James 4:4

James 4:4. Ye adulterers and adulteresses. The best manuscripts read only ‘ye adulteresses,' a reading more suitable to the metaphor employed. This appellation might be taken literally, it we referred it to the unbelieving Jews; but, as referring to the Jewish Christians, it can only be understood in a metaphorical sense. It is spiritual adultery to which St. James here alludes. He here adopts the language of an Old Testament prophet. By the prophets God is represented as the ‘Husband of His people,' and sin, especially the sin of idolatry, as unfaithfulness to Him. Nor is this metaphor confined to the Old Testament. Our Lord, on two occasions at least, calls the Jews ‘an adulterous generation' (Matthew 12:39; Mark 8:38); and St. Peter speaks of wicked Christians as ‘having eyes full of adultery' (2 Peter 2:14). The believer is considered as married to the Lord (Romans 7:4); and the world is God's rival, that which seduces our affections from Him. St. James, in using this strong and startling epithet, gives vent to his moral indignation. He is filled with holy anger on account of the contentions that prevailed among them.

know ye not that the friendship of the world. This is not to be restricted to the indulgence of sinful lusts, or to an eager pursuit after the carnal pleasures of the world; out by this is meant an over-attachment to worldly objects, an eager craving after the riches or influence of the world; in short, worldliness, worldly desires without any thought of God, a preference of the world to Him.

is enmity with God. God and the world here stand opposed to each other as rivals: so that we cannot love the one without rejecting the other ‘Ye cannot serve God and mammon' (Matthew 6:24). The more the world occupies our hearts, the less room there is in them for God, and the more forgetful are we of the world to come.

whosoever therefore will be: literally, ‘whosoever wishes to be' has chosen the world as his portion.

the friend of the world resolves to cultivate its friendship and favour as his chief good is, or rather, ‘constitutes himself,' ‘sets himself up as,' the enemy of God.