YAC 3:8 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. τήν
2. ho
3. the
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····AFS
7. the
8. the
9. -
10. Y60
11. 147547
1. δέ
2. de
3. but
4. but
5. 11610
6. C·······
7. but
8. but
9. -
10. Y60
11. 147548
1. γλῶσσαν
2. glōssa
3. tongue
4. tongue
5. 11000
6. N····AFS
7. tongue
8. tongue
9. -
10. Y60; F147563; F147572
11. 147549
1. οὐδείς
2. oudeis
3. no one
4. -
5. 37620
6. R····NMS
7. no_one
8. no_one
9. -
10. Y60; F147551
11. 147550
1. δαμάσαι
2. damazō
3. to tame
4. -
5. 11500
6. VNAA····
7. ˓to˒ tame
8. ˓to˒ tame
9. -
10. Y60; R147550
11. 147551
1. δύναται
2. dunamai
3. is able
4. -
5. 14100
6. VIPM3··S
7. ˓is˒ able
8. ˓is˒ able
9. -
10. Y60
11. 147552
1. δαμάσαι
2. damazō
3. -
4. -
5. 11500
6. VNAA····
7. ˓to˒ tame
8. ˓to˒ tame
9. -
10. -
11. 147553
1. ἀνθρώπων
2. anthrōpos
3. of +the people
4. -
5. 4440
6. N····GMP
7. ˱of˲ ˓the˒ people
8. ˱of˲ ˓the˒ people
9. -
10. Y60
11. 147554
1. δαμάσαι
2. damazō
3. -
4. -
5. 11500
6. VNAA····
7. ˓to˒ tame
8. ˓to˒ tame
9. -
10. -
11. 147555
1. ἀκατάσχετον
2. akatasχetos
3. -
4. -
5. 1830
6. A····NNS
7. ˓an˒ unrestrainable
8. ˓an˒ unrestrainable
9. -
10. -
11. 147556
1. ἀκατάστατον
2. akatastatos
3. +an unstable
4. -
5. 1820
6. A····NNS
7. ˓an˒ unstable
8. ˓an˒ unstable
9. -
10. Y60
11. 147557
1. κακόν
2. kakos
3. evil
4. evil
5. 25560
6. S····NNS
7. evil
8. evil
9. -
10. Y60
11. 147558
1. μεστή
2. mestos
3. full
4. -
5. 33240
6. S····NFS
7. full
8. full
9. -
10. Y60
11. 147559
1. ἰοῦ
2. ios
3. of poison
4. poison
5. 24470
6. N····GMS
7. ˱of˲ poison
8. ˱of˲ poison
9. -
10. Y60
11. 147560
1. θανατηφόρου
2. thanatēforos
3. deadly
4. deadly
5. 22870
6. A····GMS
7. deadly
8. deadly
9. -
10. Y60
11. 147561

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 3:7–8

In this paragraph, James contrasted taming wild animals with taming the tongue.

3:8a

but no man can tame the tongue.

But nobody can tame/subdue his own tongue.
However, no human being is able to control what he says with his tongue/mouth.

but: There is a contrast between 3:7 and 3:8a. People are able to tame all of the creatures mentioned in 3:7, but no one can tame the tongue.

Some other ways to translate this contrast are:

However

Yet (GW)

In contrast

no man can tame the tongue: James was referring to people being unable to control their own tongues. In some languages, it may be best to supply that implicit information by using a pronoun. For example:

no man can tame his own tongue.

no man: The Greek word that the BSB translates as man is the same word that James used in 3:7b. Here the focus is on each individual human. So it refers to women as well as to men.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

no human being (RSV)

no one (REB)

no person

tame: The Greek word that the BSB translates as tame is the same word as in 3:7b. If it is unnatural to use the same word here, you may be able to use a word meaning “control.” For example:

But our tongues get out of control. (CEV)

the tongue: As in 3:5a, the tongue represents the words that we speak with our tongues. In some languages, “the lips” or “the mouth” represent the words that a person says. Use the same expression here as in 3:5a.

3:8b

It is a restless evil,

It is wild/uncontrollable and evil.
It is an evil thing that does not stay under control.

It is a restless evil: The Greek word that the BSB translates as restless primarily means “unstable.” The sense of “unstable” in this context includes:

The tongue is restless. It does not rest but is always busy doing evil. For example:
It is restless and evil (NLT)
it is a pest that will not keep still (NJB)
The tongue is uncontrollable.There is also a textual variant, ἀκατάσχετον, that means “uncontrollable.” It is not clear whether versions that translate “uncontrollable” are following this textual variant or whether they are simply interpreting the sense of ἀκατάστατον (“unstable”) to mean “uncontrollable” in this context. The KJV is clearly following the variant reading as found in the Textus Receptus. Most other English versions that translate “uncontrollable” are probably interpreting ἀκατάστατον in that way. It cannot be controlled. No one can stop it from doing evil. For example:
It is evil and uncontrollable (GNT)

The two meanings are close. Something that is restless and determined to do evil is probably also uncontrollable. If you have a word that is close in meaning to both “restless” and “uncontrollable,” it would be good to use it here.

Some other ways to translate this word are:

always busy doing evil

constantly doing wrong

3:8c

full of deadly poison.

It is full of poison that causes death.
It is harmful/painful like the poison/venom of a deadly snake.
It does terrible harm to others.

full of deadly poison: The phrase full of deadly poison is a metaphor. In this metaphor, James compared the human tongue to the mouth of a poisonous snake. (Compare Psalm 58:3–4 and Psalm 140:3 for the thought.) One way that they are similar is that both can do great harm.

There are at least three ways to translate this phrase:

Keep the metaphor. If it is not difficult to understand the metaphor in your language, then you should keep the metaphor. For example:
always spreading deadly poison (CEV)
Use a simile and add the meaning. For example:
very harmful like the venom from a poisonous snake
Translate the meaning without the metaphor. For example:
a source of terrible harm/pain

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / gendernotations

οὐδεὶς & ἀνθρώπων

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: τήν δέ γλῶσσαν οὐδείς δαμάσαι δύναται ἀνθρώπων ἀκατάστατον κακόν μεστή ἰοῦ θανατηφόρου)

James is using the term men in a generic sense that includes all people. Alternate translation: [no human being]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

δαμάσαι

˓to˒_tame

By analogy with the animals he discussed in the previous verse, James is using the word tame to mean “control.” Alternate translation: [to control]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

τὴν & γλῶσσαν

James is using the tongue to represent what people say, by association with the way the tongue is used for speech. Alternate translation: [what he says]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / nominaladj

ἀκατάστατον κακόν

˓an˒_unstable evil

James is using the adjective evil as a noun. Your language may use adjectives in the same way. If not, you could translate this word with an equivalent phrase. Alternate translation: [an unsettled evil thing]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / personification

ἀκατάστατον κακόν

˓an˒_unstable evil

In this context, the word unsettled means “restless.” James is speaking of the tongue as if it were a living thing that could never rest because it always had to be saying bad things. It may be helpful to begin a new sentence here. Alternate translation: [We are constantly saying evil things]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

μεστὴ ἰοῦ θανατηφόρου

James is using deadly poison as an analogy for the destructive effects of what people say. Alternate translation: [and having very destructive effects]

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.