New King James Version
James 5:17
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 land for three years and six months.
James 5:17 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.
- New International Version (NIV)Elijah 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.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth.
- New Living Translation (NLT)Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years!
Context of James 5:17
15And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16Confess 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. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. 18And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit. 19Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back,
Read all of James 5James 5:17 word by word
Ἠλίας ἄνθρωπος ἦν ὁμοιοπαθὴς ἡμῖν καὶ προσευχῇ προσηύξατο τοῦ μὴ βρέξαι· καὶ οὐκ ἔβρεξεν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἐνιαυτοὺς τρεῖς καὶ μῆνας ἕξ·Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- EliasἩλίαςHēlias · ElijahG2243
- wasεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- a manἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
- subject to like passionsὁμοιοπαθήςhomoiopathēs · likeG3663
- as we areἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- he prayedπροσεύχομαιproseuchomai · to prayG4336
- earnestlyπροσευχήproseuchē · prayerG4335
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- that it mightβρέχωbrechō · to rain downG1026
- notμήmē · notG3361
- notοὐou · noG3756
- onἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
- the earthγῆgē · earth: planetG1093
- by the space of threeτρεῖςtreis tria · ThreeG5140
- yearsἐνιαυτόςeniautos · yearG1763
- sixἕξhex · sixG1803
- monthsμήνmēn · monthG3376
Cross-references for James 5:17
- 1 Kings 17:1And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word.”
- Acts 10:26But Peter lifted him up, saying, “Stand up; I myself am also a man.”
- Acts 14:15and saying, “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to you that you should turn from these useless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them,
- Romans 11:2God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying,
- Revelation 11:6These have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire.
- Luke 4:25But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land;
Commentaries on James 5:17
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17Elias was a man subject to like passions - This was Elijah, and a consistency between the names of the same persons as expressed in the Old and the New Testaments should be kept up. The word ̔ signifies of the same constitution, a human being just as ourselves are. See the same phrase and its explanation in Acts 14:15, and the note there. There was some reason to apprehend that because Elijah was translated, that therefore he was more than human, and if…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17Elias - The common way of writing the word “Elijah” in the New Testament, Matthew 11:14; Matthew 16:14; Matthew 17:3, etc. Was a man subject to like passions as we are - This does not mean that Elijah was passionate in the sense in which that word is now commonly used; that is, that he was excitable or irritable, or that he was the victim of the same corrupt passions and propensities to which other men are subject; but that he was like affected; that he…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
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 17Elijah … prayed earnestly: See 1 Kings 17:1; 18:41–46. three and a half years (see 1 Kings 18:1; Luke 4:25) is an approximate time, representing half of seven, which symbolizes a period of judgment (compare Daniel 12:7; Revelation 11:2).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1717. Elias ... like passions as we--therefore it cannot be said that he was so raised above us as to afford no example applicable to common mortals like ourselves. prayed earnestly--literally, "prayed with prayer": Hebraism for prayed intensely. Compare Lu 22:15, "With desire I have desired," that is, earnestly desired. Alford is wrong in saying, Elias' prayer that it might not rain "is not even hinted at in the Old Testament history." In 1Ki 17:1 it is…Read the comment
Topics related to James 5:17
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries