Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.

Now if we put the horses bridles into their mouths that they may obey us, we turn about their whole body also.

For if we put bits into the mouths of horses, that they may obey us, and we turn about their whole body.

Behold, we put the bits in the mouths of the horses, that they may obey us, and we turn round their whole bodies.

Now if we put the horses' bridles into their mouths, that they may obey us, we turn about their whole body also.

lo, the bits we put into the mouths of the horses for their obeying us, and their whole body we turn about;

Remember that we put the horses' bit into their mouths to make them obey us, and so we turn their whole bodies round.

Now if we put bits of iron into horses' mouths so that they may be guided by us, we have complete control of their bodies.

For so we put bridles into the mouths of horses, in order to submit them to our will, and so we turn their whole body around.

When we put bits into horses' mouths to make them obey us, we change their course the rest of their bodies.

Ecce equis fraena in ora injicimus, ut obediant nobis; et totum illorum corpus circumagimus:

We put bits in the horses' mouths. By these two comparisons he proves that a great part of true perfection is in the tongue, and that it exercises dominion, as he has just said, over the whole life. He compares the tongue, first, to a bridle, and then to a helm of a ship. Though a horse be a ferocious animal, yet he is turned about at the will of its rider, because he is bridled; no less can the tongue serve to govern man. So also with regard to the helm of a ship, which guides a large vessel and surmounts the impetuosity of winds. Though the tongue be a small member, yet it avails much in regulating the life of man. And boasteth great things. The verb megalauchein means to boast one's self, or to vaunt. But James in this passage did not intend to reprove ostentation so much as to show that the tongue is the doer of great things; for in this last clause he applies the previous comparisons to his subject; and vain boasting is not suitable to the bridle and the helm. He then means that the tongue is endued with great power. I have rendered what Erasmus has translated the impetuosity, the inclination, of the pilot or guide; for horme means desire. I indeed allow that among the Greeks it designates those lusts which are not subservient to reason. But here James simply speaks of the will of the pilot.

Behold, we put bits in the horses" mouths - The meaning of this simple illustration is, that as we control a horse by the bit - though the bit is a small thing - so the body is controlled by the tongue. He who has a proper control over his tongue can govern his whole body, as he who holds a bridle governs and turns about the horse.

Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths - In order to show the necessity of regulating the tongue, to which St. James was led by his exhortation to them who wished to thrust themselves into the teacher's office, supposing, because they had the gift of a ready flow of speech, that therefore they might commence teachers of Divine things; he proceeds to show that the tongue must be bridled as the horse, and governed as the ships; because, though it is small, it is capable of ruling the whole man; and of irritating and offending others.

(4) Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.
(4) He shows by two comparisons, the one taken from the bridles of horses, the other from the rudder of ships, how great matters may be brought to pass by the good control of the tongue.

Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths,.... By this, and the following simile, the apostle not only expresses the smallness of that member of the body, which is like the bit in the horse's mouth, and the helm of a ship, but the good use of it, and the great influence it has over the whole body. Horses are without understanding, and need direction in what path to go, and are strong, and would be truly and ungovernable unless bits and bridles were put into their mouths:
that they may obey us; and go in the way we would have them:
and we turn about the whole body of the horse, this way, and that way, as is thought best, by the help of the bit and bridle; and of such use is the tongue to the natural body, that being bridled itself, bridles, directs, and governs the whole body; and its influence on bodies, and societies of men, and Christians, is like that of the bit in the horse's mouth; who, like horses, would be unruly and ungovernable, were it not for the force of language, the power of words, and strength of argument.

Behold--The best authorities read, "but if," that is, Now whensoever (in the case) of horses (such is the emphatic position of "horses" in the Greek) we put the bits (so literally, "the customary bits") into their mouths that they may obey us, we turn about also their whole body. This is to illustrate how man turns about his whole body with the little tongue. "The same applies to the pen, which is the substitute for the tongue among the absent" [BENGEL].

We put bits. The word bridle (James 3:2) suggests a figure. The bridle bit controls the whole horse.
Behold also the ships. These are controlled by so small a thing as the helm.
Governor. Helmsman. James abounds in the sea figures. See James 1:6.
So the tongue. Though so small it can control the body like a bridle, or the helm of a ship. It is a power.
Boasteth great things. Claims great powers.
How great a matter . . . fire. As a spark may burn a house, a little thing like the tongue may stir up great trouble.

We - That is, men.