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! 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. 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! Douay-Rheims Bible Even so the tongue is indeed a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold how small a fire kindleth a great wood. 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. Literal Standard Version so also the tongue is a little member, and boasts greatly; behold, how much forest a little fire kindles! 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. 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. 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 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! 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! 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! 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 Psalm 12:3 May the LORD cut off all flattering lips and every boastful tongue. Psalm 39:1 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." Psalm 73:8 They mock and speak with malice; with arrogance they threaten oppression. Proverbs 26:20 Without wood, a fire goes out; without gossip, a conflict ceases. James 3:4 Consider 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. 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. (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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