Matthew Poole and continuators on James 4:2

2 Ye lust and have not , ye kill , and desire to have , and cannot obtain ; ye fight and war , yet ye have not , because ye ask not .

Passionately and greedily desire.

Either soon lose, or rather, cannot get what ye so lust after.

some Copies have it, ye envy, and many suppose that to be the better reading, as agreeing with the Context, and with v. 14. of chap. 3. Envy being the Cause of Strife there, and joyned with Emulation, or a Desire of having, here. We read it according to other Copies, ye kill, which, if he speaketh of Wars in a proper sense, v. 1. was, no doubt, the Effect of them; and if he speak only of Strife and Contentions, yet they might proceed so far, that the Death of some (tho not intended) might be the Consequ[illegible: 2 letters]t of them, and [illegible: 1 word] by them. Or, he may mean their murderous Desires, killing Men in their Hearts, wishing for, and gaping after their Death, that they might gain by it; and this agrees with what he speaks of, the Frustration of their greedy Desires, none being more frequently disappointed of their Hopes than they that hope [illegible: 1 span] Gainers by other Men's Deaths.

Or, [illegible: 1 span] ambitiously affect to have what ye see others have, grieving that they should have more than you.

Viz. That which ye envy others having.

You wrangle and quarrel with your Neighbours for what they have, that ye may get it for your selves.

Ye are still needy, tho still craving; your Lusts are infinite, and insatiable in themselves, and no way helpful to you.

Viz. of God by Prayer, who hath promised to give to them that ask, Matth. 7.7. not to them that war and fight. Insteed of humble seeking to God for what ye want, ye would extort it by force or fraud, from one another.

Marginal references: Or, [illegible: 1 word].