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Selected Verse: James 1:21 - King James

Verse         Translation Text
Jas 1:21 King James Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

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A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]
lay apart--"once for all" (so the Greek): as a filthy garment. Compare Joshua's filthy garments, Zac 3:3, Zac 3:5; Rev 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," Jam 1:19-20), which arises from malice (our natural, evil disposition towards one another). Pe1 2:1 has the very same words in the Greek. So "malice" is the translation, Eph 4:31; Col 3:8. "Faulty excess" [BENGEL] is not strong enough. Superfluous excess in speaking is also reprobated as "coming of evil" (the Greek is akin to the word for "naughtiness" here) in the Sermon on the Mount (Mat 5:37), with which James' Epistle is so connected.

with meekness--in mildness towards one another [ALFORD], the opposite to "wrath" (Jam 1:20): answering to "as new-born babes" (Pe1 2:2). Meekness, I think, includes also a childlike, docile, humble, as well as an uncontentious, spirit (Psa 25:9; Psa 45:4; Isa 66:2; Mat 5:5; Mat 11:28-30; Mat 18:3-4; contrast Rom 2:8). On "receive," applied to ground receiving seed, compare Mar 4:20. Contrast Act 17:11; Th1 1:6 with Th2 2:10.

engrafted word--the Gospel word, whose proper attribute is to be engrafted by the Holy Spirit, so as to be livingly incorporated with the believer, as the fruitful shoot is with the wild natural stock on which it is engrafted. The law came to man only from without, and admonished him of his duty. The Gospel is engrafted inwardly, and so fulfils the ultimate design of the law (Deu 6:6; Deu 11:18; Psa 119:11). ALFORD translates, "The implanted word," referring to the parable of the sower (Mat. 13:1-23). I prefer English Version.

able to save--a strong incentive to correct our dulness in hearing the word: that word which we hear so carelessly, is able (instrumentally) to save us [CALVIN].

souls--your true selves, for the "body" is now liable to sickness and death: but the soul being now saved, both soul and body at last shall be so (Jam 5:15, Jam 5:20).
 
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20 Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.
15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
18 Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes.
6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
6 And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost:
11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
20 And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.
8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,
3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
2 For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.
4 And in thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousness; and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things.
9 The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.
2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
37 But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.
8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
1 Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,
19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
5 And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD stood by.
3 Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel.
15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
17 And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;
14 And king Herod heard of him; (for his name was spread abroad:) and he said, That John the Baptist was risen from the dead, and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him.
2 And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,
3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
24 For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree?
23 And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again.
19 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in.
17 And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;
19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.
18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
16 As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.
1 Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,
15 Not boasting of things without our measure, that is, of other men's labours; but having hope, when your faith is increased, that we shall be enlarged by you according to our rule abundantly,
2 How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality.
17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)
11 He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.
21 The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:
2 For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment;
14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.