Charles Ellicott Commentary James 1:5

"But if any of you lacketh wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all liberally and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." — James 1:5 (ASV)

If any of you lack wisdom.—The Apostle moves on to the thought of heavenly wisdom; not the knowledge of the deep things of God, but that which is able to make us wise for our latter end (Proverbs 19:20). Few may be able, except in self-conceit, to say with Isaiah (Isaiah 50:4), The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned; and, on the other hand, the wisest and most gifted of men may truly be lacking in the wisdom descending from above.

Let him ask of God.—But whoever, learned or unlearned, feels in his heart the need of the knowledge of God, since to know Him is eternal life (John 17:3), let him ask for it in all purity of intention, simply, that is, for His honour and service, and it shall be given him.

That giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not.—“Liberally” should perhaps be changed to simply—that is, God gives fully and directly, and does not reproach (or “upbraid”) the utterance of such a prayer, in no way detracting from the graciousness of His gifts. How wide the difference from any generosity of man! “Yea,” wrote Dante, in exile at Verona,

“. . . you shall learn how salt his food, who fares
Upon another’s bread—how steep his path,
Who treads up and down another’s stairs.”

The fool, said the wise son of Sirach, giveth little, and upbraideth much . . ., and is hated of God and man .