OceanSide church of Christ

 Previous Return to The Book of James Next 

JAMES 3:5

Victor M. Eskew

 

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

 

1.    Tongue

A.   Strong (1100):  the tongue

B.    Thayer:  the tongue, an organ of the body, an organ of speech

C.   Vine:  the tongue, as an organ of speech

 

2.    Little

A.   Strong (3398):  small (in size…)

B.    Thayer:  small, little…of size

C.   Vine:  little, small…of things with regard to size

 

3.    Member

A.   Strong (3196):  a limb or part of the body

B.    Thayer:  a member, limb:  a member of the body

C.   Vine:  a limb of the body

 

4.    Boasteth great things

A.   Strong (3166):  to boast, talk big, that is, grandiloquent (arrogant, egotistic)

B.    Thayer:  to be grandiloquent, to boast great things, to bear one’s self loftily in speech, to action

C.   Vine:  From two words “great things” and “to lift up the neck,” hence, to boast…the most authentic mss. have the two words separated.  It indicates any kind of haughty speech which stirs up strife and provokes others

 

5.    Behold

A.   Strong (2400):  lo!

B.    Thayer:  Behold, see, lo

C.   Vine:  to see, calling attention to what may be seen or heard or mentally apprehended in any way…regularly rendered “behold”

 

6.    Great

A.   Strong (2245):  big, that is how much

B.    Thayer:  how great

C.   Vine:  big…”how much (wood is kindled by) how small (a fire)”

 

7.   Little

A.   Strong (3641):  puny

B.    Thayer:  little, small, few

C.   Vine:  little few

 

 

 

 

8.   Fire

A.   Strong (4442):  fire

B.    Thayer:  fire

C.   Vine:  fire

 

9.   Kindleth

A.   Strong (381):  to enkindle

B.    Thayer:  to light up, kindle

C.   Vine:  to light up