Core Glossary
Core Glossary — James (Iaqub/Yaqub Məktubu)
English → Azerbaijani | Per-Term Translation Risk Reference
Purpose
This glossary consolidates every load-bearing theological term identified in 07_semantic_analysis.md across James 1-5, with proposed Azerbaijani renderings, risk tiers, and rationale. Terms already present in the baseline Romans translation_memory.json are marked [BASELINE — REUSE EXACTLY] and must not be altered. New terms proposed for this curriculum are marked [NEW] and are pending incorporation into an updated translation_memory.json at Phase 1 Step 8/9 sign-off.
Risk tiers follow the same definitions as the baseline doctrine_risk_registry.json:
- Critical — Human theologian review required for every occurrence.
- High — Human theologian review required.
- Medium — Native speaker review recommended.
- Low — Automated review sufficient.
Section A — Baseline Terms Reused in James
| English Term | Greek | Azerbaijani | Risk | Chapters | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Faith | πίστις | İman | High | 1, 2 (core), 5 | Reuse exactly. James 2:19 uses πιστεύω for bare intellectual assent — flag that this narrower sense must not be read as the fullness of İman elsewhere. |
| Law (Mosaic/moral) | νόμος | Qanun | High | 1, 2, 4 | Reuse exactly. Never şəriət. James’s “law of liberty” (1:25, 2:12) and “royal law” (2:8) are compounds built on this term — see Section B. |
| Grace | χάρις | Lütf | High | 4 | Reuse exactly. James 4:6 (“God gives grace to the humble”) — never mərhəmət/kərəm. |
| Righteousness | δικαιοσύνη | Salehlik | Critical | 2 (core), 3 | Reuse exactly. Never saleh əməllər as the ground of standing. |
| Justification / Justified | δικαίωσις / δικαιόω | Saleh sayılma | Critical | 2 (core, vv.21,24,25) | Reuse exactly, but James 2 uses this term in a demonstrative/evidentiary sense distinct from Romans’ forensic/initial sense — mandatory cross-reference teaching note required every occurrence. |
| Salvation | σωτηρία | Xilas | Critical | 1, 5 (as noun form implied) | Reuse exactly. See Section B for James 5:15’s healing-sense σῴζω, which must NOT use this term. |
| Glory | δόξα | Ehtişam | High | 2 | Reuse exactly. Never nur. |
| Peace | εἰρήνη | Sülh | Medium | 2, 3 | Reuse exactly for theological “peace”; James 2:16’s idiomatic “go in peace” needs a footnote distinguishing it from Romans 5:1’s peace-with-God sense. |
| Prophet | προφήτης | Peyğəmbər | High | 5 | Reuse exactly (Elijah, Job referenced as exemplars). |
| Lord | κύριος | Rəbb | Critical | 1, 2, 4, 5 | Reuse exactly. Foundation for “Lord of Sabaoth” (5:4) and “coming of the Lord” (5:7-8) — see Section B. |
| God | θεός | Allah | Critical | throughout | Reuse exactly. Never Tanrı. |
| Sin | ἁμαρτία | Günah | High | 1, 4, 5 | Reuse exactly. |
| Imputed Righteousness | ἐλογίσθη…εἰς δικαιοσύνην | Hesaba alınan salehlik | Critical | 2:23 | Reuse exactly. James 2:23 quotes the identical Genesis 15:6 text used in Romans 4:3 — must be cross-referenced in teaching notes as proof James presupposes, not overturns, justification by faith alone. |
| Kingdom of God | βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ | Allahın Padşahlığı | Medium | 2:5 | Reuse exactly. Never dövlət. |
| Church | ἐκκλησία (implied, “elders of the church”) | Kilsə | Medium | 5:14 | Reuse exactly. |
Section B — New Terms Proposed for James
Faith and Works (core doctrine, James 2:14-26)
| English Term | Greek | Azerbaijani | Transliteration | Risk | Notes / Rejected Alternatives |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Works / Deeds | ἔργα | Əməllər | ah-mal-LAIR | Critical | Distinct from baseline’s rejected “saleh əməllər” (righteous deeds as ground of justification). Must always be taught as fruit/evidence of grace-given faith, never as merit accumulated toward salvation. Rejected: no viable alternative; the plain word is necessary but requires constant doctrinal framing. |
| Dead faith | πίστις…νεκρά | Ölü iman | oh-LEW ee-MAHN | High | James 2:17,20,26. Describes the absence of genuine faith, not a faith needing works added to become sufficient. |
| Demonstrate/Show (evidentiary) | δείκνυμι (δεῖξόν) | Göstərmək | gus-tar-MAKH | High | Interpretive key to the whole passage: works show/prove faith’s reality; they do not constitute it. |
| Bare assent (belief without trust) | πιστεύω (v.19) | İnanmaq | ee-nahn-MAKH | High | Deliberately narrowed sense; echoes “Allah birdir” (tawhid confession) — must be taught as insufficient for salvation even though true, since “even the demons believe.” Rejected: using İman (the fuller, baseline term) here would blur James’s deliberate rhetorical narrowing. |
| Demons (evil spirits) | δαιμόνια | Cinlər (or şər ruhlar) | jeen-LAIR | High | NT daimonia are uniformly hostile; Islamic “cin” (jinn) cosmology includes morally mixed/believing jinn (Qur’an 72). Recommend “şər ruhlar” (evil spirits) where ambiguity risk is judged high. |
| Friend of God | φίλος θεοῦ | Allahın dostu | ahl-lah-HUHN dohs-TOO | High | James 2:23 (Abraham). Collides with “övliya” (waliyy Allah, “friend of God”), the baseline-flagged shrine-venerated elite category in Azerbaijani folk Islam (cf. baseline “saints” entry). Must be taught as available to any genuine believer, not an ascetic-merit elite. |
| Perfected / matured (of faith) | τελειόω (ἐτελειώθη) | Kamilləşmək | kah-meel-lash-MAKH | High | James 2:22. Faith reaching mature, evidenced expression — not self-achieved spiritual perfection. See “kamil” entry below (Trials doctrine). |
| Cooperated with (faith and works) | συνεργέω | Birgə fəaliyyət göstərmək | beer-GAH fah-ah-lee-YAHT | Medium-High | Must not suggest works “supplement” an insufficient faith in a merit-adding sense. |
| Altar | θυσιαστήριον | Qurbangah | koor-bahn-GAKH | Medium | James 2:21 (Abraham/Isaac). Cultural note: Azerbaijani Qurban Bayramı festival narrative follows the Ishmael tradition, not Isaac — worth a brief clarifying note, not a doctrinal risk per se. |
| Rahab the prostitute | Ῥαὰβ ἡ πόρνη | Fahişə Rahab | fah-hee-SHAH | Medium-High | James 2:25. Preserve the bluntness; do not soften. Native speaker review recommended for pastoral framing. |
Trials and the Testing of Faith (James 1)
| English Term | Greek | Azerbaijani | Transliteration | Risk | Notes / Rejected Alternatives |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trial / Testing | πειρασμός (positive sense) | Sınaq | suh-NAHK | High | External, purposive, God-permitted testing producing endurance (1:2-3,12). |
| Temptation (internal enticement) | πειρασμός (negative sense, 1:13-14) | Öz nəfsinin təhriki (qualifying phrase, not a single word) | High | Rejected: vəsvəsə (Qur’anic satanic-whisper term, Surah 114) — wrongly externalizes the source of temptation, whereas James locates it in one’s own desire. God is never the source of this sense (1:13). | |
| Proven genuineness | δοκίμιον | İmanın sınaqdan keçmiş həqiqiliyi | Medium | Refining-metal metaphor; low collision risk. | |
| Endurance / Steadfastness | ὑπομονή | Dözüm | duh-ZEWM | Medium | Deliberately distinct from Səbir (below) — active, trial-tested perseverance, distinct from μακροθυμία’s relational patience. |
| Perfect / Mature | τέλειος | Kamil | kah-MEEL | High | Sufi-adjacent “kamil insan” (perfected human via ascetic discipline) risk; James’s sense is grace-produced maturity through trial, not self-attained mystical perfection. |
| Wisdom | σοφία | Hikmət | heek-MAHT | High | Islamic hikmət tied to Qur’anic/Imamate transmission; James’s wisdom is asked directly from God the Father (1:5), not mediated through a prophetic-Imamate chain. |
| Double-minded | δίψυχος | İkiürəkli | ee-kee-ew-rak-LEE | Medium | Transparent compound; low collision risk. |
| Crown of life | στέφανος τῆς ζωῆς | Həyat tacı | hah-YAHT tah-JUH | Medium | Eschatological reward; distinguish from deferred/uncertain nicat-style hope (cf. baseline “salvation” entry). |
| Desire / Lust | ἐπιθυμία | Ehtiras / Nəfsani istək | ekh-tee-RAHS | Medium-High | ”Nəfs” carries Islamic spiritual-psychology connotations (jihad al-nafs); useful bridge but requires careful framing — desire conceives sin (1:14-15), a moral-relational, not merely ascetic-disciplinary, point. |
| Implanted word | λόγος ἔμφυτος | Əkilmiş söz | ah-keel-MEESH suz | Medium | ”Kəlam” avoided as primary rendering to prevent drift toward scholastic ilm al-kalam register. |
| Doer of the word (vs. hearer only) | ποιητὴς λόγου / ἀκροατής | Sözü icra edən / sadəcə eşidən | Low-Medium | Thematic bridge to core passage; sequence lessons accordingly. | |
| Law of liberty / Royal law | νόμος (τέλειος) τῆς ἐλευθερίας / νόμος βασιλικός | Azadlıq qanunu / Padşahlıq qanunu | ah-zahd-LUHK kah-NOON | High | Reuses baseline Qanun (never şəriət). Paradox of freedom-in-law-keeping cuts against common association of qanun/şəriət with external legal constraint; requires explicit teaching. |
| Religion (redefined) | θρησκεία | Din | DEEN | High | James redefines “pure religion” as compassion + moral purity, contrasting with din’s common association with a comprehensive law-governed way of life. |
| Orphans and widows | ὀρφανοί καὶ χῆραι | Yetimlər və dullar | yeh-teem-LAIR | Low | Strong positive resonance with Islamic/Qur’anic orphan-care ethics; good teaching bridge. |
| Unstained / Unspotted | ἄσπιλος | Ləkəsiz | lah-kah-SEEZ | Low | Straightforward. |
Wisdom from Above (James 1:5; 3:13-18)
| English Term | Greek | Azerbaijani | Transliteration | Risk | Notes / Rejected Alternatives |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wisdom from above | σοφία ἄνωθεν | Yuxarıdan gələn hikmət | High | See Hikmət entry above; the “from above” qualifier must be retained to keep the divine source explicit. | |
| Earthly (wisdom) | ἐπίγειος | Dünyəvi | dewn-yah-VEE | Medium | Contrast term in the wisdom triad. |
| Natural / Unspiritual (wisdom) | ψυχική | Nəfsani | naf-sah-NEE | High | Same nəfs caution as ἐπιθυμία entry above. |
| Demonic (wisdom) | δαιμονιώδης | Şeytani | shay-tah-NEE | High | Must be taught as one of three explicitly rejected sources of counterfeit “wisdom,” not merely a synonym for “bad.” |
Favoritism and the Poor (James 2:1-13; 5:1-6)
| English Term | Greek | Azerbaijani | Transliteration | Risk | Notes / Rejected Alternatives |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Favoritism / Partiality | προσωποληψία | Tərəfkeşlik | tah-raf-kesh-LEEK | High | Cuts against normal patron-client/honor-status deference patterns in Azerbaijani social culture; requires explicit teaching, not assumed as self-evidently wrong. |
| Rich / Poor | πλούσιος / πτωχός | Varlı / Yoxsul | vahr-LUH / yohk-SOOL | Medium | Good resonance with zəkat/sədəqə ethics; James’s specific critique of favoring the rich in the assembly (not general charity) needs sharpening. |
| Mercy | ἔλεος | Mərhəmət | mar-hah-MAHT | Medium | Distinct concept from Lütf/grace (baseline explicitly rejects mərhəmət as a grace-substitute); mərhəmət is the correct, distinct term for compassion toward the needy/suffering — keep the two terms clearly separated in all lessons. |
| Riches / Gold / Silver | πλοῦτος, χρυσός, ἄργυρος | Sərvət, qızıl, gümüş | sar-VAHT | Low | Standard vocabulary. |
| Wages | μισθός | Muzd / məvacib | Medium | Withheld just wages (5:4); strong resonance with Islamic fair-wage ethics. | |
| Lord of Sabaoth/Hosts | Κύριος Σαβαώθ | Ordular Rəbbi | ohr-doo-LAHR RAHBB-ee | Medium | Reuses baseline Rəbb; standard OT divine title; frame as active, purposive power, not fatalistic. |
Taming the Tongue (James 3:1-12)
| English Term | Greek | Azerbaijani | Transliteration | Risk | Notes / Rejected Alternatives |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tongue | γλῶσσα | Dil | DEEL | Medium | Good resonance with qeybət (backbiting) ethics; James’s claim of untameability by human effort alone (3:8) should be flagged as distinct from a pure self-discipline framework. |
| Bridle / Control | χαλιναγωγέω | Cilovlamaq | jee-lohv-lah-MAHK | Low-Medium | Vivid equestrian metaphor, natural idiomatic fit. |
| Hell / Gehenna | γέεννα | Cəhənnəm | jah-han-NAHM | High | Shared vocabulary with structured Islamic eschatology (levels of hell, possible Imam-intercession mitigation in popular devotion); teach as a moral-rhetorical image of the tongue’s destructive source and power, not a systematic hell-taxonomy statement. |
| Image/likeness of God | εἰκὼν/ὁμοίωσις θεοῦ | Allahın bənzərliyi | ahl-lah-HUHN bang-zar-lee-YEE | Critical | NEW doctrine collision not in Romans baseline. Direct tension with tawhid’s tanzih (divine transcendence, “nothing is like Him,” Qur’an 42:11). Route to human theologian review every occurrence, same tier as baseline’s son_of_god/incarnation entries. |
| Fruit of righteousness | καρπὸς δικαιοσύνης | Salehliyin bəhrəsi | Medium | Reuses baseline Salehlik; righteousness as fruit sown by godly wisdom, not merit earned. |
Worldliness versus Friendship with God (James 4)
| English Term | Greek | Azerbaijani | Transliteration | Risk | Notes / Rejected Alternatives |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adulterous (spiritual, metaphorical) | μοιχαλίδες | Zinakarlar (məcazi mənada) | zee-nah-kahr-LAHR | High | Zina is a Hadd-category offense in Islamic law; the metaphorical, non-literal nature must be flagged unmistakably in every teaching context. |
| Friendship with the world / Enmity with God | φιλία τοῦ κόσμου / ἔχθρα θεοῦ | Dünya ilə dostluq / Allahla düşmənçilik | dewn-YAH ee-LAH | Medium | Good bridge to existing dünya/axirət dichotomy in Islamic ethics, but James’s κόσμος is an active, personified God-opposed system, not merely “this life” as neutral time-category. |
| Proud / Humble | ὑπερήφανος / ταπεινός | Təkəbbürlü / Təvazökar | tah-kab-bewr-LEW | Medium | Strong positive bridge: təkəbbür identified as Iblis’s defining sin in Islamic tradition (Qur’an 7:12, 38:74-76). |
| Devil | διάβολος | Şeytan | shay-TAHN | Medium | Standard shared term; note the differing Iblis/jinn origin-narrative in Islamic tradition without assuming narrative identity. |
| Lawgiver / Judge | νομοθέτης / κριτής | Qanunverici / Hakim | kah-noon-veh-ree-JEE | Low-Medium | Standard vocabulary. |
| ”If the Lord wills” | θέλημα τοῦ Κυρίου (formula) | Rəbbin iradəsi ilə | RAHBB-een ee-rah-dah-SEE | Medium | Strong resonance with “İnşallah”; clarify genuine reflective dependence (cf. baseline “providence” entry) rather than habitual verbal formula. |
Prayer and Healing (James 5:13-18)
| English Term | Greek | Azerbaijani | Transliteration | Risk | Notes / Rejected Alternatives |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prayer | προσευχή / εὔχομαι / δέησις | Dua | doo-AH | Medium | Aligns naturally with dua (informal, personal) rather than namaz (formal ritual prayer) — accurate register match, but theological grounding (addressed directly to God through Christ) should not be assumed automatically shared. |
| Anoint with oil, in the Lord’s name | ἀλείφω ἐλαίῳ ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ Κυρίου | Yağla məsh etmək, Rəbbin adı ilə | mash et-MAHK | High | ”Məsh” shares its root with Məsih (positive resonance) but is also the Islamic ablution term (məsh çəkmək, wiping over socks/turban) — an entirely different ritual; clarify this is faith-filled pastoral prayer for the sick, not a purificatory or magical ritual. |
| Elders (of the church) | πρεσβύτεροι | Kilsə ağsaqqalları | ahg-sahk-KAHL | Medium | Reuses baseline Kilsə; “ağsaqqal” is a well-established, respected Turkic/Azerbaijani social-elder institution — good cultural fit, distinguish from Islamic clergy titles (molla, axund). |
| Save / Heal (physical) | σῴζω (healing sense) | Sağaltmaq | sah-ahl-MAHK | High | Must NOT use Xilas (baseline soteriological term) here — same Greek root as salvation, but this occurrence means physical healing/restoration; conflating the two risks serious pastoral error (implying healing = salvation, or unhealed sickness = lack of saving faith). |
| Confess (sins to one another) | ἐξομολογέομαι | Etiraf etmək | eh-tee-RAHF et-MAHK | High | Must distinguish from (1) Islamic tawbah (private repentance to Allah alone, no human intermediary) and (2) sacramental confession-to-clergy-for-absolution; James commends voluntary mutual accountability, with forgiveness remaining God’s prerogative alone. |
| Healing | ἴασις | Şəfa | shah-FAH | Medium | Phonetically close to (but etymologically distinct from) şəfaət (baseline Critical forbidden term for Imam intercession); pronounce/teach clearly to avoid unintended oral association. |
| Elijah | Ἠλίας | İlyas | eel-YAHS | Low-Medium | Recognized Qur’anic prophet-figure (Surah 37:123-132); good shared-recognition bridge. |
Patience and the Lord’s Return (James 5:7-11)
| English Term | Greek | Azerbaijani | Transliteration | Risk | Notes / Rejected Alternatives |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patience / Long-suffering | μακροθυμία / μακροθυμέω | Səbir | sah-BEER | High | Sabr is a heavily weighted Islamic virtue tied to a reward-earning framework and to hope for divine justice/Mahdi’s appearance; ground Christian səbir explicitly in confident hope of Christ’s certain, already-secured return (5:7-8), not uncertain hope contingent on unseen future merit. |
| Coming of the Lord (Parousia) | παρουσία τοῦ Κυρίου | Rəbbin gəlişi | RAHBB-een gah-lee-SHEE | Critical | MUST NEVER be rendered “zühur” — the specific, load-bearing Twelver Shia eschatological term for the Hidden Twelfth Imam’s (Mahdi’s) awaited appearance/return, one of the most emotionally and doctrinally central hopes in the majority Shia tradition of Azerbaijan. Add to the Forbidden Substitution List for this curriculum. |
| Job’s patience/endurance | ὑπομονή Ἰώβ | Əyyubun dözümü | Medium | Reuses Dözüm (Chapter 1); Job/Əyyub also a recognized Qur’anic prophet-figure (Qur’an 21:83-84, 38:41-44), good shared recognition. | |
| Oath / Swear | ὅρκος / ὀμνύω | And / and içmək | ahnd eech-MAHK | Medium | Common Azerbaijani speech habit (e.g., “Vallahi”); frame as a call to consistent truthfulness, not a mechanical prohibition on a cultural speech pattern. |
Confession and Restoration (James 5:16, 19-20)
| English Term | Greek | Azerbaijani | Transliteration | Risk | Notes / Rejected Alternatives |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Confess (sins to one another) | ἐξομολογέομαι | Etiraf etmək | eh-tee-RAHF | High | See full entry under “Prayer and Healing” above — same term, dual doctrine relevance. |
| Turn back (a wandering believer) | ἐπιστρέφω | Geri qaytarmaq | geh-REE kai-tahr-MAHK | Medium | Active, loving pursuit of the straying believer. |
| Wander / Stray from the truth | πλανάομαι | Yolunu azmaq | yoh-loo-NOO ahz-MAHK | Medium | Describes doctrinal/moral straying, not casual error. |
| Soul / Life | ψυχή | Can | JAHN | Medium | Preferred over “nəfs” (which carries the distinct Islamic connotation of the lower, appetitive self) — ψυχή here denotes the whole living person. |
Section C — Risk Summary for James-Specific New Terms
| Risk Tier | Count | Representative Terms |
|---|---|---|
| Critical | 5 | Əməllər (works, core passage), Allahın bənzərliyi (image of God), Rəbbin gəlişi (parousia — zühur forbidden), plus baseline-critical reuses (Saleh sayılma, Xilas, Hesaba alınan salehlik) applied in new James contexts |
| High | 21 | Ölü iman, Göstərmək, İnanmaq (bare assent), Cinlər, Allahın dostu, Kamilləşmək/Kamil, Sınaq, Hikmət, Nəfsani, Şeytani, Azadlıq qanunu, Din, Tərəfkeşlik, Cəhənnəm, Zinakarlar (metaphorical), Yağla məsh etmək, Sağaltmaq, Etiraf etmək, Səbir, and related |
| Medium | 24 | Dözüm, İkiürəkli, Həyat tacı, Ehtiras/Nəfsani istək, Mərhəmət, Dil, Dünyəvi, Varlı/Yoxsul, Muzd, Ordular Rəbbi, Təkəbbürlü/Təvazökar, Şeytan, Rəbbin iradəsi ilə, Dua, Ağsaqqallar, Şəfa, İlyas, And, Geri qaytarmaq, Yolunu azmaq, Can, and related |
| Low | 8 | Yetimlər və dullar, Ləkəsiz, Fayda/xeyir, Qurbangah, Sərvət/qızıl/gümüş, Qanunverici/Hakim, Cilovlamaq, and related |
All Critical and High risk terms in this glossary require human theologian review at Phase 2 Step 17 per the established doctrine_risk_registry.json routing convention. Two new doctrine entries — imago Dei (Allahın bənzərliyi) and the Parousia / zühur avoidance (Rəbbin gəlişi) — must be added to an updated doctrine_risk_registry.json for the James curriculum, both at Critical tier, consistent with the baseline’s existing treatment of tawhid-collision and Shia-eschatology-collision doctrines.
Critical Risk Terms
Righteousness
Approved rendering: Salehlik
Transliteration: sah-lehk-LEEK
Doctrine: Faith and Works
Rejected alternatives: saleh əməllər (righteous deeds, as the ground itself)
Original: δικαιοσύνη
Category: Faith and Works
Inherited from Romans package. James 2:23 (credited by faith) and 3:18 (fruit of godly wisdom) both use this term. Never present as equivalent to saleh əməllər; this caution is especially acute in James given the letter’s heavy works vocabulary.
Justification
Approved rendering: Saleh sayılma
Transliteration: sah-LEHKH sah-yuhl-MAH
Doctrine: Faith and Works
Rejected alternatives: günahların bağışlanması (forgiveness alone)
Original: δικαιόω / δικαίωσις
Category: Faith and Works
Inherited from Romans package. CRITICAL James-specific extension: James 2:21, 24, 25 use this identical verb in a demonstrative/evidentiary sense (a prior faith shown genuine by the works it produces) distinct from Romans’ forensic/initial sense (a sinner declared righteous by faith apart from works). Every James occurrence requires a mandatory theologian’s cross-reference note to Romans 3:28 and to James 2:23’s citation of Genesis 15:6, to prevent the passage from being read as overturning Romans or as confirming the mizan deeds-based judgment framework.
Salvation
Approved rendering: Xilas
Transliteration: khee-LAHS
Doctrine: Faith and Works
Rejected alternatives: nicat, cənnətə girmək
Original: σωτηρία / σῴζω (soteriological sense)
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. Used in James 1:21 (‘the implanted word…able to save your souls’) and James 2:14 (‘can that faith save him?’). MUST be kept distinct from James 5:15’s healing-sense σῴζω, rendered separately as Sağaltmaq (see salvation_healing) — never use Xilas for physical healing.
Lord
Approved rendering: Rəbb
Transliteration: RAHBB
Doctrine: Lordship of Christ
Rejected alternatives: ağa
Original: κύριος
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package. Used throughout James (1:1, 2:1, 5:4, 5:7-8, 5:14-15). Foundation for two James-specific compound titles: Ordular Rəbbi (Lord of Sabaoth, 5:4) and Rəbbin gəlişi (the coming of the Lord, 5:7-8).
God
Approved rendering: Allah
Transliteration: ahl-LAHKH
Doctrine: Imago Dei (Image of God in Humanity)
Rejected alternatives: Tanrı
Original: θεός
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package. Never Tanrı. Addressed throughout James as Father and giver of every good gift (1:5, 1:17, 4:6).
Imputed Righteousness
Approved rendering: Hesaba alınan salehlik
Transliteration: heh-sah-BAH ah-luh-NAHN sah-lehk-LEEK
Doctrine: Faith and Works
Rejected alternatives: qazanılmış salehlik
Original: ἐλογίσθη αὐτῷ εἰς δικαιοσύνην
Category: Faith and Works
Inherited from Romans package. James 2:23 quotes the IDENTICAL Genesis 15:6 text used in Romans 4:3 — flag in every James 2 lesson as proof James presupposes, rather than overturns, justification by faith alone; the works of vv.21-22 came years later and demonstrated, but did not constitute, this already-credited righteousness.
Jesus
Approved rendering: İsa
Transliteration: ee-SAH
Doctrine: Lordship of Christ
Rejected alternatives: bare İsa Peyğəmbər
Inherited from Romans package. Always paired with Məsih (İsa Məsih) in James 1:1 and 2:1; never used bare in doctrinally significant references.
Messiah
Approved rendering: Məsih
Transliteration: mah-SEEKH
Doctrine: Messianic Promise
Rejected alternatives: sadəcə bir peyğəmbər
Inherited from Romans package. Paired with İsa throughout James’s doctrinally significant references (1:1, 2:1). Positive teaching note: James 5:14’s anointing vocabulary (məsh) shares a root with Məsih, worth noting, while remaining distinct from the unrelated Islamic ablution term məsh çəkmək.
Father
Approved rendering: Ata
Transliteration: ah-TAH
Doctrine: Imago Dei (Image of God in Humanity)
Rejected alternatives: Yaradan
Inherited from Romans package. James 1:17 (‘the Father of lights’) and 1:27 (‘God our Father’). Teach the relational sense directly rather than retreating to the flatter Yaradan, consistent with baseline caution around this term’s tawhid-sensitivity.
Works
Approved rendering: Əməllər
Transliteration: ah-mal-LAIR
Doctrine: Faith and Works
Rejected alternatives: saleh əməllər (righteous deeds as ground of standing — baseline-rejected phrase, never used for James’s ἔργα either)
Original: ἔργα
Category: Faith and Works
NEW. James 2:14-26 core passage. The observable fruit and necessary companion of genuine faith (2:15-16, 2:21-25), never a separate path to standing before God. Azerbaijani readers carry a strong mizan (deeds-ledger) framework in which əməllər function as the very currency of final judgment; every occurrence requires a teaching note clarifying these are fruit/evidence of grace-given faith, not deposits toward salvation.
Coming Of The Lord
Approved rendering: Rəbbin gəlişi
Transliteration: RAHBB-een gah-lee-SHEE
Doctrine: Patience and the Lord’s Return
Rejected alternatives: zühur (FORBIDDEN — the Twelver Shia term for the Hidden Twelfth Imam’s/Mahdi’s awaited return)
Original: παρουσία τοῦ Κυρίου
Category: Patience and the Lord’s Return
NEW. James 5:7-8, παρουσία τοῦ Κυρίου. MUST NEVER be rendered zühur, one of the most emotionally and doctrinally central hopes in the majority Shia tradition of Azerbaijan. This is Christ’s own, already-guaranteed historical return, not Mahdist expectation. Added to the Forbidden Substitution List for this curriculum.
Image Of God
Approved rendering: Allahın bənzərliyi
Transliteration: ahl-lah-HUHN bang-zar-lee-YEE
Doctrine: Imago Dei (Image of God in Humanity)
Original: εἰκὼν θεοῦ / ὁμοίωσις θεοῦ
Category: God
NEW doctrine, not present in the Romans baseline. James 3:9, humanity made ‘in the likeness of God.’ Directly confronts tawhid’s tanzih doctrine (‘there is nothing like Him,’ Qur’an 42:11), popularly taught as excluding any resemblance between Allah and creation. Route to human theologian review every occurrence, same tier as baseline’s son_of_god/incarnation entries; concerns derivative dignity and moral/relational capacity, not physical or ontological equivalence.
High Risk Terms
Faith
Approved rendering: İman
Transliteration: ee-MAHN
Doctrine: Faith and Works
Rejected alternatives: etiqad (doctrinal conviction/creed)
Original: πίστις
Category: Faith
Inherited from Romans package. James 2:19’s πιστεύω is deliberately narrowed to bare intellectual assent — rendered separately as İnanmaq (see bare_assent) — and must never be confused with İman’s fuller relational-trust sense used elsewhere in the letter (1:3, 1:6, 2:1, 2:14 genuine sense, 2:22-23, 5:15).
Law
Approved rendering: Qanun
Transliteration: kah-NOON
Doctrine: The Law of Liberty (Royal Law)
Rejected alternatives: şəriət (Islamic religious law)
Original: νόμος
Category: Covenant
Inherited from Romans package. James builds two compound doctrinal phrases on this root — Azadlıq qanunu (law of liberty, 1:25) and Padşahlıq qanunu (royal law, 2:8) — see law_of_liberty_royal_law entry. Never şəriət in any James context.
Grace
Approved rendering: Lütf
Transliteration: LYUTF
Doctrine: Grace
Rejected alternatives: mərhəmət (mercy), kərəm
Original: χάρις
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. James 4:6 (‘God gives grace to the humble,’ echoing Proverbs 3:34). Never mərhəmət, which is reserved as the distinct rendering for ἔλεος (mercy, James 2:13) — keep the two terms clearly separated in every James lesson.
Glory
Approved rendering: Ehtişam
Transliteration: eh-htee-SHAHM
Doctrine: Favoritism and the Poor
Rejected alternatives: nur
Original: δόξα
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package. James 2:1, ‘our glorious Lord Jesus Christ,’ identifies Jesus with divine glory. Never nur (Shia Nur-i Məhəmmədi associations).
Prophet
Approved rendering: Peyğəmbər
Transliteration: pay-gam-BAIR
Doctrine: Old Testament Exemplars of Faith
Rejected alternatives: falçı
Original: προφήτης
Category: Covenant
Inherited from Romans package. James 5:10 cites ‘the prophets’ (including Elijah, 5:17) as exemplars of patient suffering. Keep this exemplary suffering-and-endurance point distinct from any implied equivalence with Christ’s unique identity, since Peyğəmbər is also the exact category Islamic theology assigns to Jesus himself.
Sin
Approved rendering: Günah
Transliteration: goo-NAHKH
Doctrine: Trials and the Testing of Faith
Rejected alternatives: xəta
Original: ἁμαρτία
Category: Sin
Inherited from Romans package. James 1:15 (‘sin, when full-grown, brings forth death’) and 4:17, 5:15-16, 20. Islamic anthropology (fitrə, humans born sinless) resists James’s desire-conceives-sin-brings-death chain (1:14-15); needs explicit teaching support.
Called
Approved rendering: Çağırılmış
Transliteration: chah-guh-ruhl-MUSH
Doctrine: Favoritism and the Poor
Rejected alternatives: dəvət olunmuş
Original: κλητός / ἐπικαλέω (implied, James 2:7)
Category: Church
Inherited from Romans package. James 2:7, ‘the honorable name by which you were called’ — believers’ identity grounded in God’s naming/calling of them. Distinguish from qismət-style impersonal fate and from a merely optional invitation.
Providence
Approved rendering: Allahın tədbiri
Transliteration: ahl-lah-HUHN tad-bee-REE
Doctrine: Worldliness versus Friendship with God
Rejected alternatives: qismət, alın yazısı
Inherited from Romans package. James 1:16-18 (God as unchanging giver of every good gift) and James 4:15 (‘if the Lord wills,’ Rəbbin iradəsi ilə) both draw on this doctrine. Rəbbin iradəsi ilə is a genuine bridge to the common formula ‘İnşallah,’ but must be taught as reflective dependence on a personal, purposive Father, not a habitual verbal tic.
Dead Faith
Approved rendering: Ölü iman
Transliteration: oh-LEW ee-MAHN
Doctrine: Faith and Works
Original: πίστις … νεκρά
Category: Faith and Works
NEW. James 2:17, 20, 26. Describes the absence of genuine, God-given trust, not a faith needing works added to become sufficient in a merit-earning sense.
Demonstrate Show
Approved rendering: Göstərmək
Transliteration: gus-tar-MAKH
Doctrine: Faith and Works
Original: δείκνυμι (δεῖξόν)
Category: Faith and Works
NEW. James 2:18’s interpretive key: ‘show me your faith without works.’ Works function as visible evidence, not invisible cause, of faith’s presence — the term that resolves the apparent Romans/James tension. Must be taught explicitly wherever it occurs.
Bare Assent
Approved rendering: İnanmaq
Transliteration: ee-nahn-MAKH
Doctrine: Faith and Works
Rejected alternatives: İman (would blur James’s deliberate rhetorical narrowing)
Original: πιστεύω
Category: Faith and Works
NEW. James 2:19, deliberately narrowed sense of πιστεύω. ‘God is one’ (εἷς θεός ἐστιν) echoes ‘Allah birdir’ (the tawhid confession); James’s rhetorical trap exposes that bare monotheistic assent, treated culturally as saving-faith’s foundation, is insufficient — even demons hold it. Must be taught explicitly, never softened for interfaith comfort.
Perfected Matured
Approved rendering: Kamilləşmək
Transliteration: kah-meel-lash-MAKH
Doctrine: Faith and Works
Original: τελειόω (ἐτελειώθη)
Category: Faith and Works
NEW. James 2:22, Abraham’s faith reaching mature, fully realized expression through obedience. ‘Kamil’ carries Sufi-adjacent ‘kamil insan’ connotations (self-attained ascetic perfection); teach this as faith reaching mature, fruit-bearing expression through grace-secured obedience, not self-achieved mystical perfection.
Cooperated With
Approved rendering: Birgə fəaliyyət göstərmək
Transliteration: beer-GAH fah-ah-lee-YAHT gus-tar-MAKH
Doctrine: Faith and Works
Original: συνεργέω
Category: Faith and Works
NEW. James 2:22, συνεργέω, faith and works shown functioning together in Abraham’s obedience. Must never suggest works ‘helped’ or ‘supplemented’ an otherwise insufficient faith in a merit-adding sense, which would reintroduce the mizan framework.
Friend Of God
Approved rendering: Allahın dostu
Transliteration: ahl-lah-HUHN dohs-TOO
Doctrine: Faith and Works
Rejected alternatives: övliya (waliyy Allah — shrine-venerated elite category in Azerbaijani folk Islam)
Original: φίλος θεοῦ
Category: Faith and Works
NEW. James 2:23 (Abraham). Literal root meaning of övliya, the baseline-flagged shrine-venerated elite category (pirs, ocaqlar, ziyarat). Must be taught as available to any believer who trusts and lives out that trust like Abraham, not an ascetic-merit elite — consistent with the baseline’s corporate, non-elite ‘saints’ (Müqəddəslər) entry.
Law Of Liberty Royal Law
Approved rendering: Azadlıq qanunu / Padşahlıq qanunu
Transliteration: ah-zahd-LUHK kah-noo-NOO / pahd-shah-LUHK kah-noo-NOO
Doctrine: The Law of Liberty (Royal Law)
Original: νόμος (τέλειος) τῆς ἐλευθερίας / νόμος βασιλικός
Category: Covenant
NEW. James 1:25 (‘perfect law of liberty’) and 2:8 (‘royal law’), summarized as love of neighbor. Built on baseline Qanun (never şəriət). The freedom-through-law-keeping paradox runs against the common Azerbaijani association of qanun/şəriət with external legal constraint; requires explicit teaching as Spirit-enabled, joyful obedience flowing from a heart already made free in Christ, not merit-earning compliance.
Salvation Healing
Approved rendering: Sağaltmaq
Transliteration: sah-ahl-MAHK
Doctrine: Prayer and Healing
Rejected alternatives: Xilas (the baseline soteriological term — forbidden here)
Original: σῴζω (healing sense)
Category: Prayer and Healing
NEW. James 5:15, healing-sense σῴζω. Must NOT use Xilas: conflating physical healing with eternal salvation risks implying healing constitutes or guarantees salvation, or that unhealed sickness indicates a lack of saving faith. Teaching note should observe the shared Greek root as a point of theological interest only, while keeping renderings distinct.
Desire Lust
Approved rendering: Ehtiras / Nəfsani istək
Transliteration: ekh-tee-RAHS / naf-sah-NEE ees-TAHK
Doctrine: Trials and the Testing of Faith
Original: ἐπιθυμία
Category: Sin
NEW. James 1:14-15, 4:1-3, ἐπιθυμία. ‘Nəfs’ is central to Islamic spiritual psychology (jihad al-nafs); a genuine bridge but must be taught carefully to preserve James’s specific claim that desire itself conceives sin, not merely one battlefield among several religious disciplines.
Adulterous Metaphorical
Approved rendering: Zinakarlar (məcazi mənada)
Transliteration: zee-nah-kahr-LAHR
Doctrine: Worldliness versus Friendship with God
Rejected alternatives: unmarked/unqualified ‘Zinakarlar’ without the metaphorical flag
Original: μοιχαλίδες
Category: Worldliness
NEW. James 4:4, μοιχαλίδες. Zina is a Hadd-category offense with severe legal and social weight; the metaphorical, OT covenant-unfaithfulness nature of this accusation must be flagged unmistakably (‘məcazi mənada’) in every teaching context to avoid a literal misreading.
Demons
Approved rendering: Cinlər / şər ruhlar
Transliteration: jeen-LAIR / shar rookh-LAHR
Doctrine: Faith and Works
Original: δαιμόνια
Category: Faith and Works
NEW. James 2:19, δαιμόνια. NT daimonia are uniformly hostile, whereas Azerbaijani ‘cin’ (jinn) cosmology includes a morally mixed category with believing jinn (Qur’an 72). Prefer şər ruhlar (evil spirits) where ambiguity risk is judged high.
Trial Testing
Approved rendering: Sınaq
Transliteration: suh-NAHK
Doctrine: Trials and the Testing of Faith
Rejected alternatives: bəla/müsibət (fatalistic ‘calamity’ register), imtahan (academic exam register)
Original: πειρασμός (positive sense)
Category: Trials
NEW. James 1:2-3, 12, πειρασμός positive sense. God-permitted external circumstances that test and prove faith, producing endurance and maturity. Must be taught as purposive divine permission, distinguished from qismət-style fatalistic framing.
Temptation Internal
Approved rendering: Öz nəfsinin təhriki
Transliteration: uhz naf-see-NEEN tah-hree-KEE
Doctrine: Trials and the Testing of Faith
Rejected alternatives: vəsvəsə (FORBIDDEN — Qur’anic satanic-whisper term, Surah 114, wrongly externalizes the source of temptation)
Original: πειρασμός (negative sense, 1:13-14)
Category: Trials
NEW. James 1:13-14, πειρασμός negative sense. Internal enticement toward sin, sourced in one’s own desire, never from God (1:13 explicitly excludes God as source). Qualifying phrase preferred over any single word that would externalize the source onto an outside tempter.
Perfect Mature
Approved rendering: Kamil
Transliteration: kah-MEEL
Doctrine: Trials and the Testing of Faith
Original: τέλειος
Category: Trials
NEW. James 1:4, 17, 25, τέλειος. ‘Kamil’/‘kamil insan’ is a significant term in Azerbaijani Sufi-influenced devotional vocabulary denoting spiritual perfection reached through ascetic discipline; teach James’s τέλειος as maturity produced by God’s work through trials in a believer already secured by grace, not self-attained mystical perfection.
Wisdom
Approved rendering: Hikmət
Transliteration: heek-MAHT
Doctrine: Wisdom from Above
Rejected alternatives: elm (too intellectual/academic), ağıl (too rationalistic)
Original: σοφία
Category: Wisdom
NEW. James 1:5, σοφία. Strongly associated in Azerbaijani religious vocabulary with Qur’anic revelation and wisdom mediated through the Prophet and, in Shia tradition, the Imams. Teach explicitly that James’s wisdom is asked for directly from ‘the Father of lights’ through prayer, not mediated through a prophetic-Imamate chain.
Wisdom From Above
Approved rendering: Yuxarıdan gələn hikmət
Transliteration: yoo-khah-ruh-DAHN ga-LAHN heek-MAHT
Doctrine: Wisdom from Above
Original: σοφία ἄνωθεν
Category: Wisdom
NEW. James 3:17, σοφία ἄνωθεν. The ‘from above’ qualifier must be retained to keep the divine source explicit, given Hikmət’s positive but potentially misleading Islamic religious connotations noted above.
Natural Unspiritual Wisdom
Approved rendering: Nəfsani
Transliteration: naf-sah-NEE
Doctrine: Wisdom from Above
Original: ψυχική
Category: Wisdom
NEW. James 3:15, ψυχική (‘soulish’). Same ‘nəfs’ caution as desire_lust: the Islamic spiritual-psychology association is a possible bridge but must not reduce this to a generic self-discipline category rather than James’s specific counterfeit-wisdom category.
Demonic Wisdom
Approved rendering: Şeytani
Transliteration: shay-tah-NEE
Doctrine: Wisdom from Above
Original: δαιμονιώδης
Category: Wisdom
NEW. James 3:15, δαιμονιώδης. Must be taught as one of three explicitly rejected sources of counterfeit wisdom, not merely a synonym for ‘bad,’ since Azerbaijani hikmət already carries positive religious connotations that could obscure the possibility of corrupted, destructive ‘wisdom.‘
Hell Gehenna
Approved rendering: Cəhənnəm
Transliteration: jah-han-NAHM
Doctrine: Taming the Tongue
Original: γέεννα
Category: Taming the Tongue
NEW. James 3:6, γέεννα, ‘set on fire by hell.’ Shared vocabulary with an elaborate, structured Islamic eschatology (graduated punishment levels, and in popular Shia devotion, hoped-for Imam-intercession mitigation). Teach strictly as a moral-rhetorical image of the tongue’s destructive source and power, not an invitation to hell-taxonomy or intercession-mitigation comparison.
Favoritism
Approved rendering: Tərəfkeşlik
Transliteration: tah-raf-kesh-LEEK
Doctrine: Favoritism and the Poor
Rejected alternatives: ayrı-seçkilik (flattens the specific in-assembly imagery into a secular-legal discrimination register), üzəbaxanlıq (too colloquial/folksy for the target register)
Original: προσωποληψία
Category: Favoritism and the Poor
NEW. James 2:1, 9, προσωποληψία. Azerbaijani social culture retains strong patron-client and honor-status deference patterns; James’s prohibition cuts directly against culturally normal deference and requires explicit teaching to avoid being read as mild etiquette advice.
Religion Pure
Approved rendering: Din
Transliteration: DEEN
Doctrine: Pure and Undefiled Religion
Original: θρησκεία
Category: Sanctification
NEW doctrine. James 1:26-27, θρησκεία. ‘Din’ in Azerbaijani religious discourse typically denotes a comprehensive, law-governed way of life; James’s redefinition of ‘pure religion’ as compassion plus personal moral purity, apart from ritual performance, is a genuinely striking reframing requiring explicit teaching.
Anoint With Oil
Approved rendering: Yağla məsh etmək, Rəbbin adı ilə
Transliteration: yahg-LAH mash et-MAHK, RAHBB-een ah-DUH ee-LAH
Doctrine: Prayer and Healing
Rejected alternatives: unqualified ‘məsh etmək’ without a clarifying note distinguishing it from wudu’s məsh çəkmək
Original: ἀλείφω ἐλαίῳ ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ Κυρίου
Category: Prayer and Healing
NEW. James 5:14. ‘Məsh’ shares its root with Məsih (positive resonance) but is also the technical term for the ritual wiping (məsh çəkmək) over socks/turban during Islamic ablution — an entirely different ritual. Mandatory clarifying note every occurrence: faith-filled pastoral prayer for the sick, not a purificatory or magical-mechanical ritual.
Confess Sins
Approved rendering: Etiraf etmək
Transliteration: eh-tee-RAHF et-MAHK
Doctrine: Confession and Restoration
Rejected alternatives: tövbə etmək (names the Islamic tawbah pattern — private, unmediated repentance to Allah — not James’s mutual, horizontal sense)
Original: ἐξομολογέομαι
Category: Confession and Restoration
NEW. James 5:16, ἐξομολογέομαι. Must be distinguished from (1) Islamic tawbah’s private repentance to Allah alone, which could make believer-to-believer confession seem theologically unnecessary, and (2) a sacramental confession-to-clergy-for-absolution model, which could wrongly suggest a human mediator grants forgiveness. James commends voluntary mutual accountability; forgiveness remains God’s prerogative alone.
Patience Longsuffering
Approved rendering: Səbir
Transliteration: sah-BEER
Doctrine: Patience and the Lord’s Return
Rejected alternatives: Dözüm (reserved for ὑπομονή, James 1)
Original: μακροθυμία / μακροθυμέω
Category: Patience and the Lord’s Return
NEW. James 5:7-8, 10, μακροθυμία. One of the most heavily weighted virtues in Islamic ethics, tied to a reward-earning framework and, in popular Shia piety, to hope for the Mahdi’s appearance and eschatological justice. Ground Christian səbir explicitly in confident hope of Christ’s certain, already-secured return, not uncertain merit-contingent hope.
Body Without Spirit
Approved rendering: Ruhsuz bədən
Transliteration: rookh-SOOZ bah-DAHN
Doctrine: Faith and Works
Original: σῶμα χωρὶς πνεύματος
Category: Faith and Works
NEW. James 2:26, σῶμα χωρὶς πνεύματος. πνεῦμα here denotes ordinary breath/life-force, NOT the Holy Spirit; a translator note is required to prevent readers from importing Trinitarian content (Müqəddəs Ruh, the baseline Critical-risk term) into this simple body/breath analogy.
Rahab The Prostitute
Approved rendering: Fahişə Rahab
Transliteration: fah-hee-SHAH rah-HAHB
Doctrine: Old Testament Exemplars of Faith
Rejected alternatives: qonaqpərvər qadın (‘hospitable woman’ — a euphemistic softening circulating in some paraphrase literature, rejected)
Original: Ῥαὰβ ἡ πόρνη
Category: Faith and Works
NEW. James 2:25, Ῥαὰβ ἡ πόρνη. ‘Fahişə’ is culturally blunt in Azerbaijani honor-shame social contexts; preserve the bluntness rather than softening, since the moral shock is part of James’s rhetorical point about the reach of grace-evidenced faith. Native speaker review recommended for pastoral framing, not for softening the term.
Medium Risk Terms
Peace
Approved rendering: Sülh
Transliteration: SYULKH
Doctrine: Wisdom from Above
Rejected alternatives: rahatlıq
Original: εἰρήνη
Category: Wisdom
Inherited from Romans package. James 3:18: peace sown by godly wisdom produces a harvest of righteousness. James 2:16’s idiomatic parting blessing (‘go in peace’) requires a footnote distinguishing it from this theological sense and from Romans 5:1’s peace-with-God-through-justification sense.
Kingdom Of God
Approved rendering: Allahın Padşahlığı
Transliteration: ahl-lah-HUHN pahd-shah-luh-UH
Doctrine: Favoritism and the Poor
Rejected alternatives: Allahın dövləti
Original: βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ
Category: Favoritism and the Poor
Inherited from Romans package. James 2:5, the poor who love God as heirs of the promised kingdom. Never dövlət.
Church
Approved rendering: Kilsə
Transliteration: keel-SAY
Doctrine: Prayer and Healing
Rejected alternatives: məscid-vari icma
Original: ἐκκλησία
Category: Church
Inherited from Romans package. James 5:14, elders ‘of the church’ called to pray over the sick.
Job Patience
Approved rendering: Əyyubun dözümü
Transliteration: ai-yoo-BOON duh-zew-MEW
Doctrine: Old Testament Exemplars of Faith
Original: ὑπομονή Ἰώβ
Category: Patience and the Lord’s Return
NEW. James 5:11, Job cited as the paradigm of steadfast endurance under severe, prolonged, unjust suffering, vindicated by God’s mercy and compassion. Reuses Dözüm (see endurance entry).
Lord Of Hosts
Approved rendering: Ordular Rəbbi
Transliteration: ohr-doo-LAHR RAHBB-ee
Doctrine: Favoritism and the Poor
Original: Κύριος Σαβαώθ
Category: Christology
NEW. James 5:4, Κύριος Σαβαώθ, built on baseline Rəbb. Standard OT divine title asserting God’s supreme power to vindicate exploited laborers; frame as active, purposive power (cf. baseline power_of_god entry), not a fatalistic or impersonal cosmic force.
Proven Genuineness
Approved rendering: İmanın sınaqdan keçmiş həqiqiliyi
Transliteration: ee-mah-NUHN suh-nahk-DAHN kech-MEESH hah-gee-gee-lee-YEE
Doctrine: Trials and the Testing of Faith
Original: δοκίμιον
Category: Trials
NEW. James 1:3, δοκίμιον. Refining-metal metaphor; the testing/proving of faith’s genuineness. Ensure ‘sınaq’ is used consistently with the trial_testing entry.
Endurance
Approved rendering: Dözüm
Transliteration: duh-ZEWM
Doctrine: Trials and the Testing of Faith
Rejected alternatives: Səbir (reserved exclusively for μακροθυμία, James 5:7-11)
Original: ὑπομονή
Category: Trials
NEW. James 1:3-4, 12; 5:11, ὑπομονή. Deliberately kept distinct from Səbir to separate active, trial-tested endurance from the more relationally directed patience-with-others sense; Azerbaijani ‘səbir’ carries strong Islamic virtue-and-reward associations that must not be imported here.
Crown Of Life
Approved rendering: Həyat tacı
Transliteration: hah-YAHT tah-JUH
Doctrine: Trials and the Testing of Faith
Original: στέφανος τῆς ζωῆς
Category: Trials
NEW. James 1:12, στέφανος τῆς ζωῆς. Eschatological reward for enduring trial in love for God; must be distinguished from the deferred, uncertain, Imamate-intercession-linked eschatology flagged Critical in the baseline salvation entry — this crown is a promised, not merely hoped-for, outcome.
Double Minded
Approved rendering: İkiürəkli
Transliteration: ee-kee-ew-rak-LEE
Doctrine: Trials and the Testing of Faith
Original: δίψυχος
Category: Trials
NEW. James 1:6-8, δίψυχος. Inward division between trust in God and doubt, producing instability. Transparent compound; teach the image explicitly rather than assuming self-explanatory.
Earthly Wisdom
Approved rendering: Dünyəvi
Transliteration: dewn-yah-VEE
Doctrine: Wisdom from Above
Original: ἐπίγειος
Category: Wisdom
NEW. James 3:15, ἐπίγειος. First of three counterfeit-wisdom-source terms in the triad; must be taught as part of that explicit three-way contrast, not in isolation.
Tongue
Approved rendering: Dil
Transliteration: DEEL
Doctrine: Taming the Tongue
Original: γλῶσσα
Category: Taming the Tongue
NEW. James 3:1-12, γλῶσσα. Strong resonance with the existing Islamic ethical category of qeybət (backbiting); James’s claim of untameability by human effort alone (3:8) should be highlighted as distinct from a pure self-discipline framework.
Oath Swear
Approved rendering: And / and içmək
Transliteration: ahnd / ahnd eech-MAHK
Doctrine: Taming the Tongue
Original: ὅρκος / ὀμνύω
Category: Taming the Tongue
NEW. James 5:12, ὅρκος/ὀμνύω. Oath-invoking speech habits (e.g., ‘Vallahi’) are extremely common in ordinary Azerbaijani conversation; frame James’s teaching as a call to consistent truthfulness, not a mechanical prohibition on a cultural speech pattern.
Rich Poor
Approved rendering: Varlı / Yoxsul
Transliteration: vahr-LUH / yohk-SOOL
Doctrine: Favoritism and the Poor
Original: πλούσιος / πτωχός
Category: Favoritism and the Poor
NEW. James 2:2-6, 5:1-6, πλούσιος/πτωχός. Good resonance with zəkat/sədəqə ethics, but James’s specific critique of favoring the rich within the gathered assembly (not general charity) must be taught as a distinct, sharper point.
Mercy
Approved rendering: Mərhəmət
Transliteration: mar-hah-MAHT
Doctrine: Favoritism and the Poor
Original: ἔλεος
Category: Favoritism and the Poor
NEW. James 2:13, ἔλεος. Baseline explicitly rejects mərhəmət as a substitute for χάρις/Lütf; mərhəmət remains the correct, distinct rendering for ἔλεος itself. Keep Lütf (grace) and Mərhəmət (mercy) clearly separated in every James lesson.
Wages
Approved rendering: Muzd / məvacib
Transliteration: MOOZD / mah-vah-JEEB
Doctrine: Favoritism and the Poor
Original: μισθός
Category: Favoritism and the Poor
NEW. James 5:4, μισθός. Wages withheld from laborers; strong resonance with Islamic fair-wage ethics, a good teaching bridge for the prophetic denunciation of exploitation.
Friendship With World
Approved rendering: Dünya ilə dostluq / Allahla düşmənçilik
Transliteration: dewn-YAH ee-LAH dohst-LOOK / ahl-lah-LAH dewsh-man-chee-LEEK
Doctrine: Worldliness versus Friendship with God
Original: φιλία τοῦ κόσμου / ἔχθρα θεοῦ
Category: Worldliness
NEW. James 4:4, φιλία τοῦ κόσμου/ἔχθρα θεοῦ. Good bridge to the existing dünya/axirət dichotomy, but James’s κόσμος is an active, personified God-opposed value-system, not merely ‘this life’ as a neutral temporal category.
Proud Humble
Approved rendering: Təkəbbürlü / Təvazökar
Transliteration: tah-kab-bewr-LEW / tah-vah-zew-KAHR
Doctrine: Worldliness versus Friendship with God
Original: ὑπερήφανος / ταπεινός
Category: Worldliness
NEW. James 4:6, 10, ὑπερήφανος/ταπεινός. Strong positive bridge: təkəbbür (pride) is specifically identified in Islamic tradition as Iblis’s defining sin (Qur’an 7:12; 38:74-76).
Devil
Approved rendering: Şeytan
Transliteration: shay-TAHN
Doctrine: Worldliness versus Friendship with God
Original: διάβολος
Category: Worldliness
NEW. James 4:7, διάβολος. Standard shared Christian-Islamic vocabulary; note the differing Iblis/jinn origin-narrative in Islamic tradition (a fallen jinn, not a fallen angel) without assuming narrative identity if raised in teaching discussion.
If The Lord Wills
Approved rendering: Rəbbin iradəsi ilə
Transliteration: RAHBB-een ee-rah-dah-SEE ee-LAH
Doctrine: Worldliness versus Friendship with God
Original: θέλημα τοῦ Κυρίου
Category: Worldliness
NEW. James 4:15. Close parallel to ‘İnşallah’; teach the distinction from habitual usage, cross-referencing baseline’s Allahın tədbiri (providence) entry.
Prayer
Approved rendering: Dua
Transliteration: doo-AH
Doctrine: Prayer and Healing
Original: προσευχή / εὔχομαι / δέησις
Category: Prayer and Healing
NEW. James 5:13-18, προσευχή/εὔχομαι/δέησις. Accurate register match to informal, personal dua (vs. namaz’s formal ritual prayer), but theological grounding (address to God through Christ) is not automatically implied and should be reinforced on first occurrence per lesson.
Elders
Approved rendering: Kilsə ağsaqqalları
Transliteration: keel-SAY ahg-sahk-kahl-LAH-ruh
Doctrine: Prayer and Healing
Original: πρεσβύτεροι
Category: Church
NEW. James 5:14, πρεσβύτεροι. ‘Ağsaqqal’ is a well-established, respected Turkic/Azerbaijani social-elder institution — a good cultural fit — but should be distinguished from Islamic clergy titles (molla, axund) in teaching material.
Healing
Approved rendering: Şəfa
Transliteration: shah-FAH
Doctrine: Prayer and Healing
Original: ἴασις
Category: Prayer and Healing
NEW. James 5:16, ἴασις. Phonetically close to (though etymologically distinct from) şəfaət, the baseline’s Critical forbidden term for Imam intercession; pronounce and teach clearly to avoid unintended oral association.
Turn Back
Approved rendering: Geri qaytarmaq
Transliteration: geh-REE kai-tahr-MAHK
Doctrine: Confession and Restoration
Rejected alternatives: hidayət etmək (a loaded Islamic term for divine guidance onto the straight path, siratul-mustaqim; imports a competing soteriological framework)
Original: ἐπιστρέφω
Category: Confession and Restoration
NEW. James 5:19-20, ἐπιστρέφω. Active, loving pursuit of the straying believer.
Wander Stray
Approved rendering: Yolunu azmaq
Transliteration: yoh-loo-NOO ahz-MAHK
Doctrine: Confession and Restoration
Rejected alternatives: zəlalət (a heavily loaded Qur’anic term for being astray from Islam entirely, recited in every namaz’s closing verses of al-Fatiha; imports a much larger apostasy frame)
Original: πλανάομαι
Category: Confession and Restoration
NEW. James 5:19. Describes doctrinal/moral straying, not casual error; should be taught with that weight.
Soul Life
Approved rendering: Can
Transliteration: JAHN
Doctrine: Confession and Restoration
Rejected alternatives: nəfs (carries the distinct Islamic connotation of the lower, appetitive self, not the whole living person)
Original: ψυχή
Category: Confession and Restoration
NEW. James 5:20, ψυχή, ‘save his soul from death.’ Denotes the whole living person, as much life as inner soul.
Altar
Approved rendering: Qurbangah
Transliteration: koor-bahn-GAKH
Doctrine: Old Testament Exemplars of Faith
Original: θυσιαστήριον
Category: Faith and Works
NEW. James 2:21, θυσιαστήριον (Abraham/Isaac). Standard OT sacrificial vocabulary. Cultural note: the Azerbaijani Qurban Bayramı festival narrative follows the Ishmael tradition rather than Isaac — a brief clarifying note is worthwhile, not a doctrinal risk per se.
Implanted Word
Approved rendering: Əkilmiş söz
Transliteration: ah-keel-MEESH suz
Doctrine: Trials and the Testing of Faith
Rejected alternatives: kəlam (would drift toward scholastic ilm al-kalam register rather than James’s organic, life-giving image)
Original: λόγος ἔμφυτος
Category: Trials
NEW. James 1:21, λόγος ἔμφυτος. The word of God implanted in believers, able to save souls.
Doer Of The Word
Approved rendering: Sözü icra edən / sadəcə eşidən
Transliteration: suh-ZEW eej-RAH eh-DAHN / sah-dah-JAH eh-shee-DAHN
Doctrine: Trials and the Testing of Faith
Original: ποιητὴς λόγου / ἀκροατής
Category: Trials
NEW. James 1:22-25, ποιητὴς λόγου/ἀκροατής. Direct thematic bridge to the core Faith-and-Works passage; sequence lessons to build on this distinction.
Fruit Of Righteousness
Approved rendering: Salehliyin bəhrəsi
Transliteration: sah-lekh-lee-YEEN bakh-rah-SEE
Doctrine: Wisdom from Above
Original: καρπὸς δικαιοσύνης
Category: Wisdom
NEW. James 3:18, καρπὸς δικαιοσύνης. Built on baseline Salehlik. Righteousness described as fruit sown by godly wisdom, not merit earned — consistent with Salehlik’s Critical-risk caution against any works-ground framing.
Low Risk Terms
Thanksgiving
Approved rendering: Şükran
Transliteration: shook-RAHN
Doctrine: Prayer and Praise in All Circumstances
Inherited from Romans package. James 5:13’s call to sing praise in cheerfulness draws on this register; standard shared vocabulary with everyday şükür speech, low doctrinal risk.
Elijah
Approved rendering: İlyas
Transliteration: eel-YAHS
Doctrine: Old Testament Exemplars of Faith
Original: Ἠλίας
Category: Covenant
NEW proper name. James 5:17-18. Established Azerbaijani Bible form; recognized Qur’anic prophet-figure (Surah 37:123-132), a good shared-recognition bridge, though the Qur’anic account omits the prayer-and-drought narrative central to James 5.
Job
Approved rendering: Əyyub
Transliteration: ai-YOOB
Doctrine: Old Testament Exemplars of Faith
NEW proper name. James 5:11. Recognized Qur’anic prophet-figure (21:83-84; 38:41-44), a good low-risk point of shared narrative recognition; James’s use exceeds the Qur’anic treatment (extended theodicy vindication).
Abraham
Approved rendering: İbrahim
Transliteration: ee-brah-HEEM
Doctrine: Old Testament Exemplars of Faith
NEW proper name, per baseline’s established transliteration standard (12_ai_translation_requirements.md). James 2:21-23. Recognized Qur’anic figure, but James’s specific credited-then-demonstrated righteousness theology (Genesis 15:6 / Genesis 22) exceeds the Qur’anic treatment and must be taught explicitly.
Bridle Control
Approved rendering: Cilovlamaq
Transliteration: jee-lohv-lah-MAHK
Doctrine: Taming the Tongue
Original: χαλιναγωγέω
Category: Taming the Tongue
NEW. James 1:26, 3:2-3, χαλιναγωγέω. Vivid Azerbaijani equestrian-culture metaphor with good idiomatic fit and low doctrinal collision risk.
Riches Gold Silver
Approved rendering: Sərvət, qızıl, gümüş
Transliteration: sar-VAHT, guh-ZUHL, gew-MEWSH
Doctrine: Favoritism and the Poor
Original: πλοῦτος, χρυσός, ἄργυρος
Category: Favoritism and the Poor
NEW. James 5:2-3. Standard vocabulary with strong resonance to Islamic social-justice ethics around exploitation, a good teaching bridge.
Unstained
Approved rendering: Ləkəsiz
Transliteration: lah-kah-SEEZ
Doctrine: Pure and Undefiled Religion
Original: ἄσπιλος
Category: Sanctification
NEW. James 1:27, ἄσπιλος. Straightforward, low collision risk.
Orphans Widows
Approved rendering: Yetimlər və dullar
Transliteration: yeh-teem-LAIR vah dool-LAHR
Doctrine: Pure and Undefiled Religion
Original: ὀρφανοί καὶ χῆραι
Category: Sanctification
NEW. James 1:27. Strong positive resonance with Islamic/Qur’anic orphan-care ethics; a good teaching bridge.
Lawgiver Judge
Approved rendering: Qanunverici / Hakim
Transliteration: kah-noon-veh-ree-JEE / hah-KEEM
Doctrine: Worldliness versus Friendship with God
Original: νομοθέτης / κριτής
Category: Worldliness
NEW. James 4:12, νομοθέτης/κριτής. Standard vocabulary, low collision risk.
Brother Sister
Approved rendering: Qardaş və ya bacı
Transliteration: kahr-DAHSH vah yah bah-JUH
Doctrine: Favoritism and the Poor
Rejected alternatives: qardaşlıq-only framing (baseline-flagged pan-Turkic/civic brotherhood connotations)
Original: ἀδελφὸς ἢ ἀδελφή
Category: Church
NEW. James 2:15, ἀδελφὸς ἢ ἀδελφή. Avoid the baseline’s flagged qardaşlıq connotations by keeping the reference concretely to fellow believers in context.
Referenced passages