1:21a
Therefore: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Therefore introduces a command. Based on the principle that he had just mentioned (1:20), James commanded his hearers to do two things:
(a) renounce their wickedness, and
(b) accept the word of God.
Another way to translate this word is:
So (New Living Translation (2004 Revision))
get rid of all moral filth: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as get rid of here means “remove” or “separate yourself from.”
Some other ways to translate this phrase are:
put away all filth (NET Bible)
-or-
remove everything that causes you to be morally dirty
-or-
You must stop doing anything immoral (Contemporary English Version)
all moral filth: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as moral filth refers to dirtiness or pollution. Here it is used figuratively to refer to moral uncleanness or wickedness.
Some other ways to translate this phrase are:
every evil thing (New Century Version)
-or-
everything that is bad
1:21b
every expression of evil: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as expression of evil is literally “wickedness” (as in the Revised Standard Version). This is a second thing that James wanted his readers to get rid of. It means approximately the same as “moral filth” in 1:21a. For a suggestion on how to combine 1:21a–b, see the General Comment on 1:21a–b following this note.
The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as every expression means “abundance,” “enormous quantity,” or “extreme amount” (of evil).
Some other ways to translate this phrase are:
the enormous amount of wicked things that you do
-or-
the evil things that you do so frequently
-or-
all the wicked things you do (God’s Word)
General Comment on 1:21a–b
Verse 1:21a and 1:21b say the same thing with different words. In some languages, it will be more natural to combine the two parts. For example:
So stop doing all kinds of evil things that remain in your lives.
1:21c
In some languages, it may be natural to start a new sentence here. For example:
Instead, be humble and accept the message (Contemporary English Version)
humbly: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as humbly refers to being submissive and willing to learn. It is the opposite of being proud and angry.
In some languages, it may be natural to translate this word as a verb or verb phrase. For example:
be humble (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
humble yourselves
accept: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as accept means “welcome” or “receive.” In this context it refers to paying attention to the gospel and obeying it. Some ways to translate this word are:
receive
-or-
honor
-or-
obey
the word planted in you: The phrase the word planted in you is a metaphor. In this metaphor, preaching the word of God is compared to planting seed in the soil. One way that they are similar is that both activities put/insert something (word – seed) into something else (our hearts – soil). When the word/gospel was preached, it was planted or “put” in our hearts.
Some ways to translate this metaphor are:
• Keep the metaphor. For example:
the word that he plants in your hearts (Good News Translation)
• Translate the meaning without using the metaphor. For example:
the word that God has placed in you (God’s Word)
-or-
the message that God has caused you to know
-or-
the gospel that you heard and know
the word: The phrase the word refers to the gospel.
Some other ways to translate this phrase are:
the message (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
the good news
This phrase also occurs in 1:18a.
planted: The verb planted is passive. There are at least two ways to translate it:
• Use a passive verb. For example:
the message that is planted in you (Contemporary English Version)
• Use an active verb. For example:
the word God has planted in your hearts (New Living Translation (2004 Revision))
-or-
the word that God has placed in you (God’s Word)
1:21d
which can save your souls: The word which refers back to the word/message in 1:21c. This message is able to save us in the sense that it tells us about Jesus who can save us.
In some languages, it would be better to translate this as a clause beginning with “and” rather than which. For example:
the Word which has been planted in you and can save your souls (New Jerusalem Bible)
save: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as save means “to rescue from danger or trouble.” In this context, it refers to rescuing someone from the spiritual dangers of sin and from death. Spiritual death is the punishment that results from sinning.
In some languages, it may be necessary to make explicit what the person was saved from. For example:
which can save you from the results of sin.
-or-
which can rescue you from punishment for sin.
your souls: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as your souls refers to the whole person. That is why many versions translate it simply as you.
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All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible. BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.