Open Bible Data Home About News OET Key
OET OET-RV OET-LV ULT UST BSB BLB AICNT OEB WEBBE WMBB NET LSV FBV TCNT T4T LEB BBE Moff JPS Wymth ASV DRA YLT Drby RV Wbstr KJB-1769 KJB-1611 Bshps Gnva Cvdl TNT Wycl SR-GNT UHB BrLXX BrTr Related Topics Parallel Interlinear Reference Dictionary Search
interlinearVerse INT GEN EXO LEV NUM DEU JOB JOS JDG RUTH 1SA 2SA PSA AMOS HOS 1KI 2KI 1CH 2CH PRO ECC SNG JOEL MIC ISA ZEP HAB JER LAM YNA NAH OBA DAN EZE EZRA EST NEH HAG ZEC MAL YHN MARK MAT LUKE ACTs YAC GAL 1TH 2TH 1COR 2COR ROM COL PHM EPH PHP 1TIM TIT 1PET 2PET 2TIM HEB YUD 1YHN 2YHN 3YHN REV
OET (OET-LV) be_knowing that the one having_turned_back a_sinner from the_deception of_the_way of_him, will_be_saving the_soul of_him from death, and will_be_covering a_multitude of_sins.
OET (OET-RV) then you should know that someone who helps a sinner to come back from their deceitful ways will be saving their soul from death, and their many sins can be forgiven.
Note 1 topic: writing-pronouns
γινωσκέτω
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: γινώσκετε ὅτι ὁ ἐπιστρέψας ἁμαρτωλὸν ἐκ πλάνης ὁδοῦ αὐτοῦ σώσει ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἐκ θανάτου καὶ καλύψει πλῆθος ἁμαρτιῶν)
The pronoun him refers to the person who corrects another believer who has been deceived. Alternate translation: [the person who corrects the deceived believer should know]
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / possession
ὁ ἐπιστρέψας ἁμαρτωλὸν ἐκ πλάνης ὁδοῦ αὐτοῦ
the_‹one› /having/_turned_back /a/_sinner from /the/_deception ˱of˲_/the/_way ˱of˲_him
James is using the possessive form to describe a way or path that is characterized by wandering. Alternate translation: [the one who turns back a sinner who has wandered away]
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
ὁ ἐπιστρέψας ἁμαρτωλὸν ἐκ πλάνης ὁδοῦ αὐτοῦ
the_‹one› /having/_turned_back /a/_sinner from /the/_deception ˱of˲_/the/_way ˱of˲_him
The expressions turns back and wandering continue the metaphor of someone guiding a person in the right direction. Alternate translation: [anyone who corrects a sinner who has stopped doing what God wants]
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy
σώσει ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἐκ θανάτου
/will_be/_saving /the/_soul ˱of˲_him from death
James is speaking as if this person’s actions would save the sinner’s soul from death. But James means by association that God will use those actions to persuade the sinner to repent and be saved. Alternate translation: [will be an instrument of God’s work to save the sinner’s soul from death]
Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
σώσει ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἐκ θανάτου
/will_be/_saving /the/_soul ˱of˲_him from death
James seems to be speaking not of literal, physical death but of spiritual death, that is, of eternal separation from God. Alternate translation: [from spiritual death] (as in UST) or “from eternal separation from God”
Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / synecdoche
σώσει ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἐκ θανάτου
/will_be/_saving /the/_soul ˱of˲_him from death
However, some interpreters believe that James actually is speaking of literal, physical death. They believe he is saying that a person who stops his sinful lifestyle will not experience physical death as a consequence of his sin. In that case, James would be using one part of a person, his soul, to mean all of the person. Alternate translation: [will keep him from dying]
Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
καλύψει πλῆθος ἁμαρτιῶν
/will_be/_covering /a/_multitude ˱of˲_sins
James is speaking of one person’s sins as if they were objects that another person could cover so that God would not see them. He means that by helping a sinner to repent, another believer can help that sinner to be forgiven. Alternate translation: [will help him to be forgiven]
5:20 To save a sinner from death refers not merely to physical death but to eternal death, the punishment for departing from the truth of the Good News of Jesus Christ (see 1:12, 15; cp. Heb 6:4-8). If the sinful person listens and repents, eternal punishment will be averted (see also Gal 6:1; Jude 1:22-24).
OET (OET-LV) be_knowing that the one having_turned_back a_sinner from the_deception of_the_way of_him, will_be_saving the_soul of_him from death, and will_be_covering a_multitude of_sins.
OET (OET-RV) then you should know that someone who helps a sinner to come back from their deceitful ways will be saving their soul from death, and their many sins can be forgiven.
Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.
Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the SR-GNT.