James 3:8
But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
KJV
τὴν δὲ γλῶσσαν οὐδεὶς δύναται ἀνθρώπων δαμάσαι· ἀκατάστατον κακόν, μεστὴ ἰοῦ θανατηφόρου.
Greek NT
linguam autem nullus hominum domare potest : inquietum malum, plena veneno mortifero.
Vulgate
but the tongue can no man tame; it is a restless evil, it is full of deadly poison.
ASV
But the tongue no man can tame, an unquiet evil, full of deadly poison.
Douay-Rheims
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In the original Greek
12 distinct Greek words appear in this verse.
γλῶσσα
glossa
noun · 50×
δέ
de
conjunction · 2781×
δαμάζω
damazo
verb · 4×
δύναμαι
dunamai
verb · 209×
θανατήφορος
thanatephoros
adjective · 1×
κακός
kakos
adjective · 50×
μεστός
mestos
adjective · 9×
οὐδείς
oudeis
adjective · 235×
ἀκατάστατος
akatastatos
adjective · 2×
ἄνθρωπος
anthropos
noun · 549×
ἰός
ios
noun · 3×
ὁ
o
article · 19778×
Textual variants
2 variant units attested by manuscript witnesses and modern critical editions.
minor
SBLGNT: δαμάσαι δύναται ἀνθρώπων | WH/Treg/NIV: δαμάσαι δύναται ἀνθρώπων | RP: δύναται ἀνθρώπων δαμάσαι
- δαμάσαι δύναται ἀνθρώπων — SBLGNT
- δαμάσαι δύναται ἀνθρώπων — Westcott-Hort, Tregelles, Reader's GNT (NA27)
- δύναται ἀνθρώπων δαμάσαι — Robinson-Pierpont
source: sblgnt-apparatus
minor
SBLGNT: ἀκατάστατον | WH/Treg/NIV: ἀκατάστατον | RP: ἀκατάσχετον
- ἀκατάστατον — SBLGNT
- ἀκατάστατον — Westcott-Hort, Tregelles, Reader's GNT (NA27)
- ἀκατάσχετον — Robinson-Pierpont
source: sblgnt-apparatus
Historic Christian voices
4 passages from patristic writers, Reformers, and church catechisms citing this verse.
Abba Sisoes said, "For thirty years I have not prayed to God about my sins. Instead I pray thus: 'Lord Jesus, protect me from my tongue.' For even now every day I fall because of it and commit sin."
Cross-references
- Deut 32:33 — Their wine is the poison of dragons, and the cruel venom of asps.
- Eccl 10:11 — Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment; and a babbler is no better.
- Jas 3:6 — 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.
- Ps 55:21 — The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.
- Ps 57:4 — My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.
- Ps 58:4 — Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: they are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear;
- Ps 58:4 — Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: they are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear;
- Ps 59:7 — Behold, they belch out with their mouth: swords are in their lips: for who, say they, doth hear?
- Ps 64:3 — Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words:
- Ps 140:3 — They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders’ poison is under their lips. Selah.
- Rev 12:9 — And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
- Rom 3:13 — Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: