James 5:16 BSB — MannaFest

James 5:16

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power to prevail.

BSB

Parallel translations (2) ▾

ASV

Confess therefore your sins one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The supplication of a righteous man availeth much in its working.

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.

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Commentary

3 voices

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible (1832)

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.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)

Confess your faults - Whether ye are sick or in health. To one another - He does not say, to the elders: this may, or may not, be done; for it is nowhere commanded. We may confess them to any who can pray in faith: he will then know how to pray for us, and be more stirred up so to do.

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

A righteous man's prayer is always heard generally, but his particular request for the healing of another was then likely to be granted when he was one possessing a special charism of the Spirit. ALFORD translates, "Availeth much in its working." The "righteous" is one himself careful to avoid "faults," and showing his faith by works (Jas 2:24).

Modern Voices2 voices

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

1906–1945

Life Together (1939)

He hears the confession of our sins in Christ's stead, and he forgives our sins in Christ's name. He keeps the secret of our confessions as God keeps it. When I go to my brother to confess, I am going to God.

Tony Evans

"Effective Prayer" (blog post, TonyEvans.org) (2026)

You can't pray very long in an unrighteous condition without God taking you to the real issue, your heart.

Voices on this verse

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Original language & word study

16 tagged words

Original	Transliteration	Meaning	Word study
ἐξομολογεῖσθε	exomologeisthe	do confess	G1843 →
οὖν	oun	therefore	G3767 →
ἀλλήλοις	allēlois	to one another	G240 →
τὰς	tas	the	G3588 →
ἁμαρτίας	hamartias	sins	G266 →
καὶ	kai	and	G2532 →
εὔχεσθε	euchesthe	do pray	G2172 →
ὑπὲρ	huper	for	G5228 →
ἀλλήλων,	allēlōn	one another,	G240 →
ὅπως	hopōs	so that	G3704 →
ἰαθῆτε·	iathēte	you may be healed;	G2390 →
πολὺ	polu	Much	G4183 →
ἰσχύει	ischuei	prevails	G2480 →
δέησις	deēsis	[the] prayer	G1162 →
δικαίου	dikaiou	of a righteous [man]	G1342 →
ἐνεργουμένη.	energoumenē	being made effective.	G1754 →

Rare words are the text's own signal of a deliberate thread: the fewer the occurrences, the more the places it appears belong together.

The walk

The walk8

Where the connections lead

Follow this verse’s cross-references two steps out. Each card is a verse this one points to, and beneath it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several different paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it. Every stop shows its own words, and every stop is a page.

Through
Psalms 34:15
The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their cry.
leads to
- 1 Peter 3:12
  For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
  Reached by 2 independent paths from here.
Through
Matthew 21:22
If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”
leads to
- Matthew 7:7
  Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.
- 1 John 5:14–15
  And this is the confidence that we have before Him: If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
- Mark 11:24
  Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
- 1 John 3:22
  and we will receive from Him whatever we ask, because we keep His commandments and do what is pleasing in His sight.
- John 14:13
  And I will do whatever you ask in My name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
Through
John 9:31
We know that God does not listen to sinners, but He does listen to the one who worships Him and does His will.
leads to
- Proverbs 15:29
  The LORD is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous.
- Isaiah 1:15
  When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; even though you multiply your prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood.

Featured studies on this passage

Walks through James 5

Healing · MannaFest

Open the study →

About James

The Feeding of the Multitude — Gustave Doré (engraving, public domain)

James: the study guide →Read chapter 5 →The featured study →

Forgiveness
ongoing confession among believers, not sinless perfection, is the prescribed path to healing and restoration
Prayer
confession and the supplication "of a righteous man" that "availeth much in its working" (KJV: "effectual ferv…

Continue: James 5 →

01Commentary

The record, by era

Voices on this verse

02Original language & word study

03The walk

Where the connections lead

04Related verses

05Featured studies on this passage

06About James

The record, by era

Where the connections lead

Commentary

Original language & word study

The walk

Related verses

Featured studies on this passage

About James