James 3

James · Chapter 3

James 3:5

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
5Even 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, sourced

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
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.). …

alsoκαὶkaiG2532
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. …

tongueγλῶσσαglōssaG1100
tongue

γλῶσσα (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 smallμικρὸνmikronG3398
little

μικρόν (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

memberμέλοςmelosG3196
member

μέλος (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)

isἐστὶνestinG1510
you are

εἶ (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. …

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. …

exceeding thingsμεγάλαmegalaG3173
great

μέγας (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.aucheiG6094
to boast

αὐχέω (aucheō) αὐχέω, -ῶ, (αὔχη, boasting), to boast: with accusative (MM, see word), μεγάλα αὐχεῖ (Rec. μεγαλαυχεῖ, which see), Jas.3:5.† (AS)

BeholdἰδοὺidouG2400
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 greatἡλίκονhēlikonG2245
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)

fireπῦρpurG4442
fire

πῦρ (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 greatἡλίκηνhēlikēnG2245
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 forestὕληνhulēnG5208
forest

ὕλη (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·anapteiG0381
to set fire

ἀνάπτω (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.