James 5:17
in James 5Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Elijah was a man of like passions with us, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain; and it rained not on the earth for three years and six months.
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.
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This verse in James 5
Commentary
10 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Elias - The common way of writing the word “Elijah” in the New Testament, Mat 11:14; Mat 16:14; Mat 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 was capable of suffering the same things, or being affected in the same manner.
This site's exposition
confess your sins to each other
on James 5:16-18
The call to confess your sins to each other and pray for each other brings healing into the congregation. The prayer of a righteous man has great power to prevail, energoumene, at work. Elijah was a man just like us, and his prayer shut and opened the heavens (Luke 4:25).
This site's exposition
He prayed earnestly
Matthew Henry notes that the original says in prayer he prayed, a doubled phrase for earnest asking. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown find the prayer implied in 1 Kings 17:1, where Elijah says the rain will come only at his word. The prophet's word rested on his prayer.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
A commentator
Hilary of ArlesINTRODUCTORY TRACTATE ON THE LETTER OF JAMES · Written before 449.
proposed
The apostle regards himself as inferior to the prophets, who performed such miracles. The three years and six months represent the time of the antichrist, but the three years may also stand for the three ages of human history from the creation to the time …
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
Elijah was a man of like passions - Naturally as weak and sinful as we are.
In prayer we must not look to the merit of man, but to the grace of God. Only in this we should copy after Elijah, that he prayed earnestly, or, as it is in the original, in prayer he prayed. It is not enough to say a prayer, but we must pray in prayer.
Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy. The apostle is here addressing first sinners and then saints. Let us consider the address to sinners; and here we find James seconding what his great Master had said: Woe unto you that are rich; for you have received your consolation, Luke vi.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-run:26w-of-69
Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are,....
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
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 plainly implied, "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." His prophecy of the fact was according to a divine intimation given to him in answer to prayer.
Elias 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 ὁμοιοπαθης signifies of the same constitution, a human being just as ourselves are. See the same phrase and its explanation in Act 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 so, his example could be no pattern for us; and as the design of St. James was to excite men to pray, expecting the Divine interference whenever that should be necessary, therefore he tells them that Elijah was a man like themselves, of the same constitution, liable to the same accidents, and needing the same supports. And he prayed earnestly - Προσευχῃ προσηυξατο· He prayed with prayer; a Hebraism for, he prayed fervently. That it might not rain - See this history, 1Ki 17:1, etc. And it rained not on the earth - Επι της γης· On that land, viz. the land of Judea; for this drought did not extend elsewhere. Three years and six months - This is the term mentioned by our Lord, Luk 4:25; but this is not specified in the original history. In 1Ki 18:1, it is said, In the third year the word of the Lord came to Elijah, that is, concerning the rain; but this third year is to be computed from the time of his going to live at Zarephath, which happened many days after the drought began, as is plain from this, that he remained at the brook Cherith till it was dried up, and then went to Zarephath, in the country of Zidon; 1Ki 17:7-9. Therefore the three years and six months must be computed from his denouncing the drought, at which time that judgment commenced. Macknight.
The words behind it
22 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ἠλίας | elias | Elijah | G2243 → | |
| ἄνθρωπος | anthropos | a man | G444 → | 549 times |
| ἦν | en | was | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| ὁμοιοπαθὴς | homoiopathes | of like nature | G3663 → | |
| ἡμῖν | hemin | to us | G3165 → | 1936 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| προσευχῇ | proseuchea | with fervent prayer | G4335 → | |
| προσηύξατο | proseuxato | he prayed [for it] | G4336 → | 85 times |
| τοῦ | tou | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| μὴ | me | not | G3361 → | 1066 times |
| βρέξαι· | brexai | to rain; | G1026 → | |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| οὐκ | ouk | not | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| ἔβρεξεν | ebrexen | it did rain | G1026 → | |
| ἐπὶ | epi | upon | G1909 → | 883 times |
| τῆς | tes | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| γῆς | ges | earth | G1093 → | 248 times |
| ἐνιαυτοὺς | eniautous | years | G1763 → | |
| τρεῖς | treis | three | G5140 → | |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| μῆνας | menas | months | G3376 → | |
| ἕξ· | hex | six; | G1803 → |
ἨλίαςElijah
eliasG2243 →
ἄνθρωποςa man
anthroposG444 →549 times
ἦνwas
enG1510 →2333 times
ὁμοιοπαθὴςof like nature
homoiopathesG3663 →
ἡμῖνto us
heminG3165 →1936 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
προσευχῇwith fervent prayer
proseucheaG4335 →
προσηύξατοhe prayed [for it]
proseuxatoG4336 →85 times
τοῦ<the>
touG3588 →19766 times
μὴnot
meG3361 →1066 times
βρέξαι·to rain;
brexaiG1026 →
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
οὐκnot
oukG3756 →1664 times
ἔβρεξενit did rain
ebrexenG1026 →
ἐπὶupon
epiG1909 →883 times
τῆςthe
tesG3588 →19766 times
γῆςearth
gesG1093 →248 times
ἐνιαυτοὺςyears
eniautousG1763 →
τρεῖςthree
treisG5140 →
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
μῆναςmonths
menasG3376 →
ἕξ·six;
hexG1803 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Luke 4:25But I tell you truthfully that there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and great famine swept over all…
it leads to
- 1 Kings 17:1
Now Elijah the Tishbite, who was among the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As surely as the LORD lives—the God of Israel before whom I stand—there will be neither dew nor rain in…
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- 1 Kings 17:1
Through
1 Kings 18:1After a long time, in the third year of the drought, the word of the LORD came to Elijah: “Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain upon the face of…
it leads to
- Luke 4:25
But I tell you truthfully that there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and great famine swept over all…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Luke 4:25
Through
1 Kings 17:1Now Elijah the Tishbite, who was among the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As surely as the LORD lives—the God of Israel before whom I stand—there will be neither dew nor rain in…
it leads to
- Luke 4:25–26
But I tell you truthfully that there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and great famine swept over all…
- Luke 1:17
And he will go on before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to…
- 1 Kings 22:14
But Micaiah said, “As surely as the LORD lives, I will speak whatever the LORD tells me.”
- Luke 4:25–26
Through
Acts 14:15“Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, human like you. We are bringing you good news that you should turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made…
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 12:21
Do not turn aside after worthless things that cannot profit you or deliver you, for they are empty.
- Acts 10:26
But Peter helped him up. “Stand up,” he said, “I am only a man myself.”
- Psalms 146:5–6
Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God,
- 1 Samuel 12:21
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About James
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Hilary of Arles, INTRODUCTORY TRACTATE ON THE LETTER OF JAMES; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.