Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary James 3:4

"Behold, the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by rough winds, are yet turned about by a very small rudder, whither the impulse of the steersman willeth." — James 3:4 (ASV)

The next illustration on the influence of the tongue is the rudder of a ship. Three factors made ships of that day difficult to control: they were “so large”; they were “driven by strong winds”; and they were “steered by a very small rudder.” The rudder was a small blade on the end of a tiller, extending through a form of oarlock from the rear of the ship. Compared to the size of the vessel and the power of the gale, the rudder was but a minute part; yet it guided the ship “wherever the pilot want[ed] to go.”