James 1:21

James 1:21 . Wherefore — Because wrath is such a hinderance to true religion, and you are regenerated; lay apart — As you would a dirty garment; all filthiness — Every kind of sin which is of a defiling nature. The word ρυπαρια , here used, signifies filthiness adhering to the body. When, as here, applied to the mind, it denotes those lusts and appetites, and other sins which defile the soul, particularly those which are gratified by gluttony, drunkenness, and uncleanness; vices to which many Jews, pretending to be teachers, were addicted; and superfluity of naughtiness — Κακιας , maliciousness, or wickedness of any sort; for however specious and necessary it may appear to worldly wisdom, it is vile, hateful, contemptible, and really superfluous: every reasonable end may be effectually answered without any kind or degree of it. Lay this, every known sin, aside by the grace of God, or all your hearing is vain; and receive — Into your ears, your heart, your life; with meekness — Constant evenness and serenity of mind, or with an humble, submissive frame of spirit; the ingrafted word — The word of the gospel, ingrafted in penitent, believing souls by regeneration, ( James 1:18 ,) and by habit, ( Hebrews 5:14 ,) through the influence of God’s Spirit attending the ministry of your teachers, 1 Corinthians 3:5-6 . Which is able to save your souls — As a means appointed by God for that end, and when received by faith, Hebrews 4:2 .

Filthiness (ῥυπαρίαν) Only here in New Testament, but James uses the kindred adjective (James 2:2), "vile raiment." Ῥύπος, filth, occurs in 1 Peter 3:21 - on which see notes; and the verb ῥυπόω, to be filthy, is found in Revelation 22:11. Superfluity of naughtiness (περισσείαν κακίας) A translation which may be commended to the attention of indiscriminate panegyrists of the A. V. Περισσεία is an unclassical word, and occurs in three other New-Testament passages - Romans 5:17; 2 Corinthians 8:2; 2 Corinthians 10:15. In all these it is rendered abundance, both by A. V. and Rev. There seems to be no need of departing from this meaning here, as Rev., overjoying. The sense is abounding or abundant wickedness. For haughtiness Rev. gives wickedness, as in 1 Peter 2:1, 1 Peter 2:16, where it changes malice to wickedness. It is mostly rendered malice in both A. V. and Rev. In this passage, as in the two from Peter, Rev. gives malice, in margin. Malice is an adequate translation, the word denoting a malevolent disposition toward one's neighbor. Hence it is not a general term for moral evil, but a special form of vice. Compare the wrath of man, James 1:20. Naughtiness has acquired a petty sense in popular usage, as of the mischievous pranks of children, which renders it out of the question here. With meekness (ἐν πραΰ́τητι) Lit., "in meekness;" opposed to malice. Engrafted (ἔμφυτον) Only here in New Testament. Better, and more literally, as Rev., implanted.

It marks a characteristic of the word of truth (James 1:18). It is implanted; divinely given, in contrast with something acquired by study. Compare Matthew 13:19, "the word of the kingdom - sown in his heart." Grafted or graffed is expressed by a peculiar word, employed by Paul only, ἐγκεντρίζω, from κέντρον, a sharp point, thus emphasizing the fact of the incision required in grafting. See Romans 11:17, Romans 11:19, Romans 11:23, Romans 11:24. Which is able to save (τὸν δυνάμενον σῶσαι) Compare Romans 1:16, "the power of God unto salvation."

Jam 1:21 . Ἀποθέμενοι πᾶσαν ῥυπαρίαν , laying aside all filthiness ) A metaphor from a garment; ch. Jam 2:2 . Ῥυπαρία , defilement , which is cleansed away by hearing the word: John 15:3 .— τερισσείαν κακίας ) abundance, excess, which is usually faulty , especially in speaking ( Matthew 5:37 ). [In thoughts, words, gestures, and works, excess is not without fault.—V. g.] Κακία does not mean malice or craftiness ; but badness or vice (faultiness), as opposed to virtue; and the genitive κακίας has here the force of an epithet [ faulty excess; not as Engl. Vers.]— ἐν πραΰτητι , with meekness ) This is opposed to wrath , and is shown in all things. Comp. 1 Peter 2:1-2 . Anger and sudden impetuosity of mind is a hindrance to hearing: therefore meekness is required.— δέξασθε , receive ) with your mind, with your ears, and in action. [Act the part of ready hearers.—V. g.]— τὸν ἔμφυτον , engrafted ) by regeneration, Jam 1:18 , and by habit [ which you have acquired from your earliest years .—V. g.], Hebrews 5:14 ; and also by custom derived from their ancestors, who were Israelites [ namely, the people of GOD .—V. g.], Jam 1:1 . Comp. 2 Timothy 1:5 .

It is engrafted, and therefore most intimately connected with the faithful, and nigh unto them; Romans 10:8 : therefore it is to be received with meekness.— λόγον , the word ) the Gospel: 1 Peter 1:23 , etc.— τὸν δυνάμενον , which is able ) with great efficacy.— σῶσαι , to save ) The hope of salvation nourishes meekness ; and this in turn supports that.

21. 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, 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 (Mt 5:37), with which James' Epistle is so connected. with meekness—in mildness towards one another [Alford], the opposite to "wrath" (Jas 1:20): answering to "as new-born babes" (1Pe 2:2). Meekness, I think, includes also a childlike, docile, humble, as well as an uncontentious, spirit (Ps 25:9; 45:4; Isa 66:2; Mt 5:5; 11:28-30; 18:3, 4; contrast Ro 2:8). On "receive," applied to ground receiving seed, compare Mr 4:20. Contrast Ac 17:11; 1Th 1:6 with 2Th 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 (De 6:6; 11:18; Ps 119:11). Alford translates, "The implanted word," referring to the parable of the sower (Mt 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 (Jas 5:15, 20).

Wherefore lay apart; not only restrain it, and keep it in; but put off, and throw it away as a filthy rag, Isaiah 30:22 : see Ephesians 4:22 Colossians 3:8 1 Peter 2:1 . All, of every kind. Filthiness; or, sordidness; a metaphor borrowed from the filth of the body, 1 Peter 3:21 , and thence transferred to the soul; and it here seems to imply, not only sensuality or covetousness, but all sorts of lusts, whereby men are defiled, 2 Corinthians 7:1 2 Peter 2:20 . And superfluity of naughtiness; i.e. that naughtiness which is superfluous. That is said to be superfluous or redundant, which is more than should be in a thing; in which respect all sin is superfluous in the soul, as being that which should not be in it: and so this intimates that we are not only to lay apart more gross pollutions, but all the lusts of the flesh, and relics of old Adam, as being all superfluities which may well be spared, or excrements, (as some render the word, agreeably to the former metaphor), which should be cast away. And receive; not only into your heads by knowledge, but into your hearts by faith. With meekness; with humility, modesty, and gentleness, which makes men submissive to the truth of the word, and ready to learn of God even those things which are above their natural capacity, Psalm 25:9 Isaiah 66:2 Matthew 11:5,27 : this is opposed to wrath, which makes men unteachable.

The ingrafted word; either which is ingrafted or implanted, viz. ministerially, by the preachers of the gospel, 1 Corinthians 3:6,7 ; principally by the Spirit of God, who writes it in the heart, Jeremiah 31:33 . And thus it may be taken particularly for the word of the gospel, in opposition to the law, which came to men’s ears from without, and admonished them of their duty, but was not written in their hearts, or ingrafted thereto from them unto obedience to it. Or, that it may be ingrafted, i.e. intimately united to, or rooted in, the heart by a vital union; or made natural to it, (as some render the word), the heart being transformed by the power of it, and conformed to the precepts of it, 2 Corinthians 3:18 Romans 6:17 . Which, viz. when received by faith, is able to save, instrumentally, as being the means wherein God puts forth his power in saving them, Revelation 1:16 . Your souls; yourselves; the soul, as the noblest part, is by a synecdoche put for the whole person: see 1 Peter 1:9 .

Verse 21. - With the form of expression in this verse, comp. 1 Peter 2:1 , "Putting away, therefore, all wickedness ( ἀποθέμενοι οῦν πᾶσαν κακίαν ), and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil-speakings, as new-born babes long for the spiritual milk," etc. Filthiness ( ῤυπαρὶαν ). Here only in the New Testament, never in LXX.; but the adjective ῤυπαρός is the word used of the "filthy garments" in Zechariah 3:3, 4 - a narrative which illustrates the passage before us. Karts is not vice in general, but rather that vicious nature which is bent on doing harm to others (see Lightfoot on Colossians 3:8 ). Thus the two words ῤυπαρία and κακία comprise two classes of sins - the sensual and the malignant, Engrafted ; rather, implanted. The word is only found again in Wisd. 12:10, where it signifies "inborn." St. James's teaching here is almost like a reminiscence of the parable of the sower ( Matthew 13:3 , etc.). The "implanted Word" is the gospel teaching. "The seed is the Word of God" ( Luke 8:11 ). James 1:21

(21) Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness. —So Peter ( 1Peter 3:21 ) speaks of “the filth of the flesh.” But the defilement here referred to seems general and not special, common, that is, to the whole natural man. The superabundance—the overgrowth—of evil will occupy the heart, if care be not taken to root it out; and, like the thorns in the parable of the sower ( Matthew 13:7 , et seq. ) , spring up and choke the good seed. All such a rank and poisonous crop must be gathered and laid aside, in caps may be, for some fiery trouble to consume, that out of the dead luxuriant weeds a richer soil for virtue may be made. Naughtiness (ne-aughtiness, or nothingness) was used in 1611, instead of the older and more correct translation, malice or maliciousness. The badness implied in the original is much more positive than that which appears from our present version. Receive with meekness the engrafted word.—Or, in mildness accept ye this word of truth (see James 1:18, above), engrafted, like a good olive tree, or rather implanted, in you. The term is peculiar to this place, and means “innate” in its first intention. If taken so, “the innate Word” will be Christ Himself formed within us. (Comp. Galatians 4:19.) Able to save your souls.—In like manner Paul at Miletus commends the elders of Ephesus “to God, and to the Word of His grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified” (Acts 20:32).