{The ships also} (kai ta ploia). Old word from ple(935c), to
sail ( Mt 4:21 ). Another metaphor like "horses" (hippoi).
"There is more imagery drawn from mere natural phenomena in the
one short Epistle of James than in all St. Paul's epistles put
together" (Howson). {Though they are so great} (	(886c)ikauta
onta). Concessive participle of eimi. The quantitative pronoun
	(886c)ikoutos occurs in the N.T. only here,  2Co 1:10  Heb 2:3  Re
16:18 . If James had only seen the modern mammoth ships. But the
ship on which Paul went to Malta carried 276 persons ( Ac
27:37 ). {And are driven} (kai elaunomena). Present passive
participle of elaun(935c), old verb, in this sense ( 2Pe 2:17 ) for
rowing ( Mr 6:48  Joh 6:19 ). {Rough} (skl(8872)on). Old adjective
(from skell(935c), to dry up), harsh, stiff, hard ( Mt 25:24 ). {Are
yet turned} (metagetai). Present passive indicative of the same
verb, metag(935c), in verse  3 . James is fond of repeating words
( 1:13f.  2:14,16  2:21,25 ). {By a very small rudder} (hupo
elachistou p(8864)aliou). For the use of hupo (under) with things
see  Lu 8:14  2Pe 2:7 . There is possibly personification in the
use of hupo for agency in  Jas 1:14  2:9  Col 2:18 . P(8864)aliou
(from p(8864)on, the blade of an oar) is an old word, in N.T. only
here and  Ac 27:40 . Elachistou is the elative superlative as
in  1Co 4:3  (from the Epic elachus for mikros). {The
impulse} (h(8820)horm(885c)). Old word for rapid, violent motion, here
of the hand that worked the rudder, in N.T. only here and  Ac
14:5  (rush or onset of the people). {Of the steersman} (	ou
euthunontos). Present active genitive articular participle of
euthun(935c), old verb, to make straight (from euthus, straight,
level,  Mr 1:3 ), in N.T. only here and  Joh 1:23 . Used also of
the shepherd, the charioteer, and today it would apply to the
chauffeur. "The twin figure of the control of horse and of ship
are frequently found together in later Greek writers" (Ropes). As
in Plutarch and Philo. {Willeth} (ouletai). Present middle
indicative of oulomai, common verb to will. Here intention of
the steersman lies back of the impact of the hand on the rudder.