SEV Biblia, Chapter 4:14
y no sabis lo que ser maana. Porque ¿qu es vuestra vida? Ciertamente es un vapor que se aparece por un poco de tiempo, y despus se desvanece.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - James 4:14
Verse 14. Whereas ye know not] This verse should be read in a parenthesis. It is not only impious, but grossly absurd, to speak thus concerning futurity, when ye know not what a day may bring forth. Life is utterly precarious; and God has not put it within the power of all the creatures he has made to command one moment of what is future. It is even a vapour] atmiv gar estin? It is a smoke, always fleeting, uncertain, evanescent, and obscured with various trials and afflictions. This is a frequent metaphor with the Hebrews; see Psa. cii. 11; My days are like a shadow: Job viii. 9; Our days upon earth are a shadow: 1 Chron. xxix. 15; Our days on the earth are a shadow, and there is no abiding. Quid tam circumcisum, tam breve, quam hominis vita longissima? Plin. l. iii., Ep.
7. "What is so circumscribed, or so short, as the longest life of man?"All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field.
The grass withereth, and the flower fadeth, because the breath of the Lord bloweth upon it. Surely the people is like grass." St. James had produced the same figure, chap. i. 10, 11. But there is a very remarkable saying in the book of Ecclesiasticus, which should be quoted: "As of the green leaves of a thick tree, some fall and some grow; so is the generation of flesh and blood: one cometh to an end, and another is born." Ecclus. xiv. 18.
We find precisely the same image in Homer as that quoted above. Did the apocryphal writer borrow it from the Greek poet? oih per fullwn geneh, toihde kai andrwn? fulla ta men t anemov camadiv ceei, alla de q ulh thleqowsa fuei, esrov d epigignetai wrh? wv andrwn geneh, men fuei, h d apolhgei.
Il. l. vi., ver. 146.
Like leaves on trees the race of man is found, Now green in youth, now withering on the ground Another race the following spring supplies; They fall successive, and successive rise.
So generations in their course decay; So flourish these, when those are pass'd away. POPE.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 14. Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow , etc.] Whether there would be a morrow for them or not, whether they should live till tomorrow; and if they should, they knew not what a morrow would bring forth, or what things would happen, which might prevent their intended journey and success: no man can secure a day, an hour, a moment, and much less a year of continuance in this life; nor can he foresee what will befall him today or tomorrow; therefore it is great stupidity to determine on this, and the other, without the leave of God, in whom he lives, moves, and has his being; and by whose providence all events are governed and directed; (see Proverbs 27:1) for what is your life ? of what kind and nature is it? what assurance can be had of the continuance of it? by what may it be expressed? or to what may it be compared? it is even a vapour that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away ; which rises out of the earth, or water, and expires almost as soon as it exists; at least, continues but a very short time, and is very weak and fleeting, and carried about here and there, and soon returns from whence it came: the allusion is to the breath of man, which is in his nostrils, and who is not to be accounted of, or depended on.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 11-17 - Our lips must be governed by the law of kindness, as well as truth an justice. Christians are brethren. And to break God's commands, is to speak evil of them, and to judge them, as if they laid too great restraint upon us. We have the law of God, which is a rule to all; le us not presume to set up our own notions and opinions as a rule to those about us, and let us be careful that we be not condemned of the Lord. "God to now," is a call to any one to consider his conduct a being wrong. How apt worldly and contriving men are to leave God out of their plans! How vain it is to look for any thing good without God' blessing and guidance! The frailty, shortness, and uncertainty of life ought to check the vanity and presumptuous confidence of all project for futurity. We can fix the hour and minute of the sun's rising an setting to-morrow, but we cannot fix the certain time of a vapour being scattered. So short, unreal, and fading is human life, and all the prosperity or enjoyment that attends it; though bliss or woe for eve must be according to our conduct during this fleeting moment. We ar always to depend on the will of God. Our times are not in our ow hands, but at the disposal of God. Our heads may be filled with care and contrivances for ourselves, or our families, or our friends; but Providence often throws our plans into confusion. All we design, an all we do, should be with submissive dependence on God. It is foolish and it is hurtful, to boast of worldly things and aspiring projects; it will bring great disappointment, and will prove destruction in the end Omissions are sins which will be brought into judgment, as well a commissions. He that does not the good he knows should be done, as wel as he who does the evil he knows should not be done, will be condemned Oh that we were as careful not to omit prayer, and not to neglect to meditate and examine our consciences, as we are not to commit gros outward vices against light __________________________________________________________________
Greek Textus Receptus
οιτινες 3748 ουκ 3756 επιστασθε 1987 5736 το 3588 της 3588 αυριον 839 ποια 4169 γαρ 1063 η 3588 ζωη 2222 υμων 5216 ατμις 822 γαρ 1063 εστιν 2076 5748 η 3588 προς 4314 ολιγον 3641 φαινομενη 5316 5730 επειτα 1899 δε 1161 αφανιζομενη 853 5746
Vincent's NT Word Studies
14. Whereas ye know not (oitinev ouk epistasqe). The pronoun marking a class, as being of those who know not.What shall be on the morrow (to thv aurion). Lit., the thing of the morrow. The texts vary. Westcott and Hort read, Ye know not what your life shalt be on the morrow, for ye are a vapor: thus throwing out the question.
What is your life? (poia). Lit., of what kind or nature.
It is even a vapor (atmiv gar estin). But all the best texts read ejste, ye are. So Rev., which, however, retains the question, what is your life?
Appeareth - vanisheth. Both participles, appearing, vanishing.
And then (epeita kai). The kai placed after the adverb then is not copulative, but expresses that the vapor vanishes even as it appeared.
