James 3:12

James 3:12

Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.

a. ASV:  can a fig tree, my brethren, yield olives, or a vine figs? neither can salt water yield sweet.   [Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.]

b. YLT: is a fig-tree able, my brethren, olives to make? or a vine figs? so no fountain salt and sweet water is able to make. [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]

c. Classic Amplified:Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine figs? Neither can a salt spring furnish fresh water. [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

d. Peshitta Eastern Text: Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olives? Or the vine, figs? likewise also salt water cannot be made sweet.  [HOLY BIBLE FROM THE ANCIENT EASTERN TEXT. Copyright  Ⓒ 1933 by A.J. Holmon Co.; copyright  Ⓒ renewed 1968 by A.J. Holmon Co.; All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. HarperCollins Publishers, 195 Broadway, New York, NY 10007.]

e. NLT: Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty spring.  [Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.]

1. “Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.”

a. Can [Strong: 1410 dýnamai, doo'-nam-ahee; of uncertain affinity; to be able or possible:—be able, can (do, + -not), could, may, might, be possible, be of power.]

b. [Strong: mḗ, may; a primary particle of qualified negation (whereas G3756 expresses an absolute denial); (adverb) not, (conjunction) lest; also (as an interrogative implying a negative answer (whereas G3756 expects an affirmative one)) whether:—any but (that), × forbear, + God forbid, + lack, lest, neither, never, no (X wise in), none, nor, (can-)not, nothing, that not, un(-taken), without. Often used in compounds in substantially the same relations.]

c. [the] fig tree [Strong: 4808 sykē, soo-kay'; from G4810; a fig-tree:—fig tree.]

d. my [Strong: 3450 moû, moo; the simpler form of G1700; of me:—I, me, mine (own), my.]

e. brethren [Strong: 80 adelphós, ad-el-fos'; from G1 (as a connective particle) and δελφύς delphýs (the womb); a brother (literally or figuratively) near or remote (much like G1):—brother.]

f. bear [Strong: 4160 poiéō, poy-eh'-o; apparently a prolonged form of an obsolete primary; to make or do (in a very wide application, more or less direct):—abide, + agree, appoint, × avenge, + band together, be, bear, + bewray, bring (forth), cast out, cause, commit, + content, continue, deal, + without any delay, (would) do(-ing), execute, exercise, fulfil, gain, give, have, hold, × journeying, keep, + lay wait, + lighten the ship, make, X mean, + none of these things move me, observe, ordain, perform, provide, + have purged, purpose, put, + raising up, × secure, shew, X shoot out, spend, take, tarry, + transgress the law, work, yield.]

g. olive berries [Strong: 1636 elaía, el-ah'-yah; feminine of a presumed derivative from an obsolete primary; an olive (the tree or the fruit):—olive (berry, tree).]

h. either [Strong: 2228 ḗ, ay; a primary particle of distinction between two connected terms; disjunctive, or; comparative, than:—and, but (either), (n-)either, except it be, (n-)or (else), rather, save, than, that, what, yea. Often used in connection with other particles.]

i. [a] vine [Strong: 288 ámpelos, am'-pel-os; probably from the base of G297 and that of G257; a vine (as coiling about a support):—vine.]

j. figs [Strong: 4810 sŷkon, soo'-kon; apparently a primary word; a fig:—fig.]

k. so [Strong: 3779 hoútō, hoo'-to; adverb from G3778; in this way (referring to what precedes or follows):—after that, after (in) this manner, as, even (so), for all that, like(-wise), no more, on this fashion(-wise), so (in like manner), thus, what.]

l. [can] no [Strong: 3762 oudeís, oo-dice'; from G3761 and G1520; not even one (man, woman or thing), i.e. none, nobody, nothing:—any (man), aught, man, neither any (thing), never (man), no (man), none (+ of these things), not (any, at all, -thing), nought.]

b. fountain [Strong: 4077 pēgḗ, pay-gay'; probably from G4078 (through the idea of gushing plumply); a fount (literally or figuratively), i.e. source or supply (of water, blood, enjoyment) (not necessarily the original spring):—fountain, well.]

c. [both] yield [Strong: 4160 poiéō, poy-eh'-o; apparently a prolonged form of an obsolete primary; to make or do (in a very wide application, more or less direct):—abide, + agree, appoint, × avenge, + band together, be, bear, + bewray, bring (forth), cast out, cause, commit, + content, continue, deal, + without any delay, (would) do(-ing), execute, exercise, fulfil, gain, give, have, hold, × journeying, keep, + lay wait, + lighten the ship, make, X mean, + none of these things move me, observe, ordain, perform, provide, + have purged, purpose, put, + raising up, × secure, shew, X shoot out, spend, take, tarry, + transgress the law, work, yield.]

d. salt [Strong: 252 [Strong: 4160 poiéō, poy-eh'-o; apparently a prolonged form of an obsolete primary; to make or do (in a very wide application, more or less direct):—abide, + agree, appoint, × avenge, + band together, be, bear, + bewray, bring (forth), cast out, cause, commit, + content, continue, deal, + without any delay, (would) do(-ing), execute, exercise, fulfil, gain, give, have, hold, × journeying, keep, + lay wait, + lighten the ship, make, X mean, + none of these things move me, observe, ordain, perform, provide, + have purged, purpose, put, + raising up, × secure, shew, X shoot out, spend, take, tarry, + transgress the law, work, yield.]

e. water [Strong: 5204 hudōtŏs, hoo'-dat-os, etc.; from the base of G5205; water (as if rainy) literally or figuratively:—water.]

f. and [Strong: 2532 kaí, kahee; apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:—and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]

g. fresh [Strong: 1099 glykýs, gloo-koos'; of uncertain affinity; sweet (i.e. not bitter nor salt):—sweet, fresh.]

1). ICR Days of Praise, 9/23/2023:  The answer to these rhetorical questions obviously is “no.” A fig tree cannot become an olive tree in one growing season, or in a million of them. Nor can a grapevine evolve into a fig tree, no matter what happens to it (grafts, mutations, chemicals, radiations, anything). In the very first chapter of the Bible, each kind of plant God created was given the genetic information by its Maker to reproduce only its own “kind” of plant, not to diverge into some other kind, although its offspring could develop into many varieties of the parental kind (but even that only within strict limits). The same was true with the animals. Ten times in Genesis 1, God, in five verses, tells us that each created kind of plant and animal was coded to reproduce just its own kind (Genesis 1:11-12, 21, 24-25). Just in the event that some skeptic might reject Genesis 1 as factual, the same theme is reiterated in the New Testament, not only in our text but in Paul’s great chapter on death and resurrection. “God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed its own body. All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds” (1 Corinthians 15:38-39). This biblical truth is confirmed by every scientific observation ever made on plants and animals—whether living, dead, or fossilized. No one has ever seen a frog evolve into a prince, or a vine into an olive tree, either in the present or in the fossil record of the past. “I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that man should fear before him” (Ecclesiastes 3:14). HMM

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. 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.

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.

2). 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;