James 3:8

no person ◄ on his own/by himself► is able to control what he says [MTY]. And when people say evil things, it shows that they are unstable/uncontrolled and wicked [MTY]. As the poison of a snake kills people [MTY], we harm others [MET] by what we say.

Translation for Translators

In The King James Version

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

In Context

7Indeed, although people are able to tame/control all kinds of wild animals, birds, reptiles and creatures that live in the water, and people have actually tamed/controlled them,

9We use our tongue to praise God, who is our Lord and Father, but we also use our same tongue to ask God to say evil things to people. That is very wrong! God made people like himself, so we should speak as respectfully to others as we speak to God.

Read all of James 3

Cross References

Psalms 55:21What he said was easy to listen to, like butter is easy to swallow [MET], but in his inner being he hated people; his words were soothing like olive oil, but they hurt people like sharp swords do [MET].

Psalms 58:4God, show in the heavens how great you are! And show your glory to people all over the earth! What wicked people say injures people like the venom of a snake [MET]; They refuse to listen to good advice, as though they were cobras that were deaf [MET]!

Psalms 64:3The hostile things they say [MTY] are like [SIM] sharp swords; their cruel words are like [SIM] arrows.

Ecclesiastes 10:11If a snake bites a man before he charms/tames it, his ability to charm snakes will not benefit him.

James 3:6Just like a fire damages a forest [MET], when we say things that are evil, we harm many people. What we say [MTY] reveals that we are very evil. What we say contaminates/defiles everything that we think and do [PRS, MET]. Just like a flame of fire easily causes the whole surrounding area [MET] to burn, what we say [MTY] can cause others to want to do evil. It is the devil himself [MTY] who causes us to say evil things.

Matthew Henry on James 3:2-13

Government of the Tongue. ( a. d. 61.) 1 My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation. 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. 3 Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. 4 Behold 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,… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

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