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Revised Standard Version
James 3:5
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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.
Euen so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things: behold, how great a matter a litle fire kindleth.
Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
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!
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!
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.
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!
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.
Our tongues are small too, and yet they brag about big things. It takes only a spark to start a forest fire!
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!
Thus also the tongue is a little member, and boasts great things. See how little a fire, how large a wood it kindles!
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.
Euen so the tongue is a litle member, and boasteth of great things: beholde, howe great a thing a litle fire kindleth.
Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasts great things. Likewise, a small fire sets ablaze the large forests.
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!
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!
So also the tongue is a little member, and boasts great things. Behold, how little a fire kindles how large a forest!
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!
So the tongue also is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how much wood is kindled by how small a fire!
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!
So the tongue is also a little member, and boasts great things. Behold, how much wood is kindled by how small a fire!
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]
So also the tongue is a small member, and uplifteth itself. A little fire also burneth many forests; [fn]
So likewise the tongue is a small member, and it exalteth itself. Also a little fire inflameth large forests.
Euen so the tongue is a litle member also, & boasteth great thynges. Beholde how great a matter a litle fire kindleth.
So the tongue also is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how much wood is kindled by how small a fire!
So the tongue is also a little member, and boasts great things. Behold, how much wood is kindled by how small a fire!
So the tongue also is a little member, yet boasteth great things. Behold how much matter a little fire kindleth.
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.
So also the tunge is but a litil membre, and reisith grete thingis. Lo! hou litil fier brenneth a ful greet wode.
So the tongue also is a little member, and boasts great things. Look, how much wood is kindled by how small a fire!
Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
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.
Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles!
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.
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.
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!
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;
Even so the tongue is indeed a little member and boasteth great things. Behold how small a fire kindleth a great wood.
Even so the tonge is a lyttell member and bosteth great thinges. Beholde how gret a thinge a lyttell fyre kyndleth
so also the tongue is a little member, and doth boast greatly; lo, a little fire how much wood it doth kindle!
Euen so the toge is a lyttell member, and bosteth great thinges. Beholde how gret a thinge a lyttell fyre kyndleth,
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?
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.
Contextual Overview
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
but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die."
And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden;
but God said, 'You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.'"
So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, and he ate.
Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves aprons.
And he said, "I heard the sound of thee in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself."
Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this that you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent beguiled me, and I ate."
The LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, cursed are you above all cattle, and above all wild animals; upon your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life.
I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel."
Then the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil; and now, lest he put forth his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever" --
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.
