James 4:6

James 4:6 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
• New International Version (NIV)But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."
• New King James Version (NKJV)But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”

Context of James 4:6

4You are turning away from God, like a woman who is not faithful to her husband. You choose to be friends with people who are against God. So you yourselves become enemies of God. You should know that! 5The Bible says, ‘God has caused his Spirit to live in us. He wants very much to keep us for himself.’ Do you think that is not true? But God will be very kind to us and he will help us. That is why the Bible says, ‘God is against those people who think that they are important. But he is kind to people who do not feel important.’ 7So obey God's authority. Be strong against the Devil and he will run away from you. 8Come near to God and he will come near to you. Be clean in the way that you live. Stop doing wrong things. Make your minds clean. You cannot love sin and love God at the same time.

James 4:6 word by word

μείζονα δὲ δίδωσιν χάριν· διὸ λέγει· ὁ θεὸς ὑπερηφάνοις ἀντιτάσσεται, ταπεινοῖς δὲ δίδωσιν χάριν.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Butδέde · thenG1161
• he givethδίδωμιdidōmi · to giveG1325
• moreμέγαςmegas · greatG3173
• graceχάριςcharis · graceG5485
• Whereforeδιόdio · thereforeG1352
• he saithλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• Godὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• resistethἀντιτάσσωantitassomai · to resistG498
• the proudὑπερήφανοςhuperēphanos · arrogantG5244
• unto the humbleταπεινόςtapeinos · lowlyG5011

Cross-references for James 4:6

• Exodus 10:3So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh. They said to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Israelites says this: “You are still too proud to obey me. Let my people go so that they may worship me.
• Exodus 15:9The enemy said, “We will go after them. We will catch them. We will destroy them with our swords. We will do whatever we want to them. We will take all their valuable things for ourselves.”
• Exodus 18:11Now I know that the Lord is greater than all other gods. He destroyed the proud Egyptians when they were cruel to his people.’
• 1 Samuel 2:3Do not boast or speak proud words! The Lord is a God who knows everything. He judges everything that people do.
• Job 22:29You will pray for God to help people who are in trouble. God will save those people who are humble.
• Job 40:10If you think that you can do all this, show how great you are! Show everyone your power and your glory!
• Psalms 138:6Yes, the Lord is high above the earth. But he takes care of humble people. He also knows what proud people are doing, even if they try to hide.
• Proverbs 3:34The Lord laughs at proud people who laugh at other people. But he is kind to humble people.
• Proverbs 6:16There are six things that the Lord hates, or even seven things:
• Proverbs 29:23A person's pride will bring shame to him. But a humble person will receive honour.
• Isaiah 2:11The Lord will bring proud people down low. People who boast will have to stop. On that day, people will see that only the Lord is great.
• Isaiah 10:8He boasts, ‘All my army's officers are like kings!
• Isaiah 16:6The people of Judah say, ‘We know how proud Moab's people are. We have heard how they boast about themselves. They think that they can do anything that they want. But all their pride is empty and useless!’
• Daniel 4:37Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise the King of heaven as a great God. He always does what is right and fair. When people are proud, he can cause them to become humble.
• Daniel 5:20But he became very proud and he boasted about his power. So God took away his kingdom. People did not respect him any longer as king.
• Matthew 23:12Some people lift themselves up to be important. But God will bring them down low. Other people are humble. God will lift up those people to a good place.’

Commentaries on James 4:6

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6But he giveth more grace - , A greater benefit, than all the goods that the world can bestow; for he gives genuine happiness, and this the world cannot confer. May this be St. James' meaning? God resisteth the proud - · Sets himself in battle array against him. Giveth grace unto the humble - The sure way to please God is to submit to the dispensation of his grace and providence; and when a man acknowledges him in all his ways, he will direct all his…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6But he giveth more grace - The reference here is undoubtedly to God. Some have regarded this clause as a continuation of the quotation in the previous verse, but it is rather to be considered as a declaration of the apostle himself. The writer had just spoken of envy, and of the crimes which grew out of it. He thought of the wars and commotions of the earth, and of the various lusts which reigned among men. In the contemplation of these things, it seems…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4-10James explains the causes of conflict among people: love for the world, divided loyalty, and arrogant criticism (4:11–12). He gives instructions that will fix these problems and lead to peace.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 66. 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…Read the comment

Topics related to James 4:6

• Gifts from God
• Humility
• Pride
• Quotations and Allusions

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Adulterer
• Amiss
• Consume
• Enmity
• Flee
• Hence
• Lust
• Resist

Commentaries on James 4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings