James 4:5

‘Or do you think that the scripture speaks in vain? Does the spirit which he made to dwell in us go on enviously longing (or ‘longing until it envies)?'

The second part of this verse can be translated variously, and it can be either a question or a statement. To give but five examples:

o ‘Does the spirit which He has made to dwell within us long unto envying (or ‘go on yearning enviously')?' (RV).

o ‘The spirit which dwells within us lusts to envy' (AV).

o ‘Does the Spirit Whom He has made to dwell within us yearn enviously?' e.g. after the friendship of the world, expecting the answer ‘no', or yearn jealously for us expecting the answer ‘yes'.

o ‘The Spirit which He made to dwell in us jealously yearns for the entire devotion of the heart"

o ‘He (God) yearns jealously over the spirit which He has made to dwell within us?' (RSV)

In the first and second cases the idea could be that the spirit that God has put within man was never intended to have these envious longings which have been described in James 4:1, or there may be the hint of the danger that they are in because they are like the people in the days of Noah (see below). In the third case the idea is that the Holy Spirit Whom He has made to dwell within us would never yearn enviously like they have been doing (and it therefore raises the question as to whether they are indwelt by the Spirit). In the fourth case it refers to the fact of the Spirit's yearning over us because of God's love for us (which is why He can be ‘grieved' - Ephesians 4:30). In the fifth case it is an expression of God's love for us in that He yearns enviously after our spirit which He has put within us from the beginning (Genesis 2:7 - i.e. made to dwell within us), His offer of friendship being over against that of the world as it was to Abraham (James 2:23).

But we then have to ask how these descriptions relate to Scripture, for while in a similar way to Matthew 2:23 (note the plural ‘prophets') James may be saying that it is the gist of these words that is in Scripture, the question still arises as to where that might be.

The main Scripture that may be in mind here is, ‘My spirit (Spirit) will not abide in man for ever' (Genesis 6:3 RSV). Here we have the thought either of ‘God's spirit (breath) dwelling in man' or of ‘God's Spirit dwelling in man.' If we take the first and second cases the idea is that God's spirit abides in them because He had breathed into them ‘the breath (spirit) of life (Genesis 2:7) and there may be a comparison with the people of Noah's day who were desiring enviously (longing after ‘the sons of God') and overflowing with sin. ‘Every imagination of the thoughts of his (man's) heart was evil continually' (Genesis 6:5) being interpreted in the context of what James has been saying. (There may well in fact have been a Targum (Jewish commentary) of Genesis 6 which had this phrase as used by James in it, for some consider that there is a parallel to it in the Manual of Discipline from Qumran column 4 line 9 ff which would also be from the Targum). In the case of the third and fourth cases it is a reminder of God's Spirit dwelling in man.

But if James is referring to the Spirit or to God, how can it be said that He ‘yearns jealously'? The answer to that lies in the references in the Old Testament which speak of God's jealousy over those who He has chosen as His own (e.g. Exodus 20:5; Exodus 34:14; Zechariah 8:2). It is a jealousy of love. He will not give up His own to others, neither to other gods nor to the world. In the same way Deuteronomy 32:11 LXX likens God to an eagle ‘yearning (same Greek verb) over its young'.

So the ‘citation' is either demonstrating how contrary friendship with the world is to the spirit God has put within us, or indicating the strength of God's love for us.

Note On The Jealousy Of God.

Some find it difficult to understand how God can be described as jealous. And if we mean by that upset because others who are His equal are being treated better than He is we would be right. But that is the point. God has no equal but Himself. The Father is not jealous of the Son. The Son is not jealous of the Father, or the Spirit. The Spirit is not jealous of Father and Son. But when any other seeks to receive the worship and praise that is due to God alone then God has to be concerned, for it would shortly result in the bringing of instability into the Universe as happened in the Garden of Eden. The whole of existence can only be stable if God is in His rightful place as its Lord and Creator.

For while jealousy can be a bad thing when it eats into people and makes them behave wrongly in cases where it is unjustified, it can also be a good thing. When a man is jealous for his marriage he is jealous for what is good. He is jealous to maintain one of the props of the Universe. When a man is jealous over the Name of God lest it be brought into disrepute he is thinking rightly. We should all be jealous over maintaining the good Name of God. And when God is jealous over His Name and status He is equally right.

And when God is jealous over His people lest harm or snares come upon them we can only applaud. It is indeed His responsibility as the Creator and Redeemer to so act towards those who have accepted His offer of salvation. He is therefore right to set His heart against all that could cause them harm, and all who are His can only rejoice in the fact.

End of note.