James 4:2

You crave what you do not have; you kill and covet, but are unable to obtain it. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask.

BSB

Parallel translations

4 additional translations

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KJV

Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.

ASV

Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and covet, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war; ye have not, because ye ask not.

YLT

ye desire, and ye have not; ye murder, and are zealous, and are not able to attain; ye fight and war, and ye have not, because of your not asking;

DBT

Ye lust and have not: ye kill and are full of envy, and cannot obtain; ye fight and war; ye have not because ye ask not.

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Commentary voices

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Voices5

On this verse

You desire and do not have; you kill and covet, and cannot obtain; you fight and wage war, "You desire and do not have," etc. According to position and elevation, it proceeds from the position, being removed due to the absurdity. The absurdity, due to …

Oecumenius· Commentary on James, 550patristic

Related commentary

Ye lust, and have not,....

John Gill· Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748)reformed

Ye lust, and have not - Ye are ever covetous, and ever poor. Ye kill, and, desire to have - Ye are constantly engaged in insurrections and predatory wars, and never gain any advantage. Ye have not, because ye ask not - Ye get no especial blessing from God as your fathers did, because ye do not pray. Worldly good is your god; ye leave no stone unturned in order to get it; and as ye ask nothing from God but to consume it upon your evil desires and propensities, your prayers are not heard.

Adam Clarke· Commentary on the Bible, 1832evangelical

Not probably in the case of professing Christians of that day in a literal sense, but "kill and envy" (as the Greek for "desire to have" should be translated), that is, harass and oppress through envy [DRUSIUS]. Compare Zec 11:5, "slay"; through envy, hate, and desire to get out of your way, and so are "murderers" in God's eyes [ESTIUS].

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown· Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, 1871reformed

Ye kill - In your heart, for "he that hateth his brother is a murderer." Ye fight and war - That is, furiously strive and contend. Ye ask not - And no marvel; for a man full of evil desire, of envy or hatred, cannot pray.

John Wesley· Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament, 1755evangelical

Voices on this verse

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Rabbinic commentary

How the Hebraic tradition has read this verse — and Marcus Brown’s own reading of it.

Cross-references

20 linked verses

The verses this one reaches12

John 16:24
Until now you have not asked for anything in My name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.
Matthew 7:7–8
Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.
James 1:5
Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.
Luke 11:9–13
So I tell you: Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.
John 4:10
Jesus answered, “If you knew the gift of God and who is asking you for a drink, you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”
1 Timothy 6:9–10
Those who want to be rich, however, fall into temptation and become ensnared by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction.
Luke 11:1
One day in a place where Jesus had just finished praying, one of His disciples requested, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”
1 Kings 3:11
So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this instead of requesting long life or wealth for yourself or death for your enemies—but you have asked for discernment to administer justice—
Proverbs 1:19
Such is the fate of all who are greedy, whose unjust gain takes the lives of its possessors.
James 5:1–5
Come now, you who are rich, weep and wail over the misery to come upon you.
Ezekiel 36:37
This is what the Lord GOD says: Once again I will hear the plea of the house of Israel and do for them this: I will multiply their people like a flock.
2 Timothy 2:24
And a servant of the Lord must not be quarrelsome, but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, and forbearing.

8 more linked verses are grouped by book below ↓

Cross-references

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The quotation web

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Original language

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More cross-references8 further linked verses, grouped by book▾ open

Every other verse the study tradition links to this one, in the Bible’s own order. The first links in each book carry a line of their text; every reference opens its full verse page.

1 Kings1

1 Kings 21:6Ahab answered, “Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and told him, ‘Give me…

Psalms1

Psalms 78:18They willfully tested God by demanding the food they craved.

Ecclesiastes1

Ecclesiastes 4:8There is a man all alone, without even a son or brother. And though…

Isaiah2

Habakkuk1

Habakkuk 2:5and wealth indeed betrays him. He is an arrogant man never at rest. He…

James1

James 5:6You have condemned and murdered the righteous, who did not resist you.

Revelation1

Revelation 18:14And they will say: “The fruit of your soul’s desire has departed from you;…

Cross-references are drawn from classic Bible study tools and open, shareable Bible data.

The walk8

Where the connections lead

Follow this verse’s cross-references two steps out. Each card is a verse this one points to, and beneath it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several different paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first — the text keeps returning to it. Every stop shows its own words, and every stop is a page.

Through
James 1:5
Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.
leads to
- Proverbs 2:3–6
  if you truly call out to insight and lift your voice to understanding,
- John 15:7
  If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
- Jeremiah 29:12–13
  Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.
- Proverbs 3:5–7
  Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding;
Through
John 4:10
Jesus answered, “If you knew the gift of God and who is asking you for a drink, you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”
leads to
- John 4:14
  But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a fount of water springing up to eternal life.”
- Revelation 7:17
  For the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd. ‘He will lead them to springs of living water,’ and ‘God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’”
- John 7:37–39
  On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood up and called out in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.
- Isaiah 44:3
  For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and currents on the dry ground. I will pour out My Spirit on your descendants, and My blessing on your offspring.

The whole web at once: see the Arc.

Where the connections lead

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