James 3:6

James 3:6 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And 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.
• New International Version (NIV)The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell.

Context of James 3:6

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! And 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.

James 3:6 word by word

καὶ ἡ γλῶσσα πῦρ, ὁ κόσμος τῆς ἀδικίας ἡ γλῶσσα καθίσταται ἐν τοῖς μέλεσιν ἡμῶν ἡ σπιλοῦσα ὅλον τὸ σῶμα καὶ φλογίζουσα τὸν τροχὸν τῆς γενέσεως καὶ φλογιζομένη ὑπὸ τῆς γεέννης.¶Read the interlinear

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• the tongueὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the tongueγλῶσσαglōssa · tongueG1100
• a fireπῦρpur · fireG4442
• a worldκόσμοςkosmos · worldG2889
• of iniquityἀδικίαadikia · unrighteousnessG93
• soοὕτωςhoutō · thus(-ly)G3779
• isκαθίστημιkathistēmi · to appoint/conductG2525
• amongἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• ourἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• membersμέλοςmelos · memberG3196
• that it defilethσπιλόωspiloō · to stainG4695
• the wholeὅλοςholos · allG3650
• bodyσῶμαsōma · bodyG4983
• setteth on fireφλογίζωphlogizō · to kindleG5394
• the courseτροχόςtrochos · course/wheelG5164
• of natureγένεσιςgenesis · originG1078
• ofὑπόhupo · by/under: byG5259
• hellγέενναgeenna · hell: GehennaG1067

Cross-references for James 3:6

• Judges 12:4Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead, and fought with Ephraim: and the men of Gilead smote Ephraim, because they said, Ye Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites, and among the Manassites.
• 2 Samuel 19:43And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, and said, We have ten parts in the king, and we have also more right in David than ye: why then did ye despise us, that our advice should not be first had in bringing back our king? And the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel.
• 2 Samuel 20:1And there happened to be there a man of Belial, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite: and he blew a trumpet, and said, We have no part in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to his tents, O Israel.
• 2 Chronicles 10:13And the king answered them roughly; and king Rehoboam forsook the counsel of the old men,
• 2 Chronicles 13:17And Abijah and his people slew them with a great slaughter: so there fell down slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men.
• Psalms 64:3Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words:
• Psalms 140:3They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders’ poison is under their lips. Selah.
• Proverbs 15:1A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.
• Proverbs 16:27An ungodly man diggeth up evil: and in his lips there is as a burning fire.
• Proverbs 26:20Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth.
• Isaiah 30:27Behold, the name of Yhwh cometh from far, burning with his anger, and the burden thereof is heavy: his lips are full of indignation, and his tongue as a devouring fire:
• James 2:7Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?
• Genesis 3:4And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
• Leviticus 24:11And the Israelitish woman’s son blasphemed the name of Yhwh, and cursed. And they brought him unto Moses: (and his mother’s name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan:)
• Numbers 25:2And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods.
• Numbers 31:16Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against Yhwh in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of Yhwh.

Commentaries on James 3:6

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6The tongue is a fire - It is often the instrument of producing the most desperate contentions and insurrections. A world of iniquity - This is an unusual form of speech, but the meaning is plain enough; World signifies here a mass, a great collection, an abundance. We use the term in the same sense - a world of troubles, a world of toil, a world of anxiety; for great troubles, oppressive toil, most distressing anxiety. And one of our lexicographers calls…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6And the tongue is a fire - In this sense, that it produces a “blaze,” or a great conflagration. It produces a disturbance and an agitation that may be compared with the conflagration often produced by a spark. A world of iniquity - A little world of evil in itself. This is a very expressive phrase, and is similar to one which we often employ, as when we speak of a town as being a world in miniature. We mean by it that it is an epitome of the world; that…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6a world of wickedness: The tongue (our speech) acts as an agent of the whole unrighteous world that opposes God (1:27; 4:4). by hell: The Greek word Gehenna refers to the place of eternal punishment (Matthew 5:22, 30; 23:15). Hades is the place of the dead (Luke 16:23; Acts 2:31). Mentioning hell points to the devil as the ultimate source of evil speech (James 4:7; Matt 5:22; John 8:44).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 66. Translate, "The tongue, that world of iniquity, is a fire." As man's little world is an image of the greater world, the universe, so the tongue is an image of the former [Bengel]. so--omitted in the oldest authorities. is--literally, "is constituted." "The tongue is (constituted), among the members, the one which defileth," &c. (namely, as fire defiles with its smoke). course of nature--"the orb (cycle) of creation." setteth on fire ... is set on…Read the comment

Topics related to James 3:6

• Hell
• Speaking

In the dictionaries

• Coal
• Course
• Gehenna
• Governor
• Obey
• Offend
• Ought
• Tame
• Busybody
• Defile; Defilement

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