Jam 4:13-15 | JFB | STEP | 13. Go to now —"Come now"; said to excite attention. ye that say — boasting of the morrow. To-day or to-morrow —as if ye had the free choice of either day as a certainty. Others read, "To-day and to-morrow." such a city —literally, "this the city" (namely, the one present to the mind of the speaker). This city here. continue . . . a year —rather, "spend one year." Their language implies that when this one year is out, they purpose similarly settling plans for to come [BENGEL ]. buy and sell —Their plans for the future are all worldly.

James 4:13-15

13. Go to now—"Come now"; said to excite attention.

ye that say—boasting of the morrow.

To-day or to-morrow—as if ye had the free choice of either day as a certainty. Others read, "To-day and to-morrow."

such a city—literally, "this the city" (namely, the one present to the mind of the speaker). This city here.

continue . . . a year—rather, "spend one year." Their language implies that when this one year is out, they purpose similarly settling plans for to come [BENGEL].

buy and sell—Their plans for the future are all worldly.

14. what—literally, "of what nature" is your life? that is, how evanescent it is.

It is even—Some oldest authorities read, "For ye are." BENGEL, with other old authorities, reads, "For it shall be," the future referring to the "morrow" (Jas 4:13-15). The former expresses, "Ye yourselves are transitory"; so everything of yours, even your life, must partake of the same transitoriness. Received text has no old authority.

and then vanisheth away—"afterwards vanishing as it came"; literally, "afterwards (as it appeared), so vanishing" [ALFORD].

15. Literally, "instead of your saying," &c. This refers to "ye that say" (Jas 4:13).

we shall live—The best manuscripts read, "We shall both live and do," &c. The boasters spoke as if life, action, and the particular kind of action were in their power, whereas all three depend entirely on the will of the Lord.