In biblical literature, the concept of "tame" is often associated with the idea of subduing, controlling, or bringing into submission. This term can be applied both literally and metaphorically throughout the Scriptures, reflecting the broader biblical themes of dominion, order, and spiritual discipline.

Old Testament Context

The notion of taming is first introduced in the context of creation. In Genesis 1:28 , God commands humanity to "fill the earth and subdue it," which implies a form of taming the natural world. This divine mandate establishes humanity's role in exercising stewardship and control over creation, reflecting God's order and sovereignty.

The taming of animals is a recurring theme in the Old Testament. For instance, in the account of Noah, God brings the animals to the ark, demonstrating His control over creation (Genesis 6:19-20). This act of gathering and preserving the animals can be seen as a divine form of taming, ensuring the continuation of life after the flood.

In the wisdom literature, the concept of taming is often used metaphorically to describe the control of one's own spirit or emotions. Proverbs 16:32 states, "He who is slow to anger is better than a warrior, and he who controls his temper is greater than one who captures a city." Here, the idea of taming one's temper is equated with strength and wisdom, emphasizing the importance of self-discipline.

New Testament Context

In the New Testament, the theme of taming is further developed, particularly in the context of spiritual discipline and the control of the tongue. James 3:7-8 highlights the difficulty of taming the tongue: "All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison." This passage underscores the challenge of controlling one's speech, which is portrayed as a significant aspect of Christian maturity and holiness.

The apostle Paul also addresses the concept of taming in his epistles, particularly in relation to the body and its desires. In 1 Corinthians 9:27 , Paul writes, "No, I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified." Here, the act of taming the body is linked to spiritual discipline and the pursuit of holiness, reflecting the broader biblical call to live a life pleasing to God.

Theological Implications

Theologically, the concept of taming in the Bible is closely related to the themes of dominion, stewardship, and self-control. It reflects the biblical understanding of humanity's role in creation, as well as the personal responsibility of believers to exercise discipline over their own lives. The ability to tame, whether it be the natural world, one's emotions, or one's speech, is seen as a reflection of God's order and a manifestation of His image in humanity.

In summary, the biblical concept of "tame" encompasses both the literal and metaphorical aspects of control and discipline. It serves as a reminder of humanity's God-given authority over creation and the personal call to live a life of self-control and spiritual maturity.1. (v. t.) To broach or enter upon; to taste, as a liquor; to divide; to distribute; to deal out.

2. (superl.) Reduced from a state of native wildness and shyness; accustomed to man; domesticated; domestic; as, a tame deer, a tame bird.

3. (superl.) Crushed; subdued; depressed; spiritless.

4. (superl.) Deficient in spirit or animation; spiritless; dull; flat; insipid; as, a tame poem; tame scenery.

5. (v.) To reduce from a wild to a domestic state; to make gentle and familiar; to reclaim; to domesticate; as, to tame a wild beast.

6. (v.) To subdue; to conquer; to repress; as, to tame the pride or passions of youth.

1150. damazo -- to tame
... to tame. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: damazo Phonetic Spelling:
(dam-ad'-zo) Short Definition: I tame, subdue Definition: I tame, subdue, involving ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1150.htm - 6k

434. anemeros -- not tame
... not tame. Part of Speech: Adjective Transliteration: anemeros Phonetic Spelling:
(an-ay'-mer-os) Short Definition: not tame, fierce Definition: not tame, fierce ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/434.htm - 6k

2250. hemera -- day
... a day. Feminine (with hora implied) of a derivative of hemai (to sit; akin to the
base of hedraios) meaning tame, ie Gentle; day, ie (literally) the time space ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2250.htm - 7k

1151. damalis -- a heifer
... heifer. Probably from the base of damazo; a heifer (as tame) -- heifer. see GREEK
damazo. (damaleos) -- 1 Occurrence. 1150, 1151. damalis. 1152 . ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1151.htm - 6k

5090. Timaios -- "highly prized," Timaeus, an Israelite
... Timaeus. Probably of Chaldee origin (compare tame'); Timoeus (ie Timay), an Israelite --
Timaeus. see HEBREW tame'. (timaiou) -- 1 Occurrence. 5089, 5090. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5090.htm - 6k

924. Bartimaios -- "son of Timaeus," Bartimaeus, a beggar
... Israelite -- Bartimaeus. see HEBREW bar. see HEBREW tame'. (bartimaios) -- 1
Occurrence. 923, 924. Bartimaios. 925 . Strong's Numbers.
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/924.htm - 6k

2931. tame -- unclean
... 2930, 2931. tame. 2932 . unclean. Transliteration: tame Phonetic Spelling:
(taw-may') Short Definition: unclean. ... From tame'; foul in a relig. ...
/hebrew/2931.htm - 6k

2930. tame -- to be or become unclean
... 2929, 2930. tame. 2931 . to be or become unclean. Transliteration: tame Phonetic
Spelling: (taw-may') Short Definition: unclean. ... 2929, 2930. tame. 2931 > ...
/hebrew/2930.htm - 6k

441. alluwph -- tame
... alluwph. 441a . tame. Transliteration: alluwph Phonetic Spelling: (al-loof') Short
Definition: captain. captain, duke, chief friend, governor, guide, ox ...
/hebrew/441.htm - 5k

441a. alluph -- tame
... 441, 441a. alluph. 441b . tame. Transliteration: alluph Short Definition:
companion. Word Origin from alaph Definition tame NASB ...
/hebrew/441a.htm - 5k

2933. tamah -- to be stopped up, stupid
... be defiled, be reputed vile. A collateral form of tame'; to be impure in a religious
sense -- be defiled, be reputed vile. see HEBREW tame'. 2932b, 2933. ...
/hebrew/2933.htm - 6k

2932. tum'ah -- uncleanness
... filthiness, uncleanness From tame'; religious impurity -- filthiness, unclean(-ness).
see HEBREW tame'. 2931, 2932. tum'ah. 2932a . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/2932.htm - 5k

3711. kaphah -- to subdue
... root Definition to subdue NASB Word Usage subdues (1). pacify. A primitive root;
properly, to bend, ie (figuratively) to tame or subdue -- pacify. 3710, 3711 ...
/hebrew/3711.htm - 5k

2932b. tomah -- uncleanness
... uncleanness. Transliteration: tomah Short Definition: uncleanness. Word Origin from
tame Definition uncleanness NASB Word Usage uncleanness (1). 2932a, 2932b ...
/hebrew/2932b.htm - 5k

2932a. tumah -- uncleanness
... Word Origin from tame Definition uncleanness NASB Word Usage filthiness (4), impure
(2), impurities (3), impurity (3), unclean (1), unclean thing (3 ...
/hebrew/2932a.htm - 5k

On the Words of the Gospel, Matt. v. 22, "Whosoever Shall Say to ...
... the truth, and saith, "Whosoever shall say to his brother, Thou fool, shall be in
danger of hell fire." [1952] Yet "the tongue can no man tame." [1953] Man ...
/.../sermons on selected lessons of the new testament/sermon v on the words.htm

Pelagius Corrupts a Passage of the Apostle James by Adding a Note ...
... Now that passage, in which the Apostle James says: "But the tongue can no man tame,"
[1161] does not appear to me to be capable of the interpretation which he ...
/.../augustine/anti-pelagian writings/chapter 16 xv pelagius corrupts a.htm

A Strain of the Judgment of the Lord.
... 65 Formed, when it pleased Him, man for aye; and gave. Him to be pastor of beasts
tame, and lord. ... To tame, and mandates useful did impart. 85 Of dear salvation! ...
/.../unknown/fathers of the third century tertullian appendix/4 a strain of the.htm

The Lord of Demons
... had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder
by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him.5 ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture d/the lord of demons.htm

Letter x. To a Widow.
... The art of snaring pigeons is as follows. When the men who devote themselves to
this craft have caught one, they tame it, and make it feed with them. ...
/.../basil/basil letters and select works/letter x to a widow.htm

Explanation of this Text Continued.
... [1168] For through the tongue, which no man can tame, but only the wisdom which
comes down from above, "in many things we all of us offend." [1169] For this ...
/.../augustine/anti-pelagian writings/chapter 17 xvi explanation of this.htm

John i. 1
... If we train by words the animals which we have, and so tame them, how much more
shall we effect this with men by this spiritual teaching, when there is a wide ...
/.../homilies on the gospel of st john and hebrews/homily iii john i 1.htm

In the Course of this Crude Study we Shall have to Touch on what ...
... Snelgrove? But of all the modern notions generated by mere wealth the worst
is this: the notion that domesticity is dull and tame. ...
/.../chesterton/whats wrong with the world/chapter 8 in the course.htm

The Adventures of Saint Patrick of Ireland.
... "Let my tame crocodile alone, or I'll make mincemeat of you when I have killed your
master!" cried the Giant hoarsely, through his clinched teeth. ...
/.../kingston/the seven champions of christendom/chapter nine the adventures of.htm

A virgin at Antioch, Having Refused to Sacrifice to Idols...
... But she, with her hands raised to heaven, as though she had come to a house of prayer,
not to a resort of lust, says: "O Christ, Who didst tame the fierce ...
/.../ambrose/works and letters of st ambrose/chapter iv a virgin at.htm

Tame (3 Occurrences)
... 2. (superl.) Reduced from a state of native wildness and shyness; accustomed
to man; domesticated; domestic; as, a tame deer, a tame bird. ...
/t/tame.htm - 8k

Nobody (21 Occurrences)
... Nobody had the strength to tame him. (WEB). ... (WEB). James 3:8 But nobody can tame
the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. (WEB). ...
/n/nobody.htm - 12k

Uncleanness (56 Occurrences)
... The adjective Tame', "defiled," "unclean," occurs 72 times (over half in Leviticus),
but is never translated "uncleanness," but always "unclean." The verb Tame...
/u/uncleanness.htm - 38k

Tambours (8 Occurrences)

/t/tambours.htm - 9k

None (573 Occurrences)
... with fetters and chains had been bound, and pulled in pieces by him had been the
chains, and the fetters broken in pieces, and none was able to tame him, (YLT). ...
/n/none.htm - 35k

Unruly (8 Occurrences)
... WEB KJV ASV). James 3:8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly
evil, full of deadly poison. (KJV WBS YLT). Jeremiah 31:18 ...
/u/unruly.htm - 9k

Unsettled (5 Occurrences)
... ways. (WBS). James 3:8 but the tongue can no one among men tame; it is
an unsettled evil, full of death-bringing poison. (DBY). 2 ...
/u/unsettled.htm - 7k

Often (74 Occurrences)
... and the fetters broken in pieces. Nobody had the strength to tame him. (WEB
KJV ASV DBY WBS NAS RSV NIV). Mark 7:3 For the Pharisees ...
/o/often.htm - 29k

Jaw (6 Occurrences)
... ultimate check of the Assyrian power at Jerusalem, "as when a bridle or lasso is
thrown upon the jaws of a wild animal when you wish to catch and tame him" (GA ...
/j/jaw.htm - 11k

Jawbone (3 Occurrences)
... ultimate check of the Assyrian power at Jerusalem, "as when a bridle or lasso is
thrown upon the jaws of a wild animal when you wish to catch and tame him" (GA ...
/j/jawbone.htm - 10k

Taming the tongue'why is it so difficult? | GotQuestions.org

What does it mean that the tongue is a fire (James 3:6)? | GotQuestions.org

What are idle words (Matthew 12:36)? | GotQuestions.org

Tame: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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