Jam 3:8-12 | TNotes | STEP | 3:8 no one can tame the tongue: The tongue has an astonishing capacity for committing evil. If its evil is motivated by hell (3:6 ), it certainly cannot be tamed by mere human effort. • full of deadly poison: This might allude to the serpent in the Garden of Eden (Gen 3:1 ), who is identified with the devil (Rev 20:2 ).

a3:8►

b3:6►

cGen 3:1►

dRev 20:2►

e3:9►

fGen 1:26-27►

g9:6►

h3:11►

‏ James 3:8-12

3:8 ^a no one can tame the tongue: The tongue has an astonishing capacity for committing evil. If its evil is motivated by hell (3:6 ^b), it certainly cannot be tamed by mere human effort.

• full of deadly poison: This might allude to the serpent in the Garden of Eden (Gen 3:1 ^c), who is identified with the devil (Rev 20:2 ^d).
3:9 ^e praises ... curses: Praising our Lord and Father is the best activity of the tongue, whereas cursing those made in his image is one of the worst, because it is an implicit curse on God himself (Gen 1:26-27 ^f; 9:6 ^g).
3:11 ^h Some springs, especially in the upper sources of the Jordan River, did produce fresh water and bitter water; such brackish springs could not support a town. Similarly, if a person’s speech mixes foul with sweet, it will not build up the community.