James 3:5
King James Version (1769)
Other translations
| Verse | KJV | BSB | ASV |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! | In the same way, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it boasts of great things. Consider how small a spark sets a great forest ablaze. | So the tongue also is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how much wood is kindled by how small a fire! |
In context
AI-assisted, sourcedJames 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
Original Greek words
| English | Greek | Say it | Strong's | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thus | Οὕτως | Houtōs | G3779 | 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.). … |
| also | καὶ | kai | G2532 | andκαί (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. … |
| tongue | γλῶσσα | glōssa | G1100 | tongueγλῶσσα (glōssa) γλῶσσα, -ης, ἡ, [in LXX chiefly for לָשׁוֹן ;] 1. the tongue, as the organ of speech: Mrk.7:33, 35 Luk.1:64 16:24, Act.2:26" (LXX), Rom.3:13 (LXX) 14:11 (LXX), 1Co.14:9, Php.2:11, Jas.1:26 3:5, 6 8, 1Pe.3:10" (LXX), 1Jo.3:18, Rev.16:10; of a tongue-like object, Act.2:3. … |
| a small | μικρὸν | mikron | G3398 | littleμικρόν (mikron) little, small, short, lesser little, small, in size quantity, etc. Mt. 13:32; Lk. 12:32; Rev. 3:8; small, little in age, young, not adult, Mk. 15:40; little, short in time, Jn. 7:33; μικρόν, i.e. χρόνον, a little while, a short time, Jn. 13:33; μετὰ μικρόν, after a little while, a little while afterwards, Mt. 26:73; little in number, Lk. 12:32; small, little in dignity, low, humble, Mt. 10:42; 11:11; μικρόν, as an adverb, little, a little, Mt. 26:39 |
| member | μέλος | melos | G3196 | memberμέλος (melos) μέλος, -ους, τό [in LXX chiefly for נֵתַח ;] a member, limb of the body: 1Co.12:14 12:19 12:26 Eph.4:16 (WH, mg.), Jas.3:5; pl. (as always in cl.), τὰ μ. : Mat.5:29-30, Rom.6:13, 19 7:5, 23 12:4, 1Co.12:12 ff, Col.3:5, Jas.3:6 4:1. Metaphorical, πόρνης, 1Co.6:15; of Christians, μ. ἀλλήλων, Rom.12:5, Eph.4:25; Χριστοῦ, 1Co.6:15; σώματος Χριστοῦ, 1Co.12:27, Eph.5:30.† (AS) |
| is | ἐστὶν | estin | G1510 | you areεἶ (ei) εἰμί, with various uses and significations, like the English verb to be. I. As substantive verb. 1. Of persons and things, to be, exist: Act.17:28, Jhn.1:1, 8:58, 17:5, al; ὁ ὢν καὶ ὁ ἦν (for past ptcp.), Rev.1:4, 8, 4:8, 11:17, 16:5 (see Swete, Ap., 5; M, Pr., 228); τὰ (μὴ) ὄντα, Rom.4:17, 1Co.1:28. 2. Of times, events, etc., to be, happen, take place: Mat.24:3, Mrk.14:2, 15:42, Luk.21:23, Jhn.4:6, 23, 5:10, al. … |
| and | καὶ | kai | G2532 | andκαί (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. … |
| exceeding things | μεγάλα | megala | G3173 | greatμέγας (megas) μέγας, μεγάλη, μέγα, [in LXX chiefly for גָּדוֹל, also for מַרְבֶּה ,רַב (incl. μείζων), רֹב (μέγιστος) ;] great; 1. of external form, bodily size, measure, extent: λίθος, Mat.2:60; δράκων, Rev.12:3; ἰχθῦς, Jhn.21:11; πόλις, Rev.11:8; μάχαιρα, Rev.6:4, al. 2. Of intensity and degree: δύναμις, Act.4:33; φόβος, Mrk.4:41; ἀγάπη, Jhn.15:13; ἄνεμος, 'ib. 6:18; κραυγή, Act.23:9; φῶς, Mat.4:16; πυρετός, Luk.4:38; θλίψις, Mat.24:21. 3. Of rank; … |
| it boasts. | αὐχεῖ. | auchei | G6094 | to boastαὐχέω (aucheō) αὐχέω, -ῶ, (αὔχη, boasting), to boast: with accusative (MM, see word), μεγάλα αὐχεῖ (Rec. μεγαλαυχεῖ, which see), Jas.3:5.† (AS) |
| Behold | ἰδοὺ | idou | G2400 | look!ἰδού (idou) ἰδού, [in LXX chiefly for הִנֵּה,] prop. imperat. 2 aor. mid. of ὁράω, used as a demonstrative particle, with frequency much greater in LXX and NT than in cl. (see M, Pr., 11), lo, behold, see: Mat.10:16 11:8 13:3, Mrk.3:32, Luk.2:48, 1Co.15:51, Jas.5:9, Ju 14, Rev.1:7, al.; after genitive absol., Mat.1:20 2:1, 13 12:46, al.; καὶ ἰδού, Mat.2:9 (and freq.), Luk.1:20 10:25, Act.12:7, al.; in elliptical sentences, taking the place of copula or predicate (like הִנֵּה in Heb.), Mat.3:17, Luk.5:12 22:31, 47 Act.8:27, 36 al. (AS) |
| a great | ἡλίκον | hēlikon | G2245 | how great?ἡλίκος (hēlikos) ἡλίκος, -η, -ον 1. prop., as big as, as old as. 2. As indirect interrog., what sized, what, how great, how small (the sense to be determined by the context): Col.2:1, Jas.3:5, Gal.6:11 (WH, mg.; πηλ-, WH, txt., RV).† (AS) |
| fire | πῦρ | pur | G4442 | fireπῦρ (pur) πῦρ genitive, πυρός, τό, [in LXX chiefly and very frequently for אֵשׁ ;] fire: Mrk.9:22, Luk.3:9, Jhn.15:6, Act.2:10, 1Co.3:13, Jas.3:5, Rev.8:5, al; π. καὶ θεῖον, Luk.17:29; κατακαίειν (ἐν) π., Mat.13:40, Rev.17:16 18:8; καίεσθαι πυρί, Heb.12:18, Rev.8:8 21:8; φλὸξ πυρός, Act.7:30, 2Th.1:8, Heb.1:7, Rev.1:14 2:18 19:12; λαμπάδες πυρός, Rev.4:5; στῦλοι πυρός, Rev.10:1; ἄνθρακες πυρός, Rom.12:20 (LXX); γλῶσσαι ὡσεὶ πυρός, Act.2:3; δοκιμάζειν (πυροῦσθαι) διὰ πυρός, 1Pe.1:7, Rev.3:18; ὡς διὰ. π. (Lft., Notes, 193), 1Co.3:15. Of the fire of hell (cf. Dalman, Words,161): Mrk.9:48 (LXX); τὸ π. τὸ … |
| how great | ἡλίκην | hēlikēn | G2245 | how great?ἡλίκος (hēlikos) ἡλίκος, -η, -ον 1. prop., as big as, as old as. 2. As indirect interrog., what sized, what, how great, how small (the sense to be determined by the context): Col.2:1, Jas.3:5, Gal.6:11 (WH, mg.; πηλ-, WH, txt., RV).† (AS) |
| a forest | ὕλην | hulēn | G5208 | forestὕλη (hulē) ὕλη, -ης, ἡ [in LXX: Job.19:29 (†) Job.38:40 (סֻכָּה), Psa.69:2 B.l א (יָוֵן), Isa.10:17 (שָׁמִיר), Wis.11:17 15:13, Sir.28:10, 2Ma.2:24, 4Ma.1:29 * ;] 1. wood, forest, woodland (Thus., Xen., al.). 2. wood, timber, fuel (Hom., Hdt., Thuc., al.): Jas.3:5 (see Hort, Ja., 70, 104 f.). 3. = Lat. materia, esp. in Philosophy, matter (Arist. and later writers; Wis, ll. with).† (AS) |
| it kindles; | ἀνάπτει· | anaptei | G0381 | to set fireἀνάπτω (anaptō) ἀν-άπτω [in LXX chiefly for יָצָא ;] to kindle: Luk.12:49, Jas.3:5 (MM, VGT, see word).† (AS) |
Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.