A.T. Robertson Commentary James 4:5

"Or think ye that the scripture speaketh in vain? Doth the spirit which he made to dwell in us long unto envying?" — James 4:5 (ASV)

The Scripture (η γραφη). Personification as in Ga 3:8; James 2:23. But no O.T. passage is precisely like this, though it is "a poetical rendering" (Ropes) of Ex 20:5. The general thought occurs also in Ge 6:3-5; Isaiah 63:8–16, etc. Paul has the same idea also (Galatians 5:17,21; Romans 8:6,8). It is possible that the reference is really to the quotation in verse 6 from Pr 3:34 and treating all before as a parenthesis. There is no way to decide positively.

In vain (κενως). Old adverb (Aristotle) from κενως (2:20), here alone in N.T. "Emptily," not meaning what it says.

Made to dwell (κατωικισεν). First aorist active of κατοικιζω, old verb, to give a dwelling to, only here in N.T.

Long unto envying (προς φθονον επιποθε). A difficult phrase. Some even take προς φθονον with λεγε rather than with επιποθε, as it naturally does go, meaning "jealously." But even so, with God presented as a jealous lover, does το πνευμα refer to the Holy Spirit as the subject of επιποθε or to man's spirit as the object of επιποθε? Probably the former and επιποθε then means to yearn after in the good sense as in Php 1:8.