James 1:5 (ASV)

Passage

But if any of you lacketh wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all liberally and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

Nearby Context

James 1:3 Knowing that the proving of your faith worketh patience.

James 1:4 And let patience have [its] perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, lacking in nothing.

James 1:5 But if any of you lacketh wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all liberally and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

James 1:6 But let him ask in faith, nothing doubting: for he that doubteth is like the surge of the sea driven by the wind and tossed.

James 1:7 For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord;

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "lacketh", "wisdom", "giveth", "liberally", "upbraideth", "shall", and "given". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "lacketh" and "wisdom", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 4's "And let patience have its perfect work..." into verse 6's "But let him ask in faith nothing...", so "lacketh" and "wisdom" belong inside that flow. In James context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "lacketh" and "wisdom" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.