James 1:21

James 1:21 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
• New International Version (NIV)Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

Context of James 1:21

19Understand this, my beloved brothers and sisters. Let everyone be quick to hear [be a careful, thoughtful listener], slow to speak [a speaker of carefully chosen words and], slow to anger [patient, reflective, forgiving]; 20for the [resentful, deep-seated] anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God [that standard of behavior which He requires from us]. So get rid of all uncleanness and all that remains of wickedness, and with a humble spirit receive the word [of God] which is implanted [actually rooted in your heart], which is able to save your souls. 22But prove yourselves doers of the word [actively and continually obeying God’s precepts], and not merely listeners [who hear the word but fail to internalize its meaning], deluding yourselves [by unsound reasoning contrary to the truth]. 23For if anyone only listens to the word without obeying it, he is like a man who looks very carefully at his natural face in a mirror;

James 1:21 word by word

διὸ ἀποθέμενοι πᾶσαν ῥυπαρίαν καὶ περισσείαν κακίας ἐν πραΰτητι δέξασθε τὸν ἔμφυτον λόγον τὸν δυνάμενον σῶσαι τὰς ψυχὰς ὑμῶν.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Whereforeδιόdio · thereforeG1352
• lay apartἀποτίθημιapotithēmi · to put asideG659
• allπᾶςpas · allG3956
• filthinessῥυπαρίαrhuparia · filthG4507
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• superfluityπερισσείαperisseia · excessG4050
• of naughtinessκακίαkakia · evilG2549
• and receiveδέχομαιdechomai · to receiveG1209
• withἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• meeknessπραΰτηςprautēs · gentlenessG4240
• the engraftedἔμφυτοςemphutos · implanted/ingraftedG1721
• wordλόγοςlogos · wordG3056
• is ableδύναμαιdunamai · be ableG1410
• to saveσῴζωsōzō · to saveG4982
• yourσύsu · youG4771
• soulsψυχήpsuchē · soulG5590

Cross-references for James 1:21

• Isaiah 2:20In that day men will throw away to the moles and to the bats Their idols of silver and their idols of gold, Which they made for themselves [as objects] to worship,
• Isaiah 30:22And you will defile your carved images overlaid with silver, and your cast images plated with gold. You will scatter them like a bloodstained cloth, and will say to them, “Be gone!”
• Ezekiel 18:31Cast away from you all your transgressions which you have committed [against Me], and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! For why should you die, O house of Israel?
• Romans 13:12The night [this present evil age] is almost gone and the day [of Christ’s return] is almost here. So let us fling away the works of darkness and put on the [full] armor of light.
• Ephesians 4:22that, regarding your previous way of life, you put off your old self [completely discard your former nature], which is being corrupted through deceitful desires,
• Colossians 3:5So put to death and deprive of power the evil longings of your earthly body [with its sensual, self-centered instincts] immorality, impurity, sinful passion, evil desire, and greed, which is [a kind of] idolatry [because it replaces your devotion to God].
• Hebrews 12:1Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who by faith have testified to the truth of God’s absolute faithfulness], stripping off every unnecessary weight and the sin which so easily and cleverly entangles us, let us run with endurance and active persistence the race that is set before us,
• 1 Peter 2:1So put aside every trace of malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander and hateful speech;
• James 4:8Come close to God [with a contrite heart] and He will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; and purify your [unfaithful] hearts, you double-minded [people].
• Ezekiel 36:25Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your uncleanness and from all your idols.
• 2 Corinthians 7:1Therefore, since we have these [great and wonderful] promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, completing holiness [living a consecrated life—a life set apart for God’s purpose] in the fear of God.
• Ephesians 5:4Let there be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse [obscene or vulgar] joking, because such things are not appropriate [for believers]; but instead speak of your thankfulness [to God].
• Psalms 25:9He leads the humble in justice, And He teaches the humble His way.
• Isaiah 29:19The afflicted also will increase their joy in the Lord, And the needy of mankind will rejoice and celebrate in the Holy One of Israel.
• Isaiah 61:1The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, Because the Lord has anointed and commissioned me To bring good news to the humble and afflicted; He has sent me to bind up [the wounds of] the brokenhearted, To proclaim release [from confinement and condemnation] to the [physical and spiritual] captives And freedom to prisoners,
• Zephaniah 2:3Seek the Lord [search diligently for Him and regard Him as the foremost necessity of your life], All you humble of the land Who have practiced His ordinances and have kept His commandments; Seek righteousness, seek humility [regard them as vital]. Perhaps you will be hidden [and pardoned and rescued] In the day of the Lord’s anger.

Commentaries on James 1:21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21All filthiness - ̔ . This word signifies any impurity that cleaves to the body; but applied to the mind, it implies all impure and unholy affections, such as those spoken of James 1:15, which pollute the soul; in this sense it is used by the best Greek writers. Superfluity of naughtiness - · The overflowing of wickedness. Perhaps there is an allusion here to the part cut off in circumcision, which was the emblem of impure desire; and to lessen that…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21Wherefore - In view of the fact that God has begotten us for his own service; in view of the fact that excited feeling tends only to wrong, let us lay aside all that is evil, and submit ourselves wholly to the influence of truth. Lay apart all filthiness - The word here rendered filthiness, occurs nowhere else in the New Testament, It means properly filth; and then is applied to evil conduct considered as disgusting or offensive. Sin may be contemplated…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 19-21Verses 19-21 Instead of blaming God under our trials, let us open our ears and hearts to learn what he teaches by them. And if men would govern their tongues, they must govern their passions. The worst thing we can bring to any dispute, is anger. Here is an exhortation to lay apart, and to cast off as a filthy garment, all sinful practices. This must reach to sins of thought and affection, as well as of speech and practice; to every thing corrupt and…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 21get rid (literally putting off) of all moral filth (compare Ephesians 4:22; 1 Peter 2:1). the word planted in you, which can save your souls: James emphasizes that Christians should respond to a word God has placed within us. This fulfills Jeremiah 31:31–34. The sould refers to the whole person (also in James 5:20; see Genesis 2:7; 1 Peter 3:20).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2121. lay apart--"once for all" (so the Greek): as a filthy garment. Compare Joshua's filthy garments, Zec 3:3, 5; Re 7:14. "Filthiness" is cleansed away by hearing the word (Joh 15:3). superfluity of naughtiness--excess (for instance, the intemperate spirit implied in "wrath," Jas 1:19, 20), which arises from malice (our natural, evil disposition towards one another). 1Pe 2:1 has the very same words in the Greek. So "malice" is the translation, Ep 4:31…Read the comment

Topics related to James 1:21

• Commandments
• Gospel
• Holiness
• Malice
• Meekness
• Salvation
• Word of God

In the dictionaries

• Entice
• Fade
• Lack
• Lay
• Liberally
• Lust
• Pure
• Receive
• Religion
• Swift

Commentaries on James 1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings