James 3:7Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

This reason must be referred to what was said above. The Apostle said, and explained by the examples of bits and a rudder, that although they are small, they accomplish great things when well directed. He added that the tongue likewise must be directed rationally. Now, by the examples proposed, he explains that he is not commanding the impossible. It is as though he said, “Someone will say that the tongue, though a small member, produces much good and evil and is hard to subject to our will. But this is no excuse. If man tames beasts different from himself by nature, he can all the more tame his own member.”

I do not think this passage has that meaning. For if he had wanted us to think this way about the ability to tame the tongue, a comparison with animals would have followed.

But now the words follow: "an unrestrainable evil, full of deadly poison." This poison is certainly more harmful than the poison of beasts and even serpents. Their poison kills the flesh, but this poison kills the soul.

For "the mouth that lies kills the soul." Therefore Saint James did not place, or wish to place, this meaning in the words, as though taming the tongue were easier than taming beasts.

Rather, he showed how great an evil the tongue is in man. No man can tame it, though even beasts are subdued by men.

He said this not so that we would endure the dominion of this evil within ourselves by neglecting it. He said it so that we would ask for divine grace to help in taming the tongue.

James speaks of how absurd it is that we have mastery over all creatures of earth, heaven, and sea, yet do not master our own tongue.

We read in Pliny how an Egyptian householder tamed a huge poisonous snake, so that every day it came out of its hole and brought food to his table.

We also read in Marcellinus how a tame tigress was sent from India to the emperor Anastasius.

In this passage, however, James wishes to show that evil tongues surpass wild beasts in cruelty, the birds of heaven in swiftness, and serpents in the poison of pride.

Since the divine James said above that the tongue will receive no small punishment, he now shows what was said more broadly, lest these words appear vain and unfounded.

He says that man was appointed by God as ruler and master over all sensible creation. Therefore all animals, earthly, flying, and marine, small and great, strong and swift, are subject to him.

Some serve him, as peaceful livestock do. Others, when skillfully caught, are tamed like wild beasts. Others fear him, hide, and flee as soon as they see him.

By fear and flight they show that they are enslaved to man. Yet the tongue, which is such a small member, and a member not of another animal but of man himself, does not submit to man himself.

"Every nature of animals is tamed," and so forth. By these sayings the complete unbridledness of the human tongue is forcefully expressed. Everything living on earth is subject to man. Only the human tongue no one can subject.

"Nature" means a natural property, whatever it may be, especially the property of being untamable, unbridled, and wildly powerful.

"Beasts," that is, every kind of animal living on dry land, birds, and so forth. By these kinds of living creatures the totality of all that lives on earth, apart from man, is signified.

Their enumeration is the same as in Moses's description of creation (Gen 1:26-28; cf. Gen 9:2).

Man's dominion over all living things is expressed by the word "to tame," δαμάζειν. It signifies dominion over what is disobedient and resistant.

In verse 3 the Apostle spoke of how spirited horses are tamed by the action of bits upon the tongue. Now he indicates that everything on earth is subject to man, but no one can tame our tongue.

Therefore, when it becomes evil, it is deadly dangerous. The Psalmist already saw serpents' stings and the poison of asps in the mouths of his ungodly and evil enemies (cf. Ps 139:4).

The tongue of the evil is a sharpened razor and a sharp knife. Therefore one must restrain them in every way from using this evil instrument, and not provoke them by one's own evil speech.

"Our lips are our own; who is lord over us?" said the ancient ungodly. Even now many trust in the grand speech of their lips, but how often is it useful and saving?

"Whoever loves life and desires to see good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit," said the Psalmist (Ps 33:13-14).

Being itself set on fire by Gehenna, that is, by the devil, the father of every lie and unrighteousness, the tongue cannot be bridled by man's own efforts.

Only with the help of divine grace can a man tame his tongue. Calling Christians to this, the Apostle points to the extreme unnaturalness of what is observed among men.

With one and the same tongue we bless God and the Father, and with it we curse men, who are made according to the likeness of God.

"Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so" (vv. 9-10).

So too it does not happen in nature that a fig tree bears olives, or a grapevine figs, or that salt and sweet water flow from one spring.