James 3:4

3:1-12 We are taught to dread an unruly tongue, as one of the greatest evils. The affairs of mankind are thrown into confusion by the tongues of men. Every age of the world, and every condition of life, private or public, affords examples of this. Hell has more to do in promoting the fire of the tongue than men generally think; and whenever men's tongues are employed in sinful ways, they are set on fire of hell. No man can tame the tongue without Divine grace and assistance. The apostle does not represent it as impossible, but as extremely difficult. Other sins decay with age, this many times gets worse; we grow more froward and fretful, as natural strength decays, and the days come on in which we have no pleasure. When other sins are tamed and subdued by the infirmities of age, the spirit often grows more tart, nature being drawn down to the dregs, and the words used become more passionate. That man's tongue confutes itself, which at one time pretends to adore the perfections of God, and to refer all things to him; and at another time condemns even good men, if they do not use the same words and expressions. True religion will not admit of contradictions: how many sins would be prevented, if men would always be consistent!

Pious and edifying language is the genuine produce of a sanctified heart; and none who understand Christianity, expect to hear curses, lies, boastings, and revilings from a true believer's mouth, any more than they look for the fruit of one tree from another. But facts prove that more professors succeed in bridling their senses and appetites, than in duly restraining their tongues. Then, depending on Divine grace, let us take heed to bless and curse not; and let us aim to be consistent in our words and actions.

Behold also the ships, which though they be so great,.... Of so large a bulk, of such a prodigious size, and are such unwieldy vessels: and are driven of fierce winds; with great vehemence, rapidity, and swiftness: yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth; the helm, or tiller of a ship, is a beam or piece of timber fastened into the rudder, and so coming forward into the steerage, where he that stands at helm steers the ship (e), who is here called the governor; or "he that directs", as the word may be rendered; that is, that steers; the word for "helm" is translated rudder in Acts 27:40, and the helm or tiller is sometimes, though improperly, called the rudder itself (f); and this is very small, in comparison of the bulk of the ship that is guided by it (g). Aristotle calls it , "a small helm", as the apostle here does, and accounts for it how large ships should be moved and steered by it.

The ships See Introduction, on James' local allusions. Dean Howson observes that "there is more imagery drawn from mere natural phenomena in the one short epistle of James than in all St. Paul's epistles put together." So great As the ship which conveyed Paul to Malta, which contained two hundred and seventy-six persons (Acts 27:37). Fierce (σκληρῶν) More literally, and better, as Rev., rough. The word primarily means hard, harsh Helm (πηδαλίου) Better, rudder, as Rev. The rudder was an oar worked by a handle. Helm and rudder were thus one. The word occurs only here and Acts 27:40. The governor listeth (ἡ ὁρμὴ τοῦ εὐθύνοντες βούλεται) Lit., the impulse or desire of the steersman wisheth. Ὁρμὴ, impulse, only here and Acts 14:5, of an assault, onset. The governor (τοῦ εὐθύνοντος) Rev., steersman. Lit., of him who is guiding. Only here and John 1:23. From εὐθύς straight.

Jam 3:4 . Καὶ ) even . Not only animals, but even ships.— σκληρῶν ) σκληρὸς , vehement . There is a twofold impulse (momentum): the bulk of the ships, and the force of the winds.— πηδαλίου , with a helm ) An elegant simile, as applied to the tongue. The phrases, very small , and a small member , answer to each other. The same may be applied to the pen, which is the substitute for the tongue amongst the absent.— ἡ ὁρμὴ , the impetus ) The force moving, and turning, and directing to its place. The feeling which moves the tongue corresponds with this.— βούληται , listeth ) An instance of Hypallage:[33] equivalent to, wherever he wishes, who has the command; for the moving force is under his control. [33] See Append. of Techn. Terms.

Verse 4. - Second illustration , showing the importance of the tongue and its government. The rudder is a very small thing, but it enables the steersman to guide the ship wherever he will, in spite of the storm. Whithersoever the governor listeth ( ὅπου ἡ ὀρμὴ τοῦ εὐθυνοντος βούλεται , א , B); whither the impulse of the steersman willeth (R.V.); Vulgate, impetus dirigentis. James 3:4

The other similitude, in which a man is compared to a ship, the tongue to the rudder, the governing the whole body to the turning about the ship. As the rudder is but a small thing, in comparison of the much greater bulk of a ship, and yet, being itself turned, turns the whole ship ( though so great, and driven of so fierce winds ) which way soever the steersman pleaseth: so likewise the tongue, though little to the whole man, (which may withal be driven, and acted by storms of furious passions), yet if it be itself under government, the rest of the man will be so too.

(4) The governor — i.e. , the “helmsman,” from the Latin gubernator. The Venerable Bede, our earliest English translator, refers the ships here to an image of ourselves, and the winds to the impulses of our own minds, by which we are driven hither and thither. St. James, remembering the storms of the Galilean lake, could well rejoice in a simile like this, although he himself may only have known the craft of an inland sea, and never have beheld “broad rivers and streams” wherein went “galley with oars and gallant ship” (Isaiah 33:21). And none knew better than the brother of the Lord who was the true “Helm of the ships that keep Pathway along the deep.”

4 . Behold also the ships …] General as the thought is, we may perhaps connect it, as we have done ch. James 1:6 , with personal recollections of storms on the Galilean lake. It will be seen that this also has its counterpart in Sophocles. The two images are brought together by a writer more within St James’s reach than the Greek tragedian. With Philo, Reason in man, the Divine Word in Creation, are compared both with the charioteer and the pilot. ( De Conf. ling. p. 336. De Abr. p. 360). In the latter the very word which St James uses for “governor” is employed also by Philo. The same thoughts appear in the beautiful hymn of Clement of Alexandria as describing the work of Christ as the true Teacher. ( Paedag. ad fin. ): “Curb for the stubborn steed Making its will give heed. Helm of the ships that keep Their pathway o’er the deep. whithersoever the governor listeth ] Better, the pilot or steersman . This, which, the reader will hardly need to be reminded, is the primary meaning of “governor”, has, in the modern use of the word, all but dropped out of sight. Literally the sentence runs, whithersoever the impulse of the steersman may wish .

Jam 3:4 . τηλικαῦτα : Cf. 2 Corinthians 1:10 ; Hebrews 2:3 ; Revelation 16:18 , the only other N.T. passages in which the word occurs.— πηδαλίου : only elsewhere in N.T. in Acts 27:40 .— ὁρμή : only elsewhere in the N.T. in Acts 14:5 , used there, however, in the sense of a rush of people. The graphic picture in this verse gives the impression that the writer gives the result of personal observation.