Gloria Copeland — The Power Of The Tongue

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Gloria Copeland

James 3:2-6
KJV—For in many things we offend all.
If any man offend not in word, the same
is a perfect man, and able also to bridle
the whole body. Behold, we put bits in the
horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and
we turn about their whole body. Behold
also the ships, which though they be so
great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are
they turned about with a very small helm,
whithersoever the governor listeth.

Even so the tongue is a little member, and
boasteth great things. Behold, how great a
matter a little fire kindleth! 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.

Amp—For we all often stumble and fall
and offend in many things. And if any one
does not offend in speech—never says the
wrong things—he is a fully developed character
and a perfect man, able to control his
whole body and to curb his entire nature. If
we set bits in the horses’ mouths to make
them obey us, we can turn their whole bodies
about. Likewise look at the ships, though
they are so great and are driven by rough
winds, they are steered by a very small rudder
wherever the impulse of the helmsman
determines. Even so the tongue is a little
member, and it can boast of great things.
See how much wood or how great a forest
a tiny spark can set ablaze! And the
tongue [is] a fire. [The tongue is a] world of
wickedness set among our members, contaminating
and depraving the whole body
and setting on fire the wheel of birth—the
cycle of man’s nature—being itself ignited by
hell (Gehenna).

Moffatt—We all make many a slip, but whoever
avoids slips of speech is a perfect
man; he can bridle the whole of the body
as well as the tongue. We put bridles into
the mouths of horses to make them obey
us, and so, you see, we can move the whole
of their bodies. Look at ships too; for all
their size and speed under stiff winds, they
are turned by a tiny rudder wherever the
mind of the steersman chooses. So the
tongue is a small member of the body, but
it can boast of great exploits. What a forest
is set ablaze by a little spark of fire! And
the tongue is a fire, the tongue proves a
very world of mischief among our members,
staining the whole of the body and setting
fire to the round circle of existence with a
flame fed by hell.

NEB—All of us often go wrong; the man
who never says a wrong thing is a perfect
character, able to bridle his whole being.
If we put bits into horses’ mouths to
make them obey our will, we can direct their
whole body. Or think of ships: large they
may be, yet even when driven by strong
gales they can be directed by a tiny rudder
on whatever course the helmsman chooses.
So with the tongue. It is a small member but
it can make huge claims. What an immense
stack of timber can be set ablaze by the tiniest
spark! And the tongue is in effect a fire.
It represents among our members the world
with all its wickedness; it pollutes our whole
being; it keeps the wheel of our existence
red-hot, and its flames are fed by hell.

Gloria Copeland

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