James 3:11 Meaning and Explanation
“Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →A single spring does not pour out both fresh and bitter water.
What Does James 3:11 Mean?
James reasons from nature. Does a spring pour out fresh and bitter water from the same opening? The question answers itself: a single source yields one kind of water, not two opposite kinds. Nature itself rebukes the divided tongue.
The fountain is an image of the heart, the source from which speech flows. If the water is bitter, the spring is bitter; if sweet, the spring is sweet. James is pointing past the tongue to its source, for the mouth speaks out of the heart. A heart truly given to God cannot keep sending out curses any more than a fresh spring can run bitter. The cure for inconsistent speech is a heart made one, cleansed at its source by the grace of Christ.
James 3:11 in the Original Language
pege (πηγή), 'fountain' -- a spring or source of flowing water.
Frequently Asked Questions About James 3:11
What does James 3:11 mean?
A single spring does not pour out both fresh and bitter water.