James 5:16

James Nisbet's Church Pulpit Commentary - James 5:16

PRAYER AND LIFE‘The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.’ James 5:16 Prayer is at all times a subject of supreme importance—such importance that it is quite impossible to overstate its value. It is at once man’s highest duty and his greatest blessing. It follows almost naturally from our belief in a living God. Prayer is a duty laid upon all. By prayer we are to bring down blessings from heaven for ourselves, by prayer we are to secure health to the sick, strength to the... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - James 5:12-18

Final Exhortation To Prayer And Faith (James 5:12-18 ). Having faced up men and women to judgment in different ways James now ends as he began by putting great emphasis on the need for faith and prayer, and openness in the fellowship, and on reminding us that prayer is effective for anyone who like Elijah had to undergo trials and testings. This parallels James 1:2-5. Only too often this part of James is read as though it was simply all about healing. But that is to degrade the narrative. It... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - James 5:16

‘Confess therefore your sins one to another, and pray one for another, that you may be made whole. The supplication of a righteous man avails much in its working.’ And finally we come to a general injunction that covers all: those under trial (who should be rejoicing); those who are enjoying wholesomeness and are singing God’s praises; and those who are sick and needing a touch from God. And what are they to do? They are to ‘confess their sins one to another’ (not be it noted to a special... read more

Arthur Peake

Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible - James 5:13-18

James 5:13-Job : . The key to this hard passage seems to lie in the climax, the example of Elijah, who in 1 Kings 17:1; 1 Kings 18:41 ff., is not said to have prayed for drought or for rain. His “ prayer” is in the phrase “ before whom I stand”— a life in the Presence, bringing with it an instinctive knowledge of God’ s will; cf. Amos 3:7. The “ elders,” therefore, of a faithful “ congregation” may expect a Divine impulse prompting them to ask for physical recovery when God wills it; we may... read more

Matthew Poole

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible - James 5:16

Confess your faults; some copies have the illative particle, therefore, in the text, but even without that here seems to be a connexion between this and the former verse: he had said, the sick man’s sins should be forgiven upon the elders’ praying; and here he adds, that they must be confessed. One to another; either, that ye may be reconciled to one another when offended, or rather, confess when admonished or reproved for sin, or wounded in your consciences with the sense of it: and so this is... read more

Joseph Exell

Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary - James 5:14-16

CRITICAL AND EXEGETICAL NOTESJames 5:14. Call for.—Summon to him. Elders.—Officers usual in synagogues, and probably also found in the Jewish Christian congregations. Not priests, or even ministers. Anointing him with oil.—Clearly not as a religious ceremony, but as an agency for the recovery of health. It is also suggested that the use of oil in the toilet was a recognised sign of recovery to health. Compare our Lord’s saying to the maiden Arise! as if she was actually restored to life and... read more

William Nicoll

Sermon Bible Commentary - James 5:13-16

James 5:13-16 The Visitation of the Sick. I. To understand the clause which refers to anointing with oil, it must be remembered that in those early and simple days, when little was known about the structure of the human frame, and the healing art resolved itself very much into a rude kind of surgery, oil was regarded as a great restorative as, indeed, it is now and as the best form of medicine. In the Old Testament, Isaiah speaks of wounds and bruises which have never been closed, neither bound... read more

William Nicoll

Sermon Bible Commentary - James 5:16

James 5:16 The Strength of Working Prayer. I. The praying. It is not said "the prayer." And the difference is worth observing. If it were said "the prayer," it might seem as if the words of the prayer were like a charm, such as we read of in ancient fables, when some particular words repeated by any person are spoken of as able to produce some wonderful effect, so that, whoever uses them, they are regarded as equally powerful, the power, some mysterious imaginary power, being in the words... read more

Charles Simeon

Charles Simeon's Horae Homileticae - James 5:16

DISCOURSE: 2377THE EFFICACY OF FERVENT PRAYERJames 5:16. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.PRAYER and intercession are generally considered as duties: but, if viewed aright, they would rather be regarded as privileges; seeing that they are the means of obtaining for ourselves and others those blessings which no created being can bestow. In this point of view, the passage before us, together with the preceding context, affords us the greatest possible encouragement.... read more

C.I. Scofield

Scofield's Reference Notes - James 5:16

faults Sin. (See Scofield " :-") . righteous (See Scofield " :-") . read more

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