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Verse Takeaways
1
A Small Spark, A Great Fire
Commentators unanimously emphasize that James compares the tongue to a fire to show its disproportionate power. Just as a tiny spark can ignite a massive forest fire, a few careless or malicious words can cause immense destruction, turning brother against brother and throwing entire communities into chaos.
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James
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James 3:6
Commentaries
Albert Barnes
On James 3:6
18th Century
Theologian
And the tongue is a fire. In this sense, it produces a "blaze," or a great conflagration. It produces a disturbance and an agitation that …
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AT Robertson
On James 3:6
The tongue is a fire (η γλωσσα πυρ). So necessarily since there is no article with πυρ (apparently same word as German feuer
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Charles Ellicott
On James 3:6
19th Century
Bishop
And the tongue is a fire.—A better rendering is: The tongue—that world of iniquity—is a fire, to burn and destro…
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Expositor's Bible Commentary
On James 3:6
So, James says, “The tongue also is a fire.” The inflammatory tongue has turned brother against brother, neighbor against neighbor, nation against …
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John Calvin
On James 3:6
16th Century
Theologian
He now explains the evils that come from neglecting to restrain the tongue, so that we may know that the tongue can do much good or much evil — tha…
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John Gill
On James 3:6
17th Century
Pastor
And the tongue is a fire
It is like to fire, very useful in its place, to warm and comfort; so is the tongue in Christian conv…
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Matthew Henry
On James 3:1–12
17th Century
Minister
We are taught to dread an unruly tongue as one of the greatest evils. The affairs of humankind are thrown into confusion by the tongues of people. …
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