James 3:3

Mace New Testament

you see how manageable horses are made by the application of a bit, which makes them take what motion we please.

Parallel Translations

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Now if we put the bits into the horses' mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well.

Simplified Cowboy Version
You know that a bit in a horse's mouth can control his whole body.

Bible in Basic English
Now if we put bits of iron into horses' mouths so that they may be guided by us, we have complete control of their bodies.

Darby Translation
Behold, we put the bits in the mouths of the horses, that they may obey us, and we turn round their whole bodies.

World English Bible
Indeed, we put bits into the horses' mouths so that they may obey us, and we turn about their whole body.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Behold we put bits into the horses mouths, that they may obey us, and we turn about their whole body.

Weymouth's New Testament
Remember that we put the horses' bit into their mouths to make them obey us, and so we turn their whole bodies round.

King James Version (1611)
Behold, we put bittes in the horses mouthes, that they may obey vs, and we turne about their whole body.

Literal Translation
Behold, we put bits in the mouths of the horses, for them to obey us; and we turn about their whole body.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Beholde, we put bittes into the horses mouthes yt they shulde obeye vs, and we turne aboute all the body.

THE MESSAGE
A bit in the mouth of a horse controls the whole horse. A small rudder on a huge ship in the hands of a skilled captain sets a course in the face of the strongest winds. A word out of your mouth may seem of no account, but it can accomplish nearly anything—or destroy it! It only takes a spark, remember, to set off a forest fire. A careless or wrongly placed word out of your mouth can do that. By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony to chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke and go up in smoke with it, smoke right from the pit of hell. This is scary: You can tame a tiger, but you can't tame a tongue—it's never been done. The tongue runs wild, a wanton killer. With our tongues we bless God our Father; with the same tongues we curse the very men and women he made in his image. Curses and blessings out of the same mouth! My friends, this can't go on. A spring doesn't gush fresh water one day and brackish the next, does it? Apple trees don't bear strawberries, do they? Raspberry bushes don't bear apples, do they? You're not going to dip into a polluted mud hole and get a cup of clear, cool water, are you? Do you want to be counted wise, to build a reputation for wisdom? Here's what you do: Live well, live wisely, live humbly. It's the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts. Mean-spirited ambition isn't wisdom. Boasting that you are wise isn't wisdom. Twisting the truth to make yourselves sound wise isn't wisdom. It's the furthest thing from wisdom—it's animal cunning, devilish conniving. Whenever you're trying to look better than others or get the better of others, things fall apart and everyone ends up at the others' throats. Real wisdom, God's wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor.

Amplified Bible
Now if we put bits into the horses' mouths to make them obey us, we guide their whole body as well.

American Standard Version
Now if we put the horses' bridles into their mouths that they may obey us, we turn about their whole body also.

Revised Standard Version
If we put bits into the mouths of horses that they may obey us, we guide their whole bodies.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Beholde we put bittes into ye horses mouthes that they shuld obeye vs and we turne aboute all the body.

Update Bible Version
Now if we put the horses' bridles into their mouths that they may obey us, we turn about their whole body also.

Webster's Bible Translation
Behold, we put bits in the mouths of horses, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.

Young's Literal Translation
lo, the bits we put into the mouths of the horses for their obeying us, and their whole body we turn about;

New Century Version
When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can control their whole bodies.

New English Translation
And if we put bits into the mouths of horses to get them to obey us, then we guide their entire bodies.

Berean Standard Bible
When we put bits into the mouths of the horses to make them obey us, we can guide the whole animal.

Contemporary English Version
By putting a bit into the mouth of a horse, we can turn the horse in different directions.

Complete Jewish Bible
If we put a bit into a horse's mouth to make it obey us, we control its whole body as well.

English Standard Version
If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Beholde, we put bittes into the horses mouthes, that they should obey vs, and we turne about all their bodie.

George Lamsa Translation
Behold, we put bits into the mouths of horses, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.

Christian Standard Bible®
Now when we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we also guide the whole animal.

Hebrew Names Version
Indeed, we put bits into the horses' mouths so that they may obey us, and we turn about their whole body.

International Standard Version
Now if we put bits into horses' mouths to make them obey us, we can guide their whole bodies as well.Psalm 32:9;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
For, behold, bridles into the mouth of horses we throw that we may make them submissive to us, and their whole body we turn.

Murdock Translation
Behold, we put bridles into the mouth of horses, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.

New King James Version
Indeed, [fn] we put bits in horses' mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body.

New Living Translation
We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth.

New Life Bible
We make a horse go wherever we want it to go by a small bit in its mouth. We turn its whole body by this.

English Revised Version
Now if we put the horses' bridles into their mouths, that they may obey us, we turn about their whole body also.

New Revised Standard
If we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we guide their whole bodies.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Now, if, the horses bits, into their mouths, we thrust, to the end they may be yielding to us, their whole body also, do we turn about.

Douay-Rheims Bible
For if we put bits into the mouths of horses, that they may obey us: and we turn about their whole body.

King James Version
Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.

Lexham English Bible
And if we put bits in the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we also guide their whole bodies.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Beholde, we put bittes in the horses mouthes, that they may obey vs, and we turne about all the body of them:

Easy-to-Read Version
We put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us. With these bits we can control their whole body.

New American Standard Bible
Now if we put the bits into the horses' mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their whole body as well.

Good News Translation
We put a bit into the mouth of a horse to make it obey us, and we are able to make it go where we want.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
For if we putten bridlis `in to horsis mouthis, for to consente to vs, and we leden aboute al the bodi of hem.

Contextual Overview

¹ My brethren, don't affect many of you to be doctors, considering, that those of us who are such, shall be tried with the greater severity. ² for we are all liable to frequent mistakes. he that does not give too great a loose to his tongue, is an accomplish'd person and fit to moderate the whole church. ³ you see how manageable horses are made by the application of a bit, which makes them take what motion we please. ⁴ a ship too of the greatest burthen, tho' the wind bears hard, by means of an inconsiderable helm, veers about as the hand of the pilot directs her. ⁵ 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? ⁶ the tongue is a brand that sets the world in a combustion: it is but one of the numerous organs of the body, yet it can blast whole assemblies: tipp'd with infernal sulphur it sets the whole train of life in a blaze. ⁷ creatures of every kind, beasts, birds, reptiles, and sea-monsters, are frequently tamed by human industry. ⁸ but who could ever tame the tongue? arm'd with deadly poison, the mischief scorns restraint. ⁹ By that we give praises to God the father: and that pronounces curses even against men, who are form'd after the divine resemblance. ¹⁰ from the same mouth shall blessing and cursing proceed? this ought not to be practis'd, my brethren;

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

James 1:26, 2 Kings 19:28, Psalms 32:9, Psalms 39:1, Isaiah 37:29

Reciprocal: Numbers 12:3 - above Job 41:13 - double

Cross-References

1 Corinthians 7:1
Now as to the question you writ to me about; "whether it is best for a man not to marry?"

2 Corinthians 6:17
wherefore come out from among them, be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

Colossians 2:21
"don't eat this, don't taste that, nor touch it:"

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths,.... By this, and the following simile, the apostle not only expresses the smallness of that member of the body, which is like the bit in the horse's mouth, and the helm of a ship, but the good use of it, and the great influence it has over the whole body. Horses are without understanding, and need direction in what path to go, and are strong, and would be truly and ungovernable unless bits and bridles were put into their mouths:

that they may obey us; and go in the way we would have them:

and we turn about the whole body of the horse, this way, and that way, as is thought best, by the help of the bit and bridle; and of such use is the tongue to the natural body, that being bridled itself, bridles, directs, and governs the whole body; and its influence on bodies, and societies of men, and Christians, is like that of the bit in the horse's mouth; who, like horses, would be unruly and ungovernable, were it not for the force of language, the power of words, and strength of argument.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Behold, we put bits in the horses” mouths ... - The meaning of this simple illustration is, that as we control a horse by the bit - though the bit is a small thing - so the body is controlled by the tongue. He who has a proper control over his tongue can govern his whole body, as he who holds a bridle governs and turns about the horse.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse James 3:3. Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths — In order to show the necessity of regulating the tongue, to which St. James was led by his exhortation to them who wished to thrust themselves into the teacher's office, supposing, because they had the gift of a ready flow of speech, that therefore they might commence teachers of Divine things; he proceeds to show that the tongue must be bridled as the horse, and governed as the ships; because, though it is small, it is capable of ruling the whole man; and of irritating and offending others.