Lectionary Calendar
Sunday, November 24th, 2024
the Week of Christ the King / Proper 29 / Ordinary 34
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New Living Translation

James 3:5

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.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Boasting;   Speaking;   Thompson Chain Reference - Boasting;   Humility-Pride;   The Topic Concordance - Speech/communication;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Fire;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Body;   Gossip;   Tongue;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Animals;   War, Holy War;   Word;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - James, the General Epistle of;   Holman Bible Dictionary - James, the Letter;   Tongue;   Word;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Hosea;   James, Epistle of;   Law;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Boasting;   James Epistle of;   Metaphor;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Kindle;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Tongue;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Busybody;   Fire;   Great;   James, Epistle of;   Matter;   Member;   Papyrus;   Wisdom;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Ben Sira, Alphabet of;  

Devotionals:

- Daily Light on the Daily Path - Devotion for October 30;   Every Day Light - Devotion for May 12;  

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
It is the same with our tongue. It is a small part of the body, but it can boast about doing great things. A big forest fire can be started with only a little flame.
Revised Standard Version
So the tongue is a little member and boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire!
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Even so the tonge is a lyttell member and bosteth great thinges. Beholde how gret a thinge a lyttell fyre kyndleth
Hebrew Names Version
So the tongue is also a little member, and boasts great things. Behold, how much wood is kindled by how small a fire!
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!
New Century Version
It is the same with the tongue. It is a small part of the body, but it brags about great things. A big forest fire can be started with only a little flame.
Update Bible Version
So the tongue also is a little member, and boasts great things. Look, how much wood is kindled by how small a fire!
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!
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!
World English Bible
So the tongue is also a little member, and boasts great things. Behold, how much wood is kindled by how small a fire!
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
So the tongue also is a little member, yet boasteth great things. Behold how much matter a little fire kindleth.
Weymouth's 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.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
So also the tunge is but a litil membre, and reisith grete thingis. Lo! hou litil fier brenneth a ful greet wode.
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!
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.
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!
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!
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!
Bible in Basic English
Even so the tongue is a small part of the body, but it takes credit for great things. How much wood may be lighted by a very little fire!
Complete Jewish Bible
So too the tongue is a tiny part of the body, yet it boasts great things. See how a little fire sets a whole forest ablaze!
Darby Translation
Thus also the tongue is a little member, and boasts great things. See how little a fire, how large a wood it kindles!
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.Psalm 12:3; 73:8-9; Proverbs 12:18; 15:2;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
So also the tongue is a small member, and uplifteth itself. A little fire also burneth many forests; [fn]
Murdock Translation
So likewise the tongue is a small member, and it exalteth itself. Also a little fire inflameth large forests.
King James Version (1611)
Euen so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things: behold, how great a matter a litle fire kindleth.
New Life Bible
The tongue is also a small part of the body, but it can speak big things. See how a very small fire can set many trees on fire.
New Revised Standard
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!
Geneva Bible (1587)
Euen so the tongue is a litle member, and boasteth of great things: beholde, howe great a thing a litle fire kindleth.
George Lamsa Translation
Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasts great things. Likewise, a small fire sets ablaze the large forests.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So, also, the tongue, is, a little member, and yet, of great things, maketh boast. Lo! how small a fire, kindleth, how great a forest;
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.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Euen so the tongue is a litle member also, & boasteth great thynges. Beholde how great a matter a litle fire kindleth.
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!
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.
King James Version
Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
Lexham English Bible
So also the tongue is a small member of the body and boasts great things. Behold how small a fire sets ablaze how great a forest!
Literal Translation
So also the tongue is a little member, and boasts great things. Behold, how little a fire kindles how large a 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!
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Euen so the toge is a lyttell member, and bosteth great thinges. Beholde how gret a thinge a lyttell fyre kyndleth,
Mace New Testament (1729)
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?
New English Translation
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 King James Version
Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles!
Simplified Cowboy Version
So too is the tongue a small part of the body that can have a big impact on a life. Even a small spark can start a brush fire.
New American Standard Bible (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!

Contextual Overview

1 Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2 Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way. 3 We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. 4 And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. 5 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. 6 And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself. 7 People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, 8 but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. 9 Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. 10 And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

so: Exodus 5:2, Exodus 15:9, 2 Kings 19:22-24, Job 21:14, Job 21:15, Job 22:17, Psalms 10:3, Psalms 12:2-4, Psalms 17:10, Psalms 52:1, Psalms 52:2, Psalms 73:8, Psalms 73:9, Proverbs 12:18, Proverbs 15:2, Proverbs 18:21, Jeremiah 9:3-8, Jeremiah 18:18, Ezekiel 28:2, Ezekiel 29:3, Daniel 3:15, Daniel 4:30, 2 Peter 2:18, Jude 1:16, Revelation 13:5, Revelation 13:6

matter: or, wood

Reciprocal: Job 5:21 - be hid Job 15:5 - thou choosest Psalms 12:4 - With Psalms 16:9 - my glory Psalms 31:20 - the strife Psalms 34:13 - Keep Psalms 50:19 - tongue Psalms 63:3 - lips Psalms 120:4 - Sharp Proverbs 6:27 - General Proverbs 10:11 - but Proverbs 14:3 - the mouth Proverbs 29:8 - bring a city into a snare Isaiah 32:6 - the vile Hosea 7:16 - the rage Obadiah 1:12 - spoken proudly Matthew 12:34 - how Matthew 15:11 - but Luke 6:45 - and an Luke 11:18 - ye say Romans 1:30 - boasters Romans 3:13 - with their Romans 6:13 - Neither James 3:2 - If

Cross-References

Genesis 2:17
except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die."
Genesis 3:2
"Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden," the woman replied.
Genesis 3:3
"It's only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.'"
Genesis 3:6
The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too.
Genesis 3:7
At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.
Genesis 3:10
He replied, "I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked."
Genesis 3:13
Then the Lord God asked the woman, "What have you done?" "The serpent deceived me," she replied. "That's why I ate it."
Genesis 3:14
Then the Lord God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all animals, domestic and wild. You will crawl on your belly, groveling in the dust as long as you live.
Genesis 3:15
And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel."
Genesis 3:22
Then the Lord God said, "Look, the human beings have become like us, knowing both good and evil. What if they reach out, take fruit from the tree of life, and eat it? Then they will live forever!"

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Even so the tongue is a little member,.... Like the bit in the horse's mouth, or like the helm of a ship.

And boasteth great things: and does them; for this word may be taken in a good sense: a bridled and sanctified tongue, that is influenced by the grace of God, and directed by the Spirit of God, as it speaks great and good things, it has great power, weight, and influence: the tongue of the just is as choice silver, and the lips of the righteous feed many, Proverbs 10:20, the Gospel, as preached by Christ's faithful ministers, who are the church's tongue, when it comes not in word only, but in power, is the power of God unto salvation: faith comes by hearing it, and hearing by this word; by it souls are convinced, converted, and comforted, enlightened, quickened, and sanctified.

Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth; what vast quantities of wood, large forests, stately buildings, and populous towns and cities, are at once seized on by a little fire, a few sparks, and in a short time burnt down, and utterly destroyed. One of the proverbs of Ben Syra is,

"burning fire kindles great heaps;''

suggesting, that an evil tongue does great mischief, as did the tongue of Doeg the Edomite, as the gloss upon it observes: from hence the apostle passes to consider the abuse or vices of the tongue.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

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, James 3:6; to its untameableness, James 3:8-9; and to its giving utterance to the most inconsistent and incongruous thoughts, James 3:9-10. The particular idea here is, that the tongue seems to be conscious of its influence and power, and boasts largely of what it can do. The apostle means doubtless to convey the idea that it boasts not unjustly of its importance. It has all the influence in the world, for good or for evil, which it claims.

Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! - Margin, “wood.” The Greek word ὕλην hulēn, means a wood, forest, grove; and then fire-wood, fuel. This is the meaning here. The sense is, that a very little fire is sufficient to ignite a large quantity of combustible materials, and that the tongue produces effects similar to that. A spark will kindle a lofty pile; and a word spoken by the tongue may set a neighborhood or a village “in a flame.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse James 3:5. Boasteth great things. — That is, can do great things, whether of a good or evil kind. He seems to refer here to the powerful and all commanding eloquence of the Greek orators: they could carry the great mob whithersoever they wished; calm them to peaceableness and submission, or excite them to furious sedition.

Behold, how great a matter — See what a flame of discord and insubordination one man, merely by his persuasive tongue, may kindle among the common people.


 
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