Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening?
Parallel translations
- WEB Does a spring send out from the same opening fresh and bitter water?
- KJV Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?
- BSB Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?
- NASB Does a spring send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water?
- NLT Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water?
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
A spring does not pour out both fresh and bitter water from the same opening. Inconsistent speech is as unnatural as that would be.
Overview
James draws on nature to expose the absurdity of contradictory speech: a single spring does not yield both sweet and bitter water. The illustration implies that what comes out reveals the true source within. Jesus taught similarly that the mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart (Luke 6:45).
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Original language
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