After James stressed that our speech should not both bless and curse, he give examples from nature that do not do both.

## Does a spring pour out both fresh and bitter water? ##

James is using a rhetorical question to teach the readers about the logical order of nature. Alternate translation: "A spring does not pour out both fresh and bitter water." (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion]])

## brothers ##

"fellow believers"

## can a fig tree grow olives, or a grapevine grow figs? ##

James uses another rhetorical question to teach the readers about the logical order of nature. Alternate translation: "a fig tree cannot grow olives, nor can a grapevine grow figs."