What Does James 5:20 Mean in the King James?
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.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
A single turn back from wandering reaches beyond the wanderer: it delivers a living soul from death and covers a multitude of misses.
THE MEANING
When someone turns another from a wandering course, a living soul is delivered from death and many misses are covered. The reader stands inside both sides of the movement: the one whose turn can affect another life, and the one whose own path can still be turned.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
The belief that wandering has already made return impossible is undone: the path can still be turned, and death is not its only end.
THE ROOT
ἐπιστρέψας
epistrepsas
GROWS FROM
στρέφω
strephō
Turn, twist, or change direction
The word translated “converteth” describes turning someone back. Its core, στρέφω (strephō, “turn”), makes the return a change of direction, not merely a change of opinion.
ALSO GROWS
epistrephō: Turn back, return
ἐπιστρέφω
This is the verb’s fuller form and keeps the verse’s sense of a person being turned back onto a different course.
apostrephō: Turn away, turn aside
ἀποστρέφω
The same turn can move a person away from a course; here, the turn carries someone away from wandering.
πλάνης
planēs
GROWS FROM
πλανάω
planaō
Wander or lead astray
The word translated “error” also carries the sense of wandering. Paired with “way,” it pictures a path that has gone off course, so the return changes the direction of the whole journey.
ALSO GROWS
planaō: Wander, go astray, or lead astray
πλανάω
This verb shows the movement contained in “error”: the person is straying from a way.
planētēs: Wanderer
πλανήτης
This related word names one who wanders, echoing the person whose course can be turned back.
καλύψει
kalypsei
GROWS FROM
καλύπτω
kalyptō
Cover or conceal
Here “hide” is καλύπτω (kalyptō, “cover”), a word family that also forms ἀποκαλύπτω (apokalyptō, “uncover, reveal”). The image is of covering what has accumulated, and the verse names its scale: a multitude of misses.
ALSO GROWS
apokalyptō: Uncover, reveal
ἀποκαλύπτω
The same word family can describe uncovering, making the contrast between what is covered and what is revealed visible.
kalymma: Covering, veil
κάλυμμα
This related noun makes the covering image concrete: what is hidden lies beneath a covering.
THE PATTERN
A turn away from wandering carries life, while faithful love covers the misses gathered along the way.
Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.THE THREAD
Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;Acts 3:19 uses the same Greek verb ἐπιστρέφω (epistrephō, “turn back”) in “be converted,” and joins that turn to sins being blotted out. James makes the stakes stark: the turn redirects a living soul from death while a multitude of misses is covered.
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