James 3:6

KJV1611 – Modern English

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

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

Καὶ ἡ γλῶσσα πῦρ, ὁ κόσμος τῆς ἀδικίας: οὕτως ἡ γλῶσσα καθίσταται ἐν τοῖς μέλεσιν ἡμῶν, ἡ σπιλοῦσα ὅλον τὸ σῶμα, καὶ φλογίζουσα τὸν τροχὸν τῆς γενέσεως· καὶ φλογιζομένη ὑπὸ τῆς γεέννης.

Transliteration

And the glōssa pyr, the kosmos of the adikias: houtōs the glōssa kathistatai in the melesin of us, the spilousa holon the sōma, and phlogizousa the trochon of the geneseōs; and being phlogizomenē by the geennēs.

Grammar Details

• *glōssa*: nominative, feminine, singular - tongue
• *pyr*: nominative, neuter, singular - fire
• *kosmos*: nominative, masculine, singular - world/order/system
• *adikias*: genitive, feminine, singular - unrighteousness/iniquity
• *houtōs*: adverb - thus/in this manner
• *kathistatai*: present indicative, middle/passive, 3rd singular - is set/established
• *melesin*: dative, neuter, plural - members/parts
• *spilousa*: present participle, active, nominative, feminine, singular - defiling/staining
• *holon*: accusative, neuter, singular - whole/entire
• *sōma*: accusative, neuter, singular - body
• *phlogizousa*: present participle, active, nominative, feminine, singular - setting on fire
• *trochon*: accusative, masculine, singular - wheel/course
• *geneseōs*: genitive, feminine, singular - origin/birth/existence
• *phlogizomenē*: present participle, passive, nominative, feminine, singular - being set on fire
• *geennēs*: genitive, feminine, singular - hell/Gehenna

Word Meanings

• *kosmos*: world/order/system/universe
• *adikias*: unrighteousness/iniquity/wickedness
• *kathistatai*: is set/established/placed/appointed
• *spilousa*: defiling/staining/polluting
• *phlogizousa*: setting on fire/inflaming
• *trochon*: wheel/course/circle
• *geneseōs*: birth/origin/existence/life
• *geennēs*: hell/Gehenna

Other Translations

• Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

  And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting the entire course of life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  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.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  And the tongue is a fire: the world of iniquity among our members {G3779} is the tongue, which defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the wheel of nature, and is set on fire by hell.

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  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.

• Tyndale Bible (1526/1534)

  and the tonge is fyre and a worlde of wyckednes. So is the tonge set amonge oure members that it defileth the whole body and setteth a fyre all that we have of nature and is it selfe set a fyre even of hell.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  and the tonge is fyre, and a worlde of wyckednes. So is the tonge set amonge oure membres, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth a fyre all that we haue of nature, and is it selfe set a fyre euen of hell.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  And the tongue is fire, yea, a worlde of wickednesse: so is the tongue set 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.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  And the tongue is fyre, euen a worlde of wickednesse. So is the tongue set among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fyre the course of nature, & it is set on fyre of hell.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  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.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  And the tongue is a fire. The world of iniquity among our members is the tongue, which defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and is set on fire by Gehenna.{Gehenna is a name that describes a burning Hell with rotting bodies and unclean things in it}

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  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.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And the tongue is a fire: the world of iniquity among our members is the tongue, which defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the wheel of nature, and is set on fire by hell.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And the tongue is a fire: the world of iniquity among our members is the tongue, which defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the wheel of nature, and is set on fire by hell.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  And the tongue is a fire; it is the power of evil placed in our bodies, making all the body unclean, putting the wheel of life on fire, and getting its fire from hell.

• World English Bible (2000)

  And the tongue is a fire. The world of iniquity among our members is the tongue, which defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and is set on fire by Gehenna.

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  And the tongue is a fire! The tongue represents the world of wrongdoing among the parts of our bodies. It pollutes the entire body and sets fire to the course of human existence– and is set on fire by hell.

Referenced Verses

• Prov 16:27 : 27 An ungodly man digs up evil, and in his lips there is like a burning fire.
• Mark 7:15 : 15 There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are what defile a man.
• Mark 7:20-22 : 20 And he said, What comes out of a man is what defiles a man. 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:
• Matt 15:11-20 : 11 Not that which goes into the mouth defiles a man; but that which comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man. 12 Then his disciples came and said to him, Do you know that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying? 13 But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father has not planted, shall be rooted up. 14 Let them alone: they are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. 15 Then Peter answered and said to him, Explain to us this parable. 16 And Jesus said, Are you also still without understanding? 17 Do you not yet understand, that whatever enters in at the mouth goes into the belly, and is cast out into the waste? 18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart; and they defile a man. 19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: 20 These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man.
• Matt 12:32-36 : 32 And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him: but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world nor in the world to come. 33 Either make the tree good, and its fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and its fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by its fruit. 34 O generation of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart brings forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. 36 But I say to you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account for in the day of judgment.
• Prov 15:1 : 1 A soft answer turns away wrath, but harsh words stir up anger.
• Ps 120:2-3 : 2 Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips and from a deceitful tongue. 3 What shall be given to you? Or what shall be done to you, you false tongue?
• Col 3:8-9 : 8 But now you also put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its deeds.
• 2 Thess 2:9-9 : 9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12 That they all might be condemned who did not believe the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
• Titus 1:11 : 11 Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things they ought not, for the sake of dishonest gain.
• Jas 2:7 : 7 Do they not blaspheme that worthy name by which you are called?
• 2 Pet 2:1-2 : 1 But there were false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who secretly will bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their pernicious ways; by whom the way of truth will be blasphemed.
• 2 Pet 3:3 : 3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
• 3 John 1:10 : 10 Therefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he does, prating against us with malicious words: and not content with that, neither does he himself receive the brethren, and forbids those who would, and casts them out of the church.
• Jude 1:8-9 : 8 Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries. 9 Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, 'The Lord rebuke you!' 10 But these speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves.
• Jude 1:15-18 : 15 to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.' 16 These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage. 17 But, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: 18 How they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts.
• Rev 2:14-15 : 14 But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality. 15 Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which I hate.
• Rev 12:9 : 9 And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
• Rev 13:1-5 : 1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads the name of blasphemy. 2 And the beast I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like a bear's feet, and his mouth like a lion's mouth; and the dragon gave him his power, and his throne, and great authority. 3 And I saw one of his heads as if it were wounded to death, and his deadly wound was healed, and all the world marveled and followed the beast. 4 And they worshiped the dragon who gave power to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?" 5 And there was given to him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given to him to continue for forty-two months.
• Rev 13:14 : 14 And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast, saying to those who dwell on the earth that they should make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived.
• Rev 18:23 : 23 And the light of a lamp shall shine no more at all in you; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in you: for your merchants were the great men of the earth; for by your sorceries were all nations deceived.
• Rev 19:20 : 20 And the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked miracles before him, with which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast, and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with sulfur.
• Ps 140:3 : 3 They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders' poison is under their lips. Selah.
• Prov 1:10-14 : 10 My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent. 11 If they say, "Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood, let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause; 12 Let us swallow them alive like the grave, and whole, like those who go down into the pit; 13 We shall find all kinds of precious goods, we shall fill our houses with plunder; 14 Throw in your lot with us; let us all have one purse,"
• Prov 6:19 : 19 A false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren.
• Gen 3:4-6 : 4 And the serpent said to the woman, You shall not surely die: 5 For God knows that in the day you eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be like gods, knowing good and evil. 6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of the fruit and ate, and gave also to her husband with her; and he ate.
• Lev 24:11 : 11 And the Israelite woman's son blasphemed the name of the LORD and cursed. And they brought him to Moses: (and his mother's name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan:)
• Num 25:2 : 2 And they called the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods.
• Num 31:16 : 16 Look, these women caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD.
• Judg 12:4-6 : 4 Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead, and fought with Ephraim: and the men of Gilead struck Ephraim, because they said, You Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites, and among the Manassites. 5 And the Gileadites took the passages of Jordan before the Ephraimites: and it happened, that when those Ephraimites who had escaped said, Let me go over; that the men of Gilead said to him, Are you an Ephraimite? If he said, No; 6 Then they said to him, Say now Shibboleth: and he said Sibboleth: for he could not pronounce it right. Then they took him, and killed him at the passages of Jordan: and there fell at that time forty-two thousand of the Ephraimites.
• Judg 16:15-20 : 15 Then she said to him, "How can you say, 'I love you,' when your heart is not with me? You have mocked me these three times and have not told me where your great strength lies." 16 And it came to pass, when she pestered him daily with her words and pressed him, that his soul was vexed to death, 17 that he told her all his heart, and said to her, "No razor has ever come upon my head, for I have been a Nazarite to God from my mother's womb. If I am shaven, then my strength will leave me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man." 18 When Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, "Come up once more, for he has told me all his heart." So the lords of the Philistines came up to her, and brought the money in their hand. 19 Then she lulled him to sleep on her knees, and called for a man and had him shave off the seven locks of his head. Then she began to torment him, and his strength left him. 20 She said, "The Philistines are upon you, Samson!" So he awoke from his sleep, and said, "I will go out as before, at other times, and shake myself free." But he did not know that the LORD had departed from him.
• 1 Sam 22:9-9 : 9 Then answered Doeg the Edomite, who was set over the servants of Saul, and said, I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub. 10 And he enquired of the LORD for him, and gave him food, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine. 11 Then the king sent to call Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father's house, the priests that were in Nob: and they all came to the king. 12 And Saul said, Hear now, you son of Ahitub. And he answered, Here I am, my lord. 13 And Saul said to him, Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, in that you have given him bread, and a sword, and have enquired of God for him, that he should rise against me, to lie in wait, as at this day? 14 Then Ahimelech answered the king, and said, And who is so faithful among all your servants as David, who is the king's son-in-law, and goes at your bidding, and is honorable in your house? 15 Did I then begin to enquire of God for him? Far be it from me: let not the king impute anything to his servant, nor to all the house of my father: for your servant knew nothing of all this, little or much. 16 And the king said, You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you, and all your father's house. 17 And the king said to the footmen that stood about him, Turn, and slay the priests of the LORD; because their hand also is with David, and because they knew when he fled, and did not show it to me. But the servants of the king would not put forth their hand to attack the priests of the LORD.
• 2 Sam 13:26-29 : 26 Then Absalom said, If not, please let my brother Amnon go with us. And the king said to him, Why should he go with you? 27 But Absalom urged him, so he let Amnon and all the king's sons go with him. 28 Now Absalom had commanded his servants, saying, Watch now when Amnon's heart is merry with wine, and when I say to you, Strike Amnon; then kill him, do not fear: have not I commanded you? Be courageous and be valiant. 29 And the servants of Absalom did to Amnon as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king's sons arose, and every man got on his mule and fled.
• 2 Sam 15:2-6 : 2 And Absalom rose up early and stood beside the way of the gate, and it was so, that when any man who had a controversy came to the king for judgment, Absalom called to him, and said, Of what city are you? And he said, Your servant is of one of the tribes of Israel. 3 And Absalom said to him, See, your matters are good and right; but there is no man appointed by the king to hear you. 4 Absalom said moreover, Oh that I were made judge in the land, that every man who has any suit or cause might come to me, and I would grant him justice! 5 And it was so, that when any man came near to him to do obeisance, he put forth his hand, and took him, and kissed him. 6 And Absalom did this to all Israel that came to the king for judgment: so Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.
• 2 Sam 16:20-17:2 : 20 Then said Absalom to Ahithophel, Give counsel among you what we shall do. 21 And Ahithophel said to Absalom, Go in to your father's concubines, whom he has left to keep the house; and all Israel shall hear that you are abhorred by your father: then shall the hands of all who are with you be strong. 22 So they spread Absalom a tent upon the top of the house; and Absalom went in to his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel. 23 And the counsel of Ahithophel, which he counseled in those days, was as if a man had inquired at the oracle of God: so was all the counsel of Ahithophel both with David and with Absalom. 1 Moreover Ahithophel said to Absalom, Let me now choose twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue David tonight: 2 And I will come upon him while he is weary and weak-handed, and will make him afraid; and all the people who are with him will flee, and I will strike the king only:
• 2 Sam 19:43-20:1 : 43 And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, and said, We have ten parts in the king, and we have also more right in David than you; why then did you despise us, that our advice was not first in bringing back our king? And the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel. 1 And there happened to be there a man of Belial, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite; and he blew a trumpet and said, We have no part in David, nor any inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to his tents, O Israel.
• 1 Kgs 21:5-9 : 5 But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said to him, Why is your spirit so sad, that you eat no bread? 6 And he said to her, Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite, and said to him, Give me your vineyard for money; or else, if it pleases you, I will give you another vineyard for it; and he answered, I will not give you my vineyard. 7 And Jezebel his wife said to him, Do you now govern the kingdom of Israel? Arise, and eat bread, and let your heart be merry: I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite. 8 So she wrote letters in Ahab's name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters to the elders and the nobles who were in his city, dwelling with Naboth. 9 And she wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people: 10 And set two men, worthless fellows, before him to bear witness against him, saying, You blasphemed God and the king. And then carry him out and stone him, that he may die. 11 And the men of his city, even the elders and the nobles who were the inhabitants of his city, did as Jezebel had sent to them, and as it was written in the letters she had sent to them. 12 They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people. 13 And two men, worthless fellows, came in and sat before him; and the men bore witness against him, even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth blasphemed God and the king. Then they carried him out of the city and stoned him with stones, so that he died. 14 Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth is stoned, and is dead. 15 And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth was stoned, and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give you for money; for Naboth is not alive, but dead.
• 2 Chr 10:13-16 : 13 And the king answered them roughly, and King Rehoboam forsook the counsel of the old men. 14 And answered them after the advice of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. 15 So the king did not listen to the people, for the cause was of God, that the LORD might fulfill his word, which he spoke by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat. 16 And when all Israel saw that the king would not listen to them, the people answered the king, saying, What part have we in David? And we have no inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to your tents, O Israel; and now, David, see to your own house. So all Israel went to their tents.
• 2 Chr 13:17 : 17 And Abijah and his people slew them with a great slaughter: so there fell down slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men.
• Ps 64:3 : 3 Who sharpen their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words.
• Prov 7:21-23 : 21 With her much fair speech she caused him to yield; with the flattering of her lips she prevailed over him. 22 He goes after her immediately, as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks; 23 Until a dart strikes through his liver; as a bird hastes to the snare, and does not know that it is for his life.
• Prov 26:20-21 : 20 Where there is no wood, the fire goes out; so where there is no gossip, strife ceases. 21 As coals to burning coals, and wood to fire, so is a contentious man to kindle strife.
• Isa 30:27 : 27 Behold, the name of the LORD comes from afar, burning with his anger, and the burden thereof is heavy: his lips are full of indignation, and his tongue is as a devouring fire:
• Jer 20:10 : 10 For I heard the defaming of many, fear on every side. Report, they say, and we will report it. All my familiar friends watched for my faltering, saying, Perhaps he will be enticed, and we shall prevail against him, and we shall take our revenge on him.
• Jer 28:16 : 16 Therefore thus says the LORD; Behold, I will cast you from off the face of the earth: this year you shall die, because you have taught rebellion against the LORD.
• Matt 5:22 : 22 But I say to you, that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whoever says to his brother, 'Raca,' shall be in danger of the council: but whoever says, 'You fool,' shall be in danger of hell fire.
• Matt 12:24 : 24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow does not cast out devils, except by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.
• Mark 14:55-57 : 55 And the chief priests and all the council sought for testimony against Jesus to put him to death, and found none. 56 For many bore false witness against him, but their testimonies did not agree. 57 And some stood up and bore false witness against him, saying,
• Luke 16:24 : 24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
• Acts 5:3 : 3 But Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back part of the price of the land?
• Acts 6:13 : 13 They set up false witnesses who said, This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law.
• Acts 20:30 : 30 Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.
• Rom 3:13-14 : 13 'Their throat is an open grave; with their tongues they have practiced deceit; the poison of vipers is under their lips.' 14 'Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.'
• Rom 16:17-18 : 17 Now I urge you, brethren, mark those who cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which you have learned, and avoid them. 18 For such persons do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own appetites; and by smooth talk and flattering words deceive the hearts of the innocent.
• 2 Cor 11:13-15 : 13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder; for Satan himself transforms into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform as ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.
• Eph 5:3-4 : 3 But sexual immorality, and all impurity, or greed, let it not even be mentioned among you, as is proper for saints; 4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse joking, which are not fitting: but rather giving of thanks.
• Deut 13:6 : 6 If your brother, the son of your mother, or your son, or your daughter, or the wife of your bosom, or your friend, who is as your own soul, entices you secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which you have not known, you, nor your fathers;
• Prov 7:5 : 5 That they may keep you from the strange woman, from the stranger who flatters with her words.