Be quick to listen, slow to teach.

Everyone stumbles with his tongue. Have you lied and deceived? Have you gossiped? Have you spoken in an overly harsh way? Have you exasperated with criticism? Have you mocked unlovingly to someone's face? Have you mocked someone behind their back? Have you twisted the truth? Have you snapped at someone? Have you held your tongue in cowardice? Have you held your tongue to promote deception? Have you used empty words that did not match your heart? Have you criticized hypocritically? Have you flattered others? Have you taught something untrue? The tongue is extremely powerful. Think of the three most hurtful things you have experienced. How many of them involved the tongue? Think of the three biggest regrets of your life. How many involved the tongue? Note how God created the universe...with words! "I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." (Matthew 12:36-37 ESV) "...if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved." (Romans 10:9-10 ESV) The tongue is untamable. Have you been able to quit smoking/drinking/drugs completely? By God's grace, many can say "yes." Have you put a complete stop to speaking unlovingly? Have you repented of adultery or fornication, never to return? Praise God! Have you been able to repent of snapping at people, never to return? Have you learned to control your temper? Awesome. Have you learned to control your tongue from both hypocritical criticism as well as flattery? The tongue acts hypocritically. Have you spoken a wish for another's harm in your frustration or anger? Have you spoken to others in a way that has torn them down? Are these not forms of cursing them? Have you spoken praise and sung psalms to God? How can it be that we use the same mouth for both?!

notes

Main point summary

Think twice before becoming a teacher, since teachers are judged more strictly. This is because (1) everyone stumbles with his tongue, (2) the tongue is extremely powerful, (3) the tongue is an untamable fire, and (4) we use it hypocritically.

Arc

editing

James 3:1-12

esv

mhnt

na28

c Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers,

אַחַי, אַל יִהְיוּ רַבִּים מִכֶּם לְמוֹרִים,

Μὴ πολλοὶ διδάσκαλοι γίνεσθε, ἀδελφοί μου, εἰδότες ὅτι μεῖζον κρίμα λημψόμεθα.

for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.

שֶׁהֲרֵי יְדַעְתֶּם כִּי עָלֵינוּ יִהְיֶה הַדִּין חָמוּר יוֹתֵר.

ground

For d we all stumble in many ways.

וַהֲלֹא כֻּלָּנוּ מַרְבִּים לְהִכָּשֵׁל.

πολλὰ γὰρ πταίομεν ἅπαντες. εἴ τις ἐν λόγῳ οὐ πταίει, οὗτος τέλειος ἀνὴρ δυνατὸς χαλιναγωγῆσαι καὶ ὅλον τὸ σῶμα.

And if anyone does not stumble in what he says,

מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ נִכְשָׁל בְּדִבּוּר,

e he is a perfect man,

אִישׁ מֻשְׁלָם הוּא

f able also to bridle his whole body.

וְיָכוֹל לָשִׂים רֶסֶן לְכָל גּוּפוֹ.

conditional

concessive

If we put g bits into the mouths of horses

הִנֵּה בְּפִי הַסּוּסִים שָׂמִים אָנוּ רֶסֶן

εἰ δὲ τῶν ἵππων τοὺς χαλινοὺς εἰς τὰ στόματα βάλλομεν εἰς τὸ πείθεσθαι αὐτοὺς ἡμῖν, καὶ ὅλον τὸ σῶμα αὐτῶν μετάγομεν.

so that they obey us,

כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּשָּׁמְעוּ לָנוּ,

actionpurpose

we guide their whole bodies as well.

וְכָךְ מְנַהֲגִים אָנוּ אֶת כָּל גּוּפָם.

Look at the ships also:

וְהִנֵּה גַּם הָאֳנִיּוֹת,

ἰδοὺ καὶ τὰ πλοῖα τηλικαῦτα ὄντα καὶ ὑπὸ ἀνέμων σκληρῶν ἐλαυνόμενα, μετάγεται ὑπὸ ἐλαχίστου πηδαλίου ὅπου ἡ ὁρμὴ τοῦ εὐθύνοντος βούλεται,

though they are so large

אַף שֶׁגְּדוֹלוֹת הֵן

and are driven by strong winds,

וְנֶהְדָּפוֹת בְּרוּחַ עַזָּה,

series

they are guided by a very small rudder

הֶגֶה קָטָן יְנַהֵג אוֹתָן

wherever the will of the pilot directs.

אֶל הַמָּקוֹם שֶׁיִּרְצֶה הַהַגַּאי.

locative

ideaexplanation

So also the tongue is a small member,

כֵּן גַּם הַלָּשׁוֹן אֵיבָר קָטָן הִיא,

οὕτως καὶ ἡ γλῶσσα μικρὸν μέλος ἐστὶν

yet it boasts of great things.

וּמְדַבֶּרֶת גְּדוֹלוֹת.

καὶ μεγάλα αὐχεῖ.

comparison

How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!

רְאוּ אֵיזוֹ אֵשׁ קְטַנָּה מַבְעִירָה יַעַר גָּדוֹל!

ἰδοὺ ἡλίκον πῦρ ἡλίκην ὕλην ἀνάπτει•

And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness.

גַּם הַלָּשׁוֹן אֵשׁ הִיא, עוֹלָם שֶׁל עַוְלָה.

καὶ ἡ γλῶσσα πῦρ• ὁ κόσμος τῆς ἀδικίας

The tongue is set among our members,

הַלָּשׁוֹן נִצֶּבֶת בֵּין אֵיבָרֵינוּ

ἡ γλῶσσα καθίσταται ἐν τοῖς μέλεσιν ἡμῶν,

staining the whole body,

וּמְטַמֵּאת אֶת כָּל הַגּוּף.

ἡ σπιλοῦσα ὅλον τὸ σῶμα

setting on fire the entire course of life,

הִיא מַצִּיתָה אֶת גַּלְגַּל הֲוָיָתֵנוּ

καὶ φλογίζουσα τὸν τροχὸν τῆς γενέσεως

and set on fire by hell.

וְנִצֶּתֶת בְּאֵשׁ גֵּיהִנּוֹם.

καὶ φλογιζομένη ὑπὸ τῆς γεέννης.

For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed

כָּל מִין בְּהֵמָה וְעוֹף וְרֶמֶשׂ וְחַיּוֹת הַיָּם, הַמִּין הָאֱנוֹשִׁי יָכוֹל לְהִשְׁתַּלֵּט עָלָיו,

πᾶσα γὰρ φύσις θηρίων τε καὶ πετεινῶν, ἑρπετῶν τε καὶ ἐναλίων δαμάζεται

and has been tamed by mankind,

וְאָכֵן הִשְׁתַּלֵּט.

καὶ δεδάμασται τῇ φύσει τῇ ἀνθρωπίνῃ,

progression

but no human being can tame the tongue.

אֲבָל הַלָּשׁוֹן אֵין אָדָם יָכוֹל לְהִשְׁתַּלֵּט עָלֶיהָ;

τὴν δὲ γλῶσσαν οὐδεὶς δαμάσαι δύναται ἀνθρώπων,

It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

רָעָה הִיא וְחַסְרַת מַעְצוֹר, וּמְלֵאָה אֶרֶס מָוֶת.

ἀκατάστατον κακόν, μεστὴ ἰοῦ θανατηφόρου.

With it we bless our Lord and Father,

בָּהּ מְבָרְכִים אָנוּ אֶת הָאָדוֹן וְהָאָב,

ἐν αὐτῇ εὐλογοῦμεν τὸν κύριον καὶ πατέρα

and with it we curse people

וּבָהּ מְקַלְּלִים אָנוּ אֲנָשִׁים

καὶ ἐν αὐτῇ καταρώμεθα τοὺς ἀνθρώπους

who are made in the likeness of God.

שֶׁנַּעֲשׂוּ בְּצֶלֶם אֱלֹהִים.

τοὺς καθʼ ὁμοίωσιν θεοῦ γεγονότας,

From the same mouth come blessing and cursing.

מֵאוֹתוֹ הַפֶּה יוֹצֵאת בְּרָכָה וְגַם קְלָלָה.

ἐκ τοῦ αὐτοῦ στόματος ἐξέρχεται εὐλογία καὶ κατάρα.

My brothers, these things ought not to be so.

אַחַי, לֹא צָרִיךְ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה כַּדָּבָר הַזֶּה.

οὐ χρή, ἀδελφοί μου, ταῦτα οὕτως γίνεσθαι.

Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water?

הֲיַבִּיעַ הַמַּעְיָן מַיִם מְתוּקִים וּמַיִם מָרִים מִמּוֹצָא אֶחָד?

μήτι ἡ πηγὴ ἐκ τῆς αὐτῆς ὀπῆς βρύει τὸ γλυκὺ καὶ τὸ πικρόν;

Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives,

אַחַי, הֲיוּכַל עֵץ הַתְּאֵנָה לַעֲשׂוֹת זֵיתִים,

μὴ δύναται, ἀδελφοί μου, συκῆ ἐλαίας ποιῆσαι

or a grapevine produce figs?

אוֹ הֲתוּכַל הַגֶּפֶן לַעֲשׂוֹת תְּאֵנִים?

ἢ ἄμπελος σῦκα;

alternative

Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.

כֵּן גַּם מְקוֹר מַיִם מְלוּחִים אֵינֶנּוּ מֵפִיק מַיִם מְתוּקִים.

οὔτε ἁλυκὸν γλυκὺ ποιῆσαι ὕδωρ.

questionanswer

discourse

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