the Second Week after Easter
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James 3:8
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but no one can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
But the tongue can no man tame, it is an vnruly euill, ful of deadly poyson.
But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
But no one among mankind can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
but no one can tame the tongue. It is wild and evil and full of deadly poison.
But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison.
but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
But our tongues get out of control. They are restless and evil, and always spreading deadly poison.
but the tongue no one can tame — it is an unstable and evil thing, full of death-dealing poison!
but the tongue can no one among men tame; [it is] an unsettled evil, full of death-bringing poison.
But the tongue can no man tame. It is an vnruly euill, full of deadly poyson.
But the tongue no man can tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
But no one has ever been able to tame the tongue. It is evil and uncontrollable, full of deadly poison.
but no human being is able to tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
but no one of men is able to tame the tongue; it is an unrestrainable evil, full of death-dealing poison.
But no one can tame the human tongue; it is a restless evil [undisciplined, unstable], full of deadly poison.
but the tongue can no man tame; it is a restless evil, it is full of deadly poison.
But the tongue may not be controlled by man; it is an unresting evil, it is full of the poison of death.
But nobody can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
but no one can tame the tongue. It is an uncontrollable evil filled with deadly poison.Psalm 140:3;">[xr]
but the tongue no one can subdue; this is an evil not ordered, (and) full of the poison of death.
But the tongue hath no one been able to tame: it is an evil thing, not coercible, and full of deadly poison.
But the tongue can no man tame, it is an vnruly euyll, full of deadly poyson.
but the tongue can no man tame; it is a restless evil, it is full of deadly poison.
But nobody can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
But the tongue can no man tame: it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
But the tongue no man or woman is able to tame. It is an ever-busy mischief, and is full of deadly poison.
for it is an vnpesible yuel, and ful of deedli venym.
But the tongue no man can tame; [it is] a restless evil, [it is] full of deadly poison.
But the tongue can no man tame; [it is] an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
But no human being can subdue the tongue; it is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison.
But no man can make his tongue say what he wants it to say. It is sinful and does not rest. It is full of poison that kills.
but no one can tame the tongue—a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
But, the tongue, none of mankind can, tame, - A restless mischief! Full of deadly poison
But the tongue no man can tame, an unquiet evil, full of deadly poison.
but no human being can tame the tongue--a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
But the tonge can no man tame. Yt is an vntuely evyll full of deedly poyson.
and the tongue no one of men is able to subdue, [it is] an unruly evil, full of deadly poison,
But the toge can no man tame. Yt is an vnruely euell full of deedly poysou.
but who could ever tame the tongue? arm'd with deadly poison, the mischief scorns restraint.
Well, nothing except the tongue; it is an evil bronc that can't be rode, full of malice and might.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
an unruly: James 3:6, Psalms 55:21, Psalms 57:4, Psalms 59:7, Psalms 64:3, Psalms 64:4
full: Deuteronomy 32:33, Psalms 58:4, Psalms 140:3, Ecclesiastes 10:11, Romans 3:13, Revelation 12:9
Reciprocal: Mark 5:4 - tame
Cross-References
The snake was the most clever of all the wild animals that the Lord God had made. The snake spoke to the woman and said, "Woman, did God really tell you that you must not eat from any tree in the garden?"
The woman answered the snake, "No, we can eat fruit from the trees in the garden.
But there is one tree we must not eat from. God told us, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden. You must not even touch that tree, or you will die.'"
The Lord God called to the man and said, "Where are you?"
The man said, "I heard you walking in the garden, and I was afraid. I was naked, so I hid."
The man said, "The woman you put here with me gave me fruit from that tree. So I ate it."
The Lord God used animal skins and made some clothes for the man and his wife. Then he put the clothes on them.
The Lord God said, "Look, the man has become like us—he knows about good and evil. And now the man might take the fruit from the tree of life. If the man eats that fruit, he will live forever."
You people heard God speaking to you from a fire, and you are still alive. Has that ever happened to anyone else? No!
But if we hear the Lord our God speak to us again, surely we will die! That terrible fire will destroy us. We don't want to die.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
But the tongue can no man tame,.... Either his own, or others; not his own, for the man that has the greatest guard upon himself, his words and actions; yet, what through pride or passion, or one lust or another in his heart, at one time or another, bolts out vain, idle, angry, and sinful words: and he that does not may be set down for a perfect man indeed: nor can he tame or restrain the tongues of others from detraction, calumnies, backbitings, and whisperings; who say, their lips are their own, and who is Lord over us? no man can, by his own power and strength, tame or subdue his tongue, or restrain it from evils it is habituated to, be it lying, cursing, swearing, or what else: God, by his Spirit, power, and grace, can, and often does, change the note of the curser, swearer, liar, and blasphemer; but no man can do this, though he can tame beasts, birds, serpents, and fishes; which shows the tongue to be worse than anything to be found in the whole compass of nature:
[it is an] unruly evil: an evil it is, for it is a world of iniquity; and an unruly one, being more so than the horse and mule, which are without understanding, who are kept in and governed, and turned any way by the bit and bridle: but though in nature the tongue is fenced by a double fence of the lips and teeth, this is not sufficient to restrain it; it breaks all bounds, and is not to be kept in by nature, art, or argument: nothing but the grace of God can in any measure govern it, or lay an embargo on it:
full of deadly poison, which, privately, secretly, and gradually, destroys the characters, credit, and reputation of men; and is of fatal consequence in families, neighbourhoods, churches, and states.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
But the tongue can no man tame - This does not mean that it is never brought under control, but that it is impossible effectually and certainly to subdue it. It would be possible to subdue and domesticate any kind of beasts, but this could not be done with the tongue.
It is an unruly evil - An evil without restraint, to which no certain and effectual check can be applied. Of the truth of this no one can have any doubt, who looks at the condition of the world.
Full of deadly poison - That is, it acts on the happiness of man, and on the peace of society, as poison does on the human frame. The allusion here seems to be to the bite of a venomous reptile. Compare Psalms 140:3, “They have sharpened their tongues like serpent; adders” poison is under their lips.” Romans 3:13, “with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips.” Nothing would better describe the mischief that may be done by the tongue. There is no sting of a serpent that does so much evil in the world; there is no poison more deadly to the frame than the poison of the tongue is to the happiness of man. Who, for example, can stand before the power of the slanderer? What mischief can be done in society that can be compared with that which he may do?
- ’Tis slander;
Whose edge is sharper than the sword; whose tongue
Outvenoms all the worms of Nile; whose breath
Rides on the posting winds, and doth belie
All corners of the world: kings, queens, and states,
Maids, matrons, nay, the secrets of the grave
This viperous slander enters.
Shakespeare in Cymbellna.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse 8. But the tongue wan no man tame — No cunning, persuasion, or influence has ever been able to silence it. Nothing but the grace of God, excision, or death, can bring it under subjection.
It is an unruly evil — ακατασχετον κακον. An evil that cannot be restrained; it cannot be brought under any kind of government; it breaks all bounds.
Full of deadly poison. — He refers here to the tongues of serpents, supposed to be the means of conveying their poison into wounds made by their teeth. Throughout the whole of this poetic and highly declamatory description, St. James must have the tongue of the slanderer, calumniator, backbiter, whisperer, and tale-bearer, particularly in view. Vipers, basilisks; and rattlesnakes are not more dangerous to life, than these are to the peace and reputation of men.
