James 5:17 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.
James 5:17 nkjv
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.
James 5:17 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.
James 5:17 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.
James 5:17 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!
James 5 17 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Elijah's Story & The Drought | ||
| 1 Kgs 17:1 | "As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word." | Elijah's prophetic declaration of the drought. |
| 1 Kgs 18:41-45 | "Go up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain... went down to see, behold, a small cloud like a man's hand." | Elijah prays earnestly for rain after the drought ends. |
| Lk 4:25 | "I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months," | Jesus confirms the 3.5 year duration of the famine. |
| Power and Efficacy of Prayer | ||
| Jas 5:16 | "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." | Immediate context: emphasizes the power of prayer. |
| Mt 21:22 | "And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive." | Faith enables powerful prayer. |
| Mk 11:24 | "Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them." | Assurance in believing prayer. |
| Jn 15:7 | "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you." | Prayer is powerful when connected to Christ. |
| 1 Jn 5:14-15 | "And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:" | Prayer according to God's will is heard. |
| Phil 4:6-7 | "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." | Prayer as antidote to anxiety. |
| Lk 18:1 | "And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;" | Encouragement to pray persistently. |
| Col 4:2 | "Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;" | Steadfastness in prayer. |
| Jer 33:3 | "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not." | God responds to His people's calls. |
| Heb 11:6 | "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." | Faith is foundational to prayer. |
| Humanity of Believers/Prophets | ||
| Acts 14:15 | "Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you," | Paul and Barnabas correcting those who worshipped them, affirming their humanity. |
| Heb 4:15 | "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." | Christ's humanity and empathy. |
| 1 Kgs 19:3-4 | "And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life... he requested for himself that he might die;" | Elijah's fear and despondency after his great victory. |
| Jn 1:12-13 | "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:" | All believers are given spiritual authority, not just a select few. |
| Gal 3:28 | "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus." | Spiritual equality among believers. |
| Faith and Righteousness | ||
| Jas 2:22 | "Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?" | James' theme: faith perfected by action. |
| 2 Tim 4:7-8 | "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness," | The outcome of a righteous life lived by faith. |
| Heb 10:22 | "Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience," | Righteousness of heart is key to approaching God. |
James 5 verses
James 5 17 Meaning
James 5:17 asserts that the prophet Elijah, despite his profound spiritual accomplishments, was a human being with the same weaknesses and struggles as anyone. His powerful act of stopping the rain for three and a half years was not due to some superhuman quality but to his earnest, persistent prayer, thereby setting an example for all believers that ordinary individuals, when righteous, can offer effective prayers.
James 5 17 Context
James 5:17 is embedded within the final chapter of James, which focuses on practical aspects of the Christian life, particularly perseverance in suffering and the power of prayer within the believing community. Immediately preceding this verse (Jas 5:14-16), James discusses the prayer of faith for the sick, the confession of sins, and reiterates that "the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous person avails much." Elijah is introduced as a tangible and relatable example to illustrate and reinforce this assertion. The letter as a whole urges its audience, often presumed to be Jewish Christians facing various trials, to live out a genuine faith that manifests in actions, not just words, providing real-world demonstrations of spiritual principles. The historical context includes believers possibly struggling with faith in the face of suffering or doubting the power of their own prayers, given the grandeur of Old Testament figures.
James 5 17 Word analysis
- Elias: The Greek form of Elijah, a major prophet in the Old Testament, famous for confronting Baal worship (1 Kgs 17-19). He is chosen as an example due to his prominent miraculous deeds, specifically controlling the rain.
- was a man subject to like passions as we are: (Greek: anthrōpos homoiopathēs hēmin en)
- anthrōpos: simply "a human being." This foundational term emphasizes shared humanity, explicitly countering any notion of Elijah possessing unique, unreplicable divine attributes beyond his calling.
- homoiopathēs: "of like feelings," "subject to the same affections," "of the same nature." This is a crucial theological point. It means Elijah experienced the same human emotions, limitations, struggles, fears (e.g., 1 Kgs 19:3), desires, and physical frailties as any other person. He was not immune to human experience or weakness. This phrase powerfully dismantles any spiritual elitism, assuring believers that divine power through prayer is not reserved for an exceptional few.
- and he prayed earnestly: (Greek: proseuchē proseuxato)
- This is a Semitism (a figure of speech characteristic of Hebrew), using the noun and verb form of "pray" together for intense emphasis. It literally means "with prayer he prayed," or "he prayed a prayer."
- It signifies fervent, intense, persistent, devoted, heartfelt, and deep-seated prayer, not merely a casual request. It denotes a wrestling in prayer, demonstrating determination and spiritual commitment. This intensifier reinforces the idea introduced in Jas 5:16 about the effective and fervent prayer.
- that it might not rain: This refers to Elijah's declaration in 1 Kings 17:1, made "before whom I stand," indicating alignment with God's will. His prayer was not a spontaneous personal whim but an instrument of divine judgment against idolatry.
- and it rained not on the earth: The direct, observable, and profound consequence of Elijah's fervent prayer. This illustrates God's active responsiveness to human prayer offered in faith and alignment with His will.
- by the space of three years and six months: This specific duration is provided here and in Lk 4:25, explicitly linking Elijah's famine to this exact period. While 1 Kings does not give this precise figure for the entire duration, it's accepted as accurate in the New Testament. This specific timeframe highlights the consistency and divine knowledge behind the drought's impact and its exact termination. It also emphasizes the long-term impact of a prayer offered in faith.
James 5 17 Bonus section
The specific timeframe of "three years and six months" for the drought holds biblical significance, as this duration sometimes appears in apocalyptic or eschatological contexts as a period of tribulation or divine judgment (e.g., in Daniel and Revelation, often as "a time, times, and half a time" or 1260 days). This subtle connection underscores the severity and divine intentionality of the famine induced by Elijah's prayer, making his act even more profound as an example of prayer interacting with historical divine judgment. Furthermore, James highlighting Elijah's humanity is crucial in countering the inclination towards developing spiritual hierarchies or assuming that powerful spiritual manifestations are exclusive to a "super-saint" class. It democratizes the access to divine power through prayer, rooting it in the righteousness and earnestness accessible to every believer, not just unique spiritual gifts. This reinforces the broader theme of James that faith must be practical, accessible, and active in the lives of ordinary people.
James 5 17 Commentary
James presents Elijah as the ultimate embodiment of the powerful, effective prayer of a righteous person, yet simultaneously grounds him in profound human commonality. The critical emphasis of James 5:17 is that Elijah's remarkable influence over nature was not due to some inherent spiritual superiority that set him apart from ordinary people. He experienced the full spectrum of human emotions, weaknesses, and needs, just like anyone in James's audience. What made his prayer "earnestly" effective was his righteous standing with God and the fervent, persistent quality of his prayer, aligning his will with God's. This verse encourages all believers to approach prayer with similar earnestness and faith, demonstrating that divine power can operate through the prayers of any person who is in a right relationship with God, overcoming the human tendency to limit God's work to extraordinary individuals alone. It provides immense hope and a call to diligent prayer for every believer.