James 3:6
King James Version (1769)
Other translations
| Verse | KJV | BSB | ASV |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | And 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. | The tongue also is a fire, a world of wickedness among the parts of the body. It pollutes the whole person, sets the course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. | And the tongue is a fire: the world of iniquity among our members is the tongue, which defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the wheel of nature, and is set on fire by hell. |
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
Why this verse matters here"The tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity." Proverbs 18:21 says, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue." James 3:5James 3:6Proverbs 18:21
Original Greek words
| English | Greek | Say it | Strong's | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 [is] | 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 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 … |
| world | κόσμος | kosmos | G2889 | worldκόσμος (kosmos) κόσμος, -ου, ὁ [in LXX: Gen.2:1, Deu.4:19 17:3, Isa.24:21 40:26 (צבא), Exo.33:5, 6 Jer.2:32 4:30, Eze.7:20 16:11 23:40 (עֲדִי), Isa.61:10 (כְּלִי), al., Wis.2:24 and freq., Sir.6:30, al ;] 1. order (Hom., Plat., al.). 2. ornament, adornment, esp. of women (Hom., al.): 1Pe.3:3. 3. Later, the world or universe, as an ordered system (Plat., al.): Act.17:24, Rom.4:13, 1Co.3:22, Php.2:15, Heb.4:3, al. 4. In late writers only, the world, i.e. the earth (= ἡ οἰκουμένη, cf. Mat.4:8 with Luk.4:5): Mat.4:8, Mrk.16:[15], Col.2:20, 1Ti.6:7, al.; hence by meton., … |
| of iniquity | ἀδικίας | adikias | G0093 | unrighteousnessἀδικία (adikia) ἀδικία, -ας, ἡ (ἄδικος), [in LXX for עָוֹן, פֶּשַׁע, עָוֶל, etc. ;] 1. injustice: Luk.18:6, Rom.9:14. 2. unrighteousness, iniquity: Jhn.7:18, Act.8:23, Rom.1:18, 29 2:8 6:13, 2Ti.2:19, 1Jn.1:9 5:17; opposite to ἀλήθεια, 1Co.13:6, 2Th.2:12; to δικαιοσύνη ], Rom.3:5; ἀπάτη τῆς ἀ., 2Th.2:10; μισθὸς ἀδικίας, Act.1:18, 2Pe.2:13,15; ἐγράται τῆς ἀ., Luk.13:27; μαμωνᾶς τῆς ἀ., Luk.16:9; κόσμος τῆς ἀ., Jas.3:6; οἰκονόμος τῆς ἀ., Luk.16:8. 3. = ἀδίκημα, an unrighteous act: ironically, a favour, 2Co.12:13; pl., Heb.8:12 (Cremer, 261; MM, VGT, see word). † (AS) |
| 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.). … |
| 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. … |
| is set | καθίσταται | kathistatai | G2525 | to appoint/conductκαθίστημι (kathistēmi) καθ-ίστημι (and καθιστάνω, Act.17:15), [in LXX for פָּקַד, קוּם, שׂוּם, etc., 24 words in all* ;] 1. (a) to set down; (b) to bring down to a place (Hom., Xen., al.; 2Ch.28:15, 1Ki.5:3): Act.17:15. 2. to set in order, appoint, make, constitute: Tit.1:5, 2Pe.1:8; with dupl. accusative, κριτήν, Luk.12:14; ἡγούμενον, Act.7:10; ἄρχοντα, Act.7:27, 35" (LXX) ; ἀρχιερεῖς, Heb.7:28; before ἐπί, with genitive, Mat.24:45 25:21, 23, Luk.12:42, Act.6:3; id. with dative, Mat.24:47, Luk.12:44; id. with accusative, Heb.2:7 (LXX) (WH, R, mg. omit); pass. (see Mayor, Ja., 115 f.), Rom.5:19, Jas.3:6 4:4; bef … |
| among | ἐν | en | G1722 | in/on/amongἐν (en) ἐν, prep, (the most frequently of all in NT), with dative (= Heb. בְּ, Lat. in, with abl.). I. Of place, with dative of thing(s), of person(s), in, within, on, at, by, among: ἐν τ. πόλει, Luk.7:37; τ. οφθαλμῷ, Mat.7:3; τ. κοιλίᾳ, Mat.12:40; τ. ὄρει, 2Pe.1:18; τ. θρόνῳ, Rev.3:21; τ. δεξιᾷ τ. θεοῦ, Rom.8:34; ἐν ἡμῖν Abbott-Smith has ὑμῖν., Luk.1:1; of books, ἐν τ. βιβλίῳ, Gal.3:10; τ. νόμῳ, Mat.12:5, al.; ἐν τοῖς τ. Πατρός, in my Father's house (RV; cf. M, Pr., 103), Luk.2:49; trop., of the region of thought or feeling, ἐν τ. καρδίᾳ (-αις), Mat.5:28, 2Co.4:6, al.; τ. συνειδήσεσιν, 2Co.5:11; af … |
| members | μέλεσιν | melesin | 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) |
| of us | ἡμῶν | hēmōn | G3165 | meμέ (me) 1. apostrophe for με. 2. rarely for μοι, (Homer) (ML) |
| is defiling | σπιλοῦσα | spilousa | G4695 | to stainσπιλόω (spiloō) σπιλόω [in LXX: Wis.15:4 * ;] to stain, spot, defile: with accusative, Jas.3:6, Ju 23.† (AS) |
| all | ὅλον | holon | G3650 | allὅλος (holos) ὅλος, -η, -ον, [in LXX chiefly for כֹּל ;] of persons and things, whole, entire, complete; 1. of indefinite ideas, with subst. anarth.: Luk.5:5, Act.11:26 28:30, Tit.1:11; ὅλον ἄνθρωπον (an entire man; see Field, Notes, 93), Jhn.7:23; ὅλη Ἰερουσαλήμ (= πᾶσα Ἰ, Mat.2:3; see Bl., §47, 9), Act.21:31. 2. Definite, with art.; (a) preceding subst.: Mat.4:23, 24 Luk.8:39, 1Co.12:17, al.; (b) following subst.: Mrk.1:33, Luk.9:25, Jhn.4:53, Act.21:30, al.; (with) between art. and subst., where subst. is an abstract noun (Plat., al.). … |
| body | σῶμα | sōma | G4983 | bodyσῶμα (sōma) σῶμα, -τος, τό, [in LXX for גְּוִיָּה ,בָּשָׂר, etc., and for Aram. נְבֵלָה ;] a body. 1. Prop., of the human body, (a) as always in Hom. (opposite to δέμας), of the dead body: Mat.27:58, 59 Mrk.15:43, 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. … |
| setting on fire | φλογίζουσα | phlogizousa | G5394 | to kindleφλογίζω (phlogizō) φλογίζω (φλόξ), [in LXX: Exo.9:24 (לָקַח hith.), Num.21:14 (†), Psa.97:3 (לָהַט pi.), Da TH Dan.3:27(94) (חָרַךְ ithp.), Sir.3:30, 1Ma.3:5 * ;] to set on fire, burn, burn up: figuratively, Jas.3:6 (on the meaning of the sentence, see Hort, in l).† (AS) |
| course | τροχὸν | trochon | G5164 | course/wheelτροχός (trochos) τροχός, -οῦ, τό (τρέχω), [in LXX chiefly for אוֹפָן ;] a wheel: Jas.3:6 (see Mayor, Hort, in l).† (AS) |
| of nature | γενέσεως | geneseōs | G1078 | originγένεσις (genesis) γένεσις, -εως, ἡ (γίγνομαι), [in LXX chiefly for תּוֹלֵדֹת ;] 1. origin, lineage: βίβλος γενέσεως (as in Gen.2:4a 5:1), Mat.1:1. 2. birth: Mat.1:18, Luk.1:14 (Rec. γέννησις); πρόσωπον τῆς γ., face of his birth ("what God made him to be," Hort., in l.), Jas.1:23; ὁ τροχὸς τῆς γ., the wheel (course) of birth or creation ("the wheel of man's nature according to its original Divine purpose," Hort), Jas.3:6. † (AS) |
| and [itself] | 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. … |
| being set on fire | φλογιζομένη | phlogizomenē | G5394 | to kindleφλογίζω (phlogizō) φλογίζω (φλόξ), [in LXX: Exo.9:24 (לָקַח hith.), Num.21:14 (†), Psa.97:3 (לָהַט pi.), Da TH Dan.3:27(94) (חָרַךְ ithp.), Sir.3:30, 1Ma.3:5 * ;] to set on fire, burn, burn up: figuratively, Jas.3:6 (on the meaning of the sentence, see Hort, in l).† (AS) |
| by | ὑπὸ | hupo | G5259G | by/under: byὑπό (hupo) ὑπό (before smooth breathing ὑπ᾽, Mat.8:9b, Luk.7:8b; before rough breathing ὑφ᾽, Rom.3:9; on the neglect of elision in Mt, Lk, ll. witha, Gal.3:22, see WH, App., 146; Tdf., Pr., iv), prep. with genitive, dative (not in NT), accusative … |
| hell. | γεέννης.¶ | geennēs | G1067 | hell: Gehennaγέεννα (geenna) γέεννα (γέενα, Mrk.9:45, Rec.), -ης, ἡ (perh. through Aram. גֵּיהִנָּם, from Heb. גֵּי הִנֹּם, Neh.11:30; גֵּי בֶּן־הִנֹּם, Jhn.18:16; גֵּי בּנֵי־הִנֹּם, 4Ki.23:10; valley of (the son, sons of) lamentation); [in LXX the nearest approach to γ. is γαίεννα, Jos.18:16 (Γαὶ Ὀννόμ, A), elsewhere φάραγξ Ὀνόμ (Jos.15:8, al.), V. Swete on Mrk.9:43 ;] … |
Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.