James 5:16

James 5:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
• New International Version (NIV)Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

Context of James 5:16

14Is anyone among you sick? He must call for the elders (spiritual leaders) of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; 15and the prayer of faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another [your false steps, your offenses], and pray for one another, that you may be healed and restored. The heartfelt and persistent prayer of a righteous man (believer) is able to accomplish much [when put into action and made effective by God—it is dynamic and can have tremendous power]. 17Elijah was a man with a nature like ours [with the same physical, mental, and spiritual limitations and shortcomings], and he prayed intensely for it not to rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. 18Then he prayed again, and the sky gave rain and the land produced its crops [as usual].

James 5:16 word by word

ἐξομολογεῖσθε οὖν ἀλλήλοις τὰς ἁμαρτίας καὶ εὔχεσθε ὑπὲρ ἀλλήλων, ὅπως ἰαθῆτε· πολὺ ἰσχύει δέησις δικαίου ἐνεργουμένη.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Confessἐξομολογέομαιexomologeō · to agreeG1843
• faultsὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• faultsπαράπτωμαparaptōma · trespassG3900
• one to anotherἀλλήλωνallēlōn · one anotherG240
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• prayεὔχομαιeuchomai · to pray/wish forG2172
• forὑπέρhuper · above/forG5228
• thatὅπωςhopōs · thatG3704
• ye may be healedἰάομαιiaomai · to healG2390
• The effectual ferventἐνεργέωenergeō · be activeG1754
• prayerδέησιςdeēsis · petitionG1162
• of a righteous manδίκαιοςdikaios · justG1342
• availethἰσχύωischuō · be strongG2480
• muchπολύςpolus polos · muchG4183

Cross-references for James 5:16

• Genesis 41:9Then the chief cupbearer spoke to Pharaoh, saying, “I would mention my faults today.
• 2 Samuel 19:19and said to the king, “Let not my lord consider me guilty, nor remember what your servant did wrong on the day my lord the king left Jerusalem, so that the king would take it to heart.
• Matthew 3:6and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins.
• Matthew 18:15“If your brother sins , go and show him his fault in private; if he listens and pays attention to you, you have won back your brother.
• Luke 7:3When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to Him, asking Him to come and save the life of his slave.
• Acts 19:18Many of those who had become believers were coming, confessing and disclosing their [former sinful] practices.
• Colossians 1:9For this reason, since the day we heard about it, we have not stopped praying for you, asking [specifically] that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom [with insight into His purposes], and in understanding [of spiritual things],
• 1 Thessalonians 5:17be unceasing and persistent in prayer;
• Hebrews 13:18Keep praying for us, for we are convinced that we have a good conscience, seeking to conduct ourselves honorably [that is, with moral courage and personal integrity] in all things.
• Genesis 20:17So Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his maids, and they again gave birth to children,
• 2 Chronicles 30:20So the Lord listened to Hezekiah and healed the people [of their uncleanness].
• Luke 9:6So they began going from village to village, preaching the gospel and healing the sick everywhere.
• Acts 10:38how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with great power; and He went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, because God was with Him.
• Genesis 18:23Abraham approached [the Lord] and said, “Will You really sweep away the righteous (those who do right) with the wicked (those who do evil)?
• Genesis 19:29Now when God ravaged and destroyed the cities of the plain [of Siddim], He remembered Abraham [and for that reason], and He sent [Abraham’s nephew] Lot out of the midst of the destruction, when He destroyed the cities in which Lot had lived.
• Genesis 20:7So now return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not return her [to him], know that you shall die, you and all who are yours (your household).”

Commentaries on James 5:16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16Confess your faults one to another - This is a good general direction to Christians who endeavor to maintain among themselves the communion of saints. This social confession tends much to humble the soul, and to make it watchful. We naturally wish that our friends in general, and our religious friends in particular, should think well of us; and when we confess to them offenses which, without this confession, they could never have known, we feel humbled…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16Confess your faults one to another - This seems primarily to refer to those who were sick, since it is added, “that ye may be healed.” The fair interpretation is, that it might be supposed that such confession would contribute to a restoration to health. The case supposed all along here (see James 5:15) is, that the sickness referred to had been brought upon the patient for his sins, apparently as a punishment for some particular transgressions. Compare…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-18Verses 12-18 The sin of swearing is condemned; but how many make light of common profane swearing! Such swearing expressly throws contempt upon God's name and authority. This sin brings neither gain, nor pleasure, nor reputation, but is showing enmity to God without occasion and without advantage It shows a man to be an enemy to God, however he pretends to call himself by his name, or sometimes joins in acts of worship. But the Lord will not hold him…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1616. The oldest authorities read, "Confess, THEREFORE," &c. Not only in the particular case of sickness, but universally confess. faults--your falls and offenses, in relation to one another. The word is not the same as sins. Mt 5:23, 24; Lu 17:4, illustrate the precept here. one to another--not to the priest, as Rome insists. The Church of England recommends in certain cases. Rome compels confession in all cases. Confession is desirable in the case of (1)…Read the comment

Topics related to James 5:16

• Afflictions and Adversities
• Commandments
• Communion
• Fellowship
• Intercession
• Prayer
• Sin

In the dictionaries

• Confession
• Convert
• Effectual prayer
• Grudge
• Howl
• Nourish
• Pitiful
• Prayer
• Tender
• Wanton

Commentaries on James 5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings