James 3:7 kjv
For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:
James 3:7 nkjv
For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind.
James 3:7 niv
All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind,
James 3:7 esv
For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind,
James 3:7 nlt
People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish,
James 3 7 Cross References
| Verse | Text (Shortened) | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 1:28 | Be fruitful... fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion... | God's mandate for human dominion over creation. |
| Gen 9:2 | The fear and dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth... | Reinforces human authority over animals post-Flood. |
| Ps 8:6 | You have given him dominion over the works of your hands... | David's reflection on human glory and dominion. |
| Ps 8:7-8 | All things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field... the birds of the heavens... fish of the sea... | Explicitly lists types of animals under human dominion. |
| Heb 2:8 | "You have put all things in subjection under his feet." | New Testament quote of Ps 8; speaks of future perfection but current capacity. |
| Job 12:7-10 | Ask the beasts... the birds of the air... the fish of the sea... for the hand of the Lord has done this. | All creation under God's ultimate authority, implies man's delegated role. |
| James 3:8 | But no human being can tame the tongue... | Direct contrast to 3:7, highlighting the unique difficulty of the tongue. |
| James 1:26 | If anyone thinks he is religious... does not bridle his tongue... | Importance of controlling the tongue for true godliness. |
| Ps 141:3 | Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips! | A prayer acknowledging the need for divine help in controlling speech. |
| Prov 18:21 | Death and life are in the power of the tongue... | The immense destructive or creative potential of speech. |
| Matt 12:34 | For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. | Reveals the spiritual source of uncontrolled speech. |
| Mark 7:20-23 | What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart...evil thoughts, sexual immorality...slander. | Lists inner corruptions, which manifest through the tongue. |
| Rom 3:13-14 | "Their throat is an open grave...their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness." | Depicts the unredeemed tongue's depravity. |
| Eph 4:29 | Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths... | Exhortation for believers to use their tongues constructively. |
| Col 4:6 | Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt... | Instructions for Spirit-controlled, edifying speech. |
| Dan 6:22 | My God sent his angel and shut the lions' mouths... | Example of divine control over wild animals. |
| 1 Ki 17:4-6 | I have commanded the ravens to feed you there. | God's direct use of animals to serve His purpose. |
| Isa 11:6-9 | The wolf shall dwell with the lamb... leopard lie down with the young goat... cow and bear graze... lion shall eat straw. | Prophetic vision of peace where animal instincts are divinely tamed. |
| Mark 1:13 | And he was in the wilderness forty days... and was with the wild animals. | Jesus' mastery over wild animals in the wilderness. |
| Gen 2:19-20 | And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. | Humanity's initial relationship of naming, implies stewardship. |
| Titus 1:10-11 | For there are many... whose mouths must be stopped... | Addresses those whose false teaching causes harm. |
| Phil 2:12 | Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling... | Implies personal responsibility, especially over internal faculties. |
| Ps 39:1 | I said, "I will guard my ways, that I may not sin with my tongue..." | The psalmist's personal commitment to control speech. |
James 3 verses
James 3 7 Meaning
James 3:7 proclaims that every known category of animal, encompassing wild beasts, birds, reptiles, and sea creatures, possesses the inherent capacity to be tamed, and indeed, has historically been subjected to the dominion and control of humankind. This verse functions as an observable truth, setting the stage for the striking contrast that immediately follows concerning the human tongue.
James 3 7 Context
James 3:7 is an integral part of James's larger discourse on the power and danger of the human tongue, which begins in James 3:1 and extends through 3:12. After declaring the teacher's greater accountability (3:1) and stating that controlling the tongue is the mark of a perfect person (3:2), James provides various analogies for the tongue's immense power (horse's bit, ship's rudder) and its destructive potential (fire) in verses 3-6. Verse 7 then presents a foundational, undeniable truth from the natural world: all of God's diverse animal creation is submissive to human ingenuity and effort. This universally acknowledged ability of mankind to tame the fiercest and most alien creatures serves to heighten the contrast with the untamable tongue in James 3:8. Historically, ancient peoples were well aware of various forms of animal taming, from domestic animals crucial for agriculture and transport, to exotic beasts displayed in arenas or for entertainment. This verse appeals to common knowledge, making its argument compelling and easily understood by its original audience.
James 3 7 Word analysis
- For (γάρ - gar): A causal conjunction. It links this verse as the explanation or justification for the immediately preceding assertions about the tongue's dangerous nature. It implies: "because it is true that..."
- every kind (πᾶσα φύσις - pasa physis): "All nature" or "every species." Physis here refers to a natural kind, genus, or species. It emphasizes the comprehensive and universal extent of human capacity over animal life, not merely domesticated individuals but all distinct classifications of animals.
- of beast (θηρίων - thērion): Refers specifically to wild, often dangerous or savage land animals (e.g., lions, wolves). This choice highlights the challenge and impressive feat of taming such creatures.
- and bird (καὶ πετεινῶν - kai peteinōn): Flying creatures.
- of reptile (ἑρπετῶν - herpetōn): Creeping or crawling things, including snakes, lizards, etc. Often associated with danger and subtlety in biblical thought (e.g., Gen 3).
- and creature of the sea (καὶ ἐναλίων - kai enaliōn): Sea-dwelling creatures. Together, these four categories (beast, bird, reptile, sea creature) represent the totality of animal life across land, air, and water, encompassing the observable animal kingdom as understood in ancient times.
- is tamed (δαμάζεται - damazetai): Present passive indicative of damazō. It denotes an ongoing capability or current reality: "it is being tamed" or "it can be tamed." This form speaks to the possibility and current ongoing effort of taming.
- and has been tamed (καὶ δεδάμασται - kai dedamastai): Perfect passive indicative of damazō. This emphasizes a completed action with continuing results. It means "it has already been tamed," asserting a historical and demonstrable fact that instances of all kinds of animals have been brought under human control. The combination of present and perfect passive participles stresses both the capacity and the historical accomplishment of animal subjugation by humankind.
- by mankind (ὑπὸ τῆς φύσεως τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης - hypo tēs physeōs tēs anthrōpinēs): Literally, "by human nature" or "by the nature that is human." This phrase highlights that the ability to tame animals is an inherent characteristic and divinely delegated capacity of humanity, a truth rooted in the creation mandate (Gen 1:28). It signifies that humans, by virtue of being human, possess this unique dominion.
James 3 7 Bonus section
The phrasing "by mankind" (hypo tēs physeōs tēs anthrōpinēs) is quite deliberate, reinforcing the idea that this dominion is inherent to human nature as ordained by God, not an occasional happenstance. This underscores humanity's privileged, yet often corrupted, position within creation. Furthermore, the selection of the most challenging animals—wild beasts, birds (notorious for their freedom), reptiles (often associated with evil), and deep-sea creatures (mysterious and formidable)—magnifies the impressiveness of human dominion. This makes the subsequent inability to control the tongue appear not just difficult, but profoundly contradictory to humanity's God-given power, pointing to a spiritual battle that is uniquely waged within the human heart.
James 3 7 Commentary
James 3:7 serves as a powerful rhetorical setup. It establishes a universally observable and accepted truth: that humanity, given its place in creation (cf. Gen 1:28; Ps 8), possesses the unique ability to bring every conceivable kind of animal, no matter how wild, swift, or elusive, into submission and control. From elephants to birds of prey, from serpents to massive whales, examples of such taming—in circuses, for travel, for war, or for food production—were evident in the ancient world, affirming the biblical principle of human dominion. James uses this extraordinary and acknowledged human feat as a stark counterpoint to the profound struggle outlined in the following verse: if humanity can subdue the entire animal kingdom, how much more perplexing and dangerous is the inability to control a small, seemingly insignificant part of itself – the tongue? This verse emphasizes not that every single animal is tame, but that the nature of all animal kinds is such that they can be and have been brought under human will, thereby exposing the formidable, and uniquely spiritual, challenge presented by uncontrolled speech.