jealous lover, does το πνευμα — to pneuma refer to the Holy Spirit as the subject of επιποτει — epipothei or to man‘s spirit as the object of επιποτει — epipothei Probably the former and επιποτει — epipothei then means to yearn after in the good sense as in Philemon 1:8. [source]
Do ye think [δοκεῖτε]
See on James 1:26. [source]
The scripture [ἡ γραφὴ]
See on Mark 12:10. Properly, apassage of scripture. [source]
In vain [κενῶς]
Only here in New Testament. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for James 4:5

Colossians 1:19 Dwell [κατοικῆσαι]
Permanently. See on Luke 11:26. Compare the Septuagint usage of κατοικεῖν permanentdwelling, and παροικεῖν transientsojourning. Thus Genesis 37:1, “Jacob dwelt (permanently, κατῴκει ) in the land where his father sojourned ( παρῷκησεν A.V., was a stranger ). Perhaps in contrast with the partial and transient connection of the pleroma with Christ asserted by the false teachers. The word is used of the indwelling of the Father, Ephesians 2:22( κατοικητήριον τοῦ Θεοῦ habitationof God ); of the Son, Ephesians 3:17; and of the Spirit, James 4:5. [source]

What do the individual words in James 4:5 mean?

Or think you that in vain the Scripture says With envy yearns the Spirit that He has made to dwell in us
δοκεῖτε ὅτι κενῶς γραφὴ λέγει Πρὸς φθόνον ἐπιποθεῖ τὸ πνεῦμα κατῴκισεν ἐν ἡμῖν

δοκεῖτε  think  you 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 2nd Person Plural
Root: δοκέω  
Sense: to be of opinion, think, suppose.
ὅτι  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ὅτι  
Sense: that, because, since.
κενῶς  in  vain 
Parse: Adverb
Root: κενῶς  
Sense: vainly, in vain.
γραφὴ  Scripture 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Feminine Singular
Root: γραφή  
Sense: a writing, thing written.
λέγει  says 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: λέγω 
Sense: to say, to speak.
φθόνον  envy 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: φθόνος  
Sense: envy.
ἐπιποθεῖ  yearns 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἐπιποθέω  
Sense: to long for, desire.
πνεῦμα  Spirit 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: πνεῦμα  
Sense: a movement of air (a gentle blast.
  that 
Parse: Personal / Relative Pronoun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: ὅς 
Sense: who, which, what, that.
κατῴκισεν  He  has  made  to  dwell 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: κατοικέω 
Sense: to dwell, settle.
ἡμῖν  us 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative 1st Person Plural
Root: ἐγώ  
Sense: I, me, my.