James 1:27

James 1:27 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
• New International Version (NIV)Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

Context of James 1:27

25But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer who works — this person will be blessed in what he does. 26If anyone thinks he is religious without controlling his tongue, his religion is useless and he deceives himself. Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

James 1:27 word by word

θρησκεία καθαρὰ καὶ ἀμίαντος παρὰ τῷ θεῷ καὶ πατρὶ αὕτη ἐστίν, ἐπισκέπτεσθαι ὀρφανοὺς καὶ χήρας ἐν τῇ θλίψει αὐτῶν, ἄσπιλον ἑαυτὸν τηρεῖν ἀπὸ τοῦ κόσμου.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Pureκαθαρόςkatharos · cleanG2513
• religionθρησκείαthrēskeia · religionG2356
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• undefiledἀμίαντοςamiantos · pureG283
• beforeπαράpara · from/with/besideG3844
• Godὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• the Fatherπατήρpatēr · fatherG3962
• isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• To visitἐπισκέπτομαιepiskeptomai · to visit/care forG1980
• the fatherlessὀρφανόςorphanos · orphanG3737
• widowsχήραchēra · widowG5503
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• theirαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• afflictionθλῖψιςthlipsis · pressureG2347
• to keepτηρέωtēreō · to keep: protectG5083
• himselfἑαυτοῦheautou · themselfG1438
• unspottedἄσπιλοςaspilos · spotlessG784
• fromἀπόapo · away fromG575
• the worldκόσμοςkosmos · worldG2889

Cross-references for James 1:27

• James 3:17But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without pretense.
• Psalms 119:1How happy are those whose way is blameless, who walk according to the Lord’s instruction!
• Matthew 5:8Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
• Luke 1:6Both were righteous in God’s sight, living without blame according to all the commands and requirements of the Lord.
• 1 Timothy 1:5Now the goal of our instruction is love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith.
• 1 Timothy 5:4But if any widow has children or grandchildren, let them learn to practice godliness toward their own family first and to repay their parents, for this pleases God.
• Job 29:12For I rescued the poor who cried out for help, and the fatherless child who had no one to support him.
• Job 31:15Did not the one who made me in the womb also make them? Did not the same God form us both in the womb?
• Psalms 68:5God in his holy dwelling is a father of the fatherless and a champion of widows.
• Isaiah 1:16“Wash yourselves. Cleanse yourselves. Remove your evil deeds from my sight. Stop doing evil.
• Isaiah 58:6Isn’t this the fast I choose: To break the chains of wickedness, to untie the ropes of the yoke, to set the oppressed free, and to tear off every yoke?
• Matthew 25:34Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
• Galatians 5:6For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision accomplishes anything; what matters is faith working through love.
• Galatians 6:9Let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up.
• 1 John 3:17If anyone has this world’s goods and sees a fellow believer in need but withholds compassion from him — how does God’s love reside in him?
• James 4:4You adulterous people! Don’t you know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? So whoever wants to be the friend of the world becomes the enemy of God.

Commentaries on James 1:27

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 27Pure religion, and undefiled - Having seen something of the etymology of the word , which we translate religion, it will be well to consider the etymology of the word religion itself. In the 28th chapter of the 4th book of his Divine Instructions, Lactantius, who flourished about a.d. 300, treats of hope, true religion, and superstition; of the two latter he gives Cicero's definition from his book De Natura Deorum, lib. ii. c. 28, which with his own…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 27Pure religion - On the word here rendered “religion” ( ́ thrēskeia), see the notes at Colossians 2:18. It is used here evidently in the sense of piety, or as we commonly employ the word religion. The object of the apostle is to describe what enters essentially into religion; what it will do when it is properly and fairly developed. The phrase “pure religion” means that which is genuine and sincere, or which is free from any improper mixture. And…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 26-27Verses 26-27 When men take more pains to seem religious than really to be so, it is a sign their religion is in vain. The not bridling the tongue, readiness to speak of the faults of others, or to lessen their wisdom and piety, are signs of a vain religion. The man who has a slandering tongue, cannot have a truly humble, gracious heart. False religious may be known by their impurity and uncharitableness. True religion teaches us to do every thing as in…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 26-27bridle his tongue: James uses this image to show that controlling your tongue reflects the condition of your heart and direction of life (compare 3:1–13). orphans and widows were the most vulnerable people in ancient society. They relied on others for support because the husband and father provided economic help and social connections (Exodus 22:22–24; Deuteronomy 10:18). God calls Christians to especially care for those who are helpless (compare 1…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 26-2726-27. An example of doing work. religious ... religion--The Greek expresses the external service or exercise of religion, "godliness" being the internal soul of it. "If any man think himself to be (so the Greek) religious, that is, observant of the offices of religion, let him know these consist not so much in outward observances, as in such acts of mercy and humble piety (Mi 6:7, 8) as visiting the fatherless, &c., and keeping one's self unspotted from…Read the comment

Topics related to James 1:27

• Afflictions and Adversities
• Doer
• God
• Holiness
• Love
• Orphan
• Poor
• Religion
• Righteousness
• Sick, the
• Sympathy
• Works

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Entice
• Fade
• Lack
• Lay
• Liberally
• Lust
• Orphans
• Pure

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