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interlinearVerse INT GEN EXO LEV NUM DEU JOB JOS JDG RUTH 1SA 2SA PSA AMOS HOS 1KI 2KI 1CH 2CH PRO ECC SNG JOEL MIC ISA ZEP HAB JER LAM YNA NAH OBA DAN EZE EZRA EST NEH HAG ZEC MAL YHN MARK MAT LUKE ACTs YAC GAL 1TH 2TH 1COR 2COR ROM COL PHM EPH PHP 1TIM TIT 1PET 2PET 2TIM HEB YUD 1YHN 2YHN 3YHN REV
OET (OET-LV) Thus also the tongue a_small member is, and great things is_boasting.
Behold, how_much fire, how_much a_forest is_kindling.
OET (OET-RV) So too the tongue is only small but can make extensive claims.
¶ Yes, a tiny flame can ignite an entire forest
Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / simile
οὕτως καὶ
thus also
James uses the words Thus also to introduce a simile or comparison between the human tongue and the small items he discussed in the previous two verses, a horse’s bit and a ship’s rudder. Alternate translation: [In the same way] or [Likewise]
μικρὸν μέλος
/a/_small member
Alternate translation: [a small part of the body]
Note 2 topic: grammar-connect-logic-contrast
(Occurrence 2) καὶ
and
Here, but introduces a contrast between the small size of the tongue and the great things that people use their tongues in speech to boast about.
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / personification
μεγάλα αὐχεῖ
great_‹things› /is/_boasting
James is saying that the tongue is a living thing that boasts. Alternate translation: [with it people boast great things]
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / nominaladj
μεγάλα αὐχεῖ
great_‹things› /is/_boasting
James is using the adjective great in the plural as a noun. (ULT adds things to show this.) Your language may use adjectives in the same way. If not, you could translate the term with an equivalent phrase. Alternate translation: [with it people boast that they have done great things]
Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
ἰδοὺ
behold
The term Behold focuses the attention of a listener or reader on what a speaker or writer is about to say. Alternate translation: [Consider]
Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
ἰδοὺ
behold
The implication is that James is offering his readers a further analogy. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could state that explicitly. Alternate translation: [Consider as a further example]
Note 7 topic: translate-unknown
ἡλίκον πῦρ, ἡλίκην ὕλην ἀνάπτει
how_much fire how_much /a/_forest /is/_kindling
A forest is a place where there are many trees. If your readers would not be familiar with what a forest is, you could use a different illustration that would be familiar to them of an area that could be destroyed by fire, or you could use a general expression. Alternate translation: [how a small fire can quickly spread and burn much grassland] or [how a small fire can quickly spread and burn everything in a large area]
OET (OET-LV) Thus also the tongue a_small member is, and great things is_boasting.
Behold, how_much fire, how_much a_forest is_kindling.
OET (OET-RV) So too the tongue is only small but can make extensive claims.
¶ Yes, a tiny flame can ignite an entire forest
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 SR-GNT.