SEV Biblia, Chapter 4:8
Allegaos a Dios, y l se allegar a vosotros. Pecadores, limpiad las manos; y vosotros los de doble nimo, purificad los corazones.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - James 4:8
Verse 8. Draw nigh to God] Approach HIM, in the name of Jesus, by faith and prayer, and he will draw nigh to you - he will meet you at your coming. When a soul sets out to seek God, God sets out to meet that soul; so that while we are drawing near to him, he is drawing near to us. The delicacy and beauty of these expressions are, I think, but seldom noted. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners] This I think to be the beginning of a new address, and to different persons; and should have formed the commencement of a new verse. Let your whole conduct be changed; cease to do evil learn to do well. Washing or cleansing the hands was a token of innocence and purity.
Purify your hearts] Separate yourselves from the world, and consecrate yourselves to God: this is the true notion of sanctification. We have often seen that to sanctify signifies to separate a thing or person from profane or common use, and consecrate it or him to God. This is the true notion of dq kadash, in Hebrew, and agiazw in Greek. The person or thing thus consecrated or separated is considered to be holy, and to be God's property; and then God hallows it to himself. There are, therefore, two things implied in a man's sanctification: 1. That he separates himself from evil ways and evil companions, and devotes himself to God. 2. That God separates guilt from his conscience, and sin from his soul, and thus makes him internally and externally holy.
This double sanctification is well expressed in Sohar, Levit. fol. 33, col.
132, on the words, be ye holy, for I the Lord am holy: yyqm hfmlm wmx[ dqm sra hl[mlm wtwa , a man sanctifies himself on the earth, and then he is sanctified from heaven. As a man is a sinner, he must have his hands cleansed from wicked works; as he is double-minded, he must have his heart sanctified. Sanctification belongs to the heart, because of pollution of mind; cleansing belongs to the hands, because of sinful acts. See the note on chap. i. 8, for the signification of double- minded.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 8. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you , etc.] This must be understood consistently with the perfection of God's immensity and omnipresence: the saints draw nigh to God when they present their bodies in his sanctuary; when they tread in his courts, and attend his ordinances; where they always find it good for them to draw nigh unto him; and blessed is the man that approaches to him in faith and fear: they draw nigh to him when they come to the throne of his grace, for grace and mercy to help them; when they draw near to him in prayer with true hearts, and lift them up with their hands to God; when in the exercise of faith and hope they enter within the vail, and come up even to his seat; and lay hold on him as their covenant God and Father; and he draws nigh to them by granting them his gracious presence, by communicating his love to them, by applying the blessings of his grace, by helping them in times of need and distress, and by protecting them from their enemies; the contrary to which is expressed by standing afar off from them. Now this is not to be understood as if men could first draw nigh to God, before he draws nigh to them; for as God first loves, so he first moves; he takes the first step, and, in conversion, turns and draws men to himself; though this does not respect first conversion, but after acts in consequence of it; nor is it to be considered as a condition of the grace and favour of God, in drawing nigh to his people, but is expressive of what is their duty, and an encouragement to it: cleanse [your] hands, ye sinners, and purify [your] hearts, ye double minded ; the persons addressed are not the profane men of the world, but sinners in Zion, formal professors, hypocritical persons; who speak with a double tongue to men, and who draw nigh to God with their mouths, but not with their hearts; who halt between two opinions, and are unstable in all their ways: cleansing of their hands and hearts denotes the purity of outward conversation, and of the inward affections; and supposes impurity both of flesh and spirit, that the body and all its members, the soul and all its powers and faculties, are unclean; and yet not that men have a power to cleanse themselves, either from the filth of an external conversation, or from inward pollution of the heart; though a man attempts the one, he fails in it; and who can say he has done the other? ( Job 9:30,31 Proverbs 20:9). This is not to be done by ceremonial ablutions, moral services, or evangelical ordinances; this is God's work only, as appears from his promises to cleanse his people from their sins, by sprinkling clean water upon them; from the end of Christ's shedding his blood, and the efficacy of it; and from the prayers of the saints, that God would wash them thoroughly from their iniquity, and cleanse them from their sin, and create clean hearts in them: and yet such exhortations are not in vain, since they may be useful to convince men of their pollution, who are pure in their own eyes, as these hypocritical, nominal professors, might be; and to bring them to a sense of their inability to cleanse themselves, and of the necessity of being cleansed elsewhere; and to lead them to inquire after the proper means of cleansing, and so to the fountain of Christ's blood, which only cleanses from all sin.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-10 - Since all wars and fightings come from the corruptions of our ow hearts, it is right to mortify those lusts that war in the members Wordly and fleshly lusts are distempers, which will not allow conten or satisfaction. Sinful desires and affections stop prayer, and the working of our desires toward God. And let us beware that we do no abuse or misuse the mercies received, by the disposition of the hear when prayers are granted When men ask of God prosperity, they often as with wrong aims and intentions. If we thus seek the things of thi world, it is just in God to deny them. Unbelieving and cold desires be denials; and we may be sure that when prayers are rather the languag of lusts than of graces, they will return empty. Here is a decide warning to avoid all criminal friendships with this world Worldly-mindedness is enmity to God. An enemy may be reconciled, but "enmity" never can be reconciled. A man may have a large portion in things of this life, and yet be kept in the love of God; but he wh sets his heart upon the world, who will conform to it rather than los its friendship, is an enemy to God. So that any one who resolves at all events to be upon friendly terms with the world, must be the enemy of God. Did then the Jews, or the loose professors of Christianity, thin the Scripture spake in vain against this worldly-mindedness? or doe the Holy Spirit who dwells in all Christians, or the new nature whic he creates, produce such fruit? Natural corruption shows itself by envying. The spirit of the world teaches us to lay up, or lay out for ourselves, according to our own fancies; God the Holy Spirit teaches u to be willing to do good to all about us, as we are able. The grace of God will correct and cure the spirit by nature in us; and where he gives grace, he gives another spirit than that of the world. The prou resist God: in their understanding they resist the truths of God; in their will they resist the laws of God; in their passions they resis the providence of God; therefore, no wonder that God resists the proud How wretched the state of those who make God their enemy! God will giv more grace to the humble, because they see their need of it, pray for it are thankful for it, and such shall have it. Submit to God, very #(7). Submit your understanding to the truth of God; submit your will to the will of his precept, the will of his providence. Submi yourselves to God, for he is ready to do you good. If we yield to temptations, the devil will continually follow us; but if we put on the whole armour of God, and stand out against him, he will leave us. Le sinners then submit to God, and seek his grace and favour; resistin the devil. All sin must be wept over; here, in godly sorrow, or hereafter, in eternal misery. And the Lord will not refuse to comfor one who really mourns for sin, or to exalt one who humbles himsel before him.
Greek Textus Receptus
εγγισατε 1448 5657 τω 3588 θεω 2316 και 2532 εγγιει 1448 5692 υμιν 5213 καθαρισατε 2511 5657 χειρας 5495 αμαρτωλοι 268 και 2532 αγνισατε 48 5657 καρδιας 2588 διψυχοι 1374
Vincent's NT Word Studies
8. Purify (agnisate). One of the three instances in the New Testament in which the word is not used of ceremonial purification. The others are 1 Peter i. 22; 1 John iii. 3.
Double minded (diyucoi). Compare ch. i. 8.
