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Philip Schaff's Popular Commentary (4 vols)

James 4:16

James 4:16. But, in contrast to this spirit of dependence on God; instead of acknowledging God in all your ways.

now, as matters now stand; as is actually the case. ye rejoice, literally ‘ye glory,' in your boastings, in your vauntings, in your vainglory. Ye take a pleasure in this arrogant and presumptuous spirit, as if you were your absolute masters. By their boastings is to be understood not so much their vain talking, as their confident and groundless reliance on their own health and life; in short, a presumptuous reliance on themselves. Ye rejoice not in the Lord, as ye ought to do as Christians; but in your own vauntings.

all such rejoicing, or glorying, is evil, is sinful and wrong. It is rebellion against God casting off your dependence upon Him. Nothing is so hateful to God as a proud and arrogant spirit.

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See also James 4:16 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse 16. _BUT NOW YE REJOICE IN YOUR BOASTINGS_] Ye glory in your proud and self-sufficient conduct, exulting that ye are free from the trammels of _superstition_, and that ye can live independently...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    BUT NOW YE REJOICE IN YOUR BOASTINGS - That is, probably, in your boastings of what you can do; your reliance on your own skill and sagacity. You form your plans for the future as if with consummate 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

    REJOICE. boast. Greek. _kauchaomai._ See Romans 2:17; Romans 5:2. BOASTINGS. Greek. _alazoneia._ Only here and 1 John 2:16. Compare Romans 1:3

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _But now ye rejoice in your boastings_ Better, YE EXULT IN YOUR VAIN GLORIES. If the words were not too familiar, YE GLORY IN YOUR BRAGGINGS would, perhaps, be a still nearer equivalent. The noun is f...

  • 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 Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges Commentary

    ΝΥ͂Ν ΔΈ, but now, as it is. ἘΝ ΤΑΙ͂Σ�, IN YOUR BOASTFUL or PRESUMPTUOUS TALK, or your false pretensions. ἀλαζ. from ἀλαζών lit. a wanderer, then of a boastful pretender. Aristotle defines the ἀλαζών a...

  • 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

    ΝΎΝ ΔΕ (G3568; G1161) но теперь, на самом деле, фактически; в отличие от того, что они должны делать (Ropes), ΚΑΥΧΆΣΘΕ _praes. ind. med. (dep.) от_ ΚΑΥΧΆΟΜΑΙ (G2744) хвастаться, славить, ΆΛΑΖΟΝΕΊΑ ...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    BUT NOW YE REJOICE, &C.— _But you, on the contrary, glory in your boasting projects,—_(respecting the gain they were to make by their traffic, James 4:13.)—_you take pleasure in this confident and arr...

  • 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

    But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil. NOW - as it is. REJOICE IN YOUR BOASTINGS - ye boast in your arrogant presumptions that the future is certain to you (James 4:13)...

  • Commentary on the Minor Epistles by Caton

    VERSE 16 BUT NOW YE REJOICE IN YOUR BOASTINGS. The reference here, I think, is to the vain boast contained in verse 13, wherein they asserted that to-day or to-morrow they would do certain things, hav...

  • 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

    BUT NOW.... — How different is the case with you, cries St. James; you actually glory and delight in your own self-confidence and presumption, and every such rejoicing is evil. The word for “boastings...

  • 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)

    νῦν δὲ : “but now,” _i.e._, as things are; _cf._ 1 Corinthians 14:6, νῦν δὲ, ἀδελφοί, ἐὰν ἔλθω … καυχᾶσθε ἐν ταῖς ἀλαζονίαις ὑμῶν : those vauntings were, of course, not on account of following out 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

    THE SIN OF BOASTING OF SELF-SUFFICIENCY James said some lived as though their plans in no way depended upon God and they were proud of it. Woods says the word translated "boasting" here is not used in...

  • 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

    16_But now ye rejoice_, or, _glory_. We may learn from these words that James condemned something more than a passing speech._Ye rejoice_, or, _glory_, he says, in your empty boastings. Though they ro...

  • 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

    BUT NOW YE REJOICE IN YOUR BOASTINGS,.... Of tomorrow, and of the continuance of life, and of going to such a place, and abiding there for such a time, and of trading and trafficking with great succes...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil. Ver. 16. _In your boastings_] Of long life and suitable success. God will shoot an arrow at such suddenly, Psalms 64:9, as he did at...

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

    _Now ye rejoice_ Καυχασθε, _ye glory, in your boastings_ Ye please yourselves in the vain thoughts which you entertain of these worldly projects and successes, and you boast of them. _All such rejoici...

  • Justin Edwards' Family Bible New Testament (1851)

    IN YOUR BOASTINGS; of what great things you will do, as if you were able of yourselves to accomplish your plans. IS EVIL; because it is treating God and yourselves contrary to truth....

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    Trust in God's providence essential:...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    BUT NOW YE REJOICE IN YOUR BOASTINGS, ALL SUCH REJOICING IS EVIL....

  • 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

    Describe a person who is arrogant. Is ALL boasting evil? See 2 Corinthians 9:2-4 Discuss the boasting of Paul. Why does James say that boasting is evil?...

  • Mark Dunagan Commentaries

    "But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil"."But as it is" -"But here you are, boasting in your proud pretensions!" (Mof). "boast in your arrogance" -The word "arrogance" me...

  • 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

    BUT NOW YE REJOICE, or, glory; ye please yourselves with them. IN YOUR BOASTINGS; viz. of your carnal projects, and hopes of what you intend to do, and expect to get: q.d. You vainly boast of your des...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    James 4:16 But G1161 now G3568 boast G2744 (G5736) in G1722 your G5216 arrogance G212 All G3956 such...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    ‘But now you glory in your arrogant words. All such glorying is evil.' But instead of doing that they glory in their arrogant words. They say ‘we will do this and that' regardless of their mortality,...

  • 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...

  • Robertson's Word Pictures of the New Testament

    IN YOUR VAUNTINGS (εν ταις αλαζονιαις υμων). Old word for braggart talk (from αλαζονευομα, to act the αλαζων empty boaster Romans 1:30), common in Aristophanes, in N.T. only here and 1 John 2:16.GL...

  • 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

    BUT NOW. "You are proud of your words and you boast about the future as if you were completely independent from God. All such boasting is wrong, because it shows you are ignorant both about yourselves...

  • 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 4:7; 1 Corinthians 4:8; 1 Corinthians 5:6; Isaiah 47:10;...

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

    Ye rejoice [κ α υ χ α σ θ ε]. Rev., glory. See on ch. James 2:13. Boastings [α λ α ζ ο ν ε ι α ι ς]. Only here and 1 John 2:16. The kindred word ajlazwn a boaster, is derived from alh, a wandering or...

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Old Testament