James 3:11
What does James 3:11 mean?
A plain-English look at James 3:11 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What James 3:11 means
James asks whether a spring can pour out both sweet and bitter water from the same opening. The implied answer is no. Nature teaches consistency: a source determines its output. By analogy, a mouth consistently yielding both praise and poison betrays a conflicted source. The image invites self-examination about what feeds our speech—jealousy, pride, or the fear of God. Springs cannot pretend; their water reveals them. So our words reveal what we draw from within. The way forward is not cosmetic adjustment but addressing the well—seeking purity at the source so that what flows from the mouth is consistently wholesome.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000Doth the fountain send forth from the same opening sweet water and bitter?
KJV
King James Version · 1611Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901Doth the fountain send forth from the same opening sweet water and bitter?
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949Does the fountain send from the same outlet sweet and bitter water?
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862doth the fountain out of the same opening pour forth the sweet and the bitter?
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752Doth a fountain send forth, out of the same hole, sweet and bitter water?
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890Does the fountain, out of the same opening, pour forth sweet and bitter?
Context
This is the first of two natural analogies that reinforce verse 10’s call for consistency. Following the rebuke about blessing and cursing, James turns to creation to make the moral logic obvious. Verse 12 will extend the point with images of trees and salt water, closing the tongue section. From there, verse 13 will launch the wisdom discussion, explaining the kind of inner reality that produces either bitter or sweet output in a life and community.
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