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.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse 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.

Context of James 4:8

6But he giveth more grace. Therefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth 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, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. 9Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. 10Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

James 4:8 word by word

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

• nearἐγγίζωeggizō · to come nearG1448
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• youὑμῖνhumin · to youG5213
• Cleanseκαθαρίζωkatharizō · to cleanG2511
• handsχείρcheir · handG5495
• sinnersἁμαρτωλόςhamartōlos · sinfulG268
• purifyἁγνίζωhagnizō · to purifyG48
• heartsκαρδίαkardia · heartG2588
• mindedδίψυχοςdipsuchos · double-mindedG1374

Cross-references for James 4:8

• Genesis 18:23And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?
• 1 Chronicles 28:9And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou shalt seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou shalt forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.
• 2 Chronicles 15:2And he went out to meet Asa, and said to him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The LORD is with you, while ye are with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.
• Psalms 73:28But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works.
• Psalms 145:18The LORD is near to all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.
• Isaiah 29:13Therefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:
• Isaiah 55:6Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
• Hosea 6:1Come, and let us return to the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.
• Zechariah 1:3Therefore say thou to them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye to me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will turn to you, saith the LORD of hosts.
• Malachi 3:7Even from the days of your fathers ye have gone away from my ordinances, and have not kept them . Return to me, and I will return to you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, How shall we return?
• Hebrews 7:19For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did ; by which we draw near to God.
• Hebrews 10:22Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
• Job 9:30If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands never so clean;
• Job 16:17Not for anyinjustice in my hands: also my prayer is pure.
• Job 17:9The righteous also shall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger.
• Psalms 18:20The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed 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