James 1:21

James 1:21 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
• New International Version (NIV)Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

Context of James 1:21

19Know this, my dear brothers and sisters: let every person be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger— 20for human anger doesn’t produce the righteousness of God. So put away all moral filth and excess of evil and receive with humility the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. 22But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deluding yourselves. 23For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror—

James 1:21 word by word

διὸ ἀποθέμενοι πᾶσαν ῥυπαρίαν καὶ περισσείαν κακίας ἐν πραΰτητι δέξασθε τὸν ἔμφυτον λόγον τὸν δυνάμενον σῶσαι τὰς ψυχὰς ὑμῶν.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Whereforeδιόdio · thereforeG1352
• lay apartἀποτίθημιapotithēmi · to put asideG659
• allπᾶςpas · allG3956
• filthinessῥυπαρίαrhuparia · filthG4507
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• superfluityπερισσείαperisseia · excessG4050
• of naughtinessκακίαkakia · evilG2549
• and receiveδέχομαιdechomai · to receiveG1209
• withἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• meeknessπραΰτηςprautēs · gentlenessG4240
• the engraftedἔμφυτοςemphutos · implanted/ingraftedG1721
• wordλόγοςlogos · wordG3056
• is ableδύναμαιdunamai · be ableG1410
• to saveσῴζωsōzō · to saveG4982
• yourσύsu · youG4771
• soulsψυχήpsuchē · soulG5590

Cross-references for James 1:21

• Isaiah 2:20In that day a man will cast away his idols of silver and his idols of gold, which they made to worship, to the moles and to the bats!
• Isaiah 30:22You will defile your graven images overlaid with silver, and your metal images covered with gold. You will throw them away like a menstrual cloth. You will say, “Be gone!”
• Ezekiel 18:31Cast off from you all your transgressions that you have committed. Make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, house of Israel?
• Romans 13:12The night is almost gone and the day is near, so let us put off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.
• Ephesians 4:22With respect to your former lifestyle, you are to lay aside the old self corrupted by its deceitful desires,
• Colossians 3:5Therefore, put to death what is earthly in you—sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desire, and greed—for that is idolatry.
• Hebrews 12:1Therefore, since we have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also get rid of every weight and entangling sin. Let us run with endurance the race set before us,
• 1 Peter 2:1So get rid of all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all lashon ha-ra .
• James 4:8Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded!
• Ezekiel 36:25Then I will sprinkle clean water on you and you will be clean from all your uncleanness and from all your idols.
• 2 Corinthians 7:1Therefore, since we have these promises, loved ones, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of body and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
• Ephesians 5:4Obscene, coarse, and stupid talk are also out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.
• Psalms 25:9He guides the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble His way.
• Isaiah 29:19The meek will add to their joy in Adonai, and the needy of humanity will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
• Isaiah 61:1The Ruach Adonai Elohim is on me, because Adonai has anointed me to proclaim Good News to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound,
• Zephaniah 2:3Seek Adonai, all you humble of the land who have executed His judgment. Seek righteousness; seek meekness! Perhaps you will be hidden on the day of Adonai’s wrath.

Commentaries on James 1:21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21All filthiness - ̔ . This word signifies any impurity that cleaves to the body; but applied to the mind, it implies all impure and unholy affections, such as those spoken of James 1:15, which pollute the soul; in this sense it is used by the best Greek writers. Superfluity of naughtiness - · The overflowing of wickedness. Perhaps there is an allusion here to the part cut off in circumcision, which was the emblem of impure desire; and to lessen that…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21Wherefore - In view of the fact that God has begotten us for his own service; in view of the fact that excited feeling tends only to wrong, let us lay aside all that is evil, and submit ourselves wholly to the influence of truth. Lay apart all filthiness - The word here rendered filthiness, occurs nowhere else in the New Testament, It means properly filth; and then is applied to evil conduct considered as disgusting or offensive. Sin may be contemplated…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 19-21Verses 19-21 Instead of blaming God under our trials, let us open our ears and hearts to learn what he teaches by them. And if men would govern their tongues, they must govern their passions. The worst thing we can bring to any dispute, is anger. Here is an exhortation to lay apart, and to cast off as a filthy garment, all sinful practices. This must reach to sins of thought and affection, as well as of speech and practice; to every thing corrupt and…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 21get rid (literally putting off) of all moral filth (compare Ephesians 4:22; 1 Peter 2:1). the word planted in you, which can save your souls: James emphasizes that Christians should respond to a word God has placed within us. This fulfills Jeremiah 31:31–34. The sould refers to the whole person (also in James 5:20; see Genesis 2:7; 1 Peter 3:20).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2121. lay apart--"once for all" (so the Greek): as a filthy garment. Compare Joshua's filthy garments, Zec 3:3, 5; Re 7:14. "Filthiness" is cleansed away by hearing the word (Joh 15:3). superfluity of naughtiness--excess (for instance, the intemperate spirit implied in "wrath," Jas 1:19, 20), which arises from malice (our natural, evil disposition towards one another). 1Pe 2:1 has the very same words in the Greek. So "malice" is the translation, Ep 4:31…Read the comment

Topics related to James 1:21

• Commandments
• Gospel
• Holiness
• Malice
• Meekness
• Salvation
• Word of God

In the dictionaries

• Entice
• Fade
• Lack
• Lay
• Liberally
• Lust
• Pure
• Receive
• Religion
• Swift

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