James 4:5 (GNV)

Passage

Doe ye thinke that the Scripture sayeth in vaine, The spirit that dwelleth in vs, lusteth after enuie?

Nearby Context

James 4:3 Ye aske, and receiue not, because ye aske amisse, that ye might lay the same out on your pleasures.

James 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, knowe ye not that the amitie of the world is the enimitie of God? Whosoeuer therefore will be a friend of the world, maketh himselfe the enemie of God.

James 4:5 Doe ye thinke that the Scripture sayeth in vaine, The spirit that dwelleth in vs, lusteth after enuie?

James 4:6 But the Scripture offereth more grace, and therefore sayth, God resisteth the proude, and giueth grace to the humble.

James 4:7 Submit your selues to God: resist the deuill, and he will flee from you.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "Spirit", "thinke", "scripture", "sayeth", "vaine", "dwelleth", "lusteth", and "after". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "Spirit" and "thinke", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 4's "Ye adulterers and adulteresses knowe ye not..." into verse 6's "But the Scripture offereth more grace and...", so "Spirit" and "thinke" 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 "Spirit" and "thinke" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.