en_tn_condensed/jas/04/01.md

# General Information:

In this chapter, the words "yourselves," "your," and "you" are plural and refer to the believers to whom James writes. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-you]])

# Connecting Statement:

James rebukes these believers for their worldliness and their lack of humility. He again urges them to watch how they speak to and about each other.

# Where do quarrels and disputes among you come from?

The abstract nouns "quarrels" and "disputes" mean basically the same thing and can be translated with verbs. Alternate translation: "Why do you quarrel and dispute among yourselves?" or "Why do you fight among yourselves?" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-doublet]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-abstractnouns]])

# Do they not come from your desires that fight among your members?

James uses this question to rebuke his audience. This can be translated as a statement. Alternate translation: "They come from your evil desires for things, desires that fight among your members." or "You quarrel and have disputes because of your desires that fight among your members." (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-rquestion]])

# Do they not come from your desires that fight among your members

James writes of the tension or conflict that people feel because of their different desires as if those desires were fighting. Alternate translation: "Do they not come because of the conflict you feel because of your different desires? " or "You quarrel and argue because of the tension caused by your different desires." (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-personification]])

# your desires that fight among your members

Possible meanings are 1) "members" refers to the parts of a person: his body, feelings, and thoughts. Each person wants more than one thing, but he cannot have them all. Alternate translation: "your conflicting desires within you" 2) "members" refers to the individual people in the church. Different members want different things. Alternate translation: "the conflicting desires among you all"