James 3:5

So also the tongue is but a little member, and raiseth great things. Lo! how little fire burneth [or kindleth] a full great wood, (or Behold! how a little fire burneth a very large forest).

Wycliffe Modern Spelling

In The King James Version

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

In Context

4And lo! ships, when they be great, and be driven of strong winds, yet they be borne about of a little rudder, where the moving of the governor will. (And behold! ships, although they be great, and be driven by strong winds, yet they can be turned about by a little rudder, wherever the captain desireth.)

6And our tongue is (a) fire, the university of wickedness. The tongue is ordained in our members, which defouleth all the body; and it is enflamed, [or set afire], of hell (or and it is set on fire from hell), and enflameth the wheel of our birth.

Read all of James 3

Cross References

Exodus 5:2And Pharaoh answered, Who is the Lord, that I hear his voice, and deliver Israel? I know not the Lord, and I shall not deliver Israel. (And Pharaoh answered, Who is the Lord, that I should listen to him, and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and I will not let Israel go.)

2 Kings 19:22O! Sennacherib, whom hast thou despised, and whom hast thou blasphemed? Against whom hast thou raised thy voice, and hast raised (up) thine eyes on high? Against the Holy (One) of Israel.

Job 22:17Which said to God, Go thou away from us; and as if Almighty God may do nothing, they guessed him, (Who said to God, Go thou away from us; and they thought, that Almighty God can do nothing for them, or that Almighty God can do nothing to them,)

Psalms 12:2They spake vain things, each man to his neighbour; and they having guileful lips, spake in their heart, and with their heart. (They spoke lies, each man to his neighbour; yea, they having deceitful lips, spoke with a double heart.)

Psalms 52:1To victory, the psalm of David, when Doeg (the) Idumaean came, and told to Saul, and said to him, David came into the house of Ahimelech. What hast thou glory in malice; which art mighty in wickedness? ( For the choirmaster, a song by David, when Doeg the Edomite came, and told Saul, and said to him, David went into the house of Ahimelech. Why hast thou glory in evil, or in wickedness, mighty man? but the goodness of God endureth forever.)

Proverbs 12:18A man is that promiseth, and he is pricked as with the sword of conscience; but the tongue of wise men is health. (There is a person who speaketh, and his words cut like a sword; but the tongues of the wise give health.)

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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