James 4:7–8
Submit to God, resist the devil, and draw near to God
Study it word by word7Submit then to God. And resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
8Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
In its context
5Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, With envy yearns the spirit that he made to dwell in us?
6But he gives greater grace. Therefore it says, God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.
…
9Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy into gloom.
10Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
Its words in the original
- ὑποτάγητεhypotagēte· subject, submit
Put under, subject; in the passive or middle, be subject, submit oneself, obey.
- θεῷtheōi· God, god
God. In the plural or in another sense, "gods".
- ἀντίστητεantistēte· resist, oppose
Resist, oppose, stand against.
- διαβόλῳdiabolōi· devil
Devil: "the slanderer", the one who accuses and divides; the enemy of God and of people.
- φεύξεταιpheuxetai· flee
Flee, escape.
- ἐγγίσατεengisate· come near
Come near, draw near; be at hand.
- καθαρίσατεkatharisate· cleanse, purify
To cleanse, purify; of a leper, to heal him and declare him clean.
- χεῖραςcheiras· hand
Hand.
- ἁμαρτωλοίhamartōloi· sinner
Sinner; in the Pharisees' mouth, someone who did not keep the law.
- ἁγνίσατεhagnisate· purify
Purify; purify oneself according to the law in order to take part in worship.
- καρδίαςkardias· heart
Heart: the center of the person, where one thinks, feels and decides.
- δίψυχοιdipsychoi· double-minded
Double-minded: divided between two minds, wavering.