James 4 · Verse 3

James 4:3

Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
James 4:3, King James Version

James 4:3 in other translations

BSBAnd when you do ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may squander it on your pleasures.
WEBYou ask, and don’t receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.
ASVYe ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may spend it in your pleasures.
YLTye ask, and ye receive not, because evilly ye ask, that in your pleasures ye may spend it.
DARBYYe ask and receive not, because ye ask evilly, that ye may consume it in your pleasures.
BBEYou make your request but you do not get it, because your request has been wrongly made, desiring the thing only so that you may make use of it for your pleasure.
WebsterYe ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

What does James 4:3 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
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.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 3. Ye ask, and receive not. That is, some of you ask, or you ask on some occasions. Though seeking in general what you desire by strife, and without regard to the rights of others, yet you sometimes pray. It is not uncommon for men who go to war to pray, or to procure the services of a chaplain to pray for them. It sometimes happens that the covetous and the quarrelsome; that those who live to wrong others, and who are fond of litigation, pray. Such men may be professors of religion. They keep up a form of worship in their families. They pray for success m their worldly engagements, though those engagements are all based on covetousness. Instead of seeking property that they may glorify God, and do good; that they may relieve the poor and distressed; that they may be the patrons of learning, philanthropy, and religion, they do it that they may live in splendour, and be able to pamper their lusts. It is not indeed very common that persons with such ends and aims of life pray, but they sometimes do it; for, alas! there are many professors of religion who have no higher aims than these, and not a few such professors feel that consistency demands that they should observe some form of prayer. If such persons do not receive what they ask for, if they are not prospered in their plans, they should not set it down as evidence that God does not hear prayer, but as evidence that their prayers are offered for improper objects, or with improper motives.

Because ye ask amiss. Ye do it with a view to self-indulgence and carnal gratification.

That you may consume it upon your lusts. Marg., pleasures. This is the same word which is used in Jas 4:1, and rendered lusts. The reference is to sensual gratifications; and the word would include all that comes under the name of sensual pleasure, or carnal appetite. It was not that they might have a decent and comfortable living, which would not be improper to desire, but that they might have the means of luxurious dress and living; perhaps the means of gross sensual gratifications. Prayers offered that we may have the means of sensuality and voluptuousness, we have no reason to suppose God will answer, for he has not promised to hear such prayers; and it becomes every one who prays for worldly prosperity, and for success in business, to examine his motives with the closest scrutiny. Nowhere is deception more likely to creep in than into such prayers; nowhere are we more likely to be mistaken in regard to our real motives, than when we go before God and ask for success in our worldly employments.

(+) "lusts" or, "pleasures"

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 3 Ye ask, and receive not - Some think that this refers to their prayers for the conversion of the heathen; and on the pretense that they were not converted thus; they thought it lawful to extirpate them and possess their goods. Ye ask amiss - Κακως αιτεισθε· Ye ask evilly, wickedly. Ye have not the proper dispositions of prayer, and ye have an improper object. Ye ask for worldly prosperity, that ye may employ it in riotous living. This is properly the meaning of the original, ἱνα εν ταις ἡδοναις ὑμων δαπανησητε, That ye may expend it upon your pleasures. The rabbins have many good observations on asking amiss or asking improperly, and give examples of different kinds of this sort of prayer; the phrase is Jewish and would naturally occur to St. James in writing on this subject. Whether the lusting of which St. James speaks were their desire to make proselytes, in order that they might increase their power and influence by means of such, or whether it were a desire to cast off the Roman yoke, and become independent; the motive and the object were the same, and the prayers were such as God could not hear.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on James 4:1-10

Since all wars and fightings come from the corruptions of our own hearts, it is right to mortify those lusts that war in the members. Wordly and fleshly lusts are distempers, which will not allow content or satisfaction. Sinful desires and affections stop prayer, and the working of our desires toward God. And let us beware that we do not abuse or misuse the mercies received, by the disposition of the heart when…

Read the full comment on James 4:1-10 →

James 4:3 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

αἰτεῖτεaiteiteYou askG154
καὶkaiandG2532
οὐounotG3756
λαμβάνετε,lambanetereceive,G2983
διότιdiotibecauseG1360
κακῶςkakōswronglyG2560
αἰτεῖσθε,aiteistheyou ask,G154
ἵναinathatG2443
ἐνeninG1722
ταῖςtaistheG3588
ἡδοναῖςhēdonaispleasuresG2237
ὑμῶνhumōnof youG4771
δαπανήσητε.dapanēsēteyou may spend [it].G1159

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for James 4:3

  • 1 John 5:14

    And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:

  • 1 John 3:22

    And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

  • James 1:6-7

    But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.

  • James 4:1

    From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?

  • Proverbs 15:8

    The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord: but the prayer of the upright is his delight.

  • Micah 3:4

    Then shall they cry unto the Lord, but he will not hear them: he will even hide his face from them at that time, as they have behaved themselves ill in their doings.

  • Psalms 66:18-19

    If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer.

  • Job 35:12

    There they cry, but none giveth answer, because of the pride of evil men.

  • Zechariah 7:13

    Therefore it is come to pass, that as he cried, and they would not hear; so they cried, and I would not hear, saith the Lord of hosts:

  • Job 27:8-10

    For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul? Will God hear his cry when trouble cometh upon him? Will he delight himself in the Almighty? will he always call upon God?

  • Proverbs 21:13

    Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.

  • Luke 16:1-2

    And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods. And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
ask, and.
1:6,7; Job 27:8-10; 35:12; Ps 18:41; 66:18,19; Pr 1:28; 15:8
Pr 21:13,27; Isa 1:15,16; Jer 11:11,14; 14:12; Mic 3:4; Zec 7:13
Mt 20:22; Mr 10:38; 1Jo 3:22; 5:14
ye may.
Lu 15:13,30; 16:1,2
lusts. or, pleasures.
1

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • James 4:2

    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.

  • James 4:3

    Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

  • James 4:4

    Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

Read all of James 4

James 4:3 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Pedís, y no recibís, porque pedís mal, para gastar en vuestros deleites.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		vous demandez, et vous ne recevez pas, parce que vous demandez mal, afin de le dépenser pour vos voluptés.
German
Elberfelder 1871		ihr bittet und empfanget nichts, weil ihr übel bittet, auf daß ihr es in euren Lüsten vergeudet.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Petitis, et non accipitis: eo quod male petatis: ut in concupiscentiis vestris insumatis.