Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

James 3:5

μεγάλα αὐχεῖ with ABC*P; μεγαλαυχεῖ in אC2KL and later MSS. ἡλίκον, for ὀλίγον of T.R., with אA2BCP; ὀλίγον, a change to an easier reading, has a good deal of later support, A*vidC2KL &c.

5. μεγάλα αὐχεῖ, boasteth great things. There is no thought of an unfounded boast. The achievements on which the tongue prides itself are real achievements.

ἰδοὺ ἡλίκον πῦρ κ.τ.λ.: a third similitude. The tongue is like a spark that sets on fire a mighty forest.

ἡλίκον, how small. Like quantulus in Latin, ἡλίκος has both meanings, ‘how great,’ ‘how small.’ The var. lect. ὀλίγον points to the latter signification here. Alford compares Lucian, Hermot. 5 παπαῖ, ὧ Ἑρμότιμε, ἡλίκους ἡμᾶς�, οὐδὲ κατὰ τοὺς πυγμαίους ἐκείνους, ἀλλὰ χαμαιπετεῖς παντάπασιν ἐν χρῷ τῆς γῆς.

ἡλίκην ὓλην�, in quam magna silva incendium fecit, O.L., quam magnam silvam incendit V.; ‘how great a matter’ A.V.; ‘how much wood’ R.V.; ‘how great a forest’ R.V. marg. The A.V. rendering ‘matter,’ i.e., a mass of materials, timber, firewood, etc., is a frequent and classical meaning of ὕλη from Homer downwards: Od.3:257 πολλὴν δʼ ἐπεχεύατο ὕλην (shipbuilding material), so ὕλη ναυπηγησίμη Plato Legg. 705 c. But the prevailing use of the word in the sense of forest, and the aptness and frequency of the illustration, are in favour of that interpretation here: comp. Il. XI. 155 f. ὡς δʼ ὅτε πῦρ�· | πάντῃ τʼ εἰλυφόων ἄνεμος φέρει, οἱ δέ τε θάμνοι | πρόῤῥιζοι πίπτουσιν ἐπειγόμενοι πυρὸς ὁρμῇ. Pind. Pyth. III. 36 πολλὰν δʼ ὄρει πῦρ ἐξ ἑνὸς | σπέρματος ἐνθορὸν�. Plut. Symp. VII. p. 730 E τὸ πῦρ τὴν ὕλην ἐξ ἦς�. Psalms 82 (LXX.) 14 ὡσεὶ πῦρ ὅ διαφλέξει δρυμόν, ὡσεὶ φλὸξ κατακαύσαι ὄρη. See also Virg. Georg. II. 303, Aen. II. 304, x. 405, XII. 521. The passage in the Georgic indicates the hidden, unnoticed beginning; in Aen. II. the terror; in x. the swift progress; in II. and XII. the violence and destructive fury. Comp. also Lucr. 3:1243 f. ignis ubi ingentes silvas ardore cremarat … quacunque e causa flammeus ardor | horribili sonitu silvas exederat altis | ab radicibus et terram percoxerat igni.

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Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

James 3:5

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