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

25However, the person who continues to study God’s perfect laws that make people free and who remains committed to them will be blessed. People like that don’t merely listen and forget; they actually do what God’s laws say. 26If a person thinks that he is religious but can’t control his tongue, he is fooling himself. That person’s religion is worthless. Pure, unstained religion, according to God our Father, is to take care of orphans and widows when they suffer and to remain uncorrupted by this 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 3:17However, the wisdom that comes from above is first of all pure. Then it is peaceful, gentle, obedient, filled with mercy and good deeds, impartial, and sincere.
• Psalms 119:1Blessed are those whose lives have integrity, those who follow the teachings of the Lord.
• Matthew 5:8Blessed are those whose thoughts are pure. They will see God.
• Luke 1:6Zechariah and Elizabeth had God’s approval. They followed all the Lord’s commands and regulations perfectly.
• 1 Timothy 1:5My goal in giving you this order is for love to flow from a pure heart, from a clear conscience, and from a sincere faith.
• 1 Timothy 5:4The children or grandchildren of a widow must first learn to respect their own family by repaying their parents. This is pleasing in God’s sight.
• Job 29:12because I rescued the poor who called ⌞for help⌟ and the orphans who had no one to help them.
• Job 31:15Didn’t he who made me in my mother’s belly make them? Didn’t the same God form us in the womb?
• Psalms 68:5The God who is in his holy dwelling place is the father of the fatherless and the defender of widows.
• Isaiah 1:16“Wash yourselves! Become clean! Get your evil deeds out of my sight. Stop doing evil.
• Isaiah 58:6This is the kind of fasting I have chosen: Loosen the chains of wickedness, untie the straps of the yoke, let the oppressed go free, and break every yoke.
• Matthew 25:34“Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, my Father has blessed you! Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world.
• Galatians 5:6As far as our relationship to Christ Jesus is concerned, it doesn’t matter whether we are circumcised or not. But what matters is a faith that expresses itself through love.
• Galatians 6:9We can’t allow ourselves to get tired of living the right way. Certainly, each of us will receive ⌞everlasting life⌟ at the proper time, if we don’t give up.
• 1 John 3:17Now, suppose a person has enough to live on and notices another believer in need. How can God’s love be in that person if he doesn’t bother to help the other believer?
• James 4:4You unfaithful people! Don’t you know that love for this ⌞evil⌟ world is hatred toward God? Whoever wants to be a friend of this world is an 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