James 3:8-The Unruly Tongue

May 20, 2024

This powerful New Testament Scripture was written by James, the half-brother of Jesus. It is a continuation of the passages right before this one pertaining to the small part of the body, the human tongue. It is little but has the ability to bring forth deadly poison to the whole body.

What I have gone over so far in previous articles is James 3:4-5 “Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires. Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things.”

I have also gone over James 3:6 “And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell.”

James is making it known to us that your tongue has the ability to bring forth life or bring forth death according to the words that you choose to use. One misconception that a lot of people have is that their verbiage has no repercussions. That is so far from the truth and in fact the Word of God discloses many verses of Scripture that say otherwise.

One in particular that I want to point out is found in Luke 6:45. It states, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” Here we can see that God’s Word is exposing the fact that your own tongue can either bring forth good or evil depending on what you say.

James drives home this point throughout the third chapter of his epistle. He had a clear understanding of how the litter member of your body can create unruly evil if it is not properly tamed. You can actually speak blessings over your life and the life of your family or you can speak curses. That is how serious it is and why it is imperative that you guard your mouth and your heart.

Now let’s take a closer look at the passage of Scripture that I am highlighting out of the book of James.

James 3:8

“But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.”

The word “tame” being used here is the Greek word “damazō” which means: to tame, restrain, or curb. The word “tongue” being used is the Greek word “glōssa” which means: a member of the body, the organ of speech.

James through the leading of the Holy Spirit is disclosing to us that your tongue is so potent and powerful that no human being can restrain it. We’ve already learned from the previous article that I wrote: James 3:6-Your Tongue is a Fire that your words can invite the fire of hell into your life. True wisdom only comes from the Holy Bible so anything contrary to what the Lord reveals to us in His Word can be detrimental to your life.

We can see this truth being given to us on this last part of the passage of Scripture. The words “an unruly” being used here is the Greek word “akataschetos” which means: that cannot be restrained. The word “evil” being used is the Greek word “kakos” which means: troublesome, injurious, pernicious, destructive, baneful, an evil which injures.

The words “of deadly” being used here is the Greek word “thanatēphoros” which means: death, bringing deadly. The word “poison” being used is the Greek word “ios” which means: the poison of asps (vipers) is under their lips, spoken of men given to reviling (insulting) and calumniating (reaching one’s peak) and thereby injuring others.

So what we can conclude that James is disclosing to us in the last part of the verse of Scripture is when our tongue is not restrained it is like a death-bringing poison that can cause trouble, injure, and produce destructive behavior. He goes even further to call the poison he is mentioning the poison of a viper under our lips.

Just think of how damaging a person’s tongue can actually be when you put James’s description into proper context. That is why the Lord is so adamant about us watching what we say because our words can literally bring death or life into our circumstances, Proverbs 18:21. Let your mouth be one that prays over yourself and your family and praises the Lord continually!

Also, don’t forget to check out my other blogs:

James 3:6-Your Tongue is a Fire

James 3:4-5-Be Mindful of Your Tongue

James 2:2-3-Be Mindful of Showing Special Attention

Who is Jesus’ brother James?

Breaking Spiritual Strongholds-Fight Back

Breaking Spiritual Strongholds-Feed Your Spirit

Breaking Spiritual Strongholds-Renouncing

Breaking Spiritual Strongholds-Confess and Repent

Recognizing Spiritual Strongholds

What are Spiritual Strongholds?

The Spiritual Laws of God-Poverty Part 1