James 3:6

James 3:6

And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.

a. NLT: And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.

b. NIV: The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

c. Young’s Literal Translation: and the tongue is a fire, the world of the unrighteousness, so the tongue is set in our members, which is spotting our whole body, and is setting on fire the course of nature, and is set on fire by the gehenna.

d. Amplified Bible: And the tongue is a fire. [The tongue is a] world of wickedness set among our members, contaminating and depraving the whole body and setting on fire the wheel of birth (the cycle of man’s nature), being itself ignited by hell (Gehenna).

1. “And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity…”

a. tongue [1100 * glossa] [Strong: of uncertain affinity; the tongue; by implication, a language (specially, one naturally unacquired):--tongue.]

1). The tongue, not one of our comely parts was given high honor, and high responsibility not to just speak fire and iniquity but also blessing.

a). Proverbs 18:22, 21 A man's belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled.

18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

b). Matthew 2:33-37 Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.

12:34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

12:35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.

12:36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

12:37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

b. is [2525 * kathistemi; kata-down; histemi-to stand] [Zodhiates: to stand, be set, to be] [Strong: to place down (permanently), i.e. (figuratively) to designate, constitute, convoy:--appoint, be, conduct, make, ordain, set.]

1). The tongues place in man’s existence was ordained by God. In order to understand the scope of this one must look at all the verses instructing us on the use or abuse of our tongues. Our tongues can be used to bless as well as curse.

a). 1 Corinthians 12:22-24 Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:

12:23 And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.

12:24 For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked.

2). The tongue of man was ordained by God to have the prominence and responsibility in the man’s existence. It is the will of God that man reign in his personal circle of life in blessing and righteousness.

a). Romans 5:17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.

3). As believers in Covenant with God we must use our tongues in line with His will. We must speak His words within our lives, believing in faith and speaking in faith.

a). Joshua 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

b). Deuteronomy 6:6, 7 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:

6:7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

c). 2 Corinthians 4:13 We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;

c. fire [4442 * pyr] [Strong: a primary word; "fire" (literal ly or figuratively, specially, lightning):--fiery, fire.]

d. world [2889 * kosmos] [Strong: orderly arrangement, i.e. decoration; by implication, the world (in a wide or narrow sense, including its inhabitants, literally or figuratively (morally)):--adorning, world.]

e. iniquity [93 * adikia] [Strong: (legal) injustice (properly, the quality, by implication, the act); morally, wrongfulness (of character, life or act):--iniquity, unjust, unrighteousness, wrong.]

2. “…that it defileth the whole body…”

a. defileth [4695 * spiloo] [Strong: to stain or soil (literally or figuratively):--defile, spot.]

b. whole [3650 * holos] [Strong: a primary word; "whole" or "all", i.e. complete (in extent, amount, time or degree), especially (neuter) as noun or adverb:--all, altogether, every whit, + throughout, whole.]

c. body [4983 * soma] [Strong: the body (as a sound whole), used in a very wide application, literally or figuratively:--bodily, body, slave.]

3. “…and setteth on fire the course of nature…”

a. setteth on fire [5394 * phlogizo] [Strong: to cause a blaze, i.e. ignite (figuratively, to inflame with passion):--set on fire.]

b. course [5164 * trochos] [Strong: a wheel (as a runner), i.e. (figuratively) a circuit of physical effects:--course.] [Zodhiates: In the NT, figuratively a course as run by a wheel, or perhaps a circular course, circuit (James 3:6, “course of life”.)

1). I like the NIV’s rendering of this: “sets the whole course of one’s life”.

c. nature [1078 * genesis] [Strong: nativity; figuratively, nature:--generation, nature(-ral).] [Thayer: the wheel of life (Jas 3:6), other explain it, the wheel of human origin which as soon as men are born begins to run, i.e. its course of life.]

4. “…and it is set on fire of hell.”

a. set on fire [5394 * phlogizo] [Strong: to cause a blaze, i.e. ignite (figuratively, to inflame with passion):--set on fire.]

b. hell [1067 * geenna] [Thayer: hell is the place of the future punishment called "Gehenna" or "Gehenna of fire". This was originally the valley of Hinnom, south of Jerusalem, where the filth and dead animals of the city were cast out and burned; a fit symbol of the wicked and their future destruction.] [Strong: valley of (the son of) Hinnom; ge-henna (or Ge-Hinnom), a valley of Jerusalem, used (figuratively) as a name for the place (or state) of everlasting punishment:--hell.]

c. The tongue is ordained by God to have the place in man that it has. We as free moral beings have the choice to use our tongues for blessing or cursing, to chose whether our lives will be a blessed by God or as we choose to curse and allow hell to set on fire the circle of our lives.