Verse 5

So too the tongue is a small part of the body, yet it has great pretensions. Think how small a flame sets a huge forest ablaze.

Referenced Verses

  • Jer 9:3-8 : 3 The Lord Laments That He Has No Choice But to Judge Them The LORD says,“These people are like soldiers who have readied their bows. Their tongues are always ready to shoot out lies. They have become powerful in the land, but they have not done so by honest means. Indeed, they do one evil thing after another and do not pay attention to me. 4 Everyone must be on his guard around his friends. He must not even trust any of his relatives. For every one of them will find some way to cheat him. And all of his friends will tell lies about him. 5 One friend deceives another and no one tells the truth. These people have trained themselves to tell lies. They do wrong and are unable to repent. 6 They do one act of violence after another, and one deceitful thing after another. They refuse to pay attention to me,” says the LORD. 7 Therefore the LORD of Heaven’s Armies,“I will now purify them in the fires of affliction and test them. The wickedness of my dear people has left me no choice. What else can I do? 8 Their tongues are like deadly arrows. They are always telling lies. Friendly words for their neighbors come from their mouths. But their minds are thinking up ways to trap them.
  • Ps 17:10 : 10 They are calloused; they speak arrogantly.
  • Ps 52:1-2 : 1 For the music director; a well-written song by David. It was written when Doeg the Edomite went and informed Saul:“David has arrived at the home of Ahimelech.” Why do you boast about your evil plans, O powerful man? God’s loyal love protects me all day long! 2 Your tongue carries out your destructive plans; it is as effective as a sharp razor, O deceiver.
  • Ps 73:8-9 : 8 They mock and say evil things; they proudly threaten violence. 9 They speak as if they rule in heaven, and lay claim to the earth.
  • Prov 12:18 : 18 Speaking recklessly is like the thrusts of a sword, but the words of the wise bring healing.
  • Prov 15:2 : 2 The tongue of the wise treats knowledge correctly, but the mouth of the fool spouts out folly.
  • Prov 18:21 : 21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love its use will eat its fruit.
  • Jer 18:18 : 18 Jeremiah Petitions the Lord to Punish Those Who Attack Him Then some people said,“Come on! Let us consider how to deal with Jeremiah! There will still be priests to instruct us, wise men to give us advice, and prophets to declare God’s word. Come on! Let’s bring charges against him and get rid of him! Then we will not need to pay attention to anything he says.”
  • Ezek 28:2 : 2 “Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre,‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says:“‘Your heart is proud and you said,“I am a god; I sit in the seat of gods, in the heart of the seas”– yet you are a man and not a god, though you think you are godlike.
  • Ps 10:3 : 3 Yes, the wicked man boasts because he gets what he wants; the one who robs others curses and rejects the LORD.
  • Ps 12:2-4 : 2 People lie to one another; they flatter and deceive. 3 May the LORD cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that boasts! 4 They say,“We speak persuasively; we know how to flatter and boast. Who is our master?”
  • Rev 13:5-6 : 5 The beast was given a mouth speaking proud words and blasphemies, and he was permitted to exercise ruling authority for forty-two months. 6 So the beast opened his mouth to blaspheme against God– to blaspheme both his name and his dwelling place, that is, those who dwell in heaven.
  • Jude 1:16 : 16 These people are grumblers and fault-finders who go wherever their desires lead them, and they give bombastic speeches, enchanting folks for their own gain.
  • Dan 3:15 : 15 Now if you are ready, when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, trigon, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music, you must bow down and pay homage to the statue that I had made. If you don’t pay homage to it, you will immediately be thrown into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire. Now, who is that god who can rescue you from my power?”
  • Dan 4:30 : 30 The king uttered these words:“Is this not the great Babylon that I have built for a royal residence by my own mighty strength and for my majestic honor?”
  • 2 Pet 2:18 : 18 For by speaking high-sounding but empty words they are able to entice, with fleshly desires and with debauchery, people who have just escaped from those who reside in error.
  • Exod 15:9 : 9 The enemy said,‘I will chase, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my desire will be satisfied on them. I will draw my sword, my hand will destroy them.’
  • 2 Kgs 19:22-24 : 22 Whom have you taunted and hurled insults at? At whom have you shouted, and looked so arrogantly? At the Holy One of Israel! 23 Through your messengers you taunted the Sovereign Master,‘With my many chariots I climbed up the high mountains, the slopes of Lebanon. I cut down its tall cedars, and its best evergreens. I invaded its most remote regions, its thickest woods. 24 I dug wells and drank water in foreign lands. With the soles of my feet I dried up all the rivers of Egypt.’
  • Job 21:14-15 : 14 So they say to God,‘Turn away from us! We do not want to know your ways. 15 Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him? What would we gain if we were to pray to him?’
  • Job 22:17 : 17 They were saying to God,‘Turn away from us,’ and‘What can the Almighty do to us?’