King James Version

James 3:12

Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.

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The KJV’s Greek text (Textus Receptus) does not include “Nor” (οὔτε) before salt here. The KJV’s Greek text (Textus Receptus) adds “thus none spring” (οὕτως οὐδεμια πηγὴ) before salt here. The KJV’s Greek text (Textus Receptus) adds “and” (καὶ) before fresh here.

μὴmēCanμήparticle — “Can”G3361not, lest.Canδύναταιdunataibe ableδύναμαι (dunamai)verb, present middle indicative, 3rd person singular — “be able”, an ongoing or repeated actionG1410(a) I am powerful, have (the) power, (b) I am able, I can.ἀδελφοίadelphoibrethrenἀδελφός (adelphos)noun, vocative, plural, masculine — “brethren”, the calling formG80a brother, member of the same religious community, especially a fellow-Christian.brethrenμουmouIἐγώ (egṓ)personal pronoun, genitive, singular — “I”, the of-formG1473I, the first-person pronoun.Strong’s files this form under G3165 (μέ).συκῆsukēfig treeσυκῆnoun, nominative, singular, feminine — “fig tree”, the subject formG4808a fig-tree.ἐλαίαςelaiasolive berriesἐλαία (elaia)noun, accusative, plural, feminine — “olive berries”, the object formG1636an olive tree; the Mount of Olives.olive berriesποιῆσαιpoiēsaito both yieldποιέω (poieō)verb, aorist active infinitive — “to both yield”, a single actionG4160(a) I make, manufacture, construct, (b) I do, act, cause.both yieldἢēorἤconjunction — “or”G2228or, than.ἄμπελοςampelosvineἄμπελοςnoun, nominative, singular, feminine — “vine”, the subject formG288a vine, grape-vine.σῦκαsukafigσῦκον (sukon)noun, accusative, plural, neuter — “fig”, the object formG4810a (ripe) fig.οὔτεouteneitherοὔτεconjunction — “neither”G3777and not, neither, nor.This verse uses “neither”.ἁλυκὸνhalukonsaltἁλυκός (halukos)adjective, nominative, singular, neuter — “salt”, the subject formG252salty, saltine, bitter.saltγλυκὺglukufreshγλυκύς (glukus)adjective, accusative, singular, neuter — “fresh”, the object formG1099sweet.freshποιῆσαιpoiēsaito doποιέω (poieō)verb, aorist active infinitive — “to do”, a single actionG4160(a) I make, manufacture, construct, (b) I do, act, cause.ὕδωρhudōrwaterὕδωρnoun, accusative, singular, neuter — “water”, the object formG5204water.

Textus Receptus Words Not in the SBL Text

οὕτωςhoutōs? soοὕτω (houtō)adverb — “? so”G3779thus, so, in this manner.οὐδεμιαoudemiacan noοὐδείς (oudeis)conjunction — “can no”G3762no one, none, nothing.πηγὴpēgēfountainπηγήnoun, nominative, singular, feminine — “fountain”, the subject formG4077a fountain, spring, well, issue, flow.καὶkaiandκαίconjunction — “and”G2532and, even, also, namely.This verse uses “and”.

Literal (Young’s Literal Translation)

is a fig-tree able, my brethren, olives to make? or a vine figs? so no fountain salt and sweet water [is able] to make.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

can a fig tree, my brethren, yield olives, or a vine figs? neither can salt water yield sweet.

Young’s Literal Translation

is a fig-tree able, my brethren, olives to make? or a vine figs? so no fountain salt and sweet water [is able] to make.

World English Bible

Can a fig tree, my brothers, yield olives, or a vine figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh water.

Darby Translation

Can, my brethren, a fig produce olives, or a vine figs? Neither [can] salt [water] make sweet water.

Douay-Rheims

Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear grapes; or the vine, figs? So neither can the salt water yield sweet.

American Standard Version (1901)

Young’s Literal Translation

World English Bible

Darby Translation

Douay-Rheims

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