James 3:14

But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.

But {G1161} if {G1487} ye have {G2192} bitter {G4089} envying {G2205} and {G2532} strife {G2052} in {G1722} your {G5216} hearts {G2588}, glory {G2620} not {G3361}, and {G2532} lie not {G5574} against {G2596} the truth {G225}.

But if you harbor in your hearts bitter jealousy and selfish ambition, don’t boast and attack the truth with lies!

But if you harbor bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast in it or deny the truth.

But if ye have bitter jealousy and faction in your heart, glory not and lie not against the truth.

Context of James 3:14

James 3:14 is situated within a crucial section of James's letter that addresses the profound impact of the tongue and the nature of true wisdom versus worldly wisdom. Preceding verses (James 3:1-12) describe the immense power and destructive potential of the tongue, emphasizing that it is difficult to tame. This verse then introduces the characteristics of false, earthly wisdom, contrasting it sharply with the pure wisdom that comes from above. It serves as a direct warning against the internal attitudes that manifest in ungodly speech and behavior, challenging the sincerity of one's claim to spiritual understanding.

Key Themes and Messages

  • The Nature of False Wisdom: James exposes a deceptive form of "wisdom" that, despite any outward appearance of knowledge or spirituality, is fundamentally rooted in self-serving desires. This is not genuine spiritual insight but a worldly cunning that leads to discord.
  • The Destructive Power of Envy and Strife: The verse highlights two core attitudes: "bitter envying" and "strife." Bitter envying (Greek: pikros zēlos) refers to a harsh, resentful jealousy or zeal, often accompanied by animosity. Strife (Greek: eritheia) denotes selfish ambition, rivalry, or factionalism. These internal conditions are poisonous, fostering division and disorder rather than peace and unity. As Galatians 5:20 also lists envy and strife among the works of the flesh.
  • Hypocrisy and Lying Against the Truth: To "glory not, and lie not against the truth" means that one should not boast or claim spiritual superiority when their heart is filled with such ungodly qualities. Such boasting is a lie about one's true spiritual condition and contradicts the very essence of Christian truth. It exposes a profound hypocrisy where outward claims do not align with inward reality.
  • The Importance of Heart Condition: James emphasizes that these destructive attitudes reside "in your hearts." This highlights the biblical principle that true spirituality begins internally. What is in the heart ultimately dictates one's words and actions, as Jesus also taught that evil thoughts and actions proceed from the heart.

Linguistic Insights

The KJV phrase "bitter envying" combines two significant Greek terms. Pikros means "bitter," suggesting harshness, sharpness, or acrimony. Zēlos, often translated as "zeal," can also mean "jealousy" or "envy." When combined, "bitter envying" vividly describes a resentful, competitive, and destructive form of jealousy that is far removed from godly zeal. The word "strife" comes from eritheia, which in classical Greek referred to weaving for hire, and by extension, to partisan ambition, rivalry, or contention for office. In the New Testament, it consistently carries the negative connotation of selfish ambition or factionalism, emphasizing a self-serving drive that undermines unity and peace.

Practical Application

James 3:14 calls believers to profound self-examination. Are our motives pure, or are we driven by hidden envy, rivalry, or selfish ambition? This verse challenges us to:

  • Examine Our Hearts: Honestly assess the true condition of our inner lives. Are we harboring resentments or competitive desires that contradict the love and humility of Christ?
  • Pursue Authentic Faith: True Christian wisdom is demonstrated by good conduct and humility, not by outward claims that mask inner corruption. We are called to live with integrity, where our actions and attitudes align with the truth we profess.
  • Seek Heavenly Wisdom: This verse serves as a stark contrast to the pure, peaceable, gentle, and merciful wisdom described just a few verses later in James 3:17. It urges us to reject the fleeting, destructive "wisdom" of the world and instead cultivate the divine wisdom that brings righteousness and peace.
Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • James 3:16

    For where envying and strife [is], there [is] confusion and every evil work.

  • 1 Corinthians 13:4

    ¶ Charity suffereth long, [and] is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

  • Philippians 2:3

    [Let] nothing [be done] through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

  • 1 Corinthians 3:3

    For ye are yet carnal: for whereas [there is] among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

  • Romans 13:13

    Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.

  • 2 Corinthians 12:20

    For I fear, lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I would, and [that] I shall be found unto you such as ye would not: lest [there be] debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults:

  • 1 Peter 2:1

    ¶ Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,
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