James 4:8

James 4:8

Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

a. NLT: Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. [Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.]

b. NIV: Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. [THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by Permission of Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide.]

c. Amplified Bible: Come close to God and He will come close to you. [Recognize that you are] sinners, get your soiled hands clean; [realize that you have been disloyal] wavering individuals with divided interests, and purify your hearts [of your spiritual adultery]. [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

d. Peshitta Eastern Text: [HOLY BIBLE FROM THE ANCIENT EASTERN TEXT. Copyright  Ⓒ 1933 by A.J. Holmon Co.; copyright  Ⓒ renewed 1968 by A.J. Holmon Co.; All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. HarperCollins Publishers, 195 Broadway, New York, NY 10007.]

1. “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you…”

a. Draw nigh [Strong: 1448 engízō, eng-id'-zo; from G1451; to make near, i.e. (reflexively) approach:—approach, be at hand, come (draw) near, be (come, draw) nigh.]

b. [Strong: 3588. [tō] ὁ ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.] [Thayer: [tō] ὁ, ἡ, τό, originally τος, τῇ, τό (as is evident from the forms τοι, ται for οἱ, αἱ in Homer and the Ionic writings), corresponds to our definite article the (German der, die, das), which is properly a demonstrative pronoun, which we see in its full force in Homer, and of which we find certain indubitable traces also in all kinds of Greek prose, and hence also in the N. T.] [Additional variants: tē, hoi, oi, tēn, ta, tēs, tois, tais, tō, tōn, tou, Hē, hé  hē, hai, tas.]

c. [to] God [Strong: theós, theh'-os; of uncertain affinity; a deity, especially (with G3588) the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very:—X exceeding, God, god(-ly, -ward).]

c. and [Strong: 2532  kaí, kahee; apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:—and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]

d. [he will] draw nigh [Strong: 1448 engízō, eng-id'-zo; from G1451; to make near, i.e. (reflexively) approach:—approach, be at hand, come (draw) near, be (come, draw) nigh.]

e. [to] you [Strong: 5213 humin, hoo-min'; irregular dative case of G5210; to (with or by) you:—ye, you, your(-selves).]

1). Each of the Old Testaments verses below echo the same desire of the Lord toward his people that he wants to be near us to fellowship with us 

a). 2 Chronicles 15:1, 2 And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded:

15:2 And he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The Lord is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.

b). Zechariah 1:3, 4  Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the Lord of hosts.

1:4 Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have cried, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the Lord.

c). Jeremiah 29:12, 13 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.

29:13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

2. “…Cleanse your hands, ye sinners…”

a. Cleanse [Strong: 2511 katharízō, kath-ar-id'-zo; from G2513; to cleanse (literally or figuratively):—(make) clean(-se), purge, purify.]

b. [your] hands [Strong: 5495 cheír, khire; perhaps from the base of G5494 in the sense of its congener the base of G5490 (through the idea of hollowness for grasping); the hand (literally or figuratively (power); especially (by Hebraism) a means or instrument):—hand.]

1). The cleansing of the hands is not only literal but also figurative, encompassing everything we are involved in.

a). Psalm 90:17  And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.

c. [ye] sinners [Strong: 268 hamartōlós, ham-ar-to-los'; from G264; sinful, i.e. a sinner:—sinful, sinner.]

3. “…and purify your hearts, ye double minded.”

a. and [Strong: 2532  kaí, kahee; apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:—and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]

b. purify [Strong: 48 hagnízō, hag-nid'-zo; from G53; to make clean, i.e. (figuratively) sanctify (ceremonially or morally):—purify (self).]

c. [your] hearts [Strong: 2588 kardía, kar-dee'-ah; prolonged from a primary κάρ kár (Latin cor, "heart"); the heart, i.e. (figuratively) the thoughts or feelings (mind); also (by analogy) the middle:—(+ broken-)heart(-ed).]

d. [ye] double minded [Strong: 1374 dípsychos, dip'-soo-khos; from G1364 and G5590; two-spirited, i.e. vacillating (in opinion or purpose):—double minded.] [Zodhiates: double minded, doubtful.]  dipsychos; dis-twice; psuche-soul, mind]

1). Earlier in his epistle James gives his definition of double mindedness.

a). James 1:5-8  If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.

8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

2). Double mindedness contradicts what Jesus said should be a part of our heart and mindset in prayer.

a). Mark 11:24  Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

3). According to James, to be double minded or of a doubtful heart is to be impure, and to that ad the testimony of the writer of Hebrews.

a). Hebrews 10:22 Let 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.

4). The Spirit of God inspired the Apostle John to write that those who desire to partake in the blessed hope will on a regular basis purify themselves.

a). 1 John 3:2, 3  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

3:3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.