2
You desireἐπιθυμεῖτεandκαὶdo notοὐκhave;ἔχετεyou murderφονεύετεandκαὶare jealousζηλοῦτεandκαὶcannotοὐ δύνασθεobtain;ἐπιτυχεῖνyou fightμάχεσθεandκαὶwage war.πολεμεῖτεYou do notοὐκhaveἔχετεbecauseδιὰ τὸyouὑμᾶςdo notμὴask.αἰτεῖσθαι
James 4:2
Study it in the app“You desire and do not have; you murder and are jealous and cannot obtain; you fight and wage war. You do not have because you do not ask.”
With the Greek beneath
James 4:2, word by word
- You desireἐπιθυμεῖτεepithymeite
covet
To want what is not yours or what God forbids.
Where else “epithymeite” appears- haveἔχετεechete
have
To count something or someone as one's own: goods, family, faith, power.
Where else “echete” appears- you murderφονεύετεphoneuete
murder
Kill, murder.
Where else “phoneuete” appears- are jealousζηλοῦτεzēloute
be jealous
To burn with envy against someone for what he has or is.
Where else “zēloute” appears- cannotδύνασθεdynasthe
can, be able
Can, be able.
Where else “dynasthe” appears- obtainἐπιτυχεῖνepitychein
obtain
Obtain, attain what one seeks.
Where else “epitychein” appears- you fightμάχεσθεmachesthe
quarrel, fight
Fight; also argue fiercely, dispute.
Where else “machesthe” appears- wage warπολεμεῖτεpolemeite
wage war, fight
Wage war, fight.
Where else “polemeite” appears- askαἰτεῖσθαιaiteisthai
ask
Ask, ask for.
Where else “aiteisthai” appears
The context
1From where come wars and from where fights among you? Is it not from here, from your pleasures that wage war in your members?
2 · This verse (above)
3You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.
To study James 4 in a group
1. What it says
Where does James say the fights and quarrels among you come from (v. 1-3)?
2. What it means
James says "draw near to God, and he will draw near to you" (v. 8). What other instructions does he give around that phrase (v. 7-10)?
3. How I live it
James invites us to make plans saying "if the Lord wills" (v. 15). What plan of yours today can you put in God's hands?