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 peers into the perfect law of liberty and fixes his attention there, and does not become a forgetful listener but one who lives it out – he will be blessed in what he does. 26If someone thinks he is religious yet does not bridle his tongue, and so deceives his heart, his religion is futile. Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their misfortune and to keep oneself unstained by 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 peaceable, gentle, accommodating, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and not hypocritical.
• Psalms 119:1How blessed are those whose actions are blameless, who obey the law of the Lord.
• Matthew 5:8“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
• Luke 1:6They were both righteous in the sight of God, following all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly.
• 1 Timothy 1:5But the aim of our instruction is love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith.
• 1 Timothy 5:4But if a widow has children or grandchildren, they should first learn to fulfill their duty toward their own household and so repay their parents what is owed them. For this is what pleases God.
• Job 29:12for I rescued the poor who cried out for help, and the orphan who had no one to assist him;
• Job 31:15Did not the one who made me in the womb make them? Did not the same one form us in the womb?
• Psalms 68:5He is a father to the fatherless and an advocate for widows. God rules from his holy palace.
• Isaiah 1:16Wash! Cleanse yourselves! Remove your sinful deeds from my sight. Stop sinning!
• Isaiah 58:6No, this is the kind of fast I want. I want you to remove the sinful chains, to tear away the ropes of the burdensome yoke, to set free the oppressed, and to break every burdensome 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 carries any weight – the only thing that matters is faith working through love.
• Galatians 6:9So we must not grow weary in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not give up.
• 1 John 3:17But whoever has the world’s possessions and sees his fellow Christian in need and shuts off his compassion against him, how can the love of God reside in such a person?
• James 4:4Adulterers, do you not know that friendship with the world means hostility toward God? So whoever decides to be the world’s friend makes himself God’s enemy.

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