In the realm of biblical wisdom, the phrase “Cleanliness Is Next to Godliness” holds a special place.
While often attributed to the Bible, this popular saying finds its roots in the King James Version (KJV) of the Holy Scriptures.
As we explore its context and implications, we’ll uncover valuable insights into the connection between cleanliness and godliness as seen through the lens of the KJV Bible.
Cleanliness Is Next To Godliness Bible Verse Kjv
1. Exodus 19:10-11
“And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes and be ready by the third day, because on that day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.'”
2. Leviticus 11:44
“For I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, for I am holy.”
3. 2 Corinthians 7:1
“Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.”
4. Psalm 51:10
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”
5. James 4:8
“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”
6. 1 Corinthians 3:16
“Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?”
7. 1 John 1:7
“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.”
8. Ephesians 5:26
“That he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word.”
9. Proverbs 20:9
“Who can say, ‘I have kept my heart pure; I am clean and without sin’?”
10. Matthew 23:26
“Blind Pharisee! First, clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.”
Understanding the Biblical Perspective on Cleanliness
11. Leviticus 11:45
“For I am the Lord who brought you up out of the land of Egypt to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.”
12. 2 Timothy 2:21
“Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.”
13. Hebrews 10:22
“Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.”
14. 1 Peter 1:15-16
“But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.'”
15. Psalm 24:3-4
“Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully.”
16. Isaiah 1:16
“Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil.”
17. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”
18. 2 Corinthians 6:17
“Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you.”
19. Psalm 51:2
“Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!”
20. Ephesians 4:22-24
“Put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”
Exploring the KJV Bible Verse on Cleanliness and Godliness
21. 2 Corinthians 7:1 (KJV)
“Having, therefore, these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”
22. Psalm 119:9 (KJV)
“Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word.”
23. 1 Timothy 5:22 (KJV)
“Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men’s sins: keep thyself pure.”
24. James 4:8 (KJV)
“Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double-minded.”
25. Titus 2:14 (KJV)
“Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”
26. Ezekiel 36:25 (KJV)
“Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.”
27. 1 Peter 2:9 (KJV)
“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”
28. Hebrews 9:14 (KJV)
“How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”
29. Matthew 5:8 (KJV)
“Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.”
30. Revelation 22:14 (KJV)
“Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life and may enter in through the gates into the city.”
Practical Applications of Cleanliness in a Spiritual Context
31. Proverbs 4:23
“Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.”
32. 1 Thessalonians 4:7
“For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness.”
33. Colossians 3:5
“Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”
34. 1 Corinthians 10:31
“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
35. Romans 12:1
“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”
36. Psalm 119:11
“I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”
37. Galatians 5:22-23
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”
38. Philippians 4:8
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”
39. James 1:27
“Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.”
40. 1 Peter 3:3-4
“Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.”
Historical Significance of the Cleanliness and Godliness Connection
41. Leviticus 15:31
“Thus you shall keep the people of Israel separate from their uncleanness, lest they die in their uncleanness by defiling my tabernacle that is in their midst.”
42. Numbers 19:19
“And the clean person shall sprinkle it on the unclean on the third day and on the seventh day. Thus on the seventh day, he shall cleanse him, and he shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water, and at evening he shall be clean.”
43. Mark 7:1-4
“Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem, they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands, holding to the tradition of the elders).”
44. Acts 10:14-15
“But Peter said, ‘By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.’ And the voice came to him again a second time, ‘What God has made clean, do not call common.'”
45. Hebrews 9:13-14
“For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.”
46. Matthew 8:2-3
“And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, ‘Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.’ And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, ‘I will; be clean.’ And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.”
47. Luke 11:39-40
“And the Lord said to him, ‘Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. You fools! Did not he who made the outside make the inside also?'”
48. Leviticus 11:24-25
“And by these you shall become unclean. Whoever touches their carcass shall be unclean until the evening, and whoever carries any part of their carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening.”
49. Luke 5:12
“While he was in one of the cities, there came a man full of leprosy. And when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, ‘Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.'”
50. 2 Kings 5:10-11
“And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, ‘Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean.’ But Naaman was angry and went away, saying, ‘Behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call upon the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper.'”
Comparing Different Bible Versions of the ‘Cleanliness Is Next to Godliness’ Verse
51. 2 Corinthians 7:1 (KJV)
“Having, therefore, these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”
52. 2 Corinthians 7:1 (NIV)
“Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.”
53. 2 Corinthians 7:1 (ESV)
“Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.”
54. 2 Corinthians 7:1 (NASB)
“Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”
55. 2 Corinthians 7:1 (NLT)
“Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God.”
56. 2 Corinthians 7:1 (CSB)
“Therefore, dear friends, since we have such promises, let us cleanse ourselves from every impurity of the flesh and spirit, completing our sanctification in the fear of God.”
57. 2 Corinthians 7:1 (NKJV)
“Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”
58. 2 Corinthians 7:1 (NRSV)
“Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and of spirit, making holiness perfect in the fear of God.”
59. 2 Corinthians 7:1 (MSG)
“With promises like this to pull us on, dear friends, let’s make a clean break with everything that defiles or distracts us, both within and without.”
60. 2 Corinthians 7:1 (AMP)
“Therefore, since these [great] promises are ours, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, completing holiness [living a consecrated life—a life set apart for God’s purpose] in the fear of God.”
Lessons on Holiness and Purity from the KJV Scripture:
61. Psalm 24:3-4 (KJV)
“Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.”
62. Hebrews 12:14 (KJV)
“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.”
63. 1 Peter 1:16 (KJV)
“Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.”
64. James 1:27 (KJV)
“Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.”
65. Ephesians 5:25-27 (KJV)
“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.”
Conclusion
The KJV Bible verse “Cleanliness Is Next to Godliness” serves as a profound reminder of the spiritual importance of maintaining purity and holiness in our lives.
While the exact phrase may not appear in the scriptures, the underlying message resonates deeply with believers. Through our exploration, we’ve gained a deeper understanding of the biblical perspective on cleanliness and godliness, discovering that the pursuit of a clean heart and a pure spirit is integral to our faith.
Let the principles of this verse guide our actions, so that we may, indeed, embody the truth that “Cleanliness Is Next to Godliness” in the eyes of God and in the hearts of those around us.
