Matthew Poole and continuators on James 4:5

5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain , the spirit that dwelleth in us, lusteth to envy ?

Gr. Emptily, or vainly, i. e. to no purpose. This Question hath the force of a Negation, q. d. it doth not speak in vain. Quest. What is it which the Scripture doth not speak in vain? Answ. Either those Truths he had been speaking of before, particularly in the former Verse, That the Friendship of the World, i[illegible: 1 letter] E[illegible: 2 letters]ity with God: Or, that which follows in this Verse, the Spirit that dwelleth in us ▪ &c.

Either the Spirit of God, who is said to dwell in Believers, 1 Cor. 3.16, 17. or the Spirit of Men, viz. as defiled by Sin, and acted by the Devil, who works in Men, while Children of Disobedience, and then it is the same as corrupt Nature.

Either is vehemently carried out to Envy, or makes us lust, and carrieth us out to it; or lusteth against Envy. So the Greek Preposition is often used, as Luke 20.19. Eph. 6.11. Heb. 12.4.

Under Envy he comprehends all other fleshly Lusts, but instanceth in this particularly, as having been speaking of it before, ch. 3. v. 14, 16. and because it hath so near a Connection with other Lusts, whereof it is the Cause, o[illegible: 1 letter] Concomitant, and so is a principal Member of the Old Man. This latter Clause may either be read interrogatively or affirmatively; and then according as we take Spirit, either for the Spirit of God, or the human Spirit, the sense of the Words may be, either, 1. Doth the Spirit of God, that dwelleth in us, lust unto Envy, i. e. incline and dispose us to so base an Affection? The Answer is understood, No, and confirmed by the next Words, he giveth more Grace, gives freely, liberally, and therefore doth not make us envy others any Good they have. Nothing is more contrary to the Spirit of God, who abounds in his Gifts to us, than to make us envy others, theirs. Or, 2ly, we may understand it, without any Interrogation, taking the Preposition to signifie against, and then the sense is, That good Spirit which is in us, teacheth us better things, than Strife and Envy, &c. for it lusteth against Envy, i. e. makes us lust against it, carries out our Hearts to hate, and resist it. And this well agrees with what follows; the Spirit, &c. lusts against Envy, but he gives more Grace, viz. than to envy the Good of others. Or, 3. if Spirit here be understood of the Spirit of Man, corrupt Nature, the sense is plain, as the words lie; Man's Spirit (especially by the Instigation of the Devil) lusts, or strongly inclines to Envy, and consequently to other Wickednesses, but he (that is, God v. 4.) gives more Grace. Quest. Where is any such Sentence to be found in the Scripture? Ans. No where in so many words: but which soever of these ways we take the words, we find the Sense in the Scripture. Ioshuah's envying Eldad, and Medad's Prophesying, for Moses's sake, seems to be an instance of this lust, Num. 11.29. (compared with Gen. 6.5. and 8.21. where the general Inclination of Man's Heart by Nature, is said to be evil) and Moses his not envying them, an instance of the two former.

Marginal references: See Gen. 6.5. and 8.21.; Or, enviously.