Commentary— Tyndale Open Study Notes (plain English)
4:1 quarrels and fights (literally wars and battles): James uses military imagery to declare that their own evil desires at war within them were the immediate cause of the battles among church members. James uses the Greek word translated evil desires again in 4:3 (translated “pleasure”) to enclose the entire paragraph and indicate the source of conflict and unanswered prayer (Luke 8:14; Titus 3:3).
Commentary— Tyndale Open Study Notes (plain English)
4:1 quarrels and fights (literally wars and battles): James uses military imagery to declare that their own evil desires at war within them were the immediate cause of the battles among church members. James uses the Greek word translated evil desires again in 4:3 (translated “pleasure”) to enclose the entire paragraph and indicate the source of conflict and unanswered prayer (Luke 8:14; Titus 3:3).
Literal English (YLT)ⓘYoung's Literal Translation (1862) — mirrors the original word order and idiom as closely as English grammar allows. It reads awkwardly on purpose: the goal is to show you the structure of the original language, not smooth English prose.Young's Literal Translation (1862) — mirrors the original word order and idiom as closely as English grammar allows. It reads awkwardly on purpose: the goal is to show you the structure of the original language, not smooth English prose.
Whence [are] wars and fightings among you? not thence — out of your passions, that are as soldiers in your members?
Greek (New Testament)ⓘA Greek New Testament text — koine (common) Greek, the everyday language the New Testament was originally written in.A Greek New Testament text — koine (common) Greek, the everyday language the New Testament was originally written in.
none ποθεν πολεμοι και ποθεν μαχαι εν υμιν ουκ εντευθεν εκ των ηδονων υμων των στρατευομενων εν τοις μελεσιν υμων
King James Versionⓘ
King James Version (1611) — the classic formal, word-for-word English translation. Historic and widely memorized, but uses Early Modern English vocabulary.
King James Version (1611) — the classic formal, word-for-word English translation. Historic and widely memorized, but uses Early Modern English vocabulary.
From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?
American Standard VersionⓘAmerican Standard Version (1901) — a more literal, precision-focused revision in the King James tradition.American Standard Version (1901) — a more literal, precision-focused revision in the King James tradition.
Whence come wars and whence come fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your pleasures that war in your members?
World English BibleⓘWorld English Bible — a modern, public-domain update to the KJV/ASV formal style, without archaic language.World English Bible — a modern, public-domain update to the KJV/ASV formal style, without archaic language.
Where do wars and fightings among you come from? Don’t they come from your pleasures that war in your members?
Bible in Basic EnglishⓘBible in Basic English (1949) — deliberately written using a limited vocabulary of about 1,000 words.Bible in Basic English (1949) — deliberately written using a limited vocabulary of about 1,000 words.
What is the cause of wars and fighting among you? is it not in your desires which are at war in your bodies?