James 5:20

James 5:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.
• New International Version (NIV)remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.
• English Standard Version (ESV)let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
• New King James Version (NKJV)let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.

Context of James 5:20

18After that time, he prayed to God to send rain again. After that, rain came down from the sky. The seeds that were in the ground began to grow and give food for people to eat. 19My Christian friends, if anyone among you turns away from God's true message, you should help him. Try to bring him back to God. Understand this: if you turn a person back from their bad ways, you will save them from death. And God will forgive that person for his many sins.

James 5:20 word by word

γινωσκέτω ὅτι ὁ ἐπιστρέψας ἁμαρτωλὸν ἐκ πλάνης ὁδοῦ αὐτοῦ, σώσει ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἐκ θανάτου καὶ καλύψει πλῆθος ἁμαρτιῶν.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Let him knowγινώσκωginōskō · to knowG1097
• thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
• he which convertethἐπιστρέφωepistrephō · to turnG1994
• the sinnerἁμαρτωλόςhamartōlos · sinfulG268
• fromἐκek ex · out fromG1537
• the errorπλάνηplanē · errorG4106
• of hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• wayὁδόςhodos · roadG3598
• saveσῴζωsōzō · to saveG4982
• a soulψυχήpsuchē · soulG5590
• deathθάνατοςthanatos · deathG2288
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• shall hideκαλύπτωkaluptō · to coverG2572
• a multitudeπλῆθοςplēthos · multitudeG4128
• of sinsἁμαρτίαhamartia · sinG266

Cross-references for James 5:20

• James 5:19My Christian friends, if anyone among you turns away from God's true message, you should help him. Try to bring him back to God.
• Proverbs 11:30The good things that a righteous person does bring life. A person who saves people's lives shows that he is wise.
• Romans 11:14I hope that my work among you Gentiles will cause my own people to be jealous. As a result, some of them may turn to God, so that he saves them.
• 1 Corinthians 9:22With weak people, I became like someone who is weak too. I did that so that I could bring weak people to believe in Christ. Whoever I am living among, I live like they do. I want to do everything that I can to save some of them.
• 1 Timothy 4:16Think carefully about how you live, and about the message that you teach. Continue to teach God's true message. Then God will save not only you, but also those people who listen to you.
• Philemon 1:19I, Paul, am writing this myself: ‘I will pay the money back to you.’ But you should remember what I have given to you already. You have life with God because I told you the good news about Jesus.
• James 1:15We may agree to do what our bad thoughts tell us to do. When we do that, it becomes a sin. Then, we may not stop doing those bad things. If we continue to live like that, the result of our sins is death.
• Proverbs 10:2If you are not honest, your money will not help you. But if you are righteous, it will save you from death.
• Proverbs 11:4When it is time for God to punish you, money will not help you to escape. But if you are righteous, that will save you from death.
• John 5:24I tell you this: Everyone who hears my message should believe in the Father who sent me. If they believe in me, they will have life for ever with God. God will not say that they are guilty. They are no longer under the power of death. Instead, they have life with God.
• Revelation 20:6God has blessed those people that he raises up that first time. They belong to God as his holy people. The second death has no power over them. Instead, they will be priests who serve God and Christ. They will rule as kings with him for 1,000 years.
• Psalms 32:1When God has forgiven someone's sins, they are truly happy! They may have turned against God, but when God forgives them, they are happy.
• Proverbs 10:12When people hate others, it causes arguments. But love covers over all sins.
• 1 Peter 4:8Continue to love each other very much. That is more important than anything else. If you love people, you will forgive them for any wrong things that they have done.

Commentaries on James 5:20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20Let him know - Let him duly consider, for his encouragement, that he who is the instrument of converting a sinner shall save a soul from eternal death, and a body from ruin, and shall hide a multitude of sins; for in being the means of his conversion we bring him back to God, who, in his infinite mercy, hides or blots out the numerous sins which he had committed during the time of his backsliding. It is not the man's sins who is the means of his…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20Let him know - Let him who converts the other know for his encouragement. That he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way - Any sinner; anyone who has done wrong. This is a general principle, applicable to this case and to all others of the same kind. It is a universal truth that he who turns a sinner from a wicked path does a work which is acceptable to God, and which will in some way receive tokens of his approbation. Compare Deuteronomy…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 19-20Verses 19-20 It is no mark of a wise or holy man, to boast of being free from error, or to refuse to acknowledge an error. And there is some doctrinal mistake at the bottom of every practical mistake. There is no one habitually bad, but upon some bad principle. This is conversion; to turn a sinner from the error of his ways, not merely from one party to another, or from one notion and way of thinking to another. There is no way effectually and finally to…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 20When James talks about saving "a sinner from death," he means more than just physical death. He is referring to eternal death, which is the punishment for those who turn away from the truth of the good news of Jesus Christ (see 1:12, 15; compare Hebrews 6:4–8). James teaches that if someone has wandered from the truth, other believers should try to bring that person back to the right path. If the person who has sinned listens and turns back to God…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2020. Let him--the converted. know--for his comfort, and the encouragement of others to do likewise. shall save--future. The salvation of the one so converted shall be manifested hereafter. shall hide a multitude of sins--not his own, but the sins of the converted. The Greek verb in the middle voice requires this. Pr 10:12 refers to charity "covering" the sins of others before men; James to one's effecting by the conversion of another that that other's sins…Read the comment

Topics related to James 5:20

• Agency
• Intercession
• Regeneration
• Sin
• Wicked (People)
• Zeal, Religious

In the dictionaries

• Convert
• Grudge
• Howl
• Nourish
• Pitiful
• Tender
• Wanton
• Err; Error
• Way

Commentaries on James 5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings