Naravist

The Letters · New Testament

James 3

James 3: the tongue, and wisdom from above set against wisdom from below

General context

The chapter opens with a warning against many becoming masters, since teachers receive the greater condemnation, and with an admission that all offend in many things. A man who does not offend in word is called perfect and able to bridle the whole body. Three images follow: bits in horses' mouths turn the whole animal, a small helm steers a great ship against fierce winds, and a little fire kindles a great matter. The tongue is then called a fire and a world of iniquity, defiling the whole body and set on fire of hell. Every kind of beast, bird, serpent and sea creature has been tamed by mankind, but no man can tame the tongue, which is called an unruly evil full of deadly poison. The inconsistency is named directly: with it God the Father is blessed and men made in God's likeness are cursed, and blessing and cursing come out of the same mouth, which the writer says ought not to be. Two questions from nature press the point, since a fountain does not give sweet and bitter at one place, and a fig tree cannot bear olive berries. The subject then turns to wisdom. Whoever is wise should show his works out of a good conversation with meekness. Bitter envying and strife are not to be boasted of, and the wisdom behind them is called earthly, sensual and devilish, producing confusion and every evil work. The wisdom from above is listed as pure first, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy, and the chapter closes with the fruit of righteousness sown in peace by those who make peace.

Cited passages: James 3:1, James 3:2, James 3:3, James 3:4, James 3:5, James 3:6, James 3:7, James 3:8, James 3:9, James 3:10, James 3:11, James 3:12, James 3:13, James 3:14, James 3:15, James 3:16, James 3:17, James 3:18

James 3 (KJV)

1My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.

2For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.

3Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.

4Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.

5Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!

6And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.

7For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:

8But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

9Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.

10Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.

11Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?

12Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.

13Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.

14But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.

15This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.

16For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

17But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

18And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

This page shows the King James Version. In the app, reading opens in the Berean Standard Bible unless you have chosen another translation. The reader includes five translations: the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), the King James Version (KJV), the World English Bible (WEB), the Bible in Basic English (BBE), and the American Standard Version (ASV). Search covers three of them: Berean Standard, King James, and World English. Basic English and American Standard readers search the King James words.

Historical context

The opening assumes that some among the readers are teaching or want to teach, since it tells them not to be many masters and says teachers will be judged more severely. The writer includes himself in the warning and in the fault, writing "we shall receive the greater condemnation" and "in many things we offend all". He also puts himself inside the inconsistency he describes: "Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men". The cursing is said to fall on people "which are made after the similitude of God", which is the ground given for the objection. No older scripture is quoted in this chapter, and no names, places, occasions or dates appear. The claim that every kind of creature has been tamed by mankind is stated as common knowledge, and the tongue is set against it as the exception.

Cited passages: James 3:1, James 3:2, James 3:9, James 3:7, James 3:8

Literary context

The chapter is built on size. Small things that steer large ones come first, a bit, a helm, a spark, and each is introduced with Behold so the reader has to look. The fire image then escapes its own comparison: what began as a small flame becomes "a world of iniquity" and is "set on fire of hell", far past the spark it started as. After the images comes a flat statement of fact that cannot be softened, "But the tongue can no man tame", set immediately beside the claim that every other creature has been tamed. The nature questions at verses 11 and 12 work by expecting no as the answer, and their point is consistency, not power. The second half changes the terms entirely, from the tongue to wisdom, but keeps the two source test: what descends from above against what is earthly. The final list is ordered, pure first and then peaceable, and the chapter ends on peace after beginning on fire.

Cited passages: James 3:3, James 3:4, James 3:5, James 3:6, James 3:8, James 3:11, James 3:15, James 3:17, James 3:18

Key moments

  1. Not many masters (James 3:1). Those who teach are warned that they face a heavier judgment.
  2. Bits and helms (James 3:4). A small rudder is used to show what a small thing can steer.
  3. A little fire (James 3:5). The tongue's size is set against the size of what it starts.
  4. No man can tame it (James 3:8). The letter states plainly that the tongue is untamable.
  5. Blessing and cursing (James 3:10). The same mouth is said to do both, which the writer rejects.
  6. Wisdom from below (James 3:15). Envy and strife are traced to a wisdom that is not from above.
  7. Wisdom from above (James 3:17). A list names what the other wisdom looks like in order.

For reflection

The letter says no one can tame the tongue and then tells its readers that blessing and cursing from the same mouth ought not to be. What do you do with an instruction that comes attached to an admission that it cannot be fully carried out?