James 5:15-18

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - James 5:12-20

This epistle now drawing to a close, the penman goes off very quickly from one thing to another: hence it is that matters so very different are insisted on in these few verses. I. The sin of swearing is cautioned against: But above all things, my brethren, swear not, etc., Jas. 5:12. Some understand this too restrictedly, as if the meaning were, ?Swear not at your persecutors, at those that reproach you and say all manner of evil of you; be not put into a passion by the injuries they do you,... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - James 5:13-15

5:13-15 Is any among you in trouble? Let him pray. Is any in good spirits? Let him sing a hymn. Is any among you sick? Let him call in the elders of the Church; and let them anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord, and pray over him; and the believing prayer will restore to health the ailing person, and the Lord will enable him to rise from his bed; and even if he has committed sin, he will receive forgiveness. Here we have set out before us certain dominant characteristics of the... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - James 5:13-15

Another great characteristic of the early church was that it was a healing Church. Here it inherited its tradition from Judaism. When a Jew was ill, it was to the Rabbi he went rather than to the doctor; and the Rabbi anointed him with oil--which Galen the Greek doctor called "the best of all medicines"--and prayed over him. Few communities can have been so devotedly attentive to their sick as the early church was. Justin Martyr writes that numberless demoniacs were healed by the Christians... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - James 5:16-18

5:16-18 Confess your sins to each other, and pray for each other, that you may be healed. The prayer of a good man, when it is set to work, is very powerful. Elijah was a man with the same emotions as ourselves, and he prayed earnestly that it should not rain, and for three years and six months no rain fell upon the earth. And he prayed again and the heaven gave rain; and the earth put forth her fruit. There are in this passage three basic ideas of Jewish religion. (i) There is the idea... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - James 5:15

And the prayer of faith shall save the sick ,.... That is, the prayer of the elders, being put up in faith by them, and in which the sick person joins by faith; such a prayer is a means of bringing down from God a blessing on the sick man, and of restoring him to his former health: and the Lord shall raise him up ; from his bed of sickness, on which he is laid, and bring him forth to praise his name, and to fear and glorify him. And if he have committed sins ; not that it is a... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - James 5:16

Confess your faults one to another ,.... Which must be understood of sins committed against one another; which should be acknowledged, and repentance for them declared, in order to mutual forgiveness and reconciliation; and this is necessary at all times, and especially on beds of affliction, and when death and eternity seem near approaching: wherefore this makes nothing for auricular confession, used by the Papists; which is of all sins, whereas this is only of such by which men offend one... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - James 5:17

Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are ,.... The apostle gives an instance of earnest and fervent prayer, and of the efficacy of it in Elias; who is the same with the prophet Elijah, or Elijah the Tishbite; who, by the Septuagint in Malachi 4:5 is called Elias, as here, and elsewhere, in the New Testament: of him James says, that he was a "man", contrary to the notion of some of the Jewish writers, who affirm, that Elijah was not born of a father and mother, but was an angel,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - James 5:18

And he prayed again ,.... 1 Kings 18:42 . Here also is no express mention of his prayer, but it may be concluded from his gestures; and so the Jewish interpreters understand these words, "Elijah went up to the top of Carmel", להתפלל , "to pray, and he cast himself down upon the earth", להתפלל על הגשמים , "to pray for rain; and he put his face between his knees", והתפלל , "and prayed, and said to his servant, go up now, look toward the sea"; and this he said while he was בתפילתו ... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - James 5:15

And the prayer of faith; shall save the sick - That is, God will often make these the means of a sick man's recovery; but there often are cases where faith and prayer are both ineffectual, because God sees it will be prejudicial to the patient's salvation to be restored; and therefore all faith and prayer on such occasions should be exerted on this ground: "If it be most for thy glory, and the eternal good of this man's soul, let him be restored; if otherwise, Lord, pardon, purify him, and... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - James 5:16

Confess 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, are kept from self-applause, and... read more

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