James 3:5
in James 3In 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
So the tongue also is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how much wood is kindled by how small a fire!
KJV
Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
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This verse in James 3
Commentary
4 notes on this verseThe sword kills the body, but the tongue kills the soul. The tongue knows no moderation—either it is a great good or it is a great evil. It is a great good when it acknowledges that Christ is God, and a great evil when it denies that. Let no one deceive himself into thinking that he has never sinned, for if I have sinned, it is with my tongue. What more monstrous sin is there than blasphemy against God? The devil did not fall because he committed theft, murder or adultery; he fell because of his tongue.
This site's exposition
the tongue is a little member
on James 3:5-6
Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things applies the bit and the helm directly, small in size and vast in effect, how great a matter a little fire kindleth. And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity names the tongue's danger at its full height, one member capable of containing a whole world of wrong. It defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature, trochos geneseos, the whole wheel of existence, and it is set on fire of hell, the tongue's worst fuel traced to its true source.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
on James 3:5-6
Observe hence, There is a great pollution and defilement in sins of the tongue. Defiling passions are kindled, vented, and cherished by this unruly member. And the whole body is often drawn into sin and guilt by the tongue.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Even so the tongue is a little member - Little compared with the body, as the bit or the rudder is, compared with the horse or the ship. And boasteth great things - The design of the apostle is to illustrate the power and influence of the tongue. This may be done in a great many respects: and the apostle does it by referring to its boasting; to the effects which it produces, resembling that of fire, Jas 3:6; to its untameableness, Jas 3:8-9; and to its giving utterance to the most inconsistent and incongruous thoughts, Jas 3:9-
The words behind it
16 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Οὕτως | houtos | Thus | G3779 → | 208 times |
| καὶ | kai | also | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἡ | he | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| γλῶσσα | glossa | tongue | G1100 → | 49 times |
| μικρὸν | mikron | a small | G3398 → | |
| μέλος | melos | member | G3196 → | 34 times |
| ἐστὶν | estin | is | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| μεγάλα | megala | exceeding things | G3173 → | 243 times |
| αὐχεῖ. | auchei | it boasts. | ||
| ἰδοὺ | idou | Behold | G2400 → | 200 times |
| ἡλίκον | helikon | a great | G2245 → | |
| πῦρ | pur | fire | G4442 → | 70 times |
| ἡλίκην | heliken | how great | G2245 → | |
| ὕλην | hulen | a forest | G5208 → | |
| ἀνάπτει· | anaptei | it kindles; | G381 → |
ΟὕτωςThus
houtosG3779 →208 times
καὶalso
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἡthe
heG3588 →19766 times
γλῶσσαtongue
glossaG1100 →49 times
μικρὸνa small
mikronG3398 →
μέλοςmember
melosG3196 →34 times
ἐστὶνis
estinG1510 →2333 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
μεγάλαexceeding things
megalaG3173 →243 times
αὐχεῖ.it boasts.
auchei
ἰδοὺBehold
idouG2400 →200 times
ἡλίκονa great
helikonG2245 →
πῦρfire
purG4442 →70 times
ἡλίκηνhow great
helikenG2245 →
ὕληνa forest
hulenG5208 →
ἀνάπτει·it kindles;
anapteiG381 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Proverbs 18:21Life and death are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
it leads to
- 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.
- Matthew 12:35–37
The good man brings good things out of his good store of treasure, and the evil man brings evil things out of his evil store of treasure.
- Colossians 4:6
Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
- Proverbs 10:19–21
When words are many, sin is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise.
- James 3:6–9
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…
- Ephesians 4:29
Through
Proverbs 12:18Speaking rashly is like a piercing sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
it leads to
- Proverbs 16:24
Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.
- Proverbs 15:4
A soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.
- Proverbs 10:20–21
The tongue of the righteous is choice silver, but the heart of the wicked has little worth.
- Proverbs 16:24
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About James
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jerome, SERMONS 41; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.