James 4:5

The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy] better, 'God' longeth eagerly for the spirit that He planted in us.' St. James is here alluding to several passages in the OT. rather than quoting accurately. The thought is found in Exodus 20:5; Exodus 34:14; Deuteronomy 4:24. 'God is a jealous God, but His jealous love is very different from that of man. It shows itself in the good gift of more grace. He longs that the spirit of man should be drawn more closely to Him, and become like Him.' The above is the best rendering of a disputed passage. Others translate, 'The (Holy) Spirit which He made to dwell in us yearns for us.' But there does not seem to be any specific reference to the work of the Holy Spirit in this passage.

7-12. Duty to God—humility, sincerity, repentance. Duty to man—to live in love, and refrain from slander and fault-finding.