James 4:1

American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

Whence [come] wars and whence [come] fightings among you? [come they] not hence, [even] of your pleasures that war in your members?

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

Πόθεν πόλεμοι καὶ μάχαι ἐν ὑμῖν; οὐκ ἐντεῦθεν, ἐκ τῶν ἡδονῶν ὑμῶν τῶν στρατευομένων ἐν τοῖς μέλεσιν ὑμῶν;

Transliteration

From where polemoi and machai in you? not enteuthen, from the hēdonōn of you the ones strateuomenōn in the melesin of you?

Grammar Details

• *polemoi*: nominative, masculine, plural - wars/conflicts
• *machai*: nominative, feminine, plural - fights/quarrels
• *enteuthen*: adverb - from here/from this source
• *hēdonōn*: genitive, feminine, plural - pleasures/desires
• *strateuomenōn*: present middle/passive participle, genitive, feminine, plural - waging war/campaigning
• *melesin*: dative, neuter, plural - members/limbs/parts of body

Word Meanings

• *polemoi*: wars/conflicts/fighting
• *machai*: fights/quarrels/contentions
• *hēdonōn*: pleasures/lusts/desires
• *strateuomenōn*: waging war/campaigning/battling
• *melesin*: members/limbs/body parts

Referenced Verses

• Rom 7:23 : 23 but I see a different law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity under the law of sin which is in my members.
• 1 Pet 2:11 : 11 Beloved, I beseech you as sojourners and pilgrims, to abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;
• Gal 5:17 : 17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are contrary the one to the other; that ye may not do the things that {G302} ye would.
• Jas 1:14 : 14 but each man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.
• Jas 4:3 : 3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may spend [it] in your pleasures.
• 1 John 2:15-17 : 15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the vain glory of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
• Titus 3:3 : 3 For we also once were foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another.
• Titus 3:9 : 9 but shun foolish questionings, and genealogies, and strifes, and fightings about law; for they are unprofitable and vain.
• 1 Pet 4:2-3 : 2 that ye no longer should live the rest of your time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. 3 For the time past {G979} may suffice {G2254} to have wrought the desire of the Gentiles, and to have walked in lasciviousness, lusts, winebibbings, revellings, carousings, and abominable idolatries:
• 2 Pet 2:18 : 18 For, uttering great swelling [words] of vanity, they entice in the lusts of the flesh, by lasciviousness, those who are just escaping from them that live in error;
• Gen 4:5-8 : 5 but unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. 6 And Jehovah said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? 7 If thou doest well, shall it not be lifted up? and if thou doest not well, sin coucheth at the door; and unto thee shall be its desire; but do thou rule over it. 8 And Cain told Abel his brother. And it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.
• Jer 17:9 : 9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly corrupt: who can know it?
• Mark 7:21-23 : 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, evil thoughts proceed, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, 22 covetings, wickednesses, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, railing, pride, foolishness: 23 all these evil things proceed from within, and defile the man.
• John 8:44 : 44 Ye are of [your] father the devil, and the lusts of your father it is your will to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and standeth not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father thereof.
• Rom 7:5 : 5 For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were through the law, wrought in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.
• Matt 15:19 : 19 For out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, railings:
• Col 3:5 : 5 Put to death therefore your members which are upon the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry;
• 1 Tim 6:4-9 : 4 he is puffed up, knowing nothing, but doting about questionings and disputes of words, whereof {G1537} cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, 5 wranglings of men corrupted in mind and bereft of the truth, supposing that godliness is a way of gain. 6 But godliness with contentment is great gain: 7 for we brought nothing into the world, for neither can we carry {G3761} anything out; 8 but having food and covering we shall be therewith content. 9 But they that are minded to be rich fall into a temptation and a snare and many foolish and hurtful lusts, such as drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil: which {G3713} some reaching after have been led astray from the faith, and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
• Rom 8:7 : 7 because the mind of the flesh is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can it be:
• Jas 3:14-18 : 14 But if ye have bitter jealousy and faction in your heart, glory not and lie not against the truth. 15 This wisdom is not [a wisdom] that cometh down from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. 16 For where jealousy and faction are, there is confusion and every vile deed. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first {G3303} pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without variance, {G2532} without hypocrisy. 18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace for them that make peace.
• Jude 1:16-18 : 16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their lusts (and their mouth speaketh great swelling [words]), showing respect of persons for the sake of advantage. 17 But ye, beloved, remember ye the words which have been spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; 18 That they said to you, In the last time there shall be mockers, walking after their own ungodly lusts.
• 1 Pet 1:14 : 14 as children of obedience, not fashioning yourselves according to your former lusts in [the time of] your ignorance:
• 2 Pet 3:3 : 3 knowing this first, that in the last days mockers shall come with mockery, walking after their own lusts,