James 3

James · Chapter 3

James 3:12

1My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.2For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.3Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.4Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.5Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!6And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.7For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:8But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.9Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.10Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.11Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?12Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.13Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.14But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.15This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.16For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.17But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.18And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
12Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.My brothers, can a fig tree grow olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.can a fig tree, my brethren, yield olives, or a vine figs? neither can salt water yield sweet.

In context

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James 3:1-12Taming the tongue

About James 3"Be not many masters," James warns, for teachers "shall receive the greater condemnation," and anyone who does not offend "in word" is "a perfect man." The tongue is like a bit or a helm, small but steering much: "the tongue is a fire," which "can no man tame," and "Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing." True wisdom is shown by good conduct "with meekness," and "the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits." James 3:1James 3:2James 3:3James 3:4James 3:6James 3:8James 3:10James 3:13James 3:17James overview

Who, where and when in this chapter

Original Greek words

EnglishGreekSay itStrong'sMeaning
Surely notμὴmēG3361
not

μή (mē) μή, subjective negative particle, used where the negation depends on a condition or hypothesis, expressed or understood, as distinct from οὐ, which denies absolutely. μή is used where one thinks a thing is not, as distinct from an absolute negation. As a general rule, οὐ negatives the indic, μή the other moods, incl, ptcp. [In LXX for אֵין ,אַיִן ,אַל ] I. As a neg. adv., not; 1. with ref. to thought or opinion: Jhn.3:18, Tit.1:11, 2Pe.1:9. 2. In delib. questions, with subjc. (M, Pr., 185): Mrk.12:14, Rom.3:8. …

is able,δύναται,dunataiG1410
be able

δύναμαι (dunamai) δύναμαι, depon., [in LXX chiefly for יָכֹל ;] to be able, have power, whether by personal ability, permission, or opportunity: with inf. (M, Pr., 205; WM, §44, 3) pres., Mat.6:24, Mrk.2:7, Jhn.3:2, 1Co.10:21, al.; with inf. aor., Mat.3:9, Mrk.1:45, Jhn.3:3, 4 Rom.8:39, al.; with accusative, to be able to do something: Mrk.9:22, Luk.12:26; 2Co.13:8; absol., to be able, capable, powerful: 1Co.3:2 10:13. (AS)

brothersἀδελφοίadelphoiG0080
brother

ἀδελφός (adelphos) ἀδελφός, -οῦ, ὁ (ἀ- copul., δελφύς, womb), in cl., a brother, born of the same parent or parents. [In LXX (Hort, Ja., 102f.), for אָח ;] 1. lit. of a brother (Gen.4:2, al.). 2. Of a neighbour (Lev.19:17). 3. Of a member of the same nation (Exo.2:14, Deu.15:3). In NT in each of these senses (1. Mat.1:2, al.; 2. Mat.7:3; 3. Rom.9:3) and also, …

of mine,μου,mouG3165
me

μέ (me) 1. apostrophe for με. 2. rarely for μοι, (Homer) (ML)

a fig treeσυκῆsukēG4808
fig tree

συκῆ (sukē) συκῆ (contr. fr. συκέα), -ῆς, ἡ (σῦκον), [in LXX for תְּאֵן ;] a fig-tree: Mat.21:19-21 24:32, Mrk.11:13, 20-21 13:28, Luk.13:6-7 21:29, Jhn.1:49, 51, Jas.3:12, Rev.6:13.† (AS)

olivesἐλαίαςelaiasG1636
olive tree

ἐλαία (elaia) ἐλαία (Attic, ἐλάα), -ας, ἡ [in LXX for זַיִת ;] 1. an olive tree: Rom.11:17, 24, Rev.11:4; τ. ὄρος τῶν ἐ. (זַיִת הַר, Zec.14:4), the Mount of Olives: Mat.21:1 24:3 26:30, Mrk.11:1 13:3 14:26, Luk.19:37 22:39; τὸ καλούμενον ἐ. (T, ἐλαιών, which see), Luk.19:29 21:37. 2. an olive (Aristoph.): Jas.3:12.† (AS)

to produceποιῆσαιpoiēsaiG4160G
to do/make: do

ποιέω (poieō) ποιέω, -ῶ, [in LXX for a great variety of words, but chiefly for עשׂה ;] 1. to make, produce, create, cause: with accusative of thing(s), Mat.17:4, Mrk.9:5, Jhn.9:11, Act.9:39, Rom.9:20, al.; of God as Creator (with accusative of person(s) also), Mat.19:4, Mrk.10:6, Luk.11:40, Act.4:24, Heb.1:2, al.; like Heb. עשׂה, absol. = ἐργάζομαι, to work, Mat.20:12 (cf. Rut.2:19; so AV, but see infr.), Rev.13:5, R, mg. (but see infr.); σκάνδαλα, Rom.16:17; εἰρεήνην, Eph.2:15, Jas.3:18; ἐπίστασιν, Act.24:12; συστροφήν, Act.23:12; with accusative of thing(s) and dative of person(s), Luk.1:68, Act.15:3; w …

OrἢēG2228
or

ἤ (ē) ἤ, disjunctive and comparative particle (Bl., §36, 12; 77, 11); 1. disjunctive, or; (a) between single words: Mat.5:17 Mrk.6:56, Luk.2:24, Jhn.6:19, Rom.1:21, al.; (b) before a sentence expressing a variation, denial or refutation of a previous statement, frequently in interrog. form: Mat.7:4, 9 Mrk.12:14, Luk.13:4, Rom.3:29 6:3 9:21, 1Co.6:9, 16 9:6, 2Co.11:7; ἤ . . . ἤ, either . . . or, Mat.6:24, Luk.16:13, 1Co.14:6; …

a vineἄμπελοςampelosG0288
vine

ἄμπελος (ampelos) ἄμπελος, -ου, ἡ [in LXX for גֶּפֶן ;] vine: Mat.26:29, Mrk.14:25, Luk.22:18 Jas.3:12; figuratively, of Christ, Jhn.15:1, 4-5; of his enemies (on the usage here, see MM, VGT, see word): Rev.14:18-19.† (AS)

figs?σῦκα;sukaG4810
fig

σῦκον (sukon) σῦκον, -ου, τό [in LXX for תְּאֵן ] a fig: Mat.7:16, Mrk.11:13, Luk.6:44 Jas.3:12.† (AS)

thusοὕτωςhoutōsG3779
thus(-ly)

οὕτως (ohutō, ohutōs) οὕτως, rarely (Bl., §5, 4; WH, App., 146f.) οὕτω, adv. (οὗτος), [in LXX chiefly for כֵּן ;] in this way, so, thus; 1. referring to what precedes: Mat.5:16 6:30, Mrk.10:43 14:59, Luk.1:25 2:48 15:7, Jhn.3:8, Rom.1:15, 1Co.8:12, al.; οὕτως καί, Mat.17:12, Mrk.13:29, al.; pleonastically, resuming a ptcp. (cl.; see Bl., §74, 6), Act.20:11 27:17. 2. Referring to what follows: Mat.1:18 6:9, Luk.19:31, Jhn.21:1, 1Pe.2:15; bef. quotations from OT, Mat.2:5, Act.7:6, 1Co.15:45, Heb.4:4. 3. C. adj. (marking intensity): Heb.12:21, Rev.16:18; similarly with adv., Gal.1:6 (cl.). …

NorοὔτεouteG3777
neither

οὔτε (oute) οὔτε negative particle, related to μήτε as οὐ to μή, and not, neither, nor: οὐδεὶς . . . οὔτε, Rev.5:4; οὐδὲ . . . οὔτε, Gal.1:12; οὔτε . . . καί, Jhn.4:11; after a question with μή interrog., Jas.3:12; οὔτε . . . οὔτε, neither . . . nor, Mat.6:20, Mrk.12:25, Jhn.4:21, Act.15:10, Rom.8:38-39, Gal.5:6, al (AS)

springπηγὴpēgēG4077
flow

πηγή (pēgē) πηγή, -ῆς, ἡ [in LXX chiefly for עַיִן, also for מָקוֹר, etc. ;] a spring, fountain : Jas.3:11, 2Pe.2:17; τ. δάτων, Rev.8:10 14:7 16:4; of a well fed by a spring, Jhn.4:6; π. τοῦ αἵματος, of a flow of blood, Mrk.5:29; metaphorically, Jhn.4:14, Rev.7:17 21:6.† (AS)

of saltἁλυκὸνhalukonG0252
salty

ἁλυκός (halukos) ἁλυκός, -ή, -όν (ἅλς), [in LXX for מְלַח, שִׂדִּים ;] salt: Jas.3:12.† (AS)

andκαὶkaiG2532
and

καί (kai) καί, conj., and I. Copulative. 1. Connecting single words; (a) in general: Mat.2:18, 16:1, Mrk.2:15, Luk.8:15, Heb.1:1, al. mult.; repeated before each of the terms in a series, Mat.23:23, Luk.14:21, Rom.7:12, 9:4, al. (b) connecting numerals (WM, §37, 4): Jhn.2:20, Act.13:20; (with) joining terms which are not mutually exclusive, as the part with the whole: Mat.8:33, 26:59, Mrk.16:17, Act.5:29, al. 2. Connecting clauses and sentences: Mat.3:12, Act.5:21, al. mult.; esp. …

freshγλυκὺglukuG1099
sweet

γλυκύς (glukus) γλυκύς, -εῖα, -ύ, [in LXX chiefly for מָתוֹק ;] Jas.3:11, 12; opposite to πικρόν, ἁλυκόν, Rev.10:9, 10.† (AS)

to produceποιῆσαιpoiēsaiG4160G
to do/make: do

ποιέω (poieō) ποιέω, -ῶ, [in LXX for a great variety of words, but chiefly for עשׂה ;] 1. to make, produce, create, cause: with accusative of thing(s), Mat.17:4, Mrk.9:5, Jhn.9:11, Act.9:39, Rom.9:20, al.; of God as Creator (with accusative of person(s) also), Mat.19:4, Mrk.10:6, Luk.11:40, Act.4:24, Heb.1:2, al.; like Heb. עשׂה, absol. = ἐργάζομαι, to work, Mat.20:12 (cf. Rut.2:19; so AV, but see infr.), Rev.13:5, R, mg. (but see infr.); σκάνδαλα, Rom.16:17; εἰρεήνην, Eph.2:15, Jas.3:18; ἐπίστασιν, Act.24:12; συστροφήν, Act.23:12; with accusative of thing(s) and dative of person(s), Luk.1:68, Act.15:3; w …

water.ὕδωρ.¶hudōrG5204
water

ὕδωρ (hudōr, hudatos) ὕδωρ genitive, ὕδατος, τό, [in LXX chiefly for מַיִם ;] water: Mat.3:16, Mrk.1:10, Luk.7:44, Jhn.4:7, Jas.3:12, Rev.8:10, al.; pl., Mat.14:28-29, Jhn.3:23, Rev.1:15, al.; βαπτίζειν (ἐν) ὕδατι, Mat.3:11, Mrk.1:8, Jhn.1:26, al.; τ. λυυτρὸν τοῦ ὕ., Eph.5:26; opposite to οἴνος, Jhn.2:9 4:46; αἷμα, Jhn.19:34, Heb.9:19, 1Jn.5:6 Jn 5:8 Mat.17:15 Mrk.9:22; πνεῦμα, Jhn.1:26, 31 1:33; πνεῦμα καὶ πῦρ, Mat.3:11, Luk.3:16;ἐξ ὕ. κ. πνεύματος γεννηθῆναι, Jhn.3:5; metaphorically, of divine truth and grace (τ.) ὕ. (τ.) ζῶν, Jhn.4:10-11 (cf. Jhn.4:13-15); τ. ὕ. τ. ζωῆς, of spiritual refresh­ment, Rev.21:6 2 …

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.