James 1:5

Verse 5. If any lack wisdom.

Lack wisdom for what? To accomplish the end named in verse 4, to become "perfect and entire, wanting nothing." Any one lacking this wisdom is exhorted to ask the same of God, who will not upbraid for your lack in this regard, but who will bestow this wisdom. In this particular God gives to all men, and that not sparingly, but liberally. When I say all men, of course I mean his believing children, for to such only does the exhortation apply. Mac:- knight translates the word from which we have "lack," and, in the Revised Version, "lacketh," with the term "deficient." I can not see that such translation adds anything to the clearness of the expression or casts any additional light upon the text. If any one lacks, to just that extent is he deficient? So that, in my view, it makes but little difference whether we read "lack wisdom," "lacketh wisdom" or "deficient in wisdom." The idea intended to be conveyed by the Holy Spirit is exactly the same.