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? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; 15and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. 17Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. 18Then he prayed again, and the sky poured rain and the earth produced its fruit.

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

• Thereforeοὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
• confessἐξομολογέομαιexomologeō · to agreeG1843
• your sinsἁμαρτίαhamartia · sinG266
• to oneἀλλήλωνallēlōn · one anotherG240
• and prayπροσεύχομαιproseuchomai · to prayG4336
• soὅπωςhopōs · thatG3704
• healedἰάομαιiaomai · to healG2390
• The effectiveἐνεργέωenergeō · be activeG1754
• prayerδέησιςdeēsis · petitionG1162
• of a righteousδίκαιοςdikaios · justG1342
• canἰσχύωischuō · be strongG2480
• muchπολύςpolus polos · muchG4183

Cross-references for James 5:16

• Genesis 41:9Then the chief cupbearer spoke to Pharaoh, saying, “I would make mention today of my own offenses.
• 2 Samuel 19:19So he said to the king, “Let not my lord consider me guilty, nor remember what your servant did wrong on the day when my lord the king came out from 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 to you, you have won your brother.
• Luke 7:3When he heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders asking Him to come and save the life of his slave.
• Acts 19:18Many also of those who had believed kept coming, confessing and disclosing their practices.
• Colossians 1:9For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
• 1 Thessalonians 5:17pray without ceasing;
• Hebrews 13:18Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a good conscience, desiring to conduct ourselves honorably in all things.
• Genesis 20:17Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his maids, so that they bore children.
• 2 Chronicles 30:20So the Lord heard Hezekiah and healed the people.
• Luke 9:6Departing, they began going throughout the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.
• Acts 10:38You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.
• Genesis 18:23Abraham came near and said, “Will You indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked?
• Genesis 19:29Thus it came about, when God destroyed the cities of the valley, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when He overthrew the cities in which Lot lived.
• Genesis 20:7Now therefore, restore the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not restore her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.”

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