1.8 KiB
brothers
Here this word probably refers to both men and women. AT: "fellow believers" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-gendernotations)
if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone brings him back
A believer who stops trusting in God and obeying him is spoken of as if he were a sheep that wandered away from the flock. The person who persuades him to trust in God again is spoken of as if he were a shepherd who went to search for the lost sheep. AT: "whenever anyone stops obeying God, and another person helps him start obeying again" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor)
whoever turns a sinner from his wandering way ... will cover over a great number of sins
James means that God will use the actions of this person to persuade the sinner to repent and be saved. But James speaks as if it were this other person who actually saved the sinner's soul from death. (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy)
will save him from death, and will cover over a great number of sins
Here "death" refers to spiritual death, eternal separation from God. AT: "will save him from spiritual death, and God will forgive the sinner for all of his sins" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche)
will cover over a great number of sins
Possible meanings are 1) the person who brings back the disobedient brother will have his sins forgiven or 2) the disobedient brother, when he returns to the Lord, will have his sins forgiven. Sins are spoken of as if they were objects that God could cover so that he would not see them, so that he would forgive them. (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor)