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The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

James 4:15

JAMES—NOTE ON James 4:15 The key to vv. James 4:13 is if the Lord wills. “Lord” refers to Yahweh as Creator. He sustains the universe and controls all that happens. Every business decision must be based on submission to God’s will.

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See also James 4:15 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse 15. _FOR THAT YE OUGHT TO SAY_] Αντι τοι λεγειν ὑμας· _Instead of saying_, or _instead of which ye should say_, _IF THE LORD WILL, WE SHALL LIVE_] I think St. James had another example from t...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    FOR THAT YE OUGHT TO SAY - Instead of what you do say, “we will go into such a city,” you ought rather to recognise your absolute dependence on God, and feel that life and success are subject to his w...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    IV. FURTHER EXHORTATIONS TO RIGHT LIVING CHAPTER 4 _ 1. Fightings and worldliness rebuked (James 4:1)_ 2. The Godly walk (James 4:7) James 4:1 A strong rebuke follows the statements concerning the...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    This and the next paragraph denounce the vices of the rich, in the spirit of Amos and Isaiah; that they are Jews, and not Christians, seems obvious, if this epistle is to be got into the first centuri...

  • Barclay Daily Study Bible (NT)

    MAN'S PLEASURE OR GOD'S WILL? (James 4:1-3)...

  • Barclay Daily Study Bible (NT)

    Come now, you who say, "Today, or tomorrow, we will go into this city, and we will spend a year there, and we will trade and make a profit." People like you do not know what will happen tomorrow. What...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    FOR THAT, &C. = Instead of (App-104.) your saying. WILL. App-102....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    Man proposing, God disposing 13. _Go to now, ye that say_ The warnings pass on to another form of the worldliness of the double-minded; the far-reaching plans for the future such as our Lord had conde...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _For that ye ought to say_ Literally, INSTEAD OF SAYING, but the English may be admitted as a fair paraphrase. _If the Lord will, we shall live_ This is the reading of the better MSS. The Received Tex...

  • Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges Commentary

    13–17. THE TEMPTATIONS OF WEALTH The address is still probably to the brethren, some of whom engaged in business have not learnt to recognise God’s law and His will in commercial projects and plans....

  • Charles Box Commentaries

    _DO NOT BOAST ABOUT TOMORROW -- JAMES 4:13-17:_ James gives a vivid picture of some who made great plans for the future. Their sin was not in planning for the future, but in failing to consider God in...

  • Charles Rose Commentaries

    ΛΈΓΕΙΝ _praes. act. inf. от_ ΛΈΓΩ (G3004) говорить, ΆΝΤ ΤΟΎ ΛΈΓΕΙΝ ΎΜΆΣ вместо того, чтобы вам говорить. Пересматривается идея ст. 13 (Adamson; Dibelius). ΘΕΛΉΣΗ _aor. conj. act. от_ ΘΈΛΩ (G2309) хо...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    FOR THAT YE OUGHT TO SAY,— _Instead of which you ought to say, If the Lord will, and we shall live, we will do this, or that._ Pious men have such a tacit sense of their dependance upon God, when they...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    THE PRESUMPTION OF PLANNING WITHOUT GOD _Text 4:13-17_ James 4:13. Come now ye that say, to-day or to-morrow we will go into this city, and spend a year there, and trade and get gain: 14. whereas...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. Literally, 'instead of your saying.' etc. WE SHALL LIVE. 'We shall both live and do,' etc. The boaster spoke as if...

  • Commentary on the Minor Epistles by Caton

    VERSE 15 FOR THAT YE OUGHT TO SAY, IF THE LORD WILL. For the reason that we know nothing of the future, and fully realizing our entire dependence upon God, we should say, If it is the will of the Lord...

  • Concordant Commentary on the New Testament by A. E. Knoch

    5 This passage has puzzled the commentators, and there are many and various explanations offered to solve what seems to be one of the most difficult passages in the Scriptures. A simple explanation, w...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    DENUNCIATION OF GREED AND LOVE OF PLEASURE 1. Lusts] better, 'pleasures.'...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    WHAT *FAITH SHOULD DO JAMES _IAN MACKERVOY_ The word list at the end explains words with a *star by them. CHAPTER 4 DESIRES AND DIVISIONS 4:1-10 V1 You know where all the fights and quarrels...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    FOR THAT YE OUGHT TO SAY.... — Referring to James 4:13, in some such a continuation of reproof as this: _Woe unto you that say,_.... _instead of saying,_ “_If the Lord will_”.... In fact, it is a thin...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    CHAPTER 22 SELF-ASSURANCE AND INVASION OF DIVINE PREROGATIVES INVOLVED IN PRESUMING UPON OUR FUTURE-THE DOCTRINE OF PROBABILISM. James 4:13 WORLDLINESS and want of humility are the two kindred subje...

  • Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

    ἀντὶ τοῦ λέγειν ὑμᾶς : “A classical writer would rather have said δέον λέγειν or οἵτινες βέλτιον ἂν εἷπον ” (Mayor). ἐὰν ὁ κύριος θελήσῃ : _Cf. Berachoth_, 17 _a_, “It is revealed and known before The...

  • Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

    James 4:13-17 form an independent section entirely unconnected with what precedes or follows. The section is very interesting as giving a picture of the commercial _Diaspora_ -Jew. The Jews of the Dis...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    “IF THE LORD WILL” James 4:11 When we speak evil of another, we usurp the functions of the only lawgiver and judge. If that other is endeavoring to model his life by the law, to speak evil of him is...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    The writer now dealt with the effect of faith on character. Everything depends on desire. To attempt to satisfy a natural desire without reference to God is futile, and issues in internal conflict and...

  • Gary Hampton Commentaries

    MAN'S FUTURE DEPENDS UPON GOD We do not know what awaits us even a few minutes ahead on life's road, so we should not make plans as if we controlled our own future. The wise man said, "Do not boast ab...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _For what is your life? it is a vapour. We frequently meet with three beautiful comparisons in holy writ. "Remember that my life is but wind....As a cloud is consumed, and passeth away; so he that sha...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    (13) Go to now, ye that say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: (14) Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    To the reader who enters on the consideration of the epistle of James from the epistles of Paul, the change is great and sudden, and by no means least of all from the epistle to the Hebrews, which, in...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    15_If the Lord will_. A twofold condition is laid down, “If we shall live so long,” and, “If the Lord will;” because many things may intervene to upset what we may have determined; for we are blind as...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    In all that follows we have still the judgment of unbridled nature, of will in its different forms: contentions that arise from the lusts of the natural heart; request made to God proceeding from the...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    FOR THAT YE OUGHT TO SAY,.... Instead of saying we will go to such and such a place, and do this, and that, and the other thing, it should be said, IF THE LORD WILL, AND WE SHALL LIVE, AND DO THIS AN...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    For that ye _ought_ to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. Ver. 15. _If the Lord will, &c._] εαν Θεος εθελη. So Socrates taught Alcibiades to say, "If God will," &c. And anoth...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _Go to now_ Αγε νυν, _come now_, an interjection, calculated to excite attention; _ye that say, To-day or to-morrow we will_ go, &c. As if future events were in your own power, and your health and liv...

  • Justin Edwards' Family Bible New Testament (1851)

    YE OUGHT; to feel your dependence on God for the continuance of life and for every blessing, and to act accordingly. In forming plans for the future, we should never forget our dependence on God, or n...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    Trust in God's providence essential:...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    FOR THAT YE OUGHT TO SAY, IF THE LORD WILL, WE SHALL LIVE AND DO THIS OR THAT....

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    This chapter, to the end of v.6, continues the subject begun in Ch.3:13. Sensual. devilish wisdom was accompanied by wars and fightings: but this proceeded from the lusts of the flesh active within th...

  • Manly Luscombe Commentary on New Testament

    Why don't we say, “If the Lord wills” more often? In what way does the will of the Lord affect our plans? How do we know what the will of the Lord is in the decisions we make? Can we know the “will of...

  • Mark Dunagan Commentaries

    "Instead, you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we shall live and also do this or that'". "Instead" -Note what James didn't say. James didn't say, "Since life is so short and unpredictable---live in f...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    11-17 Our lips must be governed by the law of kindness, as well as truth and justice. Christians are brethren. And to break God's commands, is to speak evil of them, and to judge them, as if they lai...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    FOR THAT YE OUGHT TO SAY: it is the real acknowledgment of God's providence, and the dependence of all our affairs upon him, which is here required; and this is to be done, either expressly with the m...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    James 4:15 Instead G473 you G5209 say G3004 (G5721) If G1437 Lord G2962 wills G2309 (G5661)...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    ‘Because you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will both live, and do this or that”.' They should therefore live each day as though it might be their last, and recognise that every day that they ha...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    CHRISTIANS NEED TO FACE UP TO THE FRAILTY OF THEIR LIVES (JAMES 4:12). The contrast between man in his inability to act as judge in contrast with the great Judge Himself, now leads up to the question...

  • Philip Schaff's Popular Commentary on the NT (4 vols)

    St. James, having warned his readers against worldliness, and exhorted them to humility before God, proceeds to censure the rich for their forgetfulness of their dependence upon God, their proud confi...

  • Philip Schaff's Popular Commentary on the NT (4 vols)

    James 4:15. FOR THAT YE OUGHT TO SAY: literally, ‘instead of your saying.' This verse is directly connected with the 13th, and the 14th verse is to be considered as a parenthesis. Ye say, ‘Today or to...

  • Robertson's Word Pictures of the New Testament

    FOR THAT YE OUGHT TO SAY (αντ του λεγειν υμας). "Instead of the saying as to you" (genitive of the articular infinitive with the preposition αντ and the accusative of general reference with λεγειν)...

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    James 4:13 What is your life? I. It is a very mysterious part of God's dealings, this making our life so uncertain. If we were not so thoroughly accustomed to the fact, we should, I think, all consid...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    James 4:1. _From whence come wars and fightings among you?_ Whether between nations, or parties or individuals,-if there be wars and fightings, whence do they come? James 4:1. _Come they not hence,...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Rebuke of worldliness and exhortation to humility before God. CHARACTERS: God, Satan. CONCLUSION: Worldly and fleshly lusts are the distemper which will not allow contentment or satisfacti...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    James 4:1. _From whence come wars and fightings among you?_ St. James saw in the Spirit the bloody and cruel wars which would rise among christian powers, much the same as among the heathen. He had a...

  • The Bible Study New Testament

    IF THE LORD IS WILLING. "This is the proper way to plan things, because it will make you more aware of how much you depend upon God!" _"You may make your plans, but God directs your actions"_ (Proverb...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    _CRITICAL AND EXEGETICAL NOTES_ James 4:13. SUCH A CITY.—“This city”; the one the speaker is supposed to have in mind. James 4:14. WHAT SHALL BE.—“What your life shall be on the morrow.” VANISHETH A...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION JAMES 4:1 REBUKE OF QUARRELS ARISING FROM PRIDE AND GREED. A terribly sadden transition from the "peace" with which James 3:1. closed....

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    This chapter could be entitled how to win friends and influence people. Guard your tongue, bring your tongue under control, use it for good, use it to encourage to build up, don't use it to tear down,...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Corinthians 16:7; 1 Corinthians 4:19; 2 Samuel 15:25; 2 Samuel 15:26;...

  • Vincent's Word Studies in the New Testament (4 Volume Set)

    For that ye ought to say [α ν τ ι τ ο υ λ ε γ ε ι ν υ μ α ς]. Ver. 14 was parenthetical, so that at this point the thought is taken up from ver 13 Ye who say we will go, etc. - for that ye ought to sa...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Instead of your saying — That is, whereas ye ought to say....

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