Paragraph 3:7–8

In this paragraph, James contrasted taming wild animals with taming the tongue.

3:7

In Greek, a conjunction connects 3:7 to the verses before it. Older English versions translate this conjunction as “For” (as in the Revised Standard Version). However, this verse is not giving a reason for something. This conjunction introduces some further thoughts on the dangers of the tongue. Most modern English versions do not use any connecting word here. If your language uses a word to introduce further thoughts on a topic, then you may want to use it here.

Some examples of how to translate this word are:

Furthermore
-or-
Moreover
-or-
In addition

3:7a

All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and creatures of the sea: In this verse, all living creatures are divided into four categories:

(a) animals

(b) birds

(c) reptiles

(d) creatures of the sea

Different languages divide living creatures in different ways. So it may not be possible to find exact words in your language for each of these four categories. In some languages, it is more natural to divide living creatures in some other way. For example:

wild animals, birds, snakes, and fish
-or-
animals that walk, animals that crawl, animals that fly, and animals that swim
-or-
every kind of moving thing, even birds and snakes

Some languages have only two or three categories. Use the divisions that are natural in your language.

animals: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as animals refers to certain four-footed animals that live on land. It could include the animals that people normally keep under their control like cows, sheep, goats, and dogs. However, the animals in focus here are those that normally live in the wild and that men go out to hunt. These are animals like deer, antelopes, wild pigs, and so on.

Some other ways to translate this word are:

wild animals (Good News Translation)
-or-
bush animals

birds: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as birds includes all kinds of birds. James may have wanted to include other flying things as well like bats, locusts, and other insects.

reptiles: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as reptiles refers to all creatures that move about close to the ground. This includes creatures that slide along the ground such as snakes. It also includes creatures that run close to the ground such as lizards.

Some other ways to translate this word are:

creatures that crawl on the ground (Revised English Bible)
-or-
snakes

creatures of the sea: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as creatures of the sea includes all creatures that live in water. This includes fish, whales, eels, crabs, and so on.

Some other ways to translate this word are:

creatures that…swim in the sea (Revised English Bible)
-or-
fish (Good News Translation)

3:7b

are being tamed and have been tamed: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as tamed occurs twice in 3:7b. This verb is a general word that means “gained control” over a creature. “To gain control” over an animal is: (a) to tame it to be a pet, (b) to make it work for someone, (c) to stop it from eating crops, and even (d) to kill it and eat it. (F. Field, Notes on the Translation of the NT , pages 237–238. Mitton, pages 129–130, says, “[The Greek word] would represent also man’s power to destroy such animals as threatened human welfare, as well as to compel other animals to submit to domestic service.”) The English word “tamed” is perhaps too specific a word here. It covers only part of the meaning.

Some other ways to translate this verb are:

subdued (Revised English Bible)
-or-
caused to be submissive
-or-
made to obey
-or-
controlled

The word tamed occurs twice, but the second time the tense is different. This is to make the point that taming creatures has always happened. Men are doing it today, and they have been doing it since the world began.

Both of these verbs are passive. There are at least two ways to translate them:

• Use passive verbs. For example:

can be subdued and have been subdued by man (Revised English Bible)

• Use active verbs. This may involve reordering 3:7a–b. For example:

People can tame every kind of wild animal, bird, reptile, and fish, and they have tamed them. (New Century Version)

man: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as man means “mankind” or the “human race.” Here the focus is on all humans as a group.

Some other ways to translate this word are:

people
-or-
humans
-or-
human beings

General Comment on 3:7a–b

In some languages, it may be more natural to put 3:7b before 3:7a. For example:

^7bHuman beings are subduing and have subdued ^7aall kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and creatures of the sea.

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All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible. BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.