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James 3

James 3:6 KJV (With Strong’s)

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6

And the tongue is a firel, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defilethm the whole body, and setteth on fire the φcourse of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.

l

Prov. 16:27• (Prov. 16:27)

m

Matt. 15:11‑20• ¹¹{i}Not what enters into the mouth defiles the man; but what goes forth out of the mouth, this defiles the man.{/i}
¹²{i}Then his disciples, coming up, said to him, Dost thou know that the Pharisees, having heard this word, have been offended?{/i}
¹³{i}But he answering said, Every plant which my heavenly Father has not planted shall be rooted up.{/i}
¹⁴{i}Leave them alone; they are blind leaders of blind: but if blind lead blind, both will fall into a ditch.{/i}
¹⁵{i}And Peter answering said to him, Expound to us this parable.{/i}
¹⁶{i}But he said, Are ye also still without intelligence?{/i}
¹⁷{i}Do ye not yet apprehend, that everything that enters into the mouth finds its way into the belly, and is cast forth into the draught?{/i}
¹⁸{i}but the things which go forth out of the mouth come out of the heart, and those defile man.{/i}
¹⁹{i}For out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witnessings, blasphemies;{/i}
²⁰{i}these are the things which defile man; but the eating with unwashen hands does not defile man.{/i} (Matt. 15:11‑20)

φ

wheel.

More on:

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Fire,

Hell,

Nature

Cross References

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Ministry on This Verse

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the tongue.

Judg. 12:4‑6• (Judg. 12:4‑6)

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2 Sam. 19:43• (2 Sam. 19:43)

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2 Sam. 20:1• (2 Sam. 20:1)

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2 Chron. 10:13‑16• (2 Chron. 10:13‑16)

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2 Chron. 13:17• (2 Chron. 13:17)

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Psa. 64:3• (Psa. 64:3)

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Psa. 140:3• (Psa. 140:3)

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Prov. 15:1• (Prov. 15:1)

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Prov. 16:27• (Prov. 16:27)

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Prov. 26:20‑21• (Prov. 26:20‑21)

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Isa. 30:27• (Isa. 30:27)

a world.

James 2:7• ⁷Do not they blaspheme the worthy name that was called on you? (James 2:7)

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Gen. 3:4‑6• (Gen. 3:4‑6)

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Lev. 24:11• (Lev. 24:11)

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Num. 25:2• (Num. 25:2)

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Num. 31:16• (Num. 31:16)

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Deut. 13:6• (Deut. 13:6)

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Judg. 16:15‑20• (Judg. 16:15‑20)

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1 Sam. 22:9‑17• (1 Sam. 22:9‑17)

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2 Sam. 13:26‑29• (2 Sam. 13:26‑29)

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2 Sam. 15:2‑6• (2 Sam. 15:2‑6)

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2 Sam. 16:20‑23• (2 Sam. 16:20‑23)

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2 Sam. 17:1‑2• (2 Sam. 17:1‑2)

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1 Kings 21:5‑15• (1 Kings 21:5‑15)

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Prov. 1:10‑14• (Prov. 1:10‑14)

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Prov. 6:19• (Prov. 6:19)

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Prov. 7:5,21‑23• (Prov. 7:5,21‑23)

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Jer. 20:10• (Jer. 20:10)

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Jer. 28:16• (Jer. 28:16)

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Matt. 12:24,32‑36• ²⁴But when the Pharisees heard, they said, This [man] doth not cast out the demons but by Beelzebub, prince of the demons.
³²{i}And whosoever shall have spoken a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him; but whosoever shall speak against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this age nor in the coming [one].{/i}
³³{i}Either make the tree good, and its fruit good; or make the tree corrupt, and its fruit corrupt. For from the fruit the tree is known.{/i}
³⁴{i}Offspring of vipers! how can ye speak good things, being wicked? For of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.{/i}
³⁵{i}The good man out of the good treasure brings forth good things; and the wicked man out of the wicked treasure brings forth wicked things.{/i}
³⁶{i}But I say unto you, that every idle word which men shall say, they shall render an account of it in judgment-day:{/i} (Matt. 12:24,32‑36)

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Matt. 15:11‑20• ¹¹{i}Not what enters into the mouth defiles the man; but what goes forth out of the mouth, this defiles the man.{/i}
¹²{i}Then his disciples, coming up, said to him, Dost thou know that the Pharisees, having heard this word, have been offended?{/i}
¹³{i}But he answering said, Every plant which my heavenly Father has not planted shall be rooted up.{/i}
¹⁴{i}Leave them alone; they are blind leaders of blind: but if blind lead blind, both will fall into a ditch.{/i}
¹⁵{i}And Peter answering said to him, Expound to us this parable.{/i}
¹⁶{i}But he said, Are ye also still without intelligence?{/i}
¹⁷{i}Do ye not yet apprehend, that everything that enters into the mouth finds its way into the belly, and is cast forth into the draught?{/i}
¹⁸{i}but the things which go forth out of the mouth come out of the heart, and those defile man.{/i}
¹⁹{i}For out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witnessings, blasphemies;{/i}
²⁰{i}these are the things which defile man; but the eating with unwashen hands does not defile man.{/i} (Matt. 15:11‑20)

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Mark 7:15,20‑22• ¹⁵There is nothing from outside a man, entering into him, can defile him; but the things which go out from him, those it is which defile the man.
²⁰And he said, That which goeth forth out of the man, that defileth the man.
²¹For from within, out of the heart of men, go forth evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
²²thefts, covetousness, wickednesses, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: (Mark 7:15,20‑22)

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Mark 14:55‑57• ⁵⁵And the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrim sought for witness against Jesus to cause him to be put to death; and found none.
⁵⁶{i}For many bore false witness against him, and their testimony did not agree.{/i}
⁵⁷{i}And certain persons rose up and bore false witness against him, saying,{/i} (Mark 14:55‑57)

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Acts 6:13• ¹³and set false witnesses, saying, This man ceaseth not speaking words against the holy place and the law; (Acts 6:13)

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Acts 20:30• ³⁰and from among your own selves shall men arise speaking things perverted to draw the disciples after them. (Acts 20:30)

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Rom. 3:13‑14• ¹³“An open grave [is] their throat; with their tongues they used deceit; venom of asps [is] under their lips;
¹⁴whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness; (Rom. 3:13‑14)

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Rom. 16:17‑18• ¹⁷But I beseech you, brethren, to consider those that make divisions and occasions of stumblingblocks contrary to the doctrine which ye have learnt, and turn away from them.
¹⁸For such as they serve not our Lord [Jesus] Christ, but their own belly, and by kind speaking and fairness of speech deceive the hearts of the harmless. (Rom. 16:17‑18)

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Eph. 5:3‑4• ³But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not be even named among you, even as becometh saints;
⁴and filthiness and foolish talking or jesting, which are not becoming, but rather thanksgiving. (Eph. 5:3‑4)

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Col. 3:8‑9• ⁸But now do ye also put off the whole: wrath, anger, malice, blasphemy, vile language out of your mouth.
⁹Lie not to one another, having put off the old man with his deeds, (Col. 3:8‑9)

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2 Thess. 2:10‑12• ¹⁰and in all deceit of unrighteousness for those that perish, because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved.
¹¹And for this cause God sendeth them a working of error that they should believe falsehood,
¹²that all might be judged who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thess. 2:10‑12)

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Titus 1:11• ¹¹whose mouths must be stopped, who are such as overthrow whole houses, teaching things which they ought not for filthy lucre's sake. (Titus 1:11)

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2 Peter 2:1‑2• ¹But there were false prophets also among the people, as there shall be also false teachers among you, such as shall bring in by-the-bye sects of perdition, denying even the Sovereign Master that bought them, bringing on themselves swift perdition;
²and many shall follow their dissolutenesses; because of whom the way of the truth shall be blasphemed. (2 Peter 2:1‑2)

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2 Peter 3:3• ³knowing this first, that in the last of the days mockers shall come with mockery walking according to their own lusts, (2 Peter 3:3)

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3 John 10• ¹⁰For this reason if I come, I will bring to remembrance his works which he doeth, babbling against us with wicked words; and not content with these things, neither himself receiveth the brethren, and those who would he hindereth and casteth out of the church. (3 John 10)

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Jude 8‑10,15‑18• ⁸Yet likewise, these dreamers also defile flesh, and set at nought lordship and rail at dignities.
⁹But Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.
¹⁰But these rail at whatever things they know not; but whatever they understand naturally, as the irrational animals, in these things they corrupt themselves.
¹⁵to execute judgment against all, and to convict all the ungodly [of them] of all their works of ungodliness which they ungodlily wrought, and of all the hard things which ungodly sinners spoke against him.
¹⁶These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their lusts, and their mouth speaketh swelling things, admiring persons for the sake of profit.
¹⁷But ye, beloved, remember ye the words that were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ,
¹⁸that they said to you, In [the] end of the time shall be mockers walking after their own lusts of ungodliness. (Jude 8‑10,15‑18)

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Rev. 2:14‑15• ¹⁴But I have a few things against thee, [because] thou hast there {i}some{/i} {i}that{/i} hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumbling-block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit fornication.
¹⁵So hast thou also {i}some{/i} {i}that{/i} hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes in like manner. (Rev. 2:14‑15)

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Rev. 13:1‑5,14• ¹And I stood upon the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns ten diadems, and upon his heads names of blasphemy.
²And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet as a bear's, and his mouth as a lion's mouth; and the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority.
³And {i}I saw{/i} one of his heads as slain unto death; and his deadly wound was healed: and the whole earth wondered after the beast.
⁴And they worshipped the dragon, because he gave the authority to the beast; and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who {i}is{/i} like the beast? and who is able to make war with him?
⁵And there was given him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemy; and there was given him authority to work forty-two months.
¹⁴and he deceiveth those that dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to do before the beast, saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, who hath the wound of the sword and lived. (Rev. 13:1‑5,14)

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Rev. 18:23• ²³and no light of lamp shall shine any more in thee; and no voice of bridegroom and of bride shall be heard any more in thee; for thy merchants were the great ones of the earth; for by thy sorcery were all the nations deceived. (Rev. 18:23)

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Rev. 19:20• ²⁰And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought the signs before him, with which he deceived those that had received the mark of the beast and those that worshipped his image: they two were cast alive into the lake of fire that burneth with brimstone. (Rev. 19:20)

it is.

Luke 16:24• ²⁴And he, crying out, said, Father Abraham, have compassion on me: and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering in this flame. (Luke 16:24)

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Acts 5:3• ³But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thy heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to reserve for thee of the price of the land? (Acts 5:3)

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2 Cor. 11:13‑15• ¹³For such [are] false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ:
¹⁴and no wonder, for Satan himself transformeth himself into an angel of light:
¹⁵[it is] no great thing then if his servants also transform themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works. (2 Cor. 11:13‑15)

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2 Thess. 2:9• ⁹whose coming is according to the working of Satan in all power and signs and wonders of falsehood, (2 Thess. 2:9)

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Rev. 12:9• ⁹And the great dragon was cast {i}out{/i}, the ancient serpent, that is called {i}the{/i} Devil and Satan, that deceiveth the whole habitable {i}world{/i}: he was cast into the earth, and his angels were cast with him. (Rev. 12:9)

• The evil spirits of hell find in the tongue a ready instrument for their destructive work, so that it can be said it "is set on fire of hell". (“The Evil of the Flesh: James 3-4” by H. Smith)

• The context indicates that James was referring to the human body, yet it would be equally true if we read it as referring to the church which is the body of Christ. (“James 3” by F.B. Hole)

J. N. Darby Translation

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6

and the tongue is fire, the world of unrighteousness; the tongue is set in our members, the defiler of the whole body, and which sets fire to the course of nature, and is set on fire of hellb.

JND Translation Notes

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b

Gehenna.

W. Kelly Translation

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6

And the tongue [is] fire, the worlda of iniquity; the tongueb cometh to be in our members that which defileth the whole body, and setteth in a blaze the coursec of nature, and is set in a blaze by gehenna.

WK Translation Notes

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a

"A" world, etc. of the KJV is clearly wrong, and here set right. The confusion of the copies and the editors is great here; so that one may judge the more moderately of the Revisers’ text and margin. Though there are delicate questions about the text, especially in verse 6, yet there is little doubt of the critical readings in 3, 6, and 9.

b

The best witnesses omit the "thus" [or, "so"], which smooths the way for the second time "the tongue" is introduced. It is most forcible as it stands simply. "The tongue cometh to be in our members that which defileth the whole body," and this is a sense which, prevailing in the best authors so that no detailed justification is necessary, seems to suit the clause, better than the bare "is" of the KJV. or "is constituted" as it frequently means. Here it is liable to give the erroneous notion of being divinely arranged to so evil an end; which is a thought impossible to a good conscience and wholly opposed to the truth.

c

Lit., "wheel."