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James 3:5

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

KJV

οὕτως καὶ ἡ γλῶσσα μικρὸν μέλος ἐστὶν καὶ μεγάλα αὐχεῖ. ἰδοὺ ἡλίκον πῦρ ἡλίκην ὕλην ἀνάπτει·

Greek NT

Ita et lingua modicum quidem membrum est, et magna exaltat. Ecce quantus ignis quam magnam silvam incendit !

Vulgate

So the tongue also is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how much wood is kindled by how small a fire!

ASV

Even so the tongue is indeed a little member and boasteth great things. Behold how small a fire kindleth a great wood.

Douay-Rheims

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In the original Greek

14 distinct Greek words appear in this verse.

γλῶσσα
glossa
noun · 50×
εἰμί
eimi
verb · 2461×
καί
kai
conjunction · 8973×
μέγας
megas
adjective · 244×
μέλος
melos
noun · 34×
μεγαλαυχέω
megalaucheo
verb · 1×
μικρός
mikros
adjective · 42×
οὕτω
outo
adverb · 208×
πῦρ
pur
noun · 71×
ἀνάπτω
anapto
verb · 2×
ἡλίκος
elikos
adjective · 3×
o
article · 19778×
ὁράω
orao
verb · 682×
ὕλη
ule
noun · 1×

Textual variants

2 variant units attested by manuscript witnesses and modern critical editions.

minor
SBLGNT: μεγάλα αὐχεῖ | WH/Treg/NIV: μεγάλα αὐχεῖ | RP: μεγαλαυχεῖ
  • μεγάλα αὐχεῖSBLGNT
  • μεγάλα αὐχεῖWestcott-Hort, Tregelles, Reader's GNT (NA27)
  • μεγαλαυχεῖRobinson-Pierpont
source: sblgnt-apparatus
minor
SBLGNT: ἡλίκον | WH/Treg/NIV: ἡλίκον | RP: ὀλίγον
  • ἡλίκονSBLGNT
  • ἡλίκονWestcott-Hort, Tregelles, Reader's GNT (NA27)
  • ὀλίγονRobinson-Pierpont
source: sblgnt-apparatus

Themes

Historic Christian voices

4 passages from patristic writers, Reformers, and church catechisms citing this verse.

Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. Over and above our own body, our wife or husband, and our temporal property, we have yet another treasure, namely, honor and good report. God will not have our neighbor deprived of his reputation, honor, and character any more than of his money and possessions.

Cross-references

  • 2Kgs 19:22 — Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed? and against whom hast thou exalted thy voice, and lifted up thine eyes on high? even against the Holy One of Israel.
  • 2Pet 2:18 — For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.
  • Ezek 28:2 — Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyrus, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thine heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, I am a God, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet thou art a
  • Jas 3:2 — For 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.
  • Jer 9:3 — And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the LORD.
  • Jer 18:18 — Then said they, Come, and let us devise devices against Jeremiah; for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let us smite him wit
  • Job 5:21 — Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue: neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it cometh.
  • Job 15:5 — For thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity, and thou choosest the tongue of the crafty.
  • Jude 1:16 — These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage.
  • Luke 6:45 — A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the
  • Matt 12:34 — O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
  • Matt 15:11 — Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.
  • Prov 6:27 — Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?
  • Prov 10:11 — The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life: but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.
  • Prov 12:18 — There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health.
  • Prov 14:3 — In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride: but the lips of the wise shall preserve them.
  • Prov 15:2 — The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness.
  • Prov 18:21 — Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.
  • Prov 29:8 — Scornful men bring a city into a snare: but wise men turn away wrath.
  • Ps 10:3 — For the wicked boasteth of his heart’s desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth.
  • Ps 12:2 — They speak vanity every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak.
  • Ps 12:4 — Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is lord over us?
  • Ps 16:9 — Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.
  • Ps 17:10 — They are inclosed in their own fat: with their mouth they speak proudly.
  • Ps 31:20 — Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.
  • Ps 34:13 — Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.
  • Ps 52:1 — Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of God endureth continually.
  • Ps 63:3 — Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.
  • Ps 73:8 — They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily.
  • Ps 120:4 — Sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of juniper.
  • Rev 13:5 — And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.
  • Rom 1:30 — Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
  • Rom 3:13 — Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:
  • Rom 6:13 — Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto Go