OET interlinear YAC (JAM) 3:8

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / gendernotations

οὐδεὶς & ἀνθρώπων

no_one & ˱of˲_/the/_people

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

the & tongue

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

full ˱of˲_poison deadly

James is using deadly poison as an analogy for the destructive effects of what people say. Alternate translation (continuing a new sentence): “and what we say has very destructive effects”