Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. New Living Translation In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. English Standard Version So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! Berean Standard Bible 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. Berean Literal Bible Thus also the tongue is a small member, and boasts exceeding things. Behold a small fire, how great a forest it kindles. King James Bible Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! New King James Version Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles! New American Standard Bible So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! NASB 1995 So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! NASB 1977 So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. Behold, how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! Legacy Standard Bible So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. Behold how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! Amplified Bible In the same sense, the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See [by comparison] how great a forest is set on fire by a small spark! Christian Standard Bible So too, though the tongue is a small part of the body, it boasts great things. Consider how a small fire sets ablaze a large forest. Holman Christian Standard Bible So too, though the tongue is a small part of the body, it boasts great things. Consider how large a forest a small fire ignites. American Standard Version So the tongue also is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how much wood is kindled by how small a fire! Contemporary English Version Our tongues are small too, and yet they brag about big things. It takes only a spark to start a forest fire! English Revised Version So the tongue also is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how much wood is kindled by how small a fire! GOD'S WORD® Translation In the same way the tongue is a small part of the body, but it can brag about doing important things. A large forest can be set on fire by a little flame. Good News Translation So it is with the tongue: small as it is, it can boast about great things. Just think how large a forest can be set on fire by a tiny flame! International Standard Version In the same way, the tongue is a small part of the body, yet it can boast of great achievements. A huge forest can be set on fire by a little flame. Majority Standard Bible 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. NET Bible So too the tongue is a small part of the body, yet it has great pretensions. Think how small a flame sets a huge forest ablaze. New Heart English Bible So the tongue is also a little member, and boasts great things. See how a small fire can spread to a large forest. Webster's Bible Translation Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! Weymouth New Testament In the same way the tongue is an insignificant part of the body, but it is immensely boastful. Remember how a mere spark may set a vast forest in flames. World English Bible So the tongue is also a little member, and boasts great things. See how a small fire can spread to a large forest! Literal Translations Literal Standard Versionso also the tongue is a little member, and boasts greatly; behold, how much forest a little fire kindles! Berean Literal Bible Thus also the tongue is a small member, and boasts exceeding things. Behold a small fire, how great a forest it kindles. Young's Literal Translation so also the tongue is a little member, and doth boast greatly; lo, a little fire how much wood it doth kindle! Smith's Literal Translation So also the tongue is a small member, and vaunts itself. Behold, how great a wood a little fire inflames. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleEven so the tongue is indeed a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold how small a fire kindleth a great wood. Catholic Public Domain Version So also the tongue certainly is a small part, but it moves great things. Consider that a small fire can set ablaze a great forest. New American Bible In the same way the tongue is a small member and yet has great pretensions. Consider how small a fire can set a huge forest ablaze. New Revised Standard Version So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great exploits. How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire! Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleEven so the tongue is a little member, and boasts great things. Likewise, a small fire sets ablaze the large forests. Aramaic Bible in Plain English In this way, also, the tongue is a small member and has dominion; even a small fire kindles a great forest. NT Translations Anderson New TestamentSo, also, the tongue is a little member, and boasts great things. Behold, how great a forest does a little fire set in a blaze. Godbey New Testament so also the tongue is a little member, and it boasts great things. Behold, how great a wood a little fire kindles! Haweis New Testament So also the tongue is a little member, and proudly vaunts. Behold how great a pile of wood, a little fire kindleth! Mace New Testament so the tongue is but a small part of the body, yet how grand are its pretensions, a spark of fire! what quantities of timber will it blow into a flame? Weymouth New Testament In the same way the tongue is an insignificant part of the body, but it is immensely boastful. Remember how a mere spark may set a vast forest in flames. Worrell New Testament So also the tongue is a little member, and boasts great things. Behold, how small a fire kindles how great a forest! Worsley New Testament So the tongue is a small part of the body, yet boasteth great things. Behold how much fuel a little fire kindleth! Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Taming the Tongue…4Consider ships as well. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot is inclined. 5In 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. 6The 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.… Cross References Proverbs 16:27 A worthless man digs up evil, and his speech is like a scorching fire. Proverbs 26:20-21 Without wood, a fire goes out; without gossip, a conflict ceases. / Like charcoal for embers and wood for fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife. Matthew 12:36-37 But I tell you that men will give an account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. / For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” Proverbs 18:21 Life and death are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit. Proverbs 15:2 The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of the fool spouts folly. Proverbs 10:19 When words are many, sin is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise. Matthew 15:11 A man is not defiled by what enters his mouth, but by what comes out of it.” Ephesians 4:29 Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up the one in need and bringing grace to those who listen. Proverbs 12:18 Speaking rashly is like a piercing sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. Proverbs 21:23 He who guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from distress. 1 Peter 3:10 For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech. Psalm 39:1 For the choirmaster. For Jeduthun. A Psalm of David. I said, “I will watch my ways so that I will not sin with my tongue; I will guard my mouth with a muzzle as long as the wicked are present.” Proverbs 13:3 He who guards his mouth protects his life, but the one who opens his lips invites his own ruin. Colossians 4:6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. Psalm 52:2 Your tongue devises destruction like a sharpened razor, O worker of deceit. Treasury of Scripture Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasts great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindles! so. Exodus 5:2 And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go. Exodus 15:9 The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them. 2 Kings 19:22-24 Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed? and against whom hast thou exalted thy voice, and lifted up thine eyes on high? even against the Holy One of Israel… matter. Jump to Previous Ablaze Aflame Boasteth Boasts Credit Fire Forest Great Greatly Insignificant Kindle Kindles Kindleth Likewise Little Makes Matter Member Mere Part Remember Small Spark Spread Tongue Way WoodJump to Next Ablaze Aflame Boasteth Boasts Credit Fire Forest Great Greatly Insignificant Kindle Kindles Kindleth Likewise Little Makes Matter Member Mere Part Remember Small Spark Spread Tongue Way WoodJames 3 1. We are not rashly or arrogantly to reprove others;5. but rather to bridle the tongue, a little member, 9. but a powerful instrument of much good, and great harm. 13. The truly wise are mild and peaceable, without envy and strife. In the same way, the tongue is a small part of the body The tongue, though physically small, holds significant power. In biblical context, the tongue often symbolizes speech and communication. Proverbs 18:21 highlights the power of the tongue, stating that it holds the power of life and death. This reflects the broader biblical theme that words can build up or destroy. The tongue's influence is disproportionate to its size, much like other small but powerful elements in Scripture, such as the mustard seed in Matthew 13:31-32. but it boasts of great things Consider how small a spark sets a great forest ablaze Persons / Places / Events 1. JamesThe author of the epistle, traditionally identified as James, the brother of Jesus. He was a leader in the early Jerusalem church and wrote to Jewish Christians scattered among the nations. 2. The Tongue A metaphorical reference to human speech and the power of words. In this context, it represents the potential for both good and harm. 3. The Body Represents the whole person, emphasizing how a small part (the tongue) can influence the entire being. 4. The Spark A metaphor for a small action or word that can lead to significant consequences, much like a tiny flame can ignite a large fire. 5. The Forest Symbolizes the broader community or world, illustrating how words can have far-reaching effects. Teaching Points The Power of WordsRecognize that words, though small, have the power to influence and change lives. They can build up or tear down, encourage or discourage. Guarding the Tongue As believers, we are called to exercise self-control over our speech, ensuring that our words reflect our faith and values. Consequences of Speech Understand that careless or harmful words can lead to significant and sometimes irreversible damage, much like a spark igniting a forest fire. Encouragement and Edification Use the tongue to speak life, encouragement, and truth into the lives of others, aligning with biblical teachings on edification. Accountability Remember that we are accountable to God for our words, and strive to speak in a way that honors Him and reflects His love.(5) Even so . . .--Thus, like the tiny rudder of the mighty ship, whereon its course most critically depends--the tongue is a little member; for it "vaunts great words which bring about great acts of mischief." The verb translated boasteth is peculiar to this place, but occurs so often in the works of Philo that we may be almost certain St. James had read them. And many other verses of our Epistle suggests his knowledge of this famous Alexandrian Jew. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!--It would be more in the spirit and temper of this imaginative passage to render it, "Behold, how great a forest a little spark kindleth!" Thus it is expressed in the Latin Vulgate; and note our own margin, "wood." The image constantly recurs in poetry, ancient and modern; and in the writer's mind there seems to have been the picture "of the wrapping of some vast forest in a flame, by the falling of a single spark," and this in illustration of the far-reaching mischief resulting from a single cause. (Comp. Ecclesiasticus 28:10.) Verse 5. -(1) Application, of illustration. The tongue is only a little member, but it boasts great things. The true reading appears to be μεγάλα αὐχεῖ (A, B, C). The compound verb of the Textus Receptus, μεγαλαυχεῖν, is found in the LXX. (Ezekiel 16:50; Zephaniah 3:11; 2 Macc. 15:32; Ecclus. 48:18). (2) Third illustration. A very small fire may kindle a very large forest. Ἡλίκον (א, A2, B, C1, Vulgate) should be read instead of ὀλίγον (A1, C2, K, L, ff). It is equivalent to quantulus as well as quantus. A somewhat similar thought to the one before us is found in Ecclus. 11:32, "Of a spark of fire a heap of coals is kindled." Υλη "Matter," A.V.; "wood," R.V. The word is only found here in the New Testament. In the LXX. it is used for a "matter" of judgment in Job 19:29; "matter" in the philosophical sense in Wisd. 11:18. (cf. 15:13); the "matter" of a book in 2 Macc. 2:24; the "matter" of a fire in Ecclus. 28:10 (the whole passage, vers. 8-12, is wroth comparing with the one before us); and for "forest" in Job 38:40; Isaiah 10:17. It is most natural to take it in this sense here (so Syriac and Vulgate, silva). "The literal meaning is certainly to be preferred to the philosophical" (Lightfoot on Revision, p. 140). Forest fires are frequently referred to by the ancients. Virgil's description of one ('Georgies,' 2:303) is well known; so also Homer's ('Iliad,' 11:155). Greek In the same way,Οὕτως (Houtōs) Adverb Strong's 3779: Thus, so, in this manner. Or (referring to what precedes or follows). the ἡ (hē) Article - Nominative Feminine Singular Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the. tongue γλῶσσα (glōssa) Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular Strong's 1100: The tongue; by implication, a language. is ἐστὶν (estin) Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist. a small μικρὸν (mikron) Adjective - Nominative Neuter Singular Strong's 3398: Little, small. Including the comparative mikroteros apparently a primary word; small (figuratively) dignity). part of the body, μέλος (melos) Noun - Nominative Neuter Singular Strong's 3196: A bodily organ, limb, member. Of uncertain affinity; a limb or part of the body. [but] καὶ (kai) Conjunction Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely. it boasts of αὐχεῖ (auchei) Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular Strong's 3166: To boast, be arrogant, vaunt. From a compound of megas and aucheo; to talk big, i.e. Be grandiloquent. great things. μεγάλα (megala) Adjective - Accusative Neuter Plural Strong's 3173: Large, great, in the widest sense. Consider ἰδοὺ (idou) Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular Strong's 2400: See! Lo! Behold! Look! Second person singular imperative middle voice of eido; used as imperative lo! how small ἡλίκον (hēlikon) Adjective - Nominative Neuter Singular Strong's 2245: Of which size, of what size, how small, how much. From helix; as big as, i.e. how much. a spark πῦρ (pyr) Noun - Nominative Neuter Singular Strong's 4442: Fire; the heat of the sun, lightning; fig: strife, trials; the eternal fire. A primary word; 'fire'. sets ἀνάπτει (anaptei) Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular Strong's 381: To kindle, set on fire, light. From ana and hapto; to enkindle. a great ἡλίκην (hēlikēn) Adjective - Accusative Feminine Singular Strong's 2245: Of which size, of what size, how small, how much. From helix; as big as, i.e. how much. forest {ablaze}. ὕλην (hylēn) Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular Strong's 5208: Wood, fuel. Perhaps akin to xulon; a forest, i.e. fuel. Links James 3:5 NIVJames 3:5 NLT James 3:5 ESV James 3:5 NASB James 3:5 KJV James 3:5 BibleApps.com James 3:5 Biblia Paralela James 3:5 Chinese Bible James 3:5 French Bible James 3:5 Catholic Bible NT Letters: James 3:5 So the tongue is also a little (Ja Jas. Jam) |
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