New International Version
James 5:16
16Therefore 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.
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.
- 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.
- New Living Translation (NLT)Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.
Context of James 5:16
14Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 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. 17Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 18Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.
Read all of James 5James 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 said to Pharaoh, “Today I am reminded of my shortcomings.
- 2 Samuel 19:19and said to him, “May my lord not hold me guilty. Do not remember how your servant did wrong on the day my lord the king left Jerusalem. May the king put it out of his mind.
- Matthew 3:6Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.
- Matthew 18:15“If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over.
- Luke 7:3The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant.
- Acts 19:18Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed what they had done.
- Colossians 1:9For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,
- 1 Thessalonians 5:17pray continually,
- Hebrews 13:18Pray for us. We are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way.
- Genesis 20:17Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelek, his wife and his female slaves so they could have children again,
- 2 Chronicles 30:20And the Lord heard Hezekiah and healed the people.
- Luke 9:6So they set out and went from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.
- Acts 10:38how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.
- Genesis 18:23Then Abraham approached him and said: “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked?
- Genesis 19:29So when God destroyed the cities of the plain, he remembered Abraham, and he brought Lot out of the catastrophe that overthrew the cities where Lot had lived.
- Genesis 20:7Now 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, you may be sure that you and all who belong to you will die.”
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
In the dictionaries
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
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