James 3:12

James 3:12 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.
• New International Version (NIV)My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh.
• New Living Translation (NLT)Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty spring.

Context of James 3:12

10From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. 11Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water. 13Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 14But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth.

James 3:12 word by word

μὴ δύναται, ἀδελφοί μου, συκῆ ἐλαίας ποιῆσαι ἢ ἄμπελος σῦκα; οὔτε ἁλυκὸν γλυκὺ ποιῆσαι ὕδωρ.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·μήmē · notG3361
• Canδύναμαιdunamai · be ableG1410
• the fig treeσυκῆsukē · fig treeG4808
• myἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• brethrenἀδελφόςadelphos · brotherG80
• bearποιέωpoieō · to do/make: doG4160
• olive berriesἐλαίαelaia · olive treeG1636
• eitherἤē · orG2228
• a vineἄμπελοςampelos · vineG288
• figsσῦκονsukon · figG4810
• soοὕτωςhoutō · thus(-ly)G3779
• noοὐδείςoudeis · noneG3762
• fountainπηγήpēgē · flowG4077
• saltἁλυκόςhalukos · saltyG252
• waterὕδωρhudōr hudatos · waterG5204
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• freshγλυκύςglukus · sweetG1099

Cross-references for James 3:12

• Isaiah 5:2He dug it and cleared it of stones, and planted it with choice vines; he built a watchtower in the midst of it, and hewed out a wine vat in it; and he looked for it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes.
• Jeremiah 2:21Yet I planted you a choice vine, wholly of pure seed. How then have you turned degenerate and become a wild vine?
• Matthew 7:16You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
• Matthew 12:33"Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit.
• Luke 6:43"For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit,
• Romans 11:16If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches.
• Exodus 15:23When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter; therefore it was named Marah.
• 2 Kings 2:19Now the men of the city said to Elisha, "Behold, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees, but the water is bad, and the land is unfruitful."
• Ezekiel 47:8And he said to me, "This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, and enters the sea; when the water flows into the sea, the water will become fresh.

Commentaries on James 3:12

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12So can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh - For the reading of the common text, which is ̔ ̔ ̔, so no fountain can produce salt water and sweet, there are various other readings in the MSS. and versions. The word ̔, so, which makes this a continuation of the comparison in James 3:11, is wanting in ABC, one other, with the Armenian and ancient Syriac; the later Syriac has it in the margin with an asterisk. ABC, five others, with the Coptic…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12Can the fig-tree, my brethren, bear olive-berries? - Such a thing is impossible in nature, and equally absurd in morals. A fig-tree bears only figs; and so the tongue ought to give utterance only to one class of sentiments and emotions. These illustrations are very striking, and show the absurdity of that which the apostle reproves. At the same time, they accomplish the main purpose which he had in view, to repress the desire of becoming public teachers…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. Transition from the mouth to the heart. Can the fig tree, &c.--implying that it is an impossibility: as before in Jas 3:10 he had said it "ought not so to be." James does not, as Matthew (Mt 7:16, 17), make the question, "Do men gather figs of thistles?" His argument is, No tree "can" bring forth fruit inconsistent with its nature, as for example, the fig tree, olive berries: so if a man speaks bitterly, and afterwards speaks good words, the latter…Read the comment

Topics related to James 3:12

• Righteousness

In the dictionaries

• Olive Berries
• Course
• Governor
• Obey
• Offend
• Ought
• Tame
• Berries
• Either
• Fresh

Commentaries on James 3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings