Commentaire par chapitre
James Chapitre 4
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Jas 4:1-17.
繁體中文
Original anglais
Jas 4:1-17.
AGAINST FIGHTINGS AND THEIR SOURCE; WORLDLY LUSTS; UNCHARITABLE JUDGMENTS, AND PRESUMPTUOUS RECKONING ON THE FUTURE.
1. whence--The cause of quarrels is often sought in external circumstances, whereas internal lusts are the true origin.
wars, &c.--contrasted with the "peace" of heavenly wisdom. "Fightings" are the active carrying on of "wars." The best authorities have a second "whence" before "fightings." Tumults marked the era before the destruction of Jerusalem when James wrote. He indirectly alludes to these. The members are the first seat of war; thence it passes to conflict between man and man, nation and nation.
come they not, &c.--an appeal to their consciences.
lusts--literally, "pleasures," that is, the lusts which prompt you to "desire" (see on
Jas 4:2)
pleasures; whence you seek self at the cost of your neighbor, and hence flow "fightings."
that war--"campaign, as an army of soldiers encamped within" [ALFORD] the soul; tumultuously war against the interests of your fellow men, while lusting to advance self. But while warring thus against others they (without his knowledge) war against the soul of the man himself, and against the Spirit; therefore they must be "mortified" by the Christian.
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2. 你們貪戀——與 雅 4:1 是另一個希臘文詞。「你們渴求」；字面是「你們將心思（或心）放在」某一對象上。
得不著——貪戀的欲望不能保證實際擁有。因此「你們殺害」（不是如邊註所載、毫無古權威根據的「嫉妒」）以確保擁有。在那日宣認基督徒的人中，按字面意義如此的可能性不大；而是「殺害嫉妒」（因「貪戀」的希臘文當如此譯），即因嫉妒而騷擾壓迫〔德魯修斯（Drusius）〕。參 亞 11:5 的「宰殺」；因嫉妒、恨惡，並想要除掉阻礙，所以在神眼中就是「殺人的」〔埃斯蒂烏斯（Estius）〕。若指字面上的殺害〔阿爾福德（Alford）〕，我不認為它會出現在這系列中如此早的位置；當時基督徒也尚未墮落到如此公開的罪行。然而聖靈將本段應用於各時代時，也包含了字面上的殺害，正如大衛與亞哈那樣由佔有的欲望所引發。此處有層遞：「你們貪戀」，是個人對某對象的私慾；「你們殺害嫉妒」，是個人對個人的情感與行動；「你們爭戰鬥毆」，是多人對多人的行動。
你們得不著，是因為你們不求——神應許賜給禱告的人，不是爭鬥的人。那些貪婪、殺人、好爭競之人的祈求，神並不當作禱告來悅納。你們若禱告，就不會有「爭戰鬥毆」。因此這最後一句是對 雅 4:1 「爭戰鬥毆是從哪裡來的」這問題的回答。
Original anglais
2. Ye lust--A different Greek word from that in
Jas 4:1.
"Ye desire"; literally, "ye set your mind (or heart) on" an object.
have not--The lust of desire does not ensure the actual possession. Hence "ye kill" (not as Margin, without any old authority, "envy") to ensure possession. 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]. If literal murder [ALFORD] were meant, I do not think it would occur so early in the series; nor had Christians then as yet reached so open criminality. In the Spirit's application of the passage to all ages, literal killing is included, flowing from the desire to possess so David and Ahab. There is a climax: "Ye desire," the individual lust for an object; "ye kill and envy," the feeling and action of individuals against individuals; "ye fight and war," the action of many against many.
ye have not, because ye ask not--God promises to those who pray, not to those who fight. The petition of the lustful, murderous, and contentious is not recognized by God as prayer. If ye prayed, there would be no "wars and fightings." Thus this last clause is an answer to the question,
Jas 4:1,
"Whence come wars and fightings?"
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3. 假定他們當中有人反駁說：但我們確實「求」（禱告）；參 雅 4:2。雅各回答：求好東西還不夠，還必須以善良的心靈與動機來求。「你們求也得不著，是因為你們妄求，要浪費在你們（字面作『在』）的私慾（字面作『宴樂』）中」；即不是為了得著事奉神所需用的。試將 雅 1:5 與 太 6:31, 32 對比。你們若按正道祈求，一切正當的需要都會得著供應；那產生「爭戰鬥毆」的不正當渴求就會止息。甚至信徒的禱告，往往在他們的欲望最被拒絕之時，才得著最好的應允。
Original anglais
3. Some of them are supposed to say in objection, But we do "ask" (pray); compare
Jas 4:2.
James replies, It is not enough to ask for good things, but we must ask with a good spirit and intention. "Ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it (your object of prayer) upon (literally, 'in') your lusts (literally, 'pleasures')"; not that ye may have the things you need for the service of God. Contrast
Jas 1:5 with Mt 6:31, 32.
If ye prayed aright, all your proper wants would be supplied; the improper cravings which produce "wars and fightings" would then cease. Even believers' prayers are often best answered when their desires are most opposed.
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4. 最古老的抄本省略「淫亂的人」，只讀作「你們這些淫亂的人」。神是合法的丈夫；世上的人被集體視為一個淫婦，個別地被視為淫婦們。
世俗——只要世俗之人的動機與行為與神為陌生，例如其自私的「私慾」（雅 4:3），以及貪婪野心的「爭戰鬥毆」（雅 4:1）。
為仇——不僅是「敵對的」；而是一種為仇的狀態，且就是那敵意本身。參 約一 2:15，「愛……世界……愛父的心」。
凡……想要——希臘文是強調的，意即「決意要」。無論他是否成功，只要他的意願是與世俗為友，他就因這事實使自己成為（「是」的希臘文如此）「神的仇敵」。試與「神的朋友亞伯拉罕」對比。
Original anglais
4. The oldest manuscripts omit "adulterers and," and read simply, "Ye adulteresses." God is the rightful husband; the men of the world are regarded collectively as one adulteress, and individually as adulteresses.
the world--in so far as the men of it and their motives and acts are aliens to God, for example, its selfish "lusts"
(Jas 4:3),
and covetous and ambitious "wars and fightings"
(Jas 4:1).
enmity--not merely "inimical"; a state of enmity, and that enmity itself. Compare
1Jo 2:15,
"love . . . the world . . . the love of the Father."
whosoever . . . will be--The Greek is emphatic, "shall be resolved to be." Whether he succeed or not, if his wish be to be the friend of the world, he renders himself, becomes (so the Greek for "is") by the very fact, "the enemy of God." Contrast "Abraham the friend of God."
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5. 徒然——聖經的話絕不會如此。此處的引用，如同 弗 5:14，似乎不是引自某一特定經文，而是雅各在默示之下，從新舊約此類經文的整體要旨中匯集而成，如 民 14:29; 箴 21:20; 加 5:17。
住在我們裡面的靈——另有抄本讀作「神使祂住在我們裡面的」（即在五旬節時）。若如此譯，則為「神安置在我們裡面的（聖）靈，難道會貪戀以至於嫉妒嗎」（即如你們在屬世的「爭戰鬥毆」中那樣）？斷乎不會；所以當你們如此貪戀、即懷著嫉妒彼此相待時，你們是隨從肉體而行，不是隨從聖靈而行。與世俗為友容易滋生嫉妒；聖靈所結的果子卻截然不同。阿爾福德（Alford）將「嫉妒」這個修飾語，以並不成立的熱切之義，歸於聖靈：「聖靈熱切地把我們歸於祂自己」。在英文譯本中，其意為「那住在我們裡面的（屬天然的）靈，懷著（字面作『向著』或『朝向』）嫉妒而貪戀」。你們貪戀，又因得不著所貪戀的（雅 4:1, 2），就嫉妒那擁有的鄰舍，於是嫉妒之靈驅使你們去「爭鬥」。雅各在此也暗指 雅 3:14, 16。
Original anglais
5. in vain--No word of Scripture can be so. The quotation here, as in
Eph 5:14,
seems to be not so much from a particular passage as one gathered by James under inspiration from the general tenor of such passages in both the Old and New Testaments, as
Nu 14:29; Pr 21:20; Ga 5:17.
spirit that dwelleth in us--Other manuscripts read, "that God hath made to dwell in us" (namely, at Pentecost). If so translated, "Does the (Holy) Spirit that God hath placed in us lust to (towards) envy" (namely, as ye do in your worldly "wars and fightings")? Certainly not; ye are therefore walking in the flesh, not in the Spirit, while ye thus lust towards, that is, with envy against one another. The friendship of the world tends to breed envy; the Spirit produces very different fruit. ALFORD attributes the epithet "with envy," in the unwarrantable sense of jealously, to the Holy Spirit: "The Spirit jealously desires us for His own." In English Version the sense is, "the (natural) spirit that hath its dwelling in us lusts with (literally, 'to,' or 'towards') envy." Ye lust, and because ye have not what ye lust after
(Jas 4:1, 2),
ye envy your neighbor who has, and so the spirit of envy leads you on to "fight." James also here refers to
Jas 3:14, 16.
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6. 然而——「不，更是如此」。
祂——神。
賜更多的恩典——不斷增加的恩典；你們越遠離「嫉妒」〔本格爾（Bengel）〕，恩典就越增添。
經上說——那使祂的靈住在信徒裡面的同一位神（雅 4:5），也藉聖靈在聖經中說話。此處的引用大概出自 箴 3:34；而 雅 4:5 大概是泛指 箴 21:10。在希伯來文中是「譏誚那好譏誚的人」，即那些以為「聖經是徒然說的」之人。
抵擋——字面作「列陣對抗」；正如他們像法老一樣列陣抵擋祂。神以其人之道還治其人之身。「驕傲」是「嫉妒」（雅 4:5）之母；它尤其屬魔鬼，因魔鬼正是因此墜落。
驕傲的人——希臘文從詞源上意指在同伴面前自顯為高的人，因而高抬自己抵擋神。
謙卑的人——對世界不嫉妒、不貪婪、不野心勃勃的人。與 雅 4:4 成對比。
Original anglais
6. But--"Nay, rather."
he--God.
giveth more grace--ever increasing grace; the farther ye depart from "envy" [BENGEL].
he saith--The same God who causes His spirit to dwell in believers
(Jas 4:5),
by the Spirit also speaks in Scripture. The quotation here is probably from
Pr 3:34;
as probably
Pr 21:10
was generally referred to in
Jas 4:5.
In Hebrew it is "scorneth the scorners," namely, those who think "Scripture speaketh in vain."
resisteth--literally, "setteth Himself in array against"; even as they, like Pharaoh, set themselves against Him. God repays sinners in their own coin. "Pride" is the mother of "envy"
(Jas 4:5);
it is peculiarly satanic, for by it Satan fell.
the proud--The Greek means in derivation one who shows himself above his fellows, and so lifts himself against God.
the humble--the unenvious, uncovetous, and unambitious as to the world. Contrast
Jas 4:4.
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7. 順服……神——這樣你們就列於 雅 4:6 的「謙卑人」之中；另見 雅 4:10; 彼前 5:6。
抵擋……魔鬼——在世上，驕傲與嫉妒都在他的旗幟之下；要抵擋他藉這些而來的試探。信心、謙卑的禱告與屬天的智慧，是抵擋的武器。這用語取自戰爭。「順服」如好士兵將自己完全置於元帥之下。「抵擋」即勇敢地站住對抗。
他就必逃跑——譯作「他必逃跑」。因為這是神的應許，不是人對人之間的保證〔阿爾福德（Alford）〕。他必像從基督面前那樣敗逃。
Original anglais
7. Submit to . . . God--so ye shall be among "the humble,"
Jas 4:6;
also
Jas 4:10; 1Pe 5:6.
Resist . . . devil--Under his banner pride and envy are enlisted in the world; resist his temptations to these. Faith, humble prayers, and heavenly wisdom, are the weapons of resistance. The language is taken from warfare. "Submit" as a good soldier puts himself in complete subjection to his captain. "Resist," stand bravely against.
he will flee--Translate, "he shall flee." For it is a promise of God, not a mere assurance from man to man [ALFORD]. He shall flee worsted as he did from Christ.
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8. 親近神——如 申 30:20「專靠祂」，即藉著禱告（雅 4:2, 3）來「抵擋」那阻撓我們親近神的撒但。
祂就必親近——滿有恩惠地親近你們。
潔淨……手——手是外在行動的工具。惟獨手潔的人能登耶和華的山（因信基督而稱義——惟獨祂完全如此，並以如此身分「升」到那裡）。
清潔……心——字面作「使你們的心」從屬靈的淫亂（雅 4:4，即世俗）「貞潔」：心是一切不潔的內在源頭。
心懷二意——在神與世界之間搖擺。「心懷二意的人」錯在心；罪人連他的手也錯了。
Original anglais
8. Draw nigh to God--So "cleave unto Him,"
De 30:20,
namely, by prayerfully
(Jas 4:2, 3)
"resisting Satan," who would oppose our access to God.
he will draw nigh--propitious.
Cleanse . . . hands--the outward instruments of action. None but the clean-handed can ascend into the hill of the Lord (justified through Christ, who alone was perfectly so, and as such "ascended" thither).
purify . . . hearts--literally "make chaste" of your spiritual adultery
(Jas 4:4,
that is, worldliness) "your hearts": the inward source of all impurity.
double-minded--divided between God and the world. The "double-minded" is at fault in heart; the sinner in his hands likewise.
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9. 要愁苦——字面作「忍受悲慘」，即為你們因罪而來的悲慘哀痛。以深深的憂傷悔改來代替眼前的歡笑。這是有福的哀慟。與 賽 22:12, 13; 路 6:25 相反。雅各在此沒有像 雅 5:1 那樣加上「號咷」，因為在那裡他是預言耶路撒冷將臨毀滅時不悔改者的命運。
悲哀——字面作「容貌下垂」，眼目低垂。
Original anglais
9. Be afflicted--literally, "Endure misery," that is, mourn over your wretchedness through sin. Repent with deep sorrow instead of your present laughter. A blessed mourning. Contrast
Isa 22:12, 13; Lu 6:25.
James does not add here, as in
Jas 5:1,
"howl," where he foretells the doom of the impenitent at the coming destruction of Jerusalem.
heaviness--literally, "falling of the countenance," casting down of the eyes.
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10. 在主面前——如同始終在那獨一配得高舉者的面前。在你們一切所行的事上認定祂的同在，這是謙卑最真實的動力。樹要向上生長，必須把根深深扎下；照樣，人要被高舉，他的心思必須深深扎根於謙卑。彼前 5:6 則是「在神大能的手下自卑」，即在祂護理的作為之下：那是與此處不同的思想。
使你們升高——在今世部分升高，在來世完全升高。
Original anglais
10. in the sight of the Lord--as continually in the presence of Him who alone is worthy to be exalted: recognizing His presence in all your ways, the truest incentive to humility. The tree, to grow upwards, must strike its roots deep downwards; so man, to be exalted, must have his mind deep-rooted in humility. In
1Pe 5:6,
it is, Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, namely, in His dealings of Providence: a distinct thought from that here.
lift you up--in part in this world, fully in the world to come.
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11. 既已論及舌頭的罪（雅 3:5-12），他在這裡指出毀謗是從同一種高抬自己、犧牲鄰舍的心態發出，這心態也造成了本章所責備的「爭鬥」（雅 4:1）。
不可毀謗——字面作「不可說……的壞話」彼此。
弟兄們——暗示在弟兄們之間如此彼此貶損的不相稱。
便是毀謗律法——因為律法吩咐「要愛鄰舍如同自己」（雅 2:8），實際上就定罪了毀謗與論斷〔埃斯蒂烏斯（Estius）〕。那些傲慢地責難不合己意的別人的言行、以求聖潔之名聲的人，是把自己的乖僻置於律法的位置，為自己宣稱一種凌駕神律法之上的論斷權柄，去定罪律法所容許的事〔加爾文（Calvin）〕。這樣的人行得好似律法不能履行它審斷的職能，必須由他來撲上去執行〔本格爾（Bengel）〕。這是新約中最後一次提及律法。阿爾福德（Alford）正確地把「律法」理解為基督以全面的屬靈豐盛所應用的舊道德律：「自由的律法」。
你若論斷律法，就不是遵行律法的，乃是論斷的——撇開了基督徒弟兄之情——所有人均同樣蒙召在律法之下作遵行者——這樣的人擅自篡奪審斷者的職分。
Original anglais
11. Having mentioned sins of the tongue
(Jas 3:5-12),
he shows here that evil-speaking flows from the same spirit of exalting self at the expense of one's neighbor as caused the "fightings" reprobated in this chapter
(Jas 4:1).
Speak not evil--literally, "Speak not against" one another.
brethren--implying the inconsistency of such depreciatory speaking of one another in brethren.
speaketh evil of the law--for the law in commanding, "Love thy neighbor as thyself"
(Jas 2:8),
virtually condemns evil-speaking and judging [ESTIUS]. Those who superciliously condemn the acts and words of others which do not please themselves, thus aiming at the reputation of sanctity, put their own moroseness in the place of the law, and claim to themselves a power of censuring above the law of God, condemning what the law permits [CALVIN]. Such a one acts as though the law could not perform its own office of judging, but he must fly upon the office [BENGEL]. This is the last mention of the law in the New Testament. ALFORD rightly takes the "law" to be the old moral law applied in its comprehensive spiritual fulness by Christ: "the law of liberty."
if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer . . . but a judge--Setting aside the Christian brotherhood as all alike called to be doers of the law, in subjection to it, such a one arrogates the office of a judge.
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12. 立法者只有一位——最可靠的權威另有讀作「又是審判者」。當譯作：「只有一位（獨一的）是（同時）立法者與審判者，即那能救人也能滅人的。」這暗示惟獨神是立法者，因此也是審判者，因為惟獨祂能執行祂的審判；我們在這方面的無能，正顯出我們越俎代庖、試圖如神那樣作審判者的狂妄。
你是誰等——希臘文的語序是強調的：「但是（最古老的抄本中有插入）你，你是誰，竟論斷別人？」論斷你的同伴、從神手中奪取那本屬於祂、在你和他們之上都當屬祂的職分，是何等輕率傲慢！
別人——最古老的權威讀作「你的鄰舍」。
Original anglais
12. There is one lawgiver--The best authorities read in addition, "and judge." Translate, "There is One (alone) who is (at once) Lawgiver and Judge, (namely) He who is able to save and destroy." Implying, God alone is Lawgiver and therefore Judge, since it is He alone who can execute His judgments; our inability in this respect shows our presumption in trying to act as judges, as though we were God.
who art thou, &c.--The order in the Greek is emphatic, "But (inserted in oldest manuscripts) thou, who art thou that judgest another?" How rashly arrogant in judging thy fellows, and wresting from God the office which belongs to Him over thee and THEM alike!
another--The oldest authorities read, "thy neighbor."
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13. 嗐，你們——「來吧，現在」；用以喚起注意。
你們說——為明天誇口。
今天或明天——好像這兩天中哪一天可由你們自由選定、篤定可得。另有讀作「今天和明天」。
某城——字面作「這個那座城」（即說話者心中所想的那座）。這裡這座城。
住……一年——更宜作「過一年」。他們的話暗示，這一年期滿後，他們還打算照樣為未來定計劃〔本格爾（Bengel）〕。
做買賣——他們為未來的計劃全是屬世的。
Original anglais
13. Go to now--"Come now"; said to excite attention.
ye that say--boasting of the morrow.
To-day or to-morrow--as if ye had the free choice of either day as a certainty. Others read, "To-day and to-morrow."
such a city--literally, "this the city" (namely, the one present to the mind of the speaker). This city here.
continue . . . a year--rather, "spend one year." Their language implies that when this one year is out, they purpose similarly settling plans for to come [BENGEL].
buy and sell--Their plans for the future are all worldly.
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14. 甚麼——字面作「是甚麼性質的呢」，即你們的生命是何等短暫易逝。
其實就是——某些最古老的權威讀作「因為你們是」。本格爾（Bengel）與其他古權威讀作「因為它將是」，未來時態指「明天」（雅 4:13-15）。前一讀法表達「你們自己就是短暫的」；所以你們的一切——甚至你們的生命——都必分享同樣的短暫。公認經文沒有古老權威支持。
隨即消散了——「出現之後隨即消散」；字面作「之後（如它出現那樣），如此消散」〔阿爾福德（Alford）〕。
Original anglais
14. what--literally, "of what nature" is your life? that is, how evanescent it is.
It is even--Some oldest authorities read, "For ye are." BENGEL, with other old authorities, reads, "For it shall be," the future referring to the "morrow"
(Jas 4:13-15).
The former expresses, "Ye yourselves are transitory"; so everything of yours, even your life, must partake of the same transitoriness. Received text has no old authority.
and then vanisheth away--"afterwards vanishing as it came"; literally, "afterwards (as it appeared), so vanishing" [ALFORD].
15
Sans titre
繁體中文
15. 字面作「你們倒應當說」等。這指 雅 4:13 的「你們說」。
我們就可以活著——最可靠的抄本讀作「我們就或活或做」。誇口者說話，彷彿生命、行動、以及某種特定的行動都在他們的權下；其實這三者完全倚靠主的旨意。
Original anglais
15. Literally, "instead of your saying," &c. This refers to "ye that say"
(Jas 4:13).
we shall live--The best manuscripts read, "We shall both live and do," &c. The boasters spoke as if life, action, and the particular kind of action were in their power, whereas all three depend entirely on the will of the Lord.
16
Sans titre
繁體中文
16. 現今——就實際情形而論。
你們以張狂誇口——「你們在傲慢的臆測中誇口」，即對未來必屬於你們的虛妄自信之幻想（雅 4:13）。
誇口——即自誇〔本格爾（Bengel）〕。
Original anglais
16. now--as it is.
rejoice in . . . boastings--"ye boast in arrogant presumptions," namely, vain confident fancies that the future is certain to you
(Jas 4:13).
rejoicing--boasting [BENGEL].
17
Sans titre
繁體中文
17. 剛才所討論的具體例子所說明的一般原則在此陳明：沒有實踐的知識被算為人的大而狂妄的罪。雅各回到他開始的原則。沒有甚麼比浪費了的感動更有害於靈魂。情感若不落實在實踐中，就會自行耗盡並消散。我們若不感動就不會行動，照樣，我們若不把所感的化為行動，不久就會不再有感動。
Original anglais
17. The general principle illustrated by the particular example just discussed is here stated: knowledge without practice is imputed to a man as great and presumptuous sin. James reverts to the principle with which he started. Nothing more injures the soul than wasted impressions. Feelings exhaust themselves and evaporate, if not embodied in practice. As we will not act except we feel, so if we will not act out our feelings, we shall soon cease to feel.
雅 4:1-17.
反對爭鬥及其根源、世俗的私慾、沒有愛心的論斷，以及對將來的自恃。
1. 從哪裡——爭端的起因常被歸於外在環境，然而內在的私慾才是真正的根源。
爭戰鬥毆等——與屬天智慧的「和平」相對。「鬥毆」是「爭戰」的主動進行。最可靠的抄本在「鬥毆」之前有第二個「從哪裡」。雅各寫作之時，耶路撒冷毀滅前的時代以動亂為標記。他間接暗示這些。肢體是爭戰的第一戰場；繼而擴展為人與人之間、國與國之間的衝突。
*……不是從……來的麼*等——對他們良心的呼籲。
私慾——字面是「宴樂」，即使你們去「貪求」（見 雅 4:2 註釋）宴樂的私慾；由此你們不惜犧牲鄰舍來尋求己利，因而引發「鬥毆」。
貪戀——「如同一隊駐紮在」〔阿爾福德（Alford）〕靈魂裡的軍兵展開征戰；在貪圖高抬己身之時，喧囂地與同胞的利益作戰。但這些私慾在與別人如此爭戰之際，也（在人不知情之下）與那人自己的靈魂、與聖靈爭戰；因此基督徒必須將它們「治死」。