James 4:4 - Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Ye adulterers and adulteresses Who have broken your faith with God, your rightful spouse. Thus many understand these expressions, because God himself represented his relation to the Jews as his people under the idea of a marriage, and because the prophets, in conformity to that idea, represented the idolatry of the Jews as adultery. But inasmuch as gross idolatry was a sin from which the Jews had long been entirely free, and whereas to adultery, and other sins of the flesh, they were exceedingly addicted, it seems more probable that these appellations are to be understood literally. Know ye not that the friendship of the world The desire of the flesh, the desire of the eye, and the pride of life, yielded to, to gain the favour of carnal and worldly men; or a conformity to such in their sinful courses, in order to gain their friendship; is enmity with God Is an evident proof thereof? see Matthew 6:24; Matthew 12:30. Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world Makes it his business to comply with and gratify worldly men, thereby constitutes himself an enemy of God And takes part with his adversaries.