New King James Version
James 1:27
27Pure 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.
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 Living Translation (NLT)Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.
Context of James 1:27
25But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. 26If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. 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.
Read all of James 1James 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 that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.
- Psalms 119:1Blessed are the undefiled in the way, Who walk in the law of the Lord!
- Matthew 5:8Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.
- Luke 1:6And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
- 1 Timothy 1:5Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith,
- 1 Timothy 5:4But if any widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show piety at home and to repay their parents; for this is good and acceptable before God.
- Job 29:12Because I delivered the poor who cried out, The fatherless and the one who had no helper.
- Job 31:15Did not He who made me in the womb make them? Did not the same One fashion us in the womb?
- Psalms 68:5A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, Is God in His holy habitation.
- Isaiah 1:16“Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil,
- Isaiah 58:6“Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke?
- Matthew 25:34Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
- Galatians 5:6For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.
- Galatians 6:9And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
- 1 John 3:17But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?
- James 4:4Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself 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
In the dictionaries
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries