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James 3:8
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6 And athe tongue is a fire, a world of1 iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it bdefiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of2 nature; and it is set on fire by3 hell.  
7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind.
8 But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, afull of deadly poison.  
9 With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made ain the similitude of God.  
10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.
11 Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening?
12 Can a afig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs?1 Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh.  

Heavenly Versus Demonic Wisdom

13 aWho is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom.  
14 But if you have abitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, bdo not boast and lie against the truth.  
15 aThis wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic.  
16 For awhere envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.  
17 But athe wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, bwithout partiality cand without hypocrisy.  
18 aNow the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. 
Commentaries:
Robertson's Word Pictures (NT)
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James 3:8

No one (oudeiv). Especially his own tongue and by himself, but one has the help of the Holy Spirit.

A restless evil (akatastaton kakon). Correct reading, not akatasxeton, for which see James 1:8. The tongue is evil when set on fire by hell, not evil necessarily.

Full of deadly poison (mesth iou qanathforou). Feminine adjective agreeing with glwssa, not with kakon (neuter). Iou (poison here, as in Romans 3:13, but rust in James 5:3, only N.T. examples), old word. Genitive case after mesth (full of). Qanathforou, old compound adjective (from qanatov, death, ferw, to bear or bring), death-bringing. Here only in N.T. Like the restless death-bringing tongue of the asp before it strikes.




Other Robertson's Word Pictures (NT) entries containing James 3:8:

Mark 16:18
Romans 3:13
James 1:8
James 1:19
James 3:16
James 4:11
James 5:3
1 Peter 3:10

 

<< James 3:7   James 3:9 >>

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