James 4:8

James 4:8 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
• New International Version (NIV)Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
• New Living Translation (NLT)Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.

Context of James 4:8

6But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." 7Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

James 4:8 word by word

ἐγγίσατε τῷ θεῷ καὶ ἐγγιεῖ ὑμῖν. καθαρίσατε χεῖρας, ἁμαρτωλοί, καὶ ἁγνίσατε καρδίας, δίψυχοι.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Draw nighἐγγίζωeggizō · to come nearG1448
• to Godὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• to Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• to youσύsu · youG4771
• Cleanseκαθαρίζωkatharizō · to cleanG2511
• handsχείρcheir · handG5495
• sinnersἁμαρτωλόςhamartōlos · sinfulG268
• purifyἁγνίζωhagnizō · to purifyG48
• heartsκαρδίαkardia · heartG2588
• double mindedδίψυχοςdipsuchos · double-mindedG1374

Cross-references for James 4:8

• Genesis 18:23Then Abraham drew near and said, "Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked?
• 1 Chronicles 28:9"And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve him with a whole heart and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will cast you off forever.
• 2 Chronicles 15:2and he went out to meet Asa and said to him, "Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: The Lord is with you while you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.
• Psalms 73:28But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.
• Psalms 145:18The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.
• Isaiah 29:13And the Lord said: "Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men,
• Isaiah 55:6"Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near;
• Hosea 6:1"Come, let us return to the Lord; for he has torn us, that he may heal us; he has struck us down, and he will bind us up.
• Zechariah 1:3Therefore say to them, Thus declares the Lord of hosts: Return to me, says the Lord of hosts, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts.
• Malachi 3:7From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. But you say, 'How shall we return?'
• Hebrews 7:19(for the law made nothing perfect); but on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.
• Hebrews 10:22let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
• Job 9:30If I wash myself with snow and cleanse my hands with lye,
• Job 16:17although there is no violence in my hands, and my prayer is pure.
• Job 17:9Yet the righteous holds to his way, and he who has clean hands grows stronger and stronger.
• Psalms 18:20The Lord dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me.

Commentaries on James 4:8

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8Draw nigh to God - Approach Him, in the name of Jesus, by faith and prayer, and he will draw nigh to you - he will meet you at your coming. When a soul sets out to seek God, God sets out to meet that soul; so that while we are drawing near to him, he is drawing near to us. The delicacy and beauty of these expressions are, I think, but seldom noted. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners - This I think to be the beginning of a new address, and to different…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you - Compare 2 Chronicles 15:2. This declaration contains a great and important principle in religion. If we wish the favor of God, we must come to him; nor can we hope for his mercy, unless we approach him and ask him for it. We cannot come literally any nearer to God than we always are, for he is always round about us; but we may come nearer in a spiritual sense. We may address him directly in prayer; we may…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8Draw near to God: This means building a friendship (2:23) and being loyal (1:6–8). cleanse your hands … purify your hearts: The applies the biblical idea of ceremonial cleansing to purifying your intentions (compare Mark 7:1–23).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 88. Draw nigh to God--So "cleave unto Him," De 30:20, namely, by prayerfully (Jas 4:2, 3) "resisting Satan," who would oppose our access to God. he will draw nigh--propitious. Cleanse ... hands--the outward instruments of action. None but the clean-handed can ascend into the hill of the Lord (justified through Christ, who alone was perfectly so, and as such "ascended" thither). purify ... hearts--literally "make chaste" of your spiritual adultery (Jas 4:4…Read the comment

Topics related to James 4:8

• Ablution
• Character
• Commandments
• God
• God Continued...
• Heart
• Hypocrisy
• Instability
• Prayer
• Purity
• Repentance
• Righteous
• Seekers

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Adulterer
• Amiss
• Consume
• Enmity
• Flee
• Hence
• Lust
• Resist

Commentaries on James 4

• 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
• 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