Semantic Analysis — Book of James (Full Coverage)

Purpose

This document analyzes the entire book of James in the original Koine Greek, chapter by chapter, to surface every load-bearing theological term relevant to the destination-language (Italian) translation of this curriculum. The core passage, James 2:14-26 (Faith and Works), receives verse-by-verse treatment. Every other chapter receives a chapter-level treatment of its load-bearing theological vocabulary. Terms already recorded in the baseline Romans translation_memory.json are marked [BASELINE REUSE] and their established Italian rendering is carried over unchanged, per the hard rule that the baseline is the language authority.

Doctrine categories governing this curriculum: Faith and Works; Trials and the Testing of Faith; Wisdom from Above; Favoritism and the Poor; Taming the Tongue; Worldliness versus Friendship with God; Prayer and Healing; Patience and the Lord’s Return; Confession and Restoration.

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CORE PASSAGE: James 2:14-26 — Faith and Works (verse-by-verse)

Greek text base: standard critical text (NA28/UBS5 tradition, consistent with CEI/Riveduta translation base).

James 2:14

Greek: Τί τὸ ὄφελος, ἀδελφοί μου, ἐὰν πίστιν λέγῃ τις ἔχειν, ἔργα δὲ μὴ ἔχῃ; μὴ δύναται ἡ πίστις σῶσαι αὐτόν;

Terms	Variants	Contextual theological meaning	Italian rendering risk
profit/use ὄφελος ophelos ”benefit, gain”	practical usefulness, profit ”what good,” “what use,” “profit”	Rhetorical question: a faith producing nothing has no saving value in daily reality.	Low. “Che utilità c’è” / “a che serve” — natural Italian idiom, no doctrinal distortion.
faith πίστις pistis ”trust, trustworthiness”	reliance on a person; a body of belief; fidelity ”faith,” “belief,” “trust”	[BASELINE REUSE: fede, Medium risk] Here specifically a claimed faith (“λέγῃ… ἔχειν” — “says he has”), i.e., a merely professed faith, is placed in question.	High in this curriculum context: James interrogates whether a verbal profession of “fede” without “opere” is a living faith at all — the exact hinge of the chapter’s argument. Reviewer must not let “fede” collapse into mere assent.
works ἔργα erga ”deeds, actions accomplished”	moral/religious deeds; visible conduct; also “works of the Law” in Pauline usage ”works,” “deeds,” “actions”	The visible, active outworking of a genuine faith; James’s entire argument turns on this term.	CRITICAL — NEW TERM. Proposed Italian: opere. No lexical ambiguity in Italian, but the doctrinal stakes are Critical: this is the precise term at the center of the historic Trent-vs-Reformation justification debate (cf. baseline justification/imputed_righteousness Critical entries). Every occurrence in 2:14-26 must be flagged for theologian review.
save σῷζω (σῶσαι) sōsai ”to save, rescue, deliver”	physical rescue; eternal salvation; healing (cf. 5:15) “save,” “deliver,” “rescue”	Here: can a merely professed, workless faith save (eternally)? Anticipates the healing usage of the same verb in 5:15, requiring the translator to track two distinct senses across the letter.	[BASELINE REUSE: cf. salvezza, Critical] Must render with the full weight of eternal salvation here (not merely “helping,” “benefiting”), while remaining aware that the identical Greek verb appears in a physical-healing sense later in the letter (5:15) — flag for consistency review.

James 2:15

Greek: ἐὰν ἀδελφὸς ἢ ἀδελφὴ γυμνοὶ ὑπάρχωσιν καὶ λειπόμενοι τῆς ἐφημέρου τροφῆς,

Terms	Variants	Contextual meaning	Italian rendering risk
naked/ill-clad γυμνός gymnos ”naked, bare”	literal nudity; inadequately clothed; destitute ”naked,” “ill-clad,” “without clothing”	Concrete, embodied poverty — not abstract; ties to the “Favoritism and the Poor” doctrine (ch. 2:1-13).	Low. “Nudo/privo di vestiti” — standard, concrete; low doctrinal ambiguity but must not be softened to a vague “in need.”
daily food ἐφήμερος τροφή ephēmeros trophē ”food for the day”	subsistence-level daily provision ”daily food,” “daily bread”	Immediate physical survival need, echoing the Lord’s Prayer’s “daily bread” register.	Low. “Il cibo quotidiano” — stable, resonates with “il pane quotidiano” (Lord’s Prayer), a helpful natural echo.

James 2:16

Greek: εἴπῃ δέ τις αὐτοῖς ἐξ ὑμῶν· Ὑπάγετε ἐν εἰρήνῃ, θερμαίνεσθε καὶ χορτάζεσθε, μὴ δῶτε δὲ αὐτοῖς τὰ ἐπιτήδεια τοῦ σώματος, τί τὸ ὄφελος;

Terms	Variants	Contextual meaning	Italian rendering risk
go in peace ὑπάγετε ἐν εἰρήνῃ hypagete en eirēnē ”go in peace”	conventional benedictory farewell ”go in peace,” “go, be at peace”	An empty pious formula spoken instead of concrete aid — James’s irony. [BASELINE REUSE: pace, Low] for εἰρήνη itself; risk here is contextual (the phrase’s hollowness), not the lexeme.	Medium: translator must preserve the ironic, hollow tone — a pious-sounding Italian farewell (“va’ in pace”) must not read as genuinely commendable in context.
be warmed, be filled θερμαίνεσθε καὶ χορτάζεσθε thermainesthe kai chortazesthe ”warm yourselves and be filled/satisfied”	bodily comfort; χορτάζω often of animals fed to satiety ”keep warm and well fed,” “be warmed and filled”	Empty well-wishing detached from action — directly indicts words without works.	Low-Medium. Natural Italian equivalents exist (“riscaldatevi e saziatevi”); ensure the ironic, passive-imperative tone (addressed to the needy, not offering help) is retained.

James 2:17

Greek: οὕτως καὶ ἡ πίστις, ἐὰν μὴ ἔχῃ ἔργα, νεκρά ἐστιν καθ’ ἑαυτήν.

Terms	Variants	Contextual meaning	Italian rendering risk
dead νεκρά nekra ”dead, lifeless”	physical death; metaphorical lifelessness/inertness ”dead,” “lifeless,” “ineffective”	The thesis statement of the section: faith without works is not weak faith but dead — no faith at all in its living sense.	HIGH. Italian “morta” is lexically direct, but doctrinal risk is high: reviewers must ensure this is read as this profession was never living faith, not as “genuine faith can die/be lost” (a synergistic-merit misreading) nor as “works keep faith alive” (a meritorious-cooperation misreading). Flag for theologian review alongside “opere.”
by itself καθ’ ἑαυτήν kath’ heautēn ”in itself, on its own”	isolation, self-containment ”by itself,” “alone,” “in itself”	Faith considered in isolation from its necessary fruit.	Low. “Da sola/in se stessa” — stable.

James 2:18

Greek: Ἀλλ’ ἐρεῖ τις· Σὺ πίστιν ἔχεις κἀγὼ ἔργα ἔχω· δεῖξόν μοι τὴν πίστιν σου χωρὶς τῶν ἔργων, κἀγὼ σοι δείξω ἐκ τῶν ἔργων μου τὴν πίστιν.

| Term | Original | Transliteration | Literal meaning | Semantic range | English variants | Contextual meaning | Italian rendering risk | |---|---|---|---:|---|---|---| | show | δεῖξον / δείξω | deixon / deixō | “show, demonstrate, prove” | make visible; furnish evidence | “show,” “demonstrate,” “prove” | Works are the evidentiary demonstration of faith’s existence, not a supplementary meritorious add-on. | HIGH. “Mostrare/dimostrare” — must be chosen to convey evidence of an already-existing reality, not production of a required additional ingredient. This distinction is the crux of harmonizing James with Romans/baseline justification; must be flagged for theologian review with an explicit translator note distinguishing evidentiary demonstration from meritorious contribution. |

James 2:19

Greek: σὺ πιστεύεις ὅτι εἷς ἐστιν ὁ θεός, καλῶς ποιεῖς· καὶ τὰ δαιμόνια πιστεύουσιν καὶ φρίσσουσιν.

Terms	Variants	Contextual meaning	Italian rendering risk
God is one εἷς ἐστιν ὁ θεός heis estin ho theos ”God is one”	echoes the Shema (Deut 6:4) “God is one,” “there is one God”	A bare orthodox proposition, correct but insufficient for saving faith.	Medium. [BASELINE REUSE: Dio, Critical] for θεός itself. Contextual risk: this must not read as endorsing mere monotheistic assent as adequate faith — the verse’s force is ironic/critical.
demons δαιμόνια daimonia ”demons, evil spirits”	malevolent spiritual beings ”demons,” “evil spirits”	Even hostile supernatural beings hold this correct proposition — proof that bare intellectual assent is not saving faith.	Medium. Italian “demoni” is standard; ensure register remains serious/doctrinal, not folkloric (Italian popular culture has vivid devil/demon folklore — cf. baseline note on “diavolo” risk in this document’s ch. 4 section).
shudder φρίσσουσιν phrissousin ”shudder, bristle with fear”	visceral terror response ”shudder,” “tremble,” “are terrified”	Demons’ response to true knowledge of God is terror, not trust — contrasted with saving faith’s relational trust.	Low. “Rabbrividiscono/tremano” — vivid, natural Italian equivalents available.

James 2:20

Greek: θέλεις δὲ γνῶναι, ὦ ἄνθρωπε κενέ, ὅτι ἡ πίστις χωρὶς τῶν ἔργων ἀργή ἐστιν;

Terms	Variants	Contextual meaning	Italian rendering risk
foolish/empty κενέ kene ”empty, vain, foolish”	intellectually empty; without substance ”foolish,” “empty-headed,” “senseless”	A direct rhetorical rebuke of the imagined interlocutor of v.18.	Low-Medium. “O uomo insensato/stolto” — must retain rebuking force without sounding archaic (avoid overly literary “vano”).
useless/barren ἀργή argē ”idle, inactive, unproductive”	inert; not working; barren ”useless,” “barren,” “dead” (textual variant νεκρά also attested)	A textual-variant twin of v.17’s “νεκρά” — same doctrinal point (inert, non-functioning faith), slightly different image (idleness vs. death).	High. Italian should render with a term distinct enough from “morta” (v.17) to preserve the rhetorical variation while not introducing a softer reading than “dead” — proposed “inerte/inutile”, flagged for theologian review to confirm it does not soften v.17’s force.

James 2:21

Greek: Ἀβραὰμ ὁ πατὴρ ἡμῶν οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων ἐδικαιώθη, ἀνενέγκας Ἰσαὰκ τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον;

Terms	Variants	Contextual meaning	Italian rendering risk
was justified ἐδικαιώθη edikaiōthē ”was declared/shown righteous”	forensic declaration; also “was vindicated/shown-to-be-righteous” by demonstrated action ”was justified,” “was shown righteous,” “was vindicated”	CRITICAL flashpoint. James applies δικαιόω to Abraham’s action (offering Isaac, Gen 22), decades after Genesis 15:6’s faith-crediting — apparently affirming works as the ground of justification, in tension with Paul’s Romans 4 use of the same Abraham narrative to affirm justification by faith apart from works.	CRITICAL. [BASELINE REUSE: giustificare/giustificazione, Critical] — the established Italian rendering must be used, but this occurrence requires an explicit theological harmonization note: James is describing the public vindication/demonstration of a faith already credited as righteous (per v.23, quoting the same Genesis 15:6 as Romans 4:3), not a second, works-based ground of standing before God. Catholic Tridentine tradition reads this verse as support for a synergistic, faith-plus-works ground of justification; this curriculum’s note must make the “vindication vs. ground” distinction explicit for reviewers.
altar θυσιαστήριον thysiastērion ”altar (of sacrifice)“	place of ritual sacrifice ”altar”	Concrete reference to Genesis 22, requiring OT narrative literacy the target audience likely lacks (per baseline’s low-OT-literacy note).	Medium. “Altare” — stable term, but cross-reference to Genesis 22 must be supplied in surrounding lesson material, not assumed.

James 2:22

Greek: βλέπεις ὅτι ἡ πίστις συνήργει τοῖς ἔργοις αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἔργων ἡ πίστις ἐτελειώθη,

Terms	Variants	Contextual meaning	Italian rendering risk
worked together with συνήργει synērgei ”worked jointly, cooperated”	collaborative operation ”worked with,” “cooperated with,” “worked together”	Faith and works are shown as organically united, not as faith merely followed by separable works.	High. Proposed “la fede agiva insieme alle sue opere.” Risk: Italian “cooperare/collaborare” could be misheard as a synergistic-merit framework (faith plus human contribution earning standing) rather than the organic-unity image James intends; must avoid “cooperare” in favor of a more purely descriptive verb.
was perfected/completed ἐτελειώθη eteleiōthē ”was brought to completion/maturity”	reaching intended goal/maturity; being made whole ”was perfected,” “was completed,” “was made complete/mature”	Works bring faith to its intended mature expression — not adding merit to an incomplete faith, but faith reaching its designed telos.	High. Proposed “la fede fu rendata completa/matura.” Must not render as “was made righteous” (confusing with δικαιόω) nor imply faith was previously deficient in a merit-earning sense — it reached its natural, intended completeness. Flag for theologian review.

James 2:23

Greek: καὶ ἐπληρώθη ἡ γραφὴ ἡ λέγουσα· Ἐπίστευσεν δὲ Ἀβραὰμ τῷ θεῷ, καὶ ἐλογίσθη αὐτῷ εἰς δικαιοσύνην, καὶ φίλος θεοῦ ἐκλήθη.

Terms	Variants	Contextual meaning	Italian rendering risk
was credited/imputed to him as righteousness ἐλογίσθη αὐτῷ εἰς δικαιοσύνην elogisthē autō eis dikaiosynēn ”was reckoned/credited to him for righteousness”	accounting/crediting metaphor; a status conferred, not earned ”was credited as,” “was counted as,” “was imputed as”	DIRECT MATCH to baseline imputed_righteousness (Romans 4:3, also quoting Genesis 15:6). This is the single strongest intertextual link between James and Romans in the whole letter.	CRITICAL. [BASELINE REUSE: giustizia imputata, Critical — MUST use exact rendering “gli fu accreditata/imputata come giustizia.”] This is a pedagogically vital cross-reference: the same OT text Paul cites for justification-by-faith-alone is quoted here by James, immediately before his “justified by works” language in v.24 — the note accompanying this verse must make this harmony visible to the reviewer and, eventually, the learner.
friend of God φίλος θεοῦ philos theou ”friend of God”	intimate relational status; cf. OT title for Abraham (2 Chron 20:7; Isa 41:8) “friend of God,” “God’s friend”	A unique, exalted relational title — the fruit and evidence of Abraham’s justified standing, not its cause.	NEW TERM — Medium. Proposed “amico di Dio.” Low lexical risk in Italian, but reviewers should ensure it is not read as implying peer-equality with God; frame explicitly as covenantal intimacy granted by grace, echoing the OT title.

James 2:24

Greek: ὁρᾶτε ὅτι ἐξ ἔργων δικαιοῦται ἄνθρωπος καὶ οὐκ ἐκ πίστεως μόνον.

Terms	Variants	Contextual meaning	Italian rendering risk
is justified δικαιοῦται dikaioutai ”is declared/shown righteous” (present tense)	forensic/demonstrative declaration ”is justified,” “is shown righteous”	The letter’s single most theologically fraught clause: James explicitly denies that justification is “ἐκ πίστεως μόνον” (by faith alone) — the very phrase (“faith alone”) historically associated with Reformation sola fide.	CRITICAL. [BASELINE REUSE: giustificare, Critical] This verse is the historic center of the Trent-vs-Reformation reading of James, and of Luther’s documented unease with the letter. Curriculum materials MUST carry an explicit theologian-reviewed harmonization note: James addresses the kind of faith that justifies (a living, working faith, evidenced publicly) using “justified” in the sense of vindicated/shown-true, whereas Paul (Romans 3-4) addresses the ground of a sinner’s standing before God (grace through faith, apart from works as the basis of merit). The Italian rendering must not be softened, qualified, or harmonized away in the text itself — the tension must be preserved in translation and resolved only in accompanying doctrinal notes, per this document’s mandate to “preserve every theological claim… do not minimize, qualify, or soften doctrinal statements.”
faith alone πίστεως μόνον pisteōs monon ”faith only”	exclusive-sufficiency qualifier ”faith alone,” “faith only”	The phrase James negates in this specific evidentiary sense.	Critical. Proposed “non per la sola fede.” This is the only place in the NT where “fede sola” language appears explicitly, and negated — of maximal sensitivity in a curriculum aimed at Catholic, Waldensian/evangelical, and secular readers alike (cf. baseline’s obedience_of_faith and grace notes on Trent’s “fede operante per carità”). Must be flagged for mandatory human theologian review on every occurrence in any Phase 2 document.

James 2:25

Greek: ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ Ῥαὰβ ἡ πόρνη οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων ἐδικαιώθη, ὑποδεξαμένη τοὺς ἀγγέλους καὶ ἑτέρᾳ ὁδῷ ἐκβαλοῦσα;

Terms	Variants	Contextual meaning	Italian rendering risk
Rahab the prostitute Ῥαὰβ ἡ πόρνη Rhaab hē pornē ”Rahab the prostitute/harlot”	a named, morally marked OT figure (Joshua 2) “Rahab the prostitute,” “Rahab the harlot”	A second, deliberately startling example (a Gentile woman of disreputable trade) paired with Abraham — James’s examples span the social spectrum (patriarch and prostitute), reinforcing the “no favoritism” theme of 2:1-13.	Medium. Proposed “Raab, la prostituta” (standard Italian Bible form “Raab”). No lexical risk, but requires OT narrative background (Joshua 2) supplied in lesson material for a low-OT-literacy audience, per baseline’s standing note on low OT literacy.
received/welcomed ὑποδεξαμένη hypodexamenē ”having received as a guest, welcomed”	hospitality; sheltering ”received,” “welcomed,” “sheltered”	Her concrete act of hospitality/protection toward the spies — the “work” evidencing her faith.	Low. “Aver accolto” — standard.

James 2:26

Greek: ὥσπερ γὰρ τὸ σῶμα χωρὶς πνεύματος νεκρόν ἐστιν, οὕτως καὶ ἡ πίστις χωρὶς ἔργων νεκρά ἐστιν.

Terms	Variants	Contextual meaning	Italian rendering risk
body without spirit σῶμα χωρὶς πνεύματος sōma chōris pneumatos ”body without breath/spirit”	corpse image; πνεῦμα here = breath/life-force, not the Holy Spirit ”body without the spirit,” “body without breath”	Closing analogy: as a corpse is a body from which life has departed, so a workless faith is a corpse of what faith should be.	HIGH. Proposed “il corpo senza lo spirito.” Risk: lowercase “spirito” here refers to the animating breath/life-principle, NOT the Holy Spirit (Spirito Santo) — capitalization and context must clearly disambiguate to avoid confusing readers into thinking the verse is about the Holy Spirit’s departure from a believer, which would introduce an assurance-of-salvation problem absent from the text. Flag for native-speaker review specifically on this disambiguation.
dead νεκρά nekra ”dead, lifeless”	(as v.17) “dead”	The letter’s summary thesis: repeated verbatim from v.17, forming a doctrinal bookend (inclusio).	High (repeat of v.17 entry) — ensure identical Italian rendering is used in both verses for pedagogical consistency, per the cross-document consistency principle established in the baseline AI requirements document.

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Chapter-by-Chapter Study of the Whole Book

Chapter 1 — Trials, Wisdom, the Word, and True Religion

Terms	Variants	Contextual theological meaning	Italian rendering risk
trial/testing πειρασμός peirasmos ”trial, test” (also “temptation”)	external testing circumstance; internal temptation to sin (both senses appear in ch. 1) “trial,” “temptation,” “testing”	1:2 “various trials” (external, faith-refining); 1:12 “endures trial”; contrast with 1:13-14’s πειράζω (internal temptation to sin, explicitly not from God). Doctrine: Trials and the Testing of Faith.	HIGH — NEW TERM. Proposed “prova” for the testing sense (1:2, 1:12) and “tentazione” for the sin-inducing sense (1:13-14), since Italian, like English, uses distinct registers; the translator must NOT use “tentazione” for 1:2’s positive/refining trials, and must NOT use “prova” for 1:13’s “God tempts no one,” to keep James’s own careful distinction (God tests but does not tempt) intact. Flag for theologian review given the doctrinal weight of “God is not the author of temptation to sin” (1:13).
testing/proving δοκίμιον dokimion ”genuineness, proven character”	the tested/refined quality that results from trial (metallurgical refining image) “testing,” “genuineness,” “the proving of”	1:3: “the testing of your faith produces perseverance.”	Medium. Proposed “la prova/il vaglio della vostra fede.” Metallurgical refining image translates naturally into Italian (“la purificazione al fuoco” as gloss), low risk.
perseverance/endurance ὑπομονή hypomonē ”remaining under, endurance”	steadfastness under pressure; patient endurance (distinct from μακροθυμία, ch. 5) “patience,” “perseverance,” “endurance,” “steadfastness”	1:3-4, 1:12; also 5:11 (Job’s ὑπομονή). Doctrine: Trials and Testing of Faith; Patience and the Lord’s Return.	MEDIUM-HIGH — NEW TERM. Proposed “perseveranza” (endurance under active pressure), reserving “pazienza” for μακροθυμία (ch. 5, patient waiting/longsuffering with people). Italian does not naturally preserve this Greek distinction; risk that translators default to “pazienza” for both, blurring the doctrine of active endurance-under-trial versus patient waiting-for-the-Lord. Flag for native speaker review for consistency across the letter.
perfect/mature τέλειος teleios ”complete, whole, mature”	moral/spiritual maturity and completeness; NOT sinless flawlessness ”perfect,” “complete,” “mature,” “full-grown”	1:4 “perfect and complete, lacking nothing”; 1:17, 1:25 (of the law); recurs 3:2.	MEDIUM — NEW TERM. Proposed “perfetto” with “maturo” as a clarifying gloss where the maturity sense predominates (e.g., 3:2 “a perfect/mature man”). Risk: Italian “perfetto” primarily connotes flawlessness in ordinary usage, risking either despair (an unreachable standard) or a false claim of sinlessness; must be glossed toward maturity/wholeness.
wisdom σοφία sophia ”wisdom, skill in living”	practical, God-given skill for righteous living; distinguished from mere cleverness ”wisdom”	1:5 “ask God, who gives wisdom generously”; recurs extensively in ch. 3. Doctrine: Wisdom from Above.	HIGH — NEW TERM. Proposed “sapienza.” Notable Italian-specific risk: the deuterocanonical “Libro della Sapienza” (Book of Wisdom) is part of the Catholic canon but not the Protestant canon recognized by Italy’s Waldensian/evangelical minority — “sapienza” may evoke that specific book and its associations for Catholic readers while carrying no such resonance for Protestant readers, a canon-boundary awareness unique to this term in Italian. Flag for native speaker review.
double-minded δίψυχος dipsychos ”two-souled, split in mind”	wavering, inwardly divided, inconsistent commitment ”double-minded,” “wavering,” “of two minds”	1:8 (of one who doubts while praying); recurs 4:8. A NT hapax-pattern word (rare outside James/early Christian usage).	Medium — NEW TERM. Proposed “instabile”/“indeciso” or more literally “di animo doppio.” No natural single Italian idiom fully captures the “two souls” image; risk of flattening into simple indecision rather than a serious spiritual instability that undermines answered prayer (1:6-7).
rich/poor πλούσιος / πλούσιος… ταπείνωσις plousios / tapeinos ”rich” / “lowly, humble”	socio-economic status inverted by eschatological reversal ”rich,” “poor,” “the lowly,” “the humble”	1:9-11: the poor believer’s exaltation, the rich person’s transience (withering flower image). Doctrine: Favoritism and the Poor (fully developed in ch. 2).	Medium — NEW TERMS. Proposed “povero”/“ricco.” See ch. 2 entry below for full risk discussion; ch. 1 introduces the theme, ch. 2 develops the doctrine.
crown of life στέφανος τῆς ζωῆς stephanos tēs zōēs ”wreath/crown of life”	victor’s wreath (athletic/military imagery) as metaphor for eschatological reward ”crown of life”	1:12: promised to the one who endures trial.	Low — NEW TERM. Proposed “corona della vita.” Familiar image via both classical (Olympic wreath) and Catholic martyrological iconography in Italian culture; low distortion risk.
desire/lust ἐπιθυμία epithymia ”strong desire, craving”	neutral desire in some NT contexts; here specifically disordered, sin-producing desire ”desire,” “lust,” “craving”	1:14-15: the internal genesis of sin (desire conceives sin, sin brings forth death), contrasted with 1:13’s denial that God tempts.	Medium — NEW TERM. Proposed “desiderio” or, where the negative sense must be unmistakable, “cattivo desiderio”/“concupiscenza.” Bare “desiderio” in Italian is morally neutral and could soften James’s causal chain (desire → sin → death); flag for native speaker review to ensure the negative moral coloring is not lost.
Father of lights Πατὴρ τῶν φώτων Patēr tōn phōtōn ”Father of the lights”	God as Creator/source of the heavenly luminaries (sun, moon, stars), unlike them unchanging ”Father of lights,” “Father of the heavenly lights”	1:17: God’s unchanging goodness contrasted with the variability of celestial bodies.	MEDIUM-HIGH. [BASELINE REUSE: Padre, Medium] for the “Father” component. Distinct Italian-specific risk for “lights/lumi”: Italian “i Lumi” is the standard term for the Enlightenment (“il Secolo dei Lumi” = the Age of Enlightenment), so “Padre dei Lumi” risks evoking Enlightenment rationalism rather than God’s creation of literal heavenly bodies. Proposed “Padre della luce” (singular, avoiding “dei Lumi”) or an explanatory gloss. Flag for native speaker review.
implanted word ἔμφυτος λόγος emphytos logos ”implanted/inborn word”	the gospel word taking root within a person (agricultural planting metaphor); a NT hapax ”implanted word,” “the word planted in you”	1:21: received with meekness, able to save souls.	Medium — NEW TERM. Proposed “la parola che è stata piantata in voi” (avoiding the more technical/medical-sounding “impiantata,” which in modern Italian primarily evokes surgical implants — “impianto dentale,” “impianto cardiaco”). Flag for native speaker review to avoid the clinical register.
doer of the word ποιητὴς λόγου poiētēs logou ”doer/performer of the word”	one who enacts, not merely hears, God’s word (contrasted with ἀκροατής, “hearer”) “doer of the word,” “one who does the word”	1:22-25: the letter’s programmatic statement, directly anticipating the Faith-and-Works argument of ch. 2.	High — NEW TERM. Proposed “chi mette in pratica la Parola” (rather than a more literal but awkward “facitore della Parola”). This phrase functions as the letter’s thesis-in-miniature; consistency with ch. 2’s vocabulary of “works” (opere) should be maintained by lesson writers, though the term itself is not identical.
perfect law of liberty νόμος τέλειος τῆς ἐλευθερίας nomos teleios tēs eleutherias ”the perfect law of freedom”	the moral law of God internalized through the gospel, liberating rather than merely constraining ”perfect law of liberty,” “law of freedom”	1:25; echoed 2:12.	HIGH. [BASELINE REUSE: legge, High] for νόμος. Combined phrase proposed: “la legge perfetta della libertà.” Risk compounds the baseline’s noted Thomistic natural-law resonance of “legge” with a further risk that “libertà” could be misread as license/antinomianism (freedom from the law) rather than James’s sense of freedom through internalized, Spirit-empowered obedience. Flag for theologian review.
religion θρησκεία thrēskeia ”religious observance, cult, worship practice”	outward religious practice/observance (a term for cultic behavior, not inward faith itself) “religion,” “religious observance”	1:26-27: “pure and undefiled religion” defined practically as caring for orphans/widows and remaining unstained by the world.	HIGH — NEW TERM. Proposed “religione.” Major risk: in Italy’s dense Catholic-institutional culture, “religione” strongly connotes ritual/sacramental observance (Mass attendance, sacraments, “fare la propria religione”) rather than James’s practical-ethical redefinition. The Italian rendering must be paired with explanatory framing (“vera pietà,” “culto autentico”) in lesson material to prevent readers from hearing this as an endorsement of institutional religious performance. Flag for human theologian review — this is the doctrinal seed of the whole letter’s ethic.
tongue γλῶσσα glōssa ”tongue”	organ of speech; by metonymy, speech itself ”tongue,” “speech”	1:26: bridling the tongue as a religion-authenticity test. Doctrine: Taming the Tongue (fully developed ch. 3).	High — see ch. 3 entry for full discussion; introduced here.
world κόσμος kosmos ”world, ordered system”	the created physical world (neutral); the fallen human order opposed to God (negative, as here) “world,” “the world,” “worldly system”	1:27: keeping oneself “unstained from the world.” Doctrine: Worldliness versus Friendship with God (fully developed ch. 4).	MEDIUM-HIGH — NEW TERM. Proposed “mondo.” Risk: Italian “mondo” is neutral/ambiguous by default (as in English “world”); readers must be guided to the negative, fallen-order sense James (and later ch. 4) intends, distinct from the good created world Scripture also affirms elsewhere. Flag for native speaker review; see ch. 4 for full treatment.

Chapter 2 (verses 1-13) — Favoritism and the Poor

(James 2:14-26, the letter’s core passage, is treated verse-by-verse above; this section covers the remainder of the chapter.)

Terms	Variants	Contextual theological meaning	Italian rendering risk
favoritism/partiality προσωπολημψία prosōpolēmpsia ”receiving/judging by face” (lit. “face-taking”)	showing partiality based on external status; discrimination ”favoritism,” “partiality,” “respect of persons”	2:1, 2:9: the letter’s second major doctrinal argument — partiality toward the rich, against the poor, is incompatible with faith in “our glorious Lord Jesus Christ.” Doctrine: Favoritism and the Poor.	HIGH — NEW TERM. Proposed “favoritismo” or “il fare preferenze di persone” (echoing established Bible-translation idiom, cf. CEI’s “non fate preferenze di persone”). Risk: bare “favoritismo” is a mundane secular term (workplace nepotism, family favoritism) that risks flattening a covenant-community sin against God’s character into a minor social lapse; Italy’s own cultural vocabulary of “clientelismo” (political patronage) could either usefully sharpen or unhelpfully politicize the concept. Flag for theologian review.
our glorious Lord Jesus Christ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τῆς δόξης tou Kyriou hēmōn Iēsou Christou tēs doxēs ”our Lord Jesus Christ, of the glory”	a rare, emphatic construction attributing δόξα (glory) directly to Jesus ”our glorious Lord Jesus Christ,” “the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the glory”	2:1: an early, high-Christology statement — Jesus explicitly identified with divine glory.	[BASELINE REUSE: Signore, Critical/High; Gesù, Low; Cristo, Low; gloria, Medium/High] — combined phrase carries elevated doctrinal weight as an implicit deity-of-Christ statement; flag for theologian review per baseline’s Deity of Christ / Lordship of Christ escalation rules.
poor πτωχός ptōchos ”poor, destitute, dependent on others”	economic destitution; in Jewish tradition, also the “pious poor” who depend wholly on God (cf. Beatitudes) “poor,” “the poor”	2:2-6: the concrete test case — favoring a rich visitor over a poor one in the assembly. Doctrine core term.	MEDIUM-HIGH — NEW TERM. Proposed “povero.” Note: Italian Catholic social teaching’s “opzione preferenziale per i poveri” gives this term a broadly compatible positive resonance across traditions, somewhat lowering distortion risk relative to other terms in this glossary; but flag risk that readers may hear “poveri” primarily through contemporary socio-political welfare-debate framing rather than James’s covenant-theological framing (the poor as heirs of the kingdom, 2:5).
assembly συναγωγή synagōgē ”gathering, synagogue”	a Jewish-Christian assembly gathering (James’s distinctively Jewish-Christian congregational vocabulary) “assembly,” “meeting,” “synagogue”	2:2: the concrete gathered context of the favoritism scenario — notably James uses συναγωγή, not ἐκκλησία, for the gathered congregation.	Medium — NEW TERM. Proposed “assemblea” (rather than “sinagoga,” which in modern Italian denotes specifically a Jewish house of worship and would misdirect a contemporary reader). Flag for native speaker review to explain the historical Jewish-Christian congregational setting.
heirs of the kingdom κληρονόμους τῆς βασιλείας klēronomous tēs basileias ”heirs of the kingdom”	inheritance-right language applied to the poor whom God has chosen ”heirs of the kingdom”	2:5: God’s choice of the poor as kingdom-heirs, directly reversing worldly favoritism.	Medium. [BASELINE REUSE: Regno (di Dio) convention] — proposed “eredi del Regno.” Low distortion risk once “Regno” is anchored per baseline convention.
royal law νόμος βασιλικός nomos basilikos ”kingly/royal law”	the law of love for neighbor, described as royal/sovereign in character ”royal law”	2:8: love-your-neighbor as the “royal law.”	Medium. [BASELINE REUSE: legge, High]. Proposed “legge regale.” Combined phrase risk is moderate; must be distinguished from any political-monarchical reading.
mercy ἔλεος eleos ”mercy, compassionate kindness”	active compassion, especially toward those unable to repay ”mercy,” “compassion”	2:13: “judgment without mercy” for the merciless; mercy triumphs over judgment.	MEDIUM — NEW TERM. Proposed “misericordia.” Note collision awareness: “misericordia” carries strong devotional resonance in Italian Catholic piety (Divine Mercy devotion, “Opere di Misericordia” corporal/spiritual works of mercy) — generally reinforcing rather than distorting James’s point, but flag for native speaker review to ensure the sense remains God’s character reflected in believers’ conduct, not a separate devotional category.

Chapter 3 — Taming the Tongue; Wisdom from Above

Terms	Variants	Contextual theological meaning	Italian rendering risk
teacher διδάσκαλος didaskalos ”teacher”	one who instructs authoritatively ”teacher”	3:1: teachers face stricter judgment.	Low — NEW TERM. Proposed “maestro/insegnante.” No significant collision.
tongue γλῶσσα glōssa ”tongue”	organ of speech; speech itself, capable of great good or great harm ”tongue,” “speech”	3:1-12: the chapter’s central image — small member, disproportionate power for blessing or destruction; “no one can tame the tongue” (3:8). Doctrine: Taming the Tongue.	HIGH — NEW TERM. Proposed “lingua.” No lexical collision (Italian “lingua” naturally carries both “tongue” and “language” senses, paralleling the Greek), but doctrinal risk is high because this is the letter’s most vivid, practically applicable ethical image and must not be flattened into generic advice about “watching what you say” — it is tied to the whole-person consistency test of true religion (1:26) and wisdom from above (3:13-18). Flag for native speaker review for register/tone (proverbial, vivid Italian phrasing is available: “tenere a freno la lingua,” “domare la lingua”).
Gehenna/hell γέεννα geenna ”Gehenna” (the Valley of Hinnom, a place of fire/judgment)	OT-rooted image of divine judgment; NT eschatological hell ”hell,” “Gehenna”	3:6: the tongue “set on fire by Gehenna” — its destructive potential traced to a hellish source.	HIGH. Proposed “Geenna” (transliterated, per CEI convention), rather than the generic Italian “inferno.” Rationale: “inferno” in Italian carries enormous independent literary weight via Dante’s Inferno (a text every Italian schoolchild studies), risking readers importing Dante’s elaborate poetic cosmology rather than the specific OT/NT Gehenna image; retaining “Geenna” (as CEI does) avoids this collision. Flag for native speaker review with an explanatory gloss required in lesson material.
bridle/tame χαλιναγωγέω / δαμάζω chalinagōgeō / damazō ”to bridle (as a horse)” / “to tame, subdue”	control through restraint; domestication of a wild force ”bridle,” “control,” “tame,” “subdue”	1:26 (bridling the tongue); 3:2-3 (bit and bridle image); 3:7-8 (“every kind of beast… can be tamed, but no one can tame the tongue”).	Medium — NEW TERM. Proposed “tenere a freno” (bridle image) and “domare” (tame, for the animal-taming extended metaphor). Natural, vivid Italian idiom exists for both; low distortion risk, but ensure consistent use across chapter for the recurring image.
earthly, natural (soulish), demonic ἐπίγειος, ψυχική, δαιμονιώδης epigeios, psychikē, daimoniōdēs ”earthly” / “of the soul/natural” / “demon-like”	a three-term escalating description of false wisdom’s source — worldly, humanly-instinctive, and ultimately demonically inspired ”earthly,” “unspiritual/natural,” “demonic”	3:15: contrasted with “wisdom from above.”	Medium — NEW TERMS. Proposed “terrena,” “carnale” (or “istintiva”), “demoniaca.” ψυχική is the subtlest of the three to render — it is not “carnal” in the sense of gross sin but merely human/unaided-by-the-Spirit; “istintiva” (instinctive) may better avoid conflating it with σαρκικός (fleshly/sinful) terminology used elsewhere in the NT. Flag for native speaker review.
wisdom from above σοφία ἄνωθεν sophia anōthen ”wisdom from above”	wisdom whose source is heaven/God, contrasted with the three false sources above ”wisdom from above,” “wisdom that comes down from heaven”	3:17: the positively-defined counterpart, described by a chain of qualities (pure, peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, sincere). Doctrine: Wisdom from Above.	HIGH. Proposed “la sapienza che viene dall’alto.” See ch. 1 “wisdom” entry for the deuterocanonical-canon collision risk with “sapienza.” The “ἄνωθεν” (from above) qualifier should be preserved explicitly rather than assumed, to keep the source-contrast vivid.
impartial ἀνυπόκριτος / ἀδιάκριτος anypokritos / adiakritos ”without hypocrisy” / “without partiality/discrimination”	sincere, consistent, non-discriminating character ”sincere,” “without partiality,” “impartial”	3:17: part of the wisdom-from-above quality list; directly echoes the anti-favoritism theme of ch. 2.	Medium. [Cross-reference to ch. 2 “favoritism” entry.] Proposed “senza favoritismi”/“senza parzialità” for ἀδιάκριτος specifically, reinforcing thematic consistency with ch. 2’s vocabulary.
fruit of righteousness καρπὸς δικαιοσύνης karpos dikaiosynēs ”fruit of righteousness”	the peaceable outcome/produce of righteous, peace-making conduct ”fruit of righteousness,” “harvest of righteousness”	3:18: closing statement of the wisdom section.	Medium. [BASELINE REUSE: giustizia, Critical] for δικαιοσύνη — proposed “frutto di giustizia.” Ensure the agricultural “frutto” metaphor is not lost; low additional risk beyond the underlying baseline term.

Chapter 4 — Worldliness versus Friendship with God

Terms	Variants	Contextual theological meaning	Italian rendering risk
pleasure ἡδονή hēdonē ”pleasure, gratification”	sensual/self-indulgent desire (root of “hedonism”) “pleasure,” “desire for pleasure”	4:1, 4:3: source of quarrels and unanswered prayer.	Medium — NEW TERM. Proposed “piacere” (sometimes “passioni”/“desideri di piacere”). Bare “piacere” is morally neutral in everyday Italian; must be qualified to retain the negative, self-indulgent sense James intends.
friendship with the world φιλία τοῦ κόσμου philia tou kosmou ”friendship/love of the world”	allegiance to the fallen world-system, in active opposition to devotion to God ”friendship with the world”	4:4: “friendship with the world is enmity with God” — the letter’s sharpest antithesis. Doctrine: Worldliness versus Friendship with God.	HIGH. Proposed “amicizia con il mondo.” [BASELINE REUSE note: κόσμος rendering as “mondo” per ch.1 entry above]. Risk: “amicizia” (friendship) in everyday Italian is a casual, low-stakes relational term; James’s usage carries the full covenantal weight of exclusive allegiance (cf. the OT marriage/adultery metaphor implicit in “adulteresses,” 4:4). Must be paired in lesson material with the “amico di Dio” (friend of God, 2:23) parallel to show the intentional contrast: friendship with the world versus friendship with God are mutually exclusive covenantal loyalties, not casual social preferences. Flag for theologian review.
adulteresses (spiritual) μοιχαλίδες moichalides ”adulteresses”	metaphorical unfaithfulness to God, echoing OT covenant-infidelity imagery (e.g., Hosea) “adulteresses,” “unfaithful ones”	4:4: addressing the readers metaphorically.	Medium. Proposed “adultere” with explicit metaphorical framing supplied in lesson notes (not a literal accusation) to avoid misapplication.
humility/proud ταπεινός / ὑπερήφανος tapeinos / hyperēphanos ”humble, lowly” / “proud, arrogant”	posture before God: self-abasement versus self-exaltation ”humble” / “proud,” “arrogant”	4:6 (quoting Proverbs 3:34): “God gives grace to the humble” — direct pairing with [BASELINE REUSE: grazia, High]; 4:10 “humble yourselves before the Lord.”	Medium — NEW TERMS. Proposed “umile”/“orgoglioso” (or “superbo”). Low lexical risk; theological weight is carried mainly by the paired term “grazia” (baseline High risk — grace as unmerited, contrasted here with proud self-sufficiency).
devil διάβολος diabolos ”slanderer, accuser”	the personal, malevolent spiritual adversary ”devil,” “the accuser”	4:7: “resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”	Medium — NEW TERM. Proposed “diavolo.” Italy’s popular culture retains a vivid folk-devil imagery (exorcism practice remains active within institutional Catholicism, e.g. through diocesan exorcists) — this could either reinforce the reality of spiritual conflict (a modest advantage) or risk a sensationalized, folkloric reading disconnected from the text’s simple call to practical resistance (submission to God, prayer, repentance). Flag for native speaker review on tone.
submit ὑποτάγητε hypotagēte ”submit yourselves, be subject to”	voluntary submission to a higher authority ”submit,” “be subject to”	4:7: “submit yourselves therefore to God.”	Low — NEW TERM. Proposed “sottomettetevi.” Standard, low risk.
draw near ἐγγίζω engizō ”draw near, approach”	relational approach/nearness ”draw near,” “come near”	4:8: “draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.”	Low. Proposed “avvicinarsi.” Standard, low risk.
lawgiver/judge νομοθέτης / κριτής nomothetēs / kritēs ”lawgiver” / “judge”	God’s unique authority to establish and enforce law ”lawgiver,” “judge”	4:12: “There is only one lawgiver and judge.”	Low. [BASELINE REUSE: legge, High, root term]. Proposed “legislatore”/“giudice.” Low additional risk beyond baseline note on “legge.”
life as a mist ζωὴ ὡς ἀτμίς zōē hōs atmis ”life like a vapor/mist”	brevity and fragility of human life ”life is a mist/vapor,” “life is like a puff of smoke”	4:14: rebuke of presumptuous future planning.	Low. Proposed “la vita è come un vapore/un soffio.” Natural Italian imagery available; low risk.
”If the Lord wills” Ἐὰν ὁ Κύριος θελήσῃ Ean ho Kyrios thelēsē ”If the Lord should will [it]“	a submitted, contingent posture toward the future, acknowledging divine sovereignty ”If the Lord wills,” “God willing”	4:15: the positive alternative to presumptuous planning.	MEDIUM. Proposed “Se il Signore vuole.” Risk: the colloquial Italian idiom “Se Dio vuole” is extremely common even among secular/nominal speakers as a fatalistic or superstitious hedge-phrase, detached from genuine submission to a personal, sovereign God — echoing the baseline’s noted risk around “provvidenza” and Manzoni’s more fatalistic literary Providence. Flag for native speaker review to ensure the phrase is taught as genuine trust, not empty idiom.

Chapter 5 — Riches, Patience, the Lord’s Return, Prayer, Healing, and Confession

Terms	Variants	Contextual theological meaning	Italian rendering risk
Lord of Sabaoth Κύριος Σαβαώθ Kyrios Sabaōth ”Lord of Hosts/Armies”	a transliterated Hebrew military-divine title (YHWH Sabaoth), rare in the NT ”Lord of Sabaoth,” “Lord of Hosts,” “Lord Almighty”	5:4: God as the divine avenger of injustice against exploited laborers.	MEDIUM — NEW TERM. Proposed “il Signore degli eserciti” (with “(Sabaot)” retained parenthetically per established Italian Bible convention, echoing OT usage). Requires OT theological background (divine warrior/covenant judge) supplied in lesson notes for a low-OT-literacy audience.
patience/longsuffering μακροθυμία / μακροθυμέω makrothymia / makrothymeō ”long-temperedness, forbearance”	patient waiting, especially with people or delayed outcomes (distinct from ὑπομονή, ch. 1’s endurance-under-pressure) “patience,” “longsuffering,” “be patient”	5:7-8, 5:10: waiting patiently for the Lord’s coming, following the farmer’s and prophets’ example. Doctrine: Patience and the Lord’s Return.	MEDIUM-HIGH — NEW TERM. Proposed “pazienza.” [Cross-reference to ch. 1’s ὑπομονή/“perseveranza” entry — the two Greek terms must be kept distinguishable in Italian to preserve James’s distinct doctrinal nuances: enduring trial (ch. 1) versus patiently awaiting the Lord’s coming and bearing with others (ch. 5).] Flag for native speaker review for consistency.
the Lord’s coming παρουσία τοῦ Κυρίου parousia tou Kyriou ”the arrival/presence of the Lord”	the technical NT term for Christ’s future, visible, glorious return ”the coming of the Lord,” “the Lord’s return”	5:7-8: the eschatological hope grounding patient endurance. Doctrine: Patience and the Lord’s Return.	HIGH — NEW TERM. Proposed “la venuta del Signore” (avoiding the transliterated theological-academic “parusia,” per the reading-level target of newspaper-feature register). Risk: “venuta” alone could be misheard as referring to Christ’s first coming (incarnation) rather than his future return; lesson material must explicitly qualify this as the future, Second Coming. Flag for native speaker review.
Job Ἰώβ Iōb (proper name)	the OT exemplar of endurance through suffering ”Job”	5:11: cited as the ὑπομονή exemplar.	Low. Proposed “Giobbe” (established Italian Bible form).
the compassionate and merciful Lord πολύσπλαγχνος καὶ οἰκτίρμων polysplagchnos kai oiktirmōn ”very compassionate (‘many-bowelled’) and merciful”	vivid Hebraic idiom of deep compassion (bowels/inward parts as seat of emotion) “full of compassion and mercy,” “very sympathetic and merciful”	5:11: God’s character as the ground of hope amid suffering.	Medium. Proposed “pieno di compassione e misericordia.” [Cross-reference to ch. 2 “mercy”/misericordia entry.] Low additional risk; vivid idiom naturally softened in translation, common practice.
swear/oath ὀμνύω omnyō ”to swear an oath”	invoking a higher power to guarantee truthfulness ”swear,” “take an oath”	5:12: “let your yes be yes and your no be no” — a call to simple truthfulness without oath-taking.	Low. Proposed “giurare.” Standard, low risk; echoes Jesus’s own teaching (Matthew 5:34-37), reinforcing consistency.
sick ἀσθενέω astheneō ”to be weak, be sick”	physical illness/weakness ”sick,” “ill”	5:14: “Is anyone among you sick?” — the occasion for the elders’ prayer instruction. Doctrine: Prayer and Healing.	Medium — NEW TERM. Proposed “malato.” Low lexical risk; doctrinal weight carried by the surrounding ritual terms below.
elders πρεσβύτεροι presbyteroi ”elders, older men”	local congregational leaders/overseers ”elders”	5:14: the elders are summoned to pray over and anoint the sick.	HIGH. Proposed “anziani.” Explicit rejection: do NOT use “presbiteri” — in modern Italian ecclesiastical usage, especially post-Vatican II Catholic terminology, “presbitero” is a technical synonym for an ordained Catholic priest, carrying sacramental/hierarchical, apostolic-succession connotations absent from James’s more functional description of local congregational leadership. “Anziani” avoids importing Catholic clerical-office assumptions while remaining intelligible to all traditions. Flag for theologian review, parallel to the baseline’s “calling”/“vocazione” forbidden-substitution pattern.
anoint with oil ἀλείψαντες [αὐτὸν] ἐλαίῳ aleipsantes elaiō ”having anointed [him] with oil”	a physical, ordinary-use verb for anointing (medicinal/hygienic anointing, not the more ritually loaded χρίω used of messianic/priestly anointing) “anoint with oil”	5:14: part of the elders’ prayer ministry to the sick.	HIGH. Proposed “ungere con olio.” Major risk: this phrase closely parallels the Catholic Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick (formerly “Estrema Unzione” / Extreme Unction, now “Unzione degli Infermi,” one of the seven sacraments, administered exclusively by an ordained priest with specific sacramental formulae). James describes a broader, congregational elder-led prayer practice using ἀλείφω (an everyday anointing verb), not the technical sacramental term. Risk of readers either (a) assuming this text institutes/describes the Catholic sacrament exactly, or (b) charismatic/Pentecostal readers over-reading it as a guarantee of physical healing. Flag for human theologian review with an explicit note distinguishing James’s congregational practice from both the Catholic sacramental rite and any healing-guarantee overreading.
prayer of faith / heal (save) εὐχὴ τῆς πίστεως… σῴσει τὸν κάμνοντα euchē tēs pisteōs… sōsei ton kamnonta ”the prayer of faith… will save/heal the one who is sick/weary”	σῴζω here in its physical-restoration sense, not the eternal-salvation sense used elsewhere (cf. 2:14) “the prayer of faith will save/heal the sick person”	5:15: the promise attached to elder-led prayer.	HIGH. [BASELINE REUSE: cf. salvezza, Critical, for σῴζω’s primary sense] — here proposed as “guarire” (heal) rather than “salvare” (save), to keep the physical-healing sense distinct from the eternal-salvation sense used in 2:14. Flag for theologian review to ensure translators track which of the two senses of σῴζω is active in a given verse (2:14 = eternal salvation; 5:15 = physical restoration) and do not conflate a healing promise with an eternal-security guarantee, nor strip healing language of its faith-content by over-medicalizing it.
confess ἐξομολογεῖσθε exomologeisthe ”confess, acknowledge openly”	mutual, horizontal disclosure of sin among believers (ἀλλήλοις, “to one another”) “confess,” “acknowledge”	5:16: “confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed.” Doctrine: Confession and Restoration.	HIGH. Proposed “confessate(vi) i peccati gli uni agli altri.” Major risk parallel to the baseline’s “fellowship” and “church” High-risk entries: bare “confessare i peccati” strongly evokes the Catholic Sacrament of Confession/Reconciliation (private auricular confession to an ordained priest, followed by sacramental absolution and penance) — a deeply embedded practice in Italian Catholic culture. James’s instruction is explicitly mutual and horizontal (“ἀλλήλοις” — to one another, among believers generally), not a priestly-mediated sacramental act. The “gli uni agli altri” (one another) component must never be dropped from the rendering, as it is the entire distinguishing feature of the doctrine. Flag for mandatory human theologian review on every occurrence.
effective prayer δέησις δικαίου ἐνεργουμένη deēsis dikaiou energoumenē ”the working/effective prayer of a righteous person”	prayer that accomplishes/produces results ”the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective”	5:16: grounding for the Elijah example that follows.	Medium. [BASELINE REUSE: giustizia/giusto root] for δίκαιος. Proposed “la preghiera del giusto è potente ed efficace.” Low additional risk.
Elijah Ἠλίας Ēlias (proper name)	OT prophet, exemplar of effective prayer (drought/rain, 1 Kings 17-18) “Elijah”	5:17-18: cited as the effective-prayer exemplar.	Low. Proposed “Elia” (established Italian Bible form). Requires OT background supplied in lesson notes.
turn back/restore ἐπιστρέφω epistrephō ”turn back, return, convert”	bringing a straying believer back to truth/repentance ”turn back,” “bring back,” “restore”	5:19-20: closing exhortation on restoring a wandering brother. Doctrine: Confession and Restoration.	Medium — NEW TERM. Proposed “far ritornare/riportare.” Low-moderate risk; must be distinguished from the initial-conversion sense of “convertirsi” often used for a first coming-to-faith, since this is restoration of an already-professing believer who has wandered (“πλανηθῇ,” strayed).
cover a multitude of sins καλύψει πλῆθος ἁμαρτιῶν kalypsei plēthos hamartiōn ”will cover a multitude of sins”	the restorative, sin-covering effect of bringing a wanderer back ”will cover a multitude of sins”	5:20: the letter’s closing promise. [BASELINE REUSE: peccato, High] for ἁμαρτία.	Medium. Proposed “coprirà una moltitudine di peccati.” Must not be read as implying the restorer’s own sins are atoned for by this act (a merit-earning misreading); the sense is the restored sinner’s sins being graciously covered through repentance and restoration to fellowship, consistent with grace apart from merit (per baseline’s “grazia” note). Flag for native speaker review.

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Full-Book Coverage Confirmation

Chapter	Coverage status
1	Full load-bearing term analysis above (trials, testing, wisdom, perseverance, perfect/mature, double-minded, rich/poor introduced, crown of life, desire, Father of lights, implanted word, doer of the word, perfect law of liberty, religion, tongue introduced, world introduced).
2:1-13	Full load-bearing term analysis above (favoritism, glorious Lord, poor, assembly, heirs of the kingdom, royal law, mercy).
2:14-26	CORE PASSAGE — full verse-by-verse treatment above.
3	Full load-bearing term analysis above (teacher, tongue developed, Gehenna, bridle/tame, three-fold false wisdom, wisdom from above, impartiality, fruit of righteousness).
4	Full load-bearing term analysis above (pleasure, friendship with the world, adulteresses, humility/pride, devil, submit, draw near, lawgiver/judge, life as mist, “If the Lord wills”).
5	Full load-bearing term analysis above (Lord of Sabaoth, patience/longsuffering, the Lord’s coming, Job, compassionate and merciful Lord, oath, sick, elders, anoint with oil, prayer of faith/heal, confess, effective prayer, Elijah, turn back/restore, cover a multitude of sins).

All five chapters of James have been reviewed. No chapter was found to introduce zero new theological vocabulary; James is a densely term-rich letter across its full length, consistent with its concentrated ethical-theological argumentation.