James 3 — Clausal Layout (English)

independentparticipialrelativepurposecauseconditionalphrase modifierdashed = verbless / suspended

Flush-left = a main (independent) clause. Each dependent line begins directly beneath the word it attaches to in the line above — the anchor word is dotted-underlined, and lights up when you hover its dependent clause; each tag also names the attachment. A dashed border marks verbless, elliptical, or suspended lines. Where a long sentence's staircase runs wider than the page, the diagram scrolls sideways. (In print, or without JavaScript, lines fall back to stepped indent columns.)

The tongue — a small member, a great fire 3:1–12

vv. 1–2 — not many teachers: we all stumble, and the man who never stumbles in word

Let not many of you become teachers, my brothers,independent — the prohibition — teaching weighed before it is taken up

knowing that we will receive a greater judgment.participial — causal — the ground the teacher already knows (ὅτι-content kept within the line)

For we all stumble in many ways.cause — the wider ground of the prohibition — ἅπαντες, James included

If anyone does not stumble in word,conditional — protasis — leans on the verdict below

this one is a perfect man,independent — apodosis — verbless verdict: τέλειος ἀνήρ

able to bridle the whole body also.phrase modifier — apposition expanding the verdict — χαλιναγωγῆσαι plants the bridle image for v. 3

vv. 3–5 — the similes: the horses' bits, the ships' rudder, the spark in the forest

Now if we put bits into the mouths of horsesconditional — protasis — leans on the apodosis below; the bridle of v. 2 made literal

to make them obey us,purpose — εἰς τό + infinitive — why the bit goes in

we guide their whole body as well.independent — apodosis — the whole animal turned by the smallest tackle

Behold also the ships,independent — ἰδού — the subject suspended over its participles

though they are so large and driven by strong winds,participial — concessive pair — size and storm both conceded

are guided by a very small rudderindependent — the suspended subject finds its verb — μετάγεται echoes v. 3

wherever the impulse of the steersman wills.relative — ὅπου — the rudder answers to one man's ὁρμή

So also the tongue is a small memberindependent — οὕτως καί — the similes land on the tongue

and boasts of great things.independent — coordinate finite — μικρόν against μεγάλα

Behold how small a fire kindles how great a forest!independent — the third simile — ἡλίκον…ἡλίκην, the spark and the forest

vv. 6–8 — the tongue as fire: set among our members, and untamable

And the tongue is a fire,independent — verbless metaphor — the simile hardens into identification

the world of unrighteousness.phrase modifier — apposition on πῦρ — ὁ κόσμος τῆς ἀδικίας, a whole unrighteous world in one member

The tongue is set among our members,independent — the placement — καθίσταται, stationed among the members

defiling the whole bodyparticipial — attributive — the stain spreads from the one member

and setting on fire the course of life,participial — attributive — τὸν τροχὸν τῆς γενέσεως read as the whole course of life

and itself set on fire by Gehenna.participial — the passive twin — φλογίζουσα answered by φλογιζομένη: the arsonist is itself arson

For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, is being tamed and has been tamed by the human kind;independent — γάρ — the taming premise: all four classes of creature, present and perfect

but no one of men is able to tame the tongue;independent — the antithesis — δέ against v. 7: the one untamable nature

a restless evil,phrase modifier — verbless apposition on τὴν γλῶσσαν — ἀκατάστατον, never at rest

full of deadly poison.phrase modifier — verbless apposition — the asp's venom (cf. Ps 140:3)

vv. 9–12 — blessing and cursing from the same mouth: the spring and the fig tree

With it we bless the Lord and Father,independent — the scandal, first limb — ἐν αὐτῇ: the tongue at worship

and with it we curse menindependent — the scandal, second limb — the same instrument turned

who have been made according to the likeness of God.participial — attributive — καθ' ὁμοίωσιν (Gen 1:26): cursing men reaches their Maker

Out of the same mouth come blessing and cursing.independent — the scandal stated — one στόμα, two streams

These things, my brothers, ought not so to be.independent — the verdict — οὐ χρή, the letter's only use of χρή

Does a spring pour forth from the same opening the sweet and the bitter?independent — μήτι — nature's first witness, expecting 'no'

Can a fig tree, my brothers, produce olives, or a vine figs?independent — μή — nature's second witness: each nature bears its own

Neither can salt water produce sweet.independent — elliptical close — οὔτε, δύναται carried forward: the mouth must choose its spring

The wisdom from above 3:13–18

vv. 13–16 — the wisdom from below: jealousy, ambition, disorder

Who is wise and understanding among you?independent — the diatribe question — verbless: σοφὸς καὶ ἐπιστήμων, the teacher's own claim

Let him show by his good conduct his works in the meekness of wisdom.independent — the answer — δειξάτω: wisdom proved by conduct, in meekness

But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart,conditional — protasis — leans on the prohibition below

do not boast and lie against the truth.independent — apodosis — such 'wisdom' may not advertise itself

This is not the wisdom that comes down from above,independent — the disqualification — αὕτη, the jealous kind, denied the name ἄνωθεν

but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.independent — the verbless triad — ἐπίγειος, ψυχική, δαιμονιώδης: each step lower

For where there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there is disorder and every vile deed.cause — ὅπου…ἐκεῖ — why it is disqualified: envy's soil grows ἀκαταστασία (cf. ἀκατάστατον, v. 8)

vv. 17–18 — the wisdom from above: the virtue catalogue and the harvest of peace

But the wisdom from above is first pure,independent — the counter-portrait — πρῶτον μὲν ἁγνή: purity before all else

then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, sincere.phrase modifier — ἔπειτα — the catalogue continues the predicate, ἐστιν carried forward

And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.independent — the close — the harvest metaphor: peace-makers sow the seed whose fruit is righteousness

Analysis. James 3 reads nothing like the Pauline chains: almost every line sits flush left, purple aphorism after purple aphorism, and the eye sees at once that this chapter argues by parataxis — simile set beside simile, verdict beside verdict — not by subordination (the deepest line in the whole chapter is a single purpose phrase at level 2). Three olive protases lean forward on their verdicts (vv. 2, 3, 14), and the two ἰδού similes share one shape: a suspended subject (the ships) caught by its verb two lines later, μετάγεται echoing the μετάγομεν of the horses. The dashed verbless lines carry the chapter's most savage lines — ἡ γλῶσσα πῦρ with its apposition ὁ κόσμος τῆς ἀδικίας, and the double indictment ἀκατάστατον κακόν, μεστὴ ἰοῦ θανατηφόρου hanging under τὴν γλῶσσαν; in v. 6 a teal participle triad descends from the stationed tongue — defiling, setting on fire, itself set on fire — the active φλογίζουσα answered by the passive φλογιζομένη from Gehenna. Interpretive choices the layout takes a side on: εἰ δέ at v. 3 is read as a true conditional (not the variant ἴδε); ὁ κόσμος τῆς ἀδικίας is apposition to πῦρ rather than a new predication; τὸν τροχὸν τῆς γενέσεως is rendered 'the course of life'; the ὅπου…ἐκεῖ line of v. 16 is kept whole as one verbless correlative grounding the triad of v. 15; and v. 17's ἔπειτα catalogue is hung as an elliptical continuation of πρῶτον μὲν ἁγνή ἐστιν rather than a fresh clause, so the whole portrait of the wisdom from above stands under its one verb.