What Does Matthew 18:15 Mean in the King James?
Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
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
The verse measures the encounter by a brother regained, making relationship the fruit of truth spoken plainly.
THE MEANING
When your brother misses the mark against you, the wrong and the bond both remain in view. If he hears you, the outcome is that you have gained your brother. The verse speaks of truth as a way a relationship can be recovered now.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
It undoes the belief that correction can only mean punishment or rejection: when the brother hears, the verse names the result as gaining him.
THE ROOT
ἁμαρτήσῃ
hamartēsē
GROWS FROM
ἁμαρτ- (Greek word-family stem of ἁμαρτάνω, hamartanō)
to miss or do wrong
The Greek verb belongs to the same word family as ἁμαρτία (hamartia), often rendered “sin.” English “trespass” can suggest a boundary violation; the shared Greek stem also lets this wrong be heard as a missing or failure.
ALSO GROWS
hamartia: missing; wrongdoing
ἁμαρτία
This related noun shows the same word family behind the idea of a wrong or failure.
hamartōlos: one who does wrong; sinner
ἁμαρτωλός
The related word applies the same family to a person, while this verse keeps the brother in view as someone who can be gained.
ἐκέρδησας
ekerdesas
GROWS FROM
κερδ- (Greek word-family stem of κερδαίνω, kerdainō)
gain, profit, acquire
“gained” in this verse is ekerdesas. The verb is gain language: the verse does not describe the outcome merely as settling a dispute, but as gaining a person. The relationship itself is placed in the field of value.
ALSO GROWS
kerdos: gain; profit
κέρδος
This related noun makes the language of gain explicit and sharpens the verse’s description of a brother as something gained.
kerdainō: to gain; profit; win
κερδαίνω
This is the verb’s lexical form, showing that “gained” belongs to a word family centered on acquisition.
THE PATTERN
A wrong is brought into direct speech with the aim of recovering a person and the relationship.
Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him.Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; 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 THREAD
For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?Matthew uses the same gain-verb for gaining the whole world that appears here for gaining a brother. The echo sharpens the question of what counts as gain: here, the object gained is a person and a restored relationship.
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