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Jam 4:1. Πόθεν, whence?) James hints, that many persons often seek the causes of contentions, though they are evident.-πόλεμοι καὶ μάχαι, wars and fightings) opposed to “peace;” on which he treats in ch. 3. Fighting is the active carrying on of war. There follows shortly afterwards in Jam 4:2, ye fight and war. An inverted Chiasmus. Καὶ μάχαι ἐν ὑμῖν, but the Alexandrian MS. in the lesser Oxf. edit., ἐν ὑμῖν, καὶ πόθεν μάχαν for Mill, as usual, does not notice the order of the words. Πόθεν is also inserted before μάχαι in L. and N. 1. There may be something remarkable in this variety.[46]-ἐντεῦθεν, hence) The reference is to pleasures (ἡδονῶν), of which mention is expressly made immediately (comp. Jam 4:3), and is implied in ch. 3-στρατευομένων, which war) The same word occurs, 1Pe 2:11.-μέλεσιν, in the members) The body is the first seat of war: thence there follows the war of man with man, of king with king, of nation with nation.
[46] ABC support the second πόθεν, as do also Memph. and later Syr. But Rec. Text omits it with Vulg. BC Vulg. place ἐν ὑμῖν after μάχαι. But A before καὶ πόθεν.-E.