James 1:27 (DBY)

Passage

Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

Nearby Context

James 1:25 But *he* that fixes his view on [the] perfect law, that of liberty, and abides in [it], being not a forgetful hearer but a doer of [the] work, *he* shall be blessed in his doing.

James 1:26 If any one think himself to be religious, not bridling his tongue, but deceiving his heart, this man's religion is vain.

James 1:27 Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "world", "pure", "undefiled", "religion", "before", "father", "visit", and "orphans". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "world" and "pure", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The prior verse says "If any one think himself to be...", giving immediate footing for "world" and "pure". In James context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "world" and "pure" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.