James 3:5 Commentary, explanation, study verse by verse

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

James 3:5 - Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Even so the tongue is a little member - Little compared with the body, as the bit or the rudder is, compared with the horse or the ship. And boasteth great things - The design of the apostle...
James 3:5 - Arno Geneva Study Bible

Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. (5) Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! (5) On the contrary part he shows how great inconveniences arise by the exces...
James 3:5 - Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

Do not crowd into the ranks of the teachers, my brothers. You know that we teachers shall be judged more severely than other men; and there are many things in which all of us stumble. This leads to t...
James 3:5 - Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

boasteth . Greek. aucheo. Only here. great, &c. . much wood. Greek. hule . Only here. a little . how little a. kindleth . See Acts 28:2 .
James 3:5 - Calvin's Commentary on the Bible

And boasteth great things. The verb μεγαλαυχεῖν means to boast one’s self, or to vaunt. But James in this passage did not intend to reprove ostentation so much as to show that the tongue is t...
James 3:5 - Clarke's commentary and critical notes on the Bible

Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! Boasteth great things - That is, can do great things, whether of a good or evil ki...
James 3:5 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

And boasteth great things— Though the word μεγαλαυχειν signifies in general to boast great things; yet here, to answer the two preceding comparisons, it must signify that the tongue, though a sma...
James 3:5 - Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! Boasteth great things. What the careless think 'little,' is often of great...
James 3:5 - Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

The Control of the Tongue 1, 2. Warning against undue eagerness to teach: cp. Matthew 12:37 ; Matthew 23:7 ; Romans 2:19-20 ; 1 Corinthians 12:28 ; 1 Corinthians 14:26-40 ; Ephesians 4:11 ....
James 3:5 - Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

Even so... — Thus , like the tiny rudder of the mighty ship, whereon its course most critically depends — the tongue is a little member; for it “vaunts great words which bring about great acts o...
James 3:5 - Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

Chapter 14 HEAVY RESPONSIBILITIES OF TEACHERS-THE POWERS AND PROPENSITIES OF THE TONGUE-THE SELF-DEFILEMENT OF THE RECKLESS TALKER. James 3:1-8 FROM the "idle faith" St. James goes on to speak...
James 3:5 - Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

Bridle the Tongue James 3:1-12 It is much easier to teach people what they should be and do than to obey our own precepts. Even the best of us stumble in many respects; but our most frequent fa...
James 3:5 - G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

The writer now proceeded to show the effect of faith on speech. Beginning with the warning against every man setting up to teach, he proceeded to deal with the power of speech. He likened the tongue...
James 3:5 - Hawker's Poor Man's Commentary

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...
James 3:5 - James Nisbet's Church Pulpit Commentary

GUARDING OUR WORDS ‘Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth.’ James 3:5 St. James is nothing if not practical, and in this chapter ( James 3:5-10 ) he warns us of the evil of an un...
James 3:5 - John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Even so the tongue is a little member ,.... Like the bit in the horse's mouth, or like the helm of a ship. And boasteth great things : and does them; for this word may be taken in a good sense: a...
James 3:5 - John Trapp Complete Commentary

Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! Ver. 5. Boasteth great things ] Gr. μεγαλαυχει. It doth magnifically lift up i...
James 3:5 - Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Behold , &c. As if the apostle had said, Think not the tongue a weak member because it is small; we put bits in the horses' mouths that they may obey us May go as we direct them; and , strong...
James 3:5 - L. M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

Here we begin a fourth division of the book, which continues to the end of Ch.4; in which our walk is tested by the circumstances of the world. Certainly in the previous Chapter s there is emphasis a...
James 3:5 - Matthew Henry's Whole Bible Commentary

Government of the Tongue. A. D. 61. 1 My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall...
James 3:5 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

The accommodation of the former similitudes. The tongue is a little member, i.e. one of the lesser, in comparison of the body. And boasteth great things; the Greek word signifies, according to it...
James 3:5 - Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

‘So the tongue also is a little member, and boasts great things. See, how great a an area of brushwood is kindled by how small a fire!' He now brings their thoughts back to the tongue. The ‘small' r...
James 3:5 - Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

CRITICAL AND EXEGETICAL NOTES James 3:5 . A matter. —Better, “a forest.” The picture presented is of the wrapping of some vast forest in a flame by the falling of a single spark. Philo uses th...
James 3:5 - Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

James 3:1 . Be not many masters: διδασκαλοι, teachers. In some assemblies they might all prophesy one by one, but no man should be too forward; he will never shine as a teacher, unless he be a t...
James 3:5 - The Complete Pulpit Commentary

EXPOSITION James 3:1-59 WARNING AGAINST OVER - READINESS TO TEACH , LEADING TO A DISCOURSE ON THE IMPORTANCE OF GOVERNMENT OF THE TONGUE . James 3:1 (...
James 3:5 - The Popular Commentary by Paul E. Kretzmann

Caution against False Activity in Teaching and the Use of the Tongue. The danger of teaching and much speaking:
James 3:5 - Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

2 Kings 19:22-24 ; 2 Peter 2:18 ; Daniel 3:15 ; Daniel 4:30 ; Exodus 15:9 ; Exodus 5:2 ; Ezekiel 28:2 ; Ezekiel 29:3 ; Jeremiah 18:18 ; Jeremiah 9:3-8 ; Job 21:14 ; Job 21:15 ; Job 22:17...
James 3:5 - Wesley's Explanatory Notes

Boasteth great things — Hath great influence.

James 3:5 - Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible

James 3:5 - Arno Geneva Study Bible

James 3:5 - Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

James 3:5 - Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

James 3:5 - Calvin's Commentary on the Bible

James 3:5 - Clarke's commentary and critical notes on the Bible

James 3:5 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

James 3:5 - Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

James 3:5 - Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

James 3:5 - Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

James 3:5 - Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

James 3:5 - Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

James 3:5 - G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

James 3:5 - Hawker's Poor Man's Commentary

James 3:5 - James Nisbet's Church Pulpit Commentary

James 3:5 - John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

James 3:5 - John Trapp Complete Commentary

James 3:5 - Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

James 3:5 - L. M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

James 3:5 - Matthew Henry's Whole Bible Commentary

James 3:5 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

James 3:5 - Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

James 3:5 - Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

James 3:5 - Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

James 3:5 - The Complete Pulpit Commentary

James 3:5 - The Popular Commentary by Paul E. Kretzmann

James 3:5 - Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

James 3:5 - Wesley's Explanatory Notes