James 3:4-5

3:4 Look at ships too: Though they are so large and driven by harsh winds, they are steered by a tiny rudder wherever the pilot’s inclination directs. 3:5 So too the tongue is a small part of the body, ¹  yet it has great pretensions. ²  Think ³  how small a flame sets a huge forest ablaze.

James 5:9

5:9 Do not grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, ⁴  so that you may not be judged. See, the judge stands before the gates! ⁵ 

James 5:11

5:11 Think of how we regard ⁶  as blessed those who have endured. You have heard of Job’s endurance and you have seen the Lord’s purpose, that the Lord is full of compassion and mercy. ⁷ 

¹ tn Grk “a small member.”

² tn Grk “boasts of great things.”

³ tn Grk “Behold.”

¹ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:2.

² sn The term gates is used metaphorically here. The physical referent would be the entrances to the city, but the author uses the term to emphasize the imminence of the judge’s approach.

¹ tn Grk “Behold! We regard…”

² sn An allusion to Exod 34:6; Neh 9:17; Ps 86:15; 102:13; Joel 2:13; Jonah 4:2.