YAC 3:11 Interlinear View

1. Greek word
2. Greek lemma
3. OET-LV words
4. OET-RV words
5. Strongs
6. Role/Morphology
7. OET Gloss
8. VLT Gloss
9. CAPS codes
10. Confidence
11. OET tags
12. OET word #
1. Μήτι
2. mēti
3. Surely not
4. Surely can't
5. 33850
6. T·······
7. surely_not
8. surely_not
9. S
10. Y60
11. 147597
1. ἡ
2. ho
3. the
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····NFS
7. the
8. the
9. -
10. Y60
11. 147598
1. ἦ
2. ē
3. -
4. -
5. 22290
6. D·······
7. indeed
8. indeed
9. -
10. -
11. 147599
1. πή
2. pē
3. -
4. -
5. 40765
6. D·······
7. somewhere
8. somewhere
9. -
10. -
11. 147600
1. πηγή
2. pēgē
3. spring
4. spring
5. 40770
6. N····NFS
7. spring
8. spring
9. -
10. Y60
11. 147601
1. ἐκ
2. ek
3. out of
4. -
5. 15370
6. P·······
7. out_of
8. out_of
9. -
10. Y60
11. 147602
1. τῆς
2. ho
3. of the
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····GFS
7. ˱of˲ the
8. ˱of˲ the
9. -
10. Y60
11. 147603
1. αὐτῆς
2. autos
3. same
4. -
5. 8460
6. E····GFS
7. same
8. same
9. -
10. Y60; R147605
11. 147604
1. ὀπῆς
2. opē
3. hole
4. -
5. 36920
6. N····GFS
7. hole
8. hole
9. -
10. Y60; F147604
11. 147605
1. βρύει
2. bruō
3. is outflowing
4. -
5. 10320
6. VIPA3··S
7. ˓is˒ outflowing
8. ˓is˒ outflowing
9. -
10. Y60
11. 147606
1. τό
2. ho
3. the
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····ANS
7. ¬the
8. ¬the
9. -
10. Y60
11. 147607
1. γλυκύ
2. glukus
3. sweet
4. -
5. 10990
6. S····ANS
7. sweet
8. sweet
9. -
10. Y60
11. 147608
1. καί
2. kai
3. and
4. and
5. 25320
6. C·······
7. and
8. and
9. -
10. Y60
11. 147609
1. τό
2. ho
3. the
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····ANS
7. ¬the
8. ¬the
9. -
10. Y60
11. 147610
1. πικρόν
2. pikros
3. bitter
4. bitter
5. 40890
6. S····ANS
7. bitter
8. bitter
9. -
10. Y60
11. 147611

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 3:1–12: Believers must be careful what they say

In this section, James warned believers to be careful with their speech. When believers do not control what they say, it can have a devastating, evil impact. This was an especially serious danger for those who taught others in the church. James reinforced his warning with a series of comparisons or illustrations to show how important it is that Christians control their speech.

Introduction

3:1–2a: Becoming a teacher in the church is a serious thing to do

The tongue is compared to small things which have large effects

3:2b–3	A small bit can turn a horse
3:4–5c	A small rudder can turn a sailing ship
3:5d–6	A small fire can destroy much
3:7–8	Animals can be tamed but not our tongues

Each of us should be consistent in using our tongue for good

3:9–10	The tongue should not be used for both blessing and cursing
3:11	Springs produce one kind of water
3:12	Trees produce one kind of fruit

Some other possible headings for this section are:

We must control our speechTranslator’s Handbook on James, page 100.

Controlling the things we say (NCV)

Paragraph 3:9–12

In this paragraph, James showed how inconsistent the tongue is. Both good words and bad words come out of the same mouth. This is something that should not happen. It is also contrary to nature.

3:11–12

In 3:11–12, James supported his teaching with illustrations from nature. He showed how inconsistent it is for the same mouth to speak both good and bad words.

3:11

Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?

Can both pure and impure water flow from the same spring?
A spring/well certainly cannot produce both good drinking water and bitter water from the same hole.

Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?: In Greek, this sentence is more literally, “Does a spring pour out both fresh and bitter water from the same hole?” Notice that the BSB has combined the words “spring” and “hole” into one expression.

This is a rhetorical question. James used this rhetorical question to emphasize that a spring certainly does not give two types of water from the same hole.

Some ways to translate this emphasis are:

As a rhetorical question. For example:
Can clean water and dirty water both flow from the same spring? (CEV)
A spring does not pour out fresh water and bitter water from the same opening, does it? (NET)
Fresh water and salt water cannot both flow from the same spring, right?
As a statement. For example:
No spring of water pours out sweet water and bitter water from the same opening. (GNT)
Obviously good and bad water do not both flow from the same spring.

Translate this sentence in a way that is natural in your language for emphasizing well-known facts.

fresh water: The Greek word that the BSB translates as fresh water describes water that tastes good. Some other ways to translate this word are:

good water

drinking water

clean water

Some English versions (GNT, KJV) translate this word as “sweet water.” But this does not mean that the water has been sweetened. It is an expression that means that the water is good to drink.

salt water: The Greek word that the BSB translates as salt water describes water that tastes foul or bitter. It is water that is not good to drink.

This Greek word does not literally mean salt. Some English versions translate it as salt water:

to contrast it with fresh water,
because the word “salt” occurs in 3:12c where is it contrasted with fresh water, and
because salt water is an example of water that is not good to drink.

Some other ways to translate this word are:

dirty/bad water

polluted water (GW)

bitter water

brackish water (REB)

spring: A spring is a source of water where the water flows out from a hole in the ground or rock. Some other ways to translate this word are:

water source

place where water springs/pours out

place in the ground where water comes/gushes out

In languages where springs are not known, the word spring can be translated as “a water well.”

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / doublenegatives

μήτι ἡ πηγὴ ἐκ τῆς αὐτῆς ὀπῆς βρύει τὸ γλυκὺ καὶ τὸ πικρόν

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Μήτι ἡ πηγή ἐκ τῆς αὐτῆς ὀπῆς βρύει τό γλυκύ καί τό πικρόν)

The first word of this sentence in Greek is a negative word that can be used to turn a statement into a question that expects a negative answer. ULT shows this by adding “does it?” Your language may have other ways of asking a question that expects a negative answer, for example, by changing the word order of a positive statement. Alternate translation: [Does a spring gush the sweet and the bitter from the same opening]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

μήτι ἡ πηγὴ ἐκ τῆς αὐτῆς ὀπῆς βρύει τὸ γλυκὺ καὶ τὸ πικρόν?

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Μήτι ἡ πηγή ἐκ τῆς αὐτῆς ὀπῆς βρύει τό γλυκύ καί τό πικρόν)

James is using the question form as a teaching tool. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express this question by translating his words as a statement or an exclamation. Alternate translation: [A spring does not gush the sweet and the bitter from the same opening!]

Note 3 topic: translate-unknown

ἡ πηγὴ

the (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Μήτι ἡ πηγή ἐκ τῆς αὐτῆς ὀπῆς βρύει τό γλυκύ καί τό πικρόν)

If your readers would not be familiar with a spring, you could use the name of something similar in your area, or you could use a more general term. In this context, the term spring refers to a spring of water, that is, a flow of water that comes up from a source under the ground. Alternate translation: [A spring of water]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / nominaladj

τὸ γλυκὺ καὶ τὸ πικρόν

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Μήτι ἡ πηγή ἐκ τῆς αὐτῆς ὀπῆς βρύει τό γλυκύ καί τό πικρόν)

James is using the adjectives sweet and bitter as nouns to refer to types of water. Your language may use adjectives in the same way. If not, you could translate these with equivalent expressions. Alternate translation: [sweet water and bitter water]

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)

Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.

Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the CNTR.

OET interlinear YAC (JAM) 3:11

SR Greek word order (including unused variant words in grey)

Section 3:1–12: Believers must be careful what they say

Paragraph 3:9–12

3:11–12

3:11

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)