13Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. [5:14] Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the assembly, and let them pray over him, anointing him with olive oil in the name of the Lord. [5:15] And the prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. [5:16] Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerfully effective. [5:17] Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it would not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. [5:18] Then he prayed again, and the sky gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.
JAS 5:13-18
The Prayer of Faith
In the world it was spoken into
In the 1st-century Mediterranean world, illness and suffering were often understood through both physical and spiritual lenses. Healing practices combined medicinal and ritual elements, with oil commonly used for its practical and symbolic properties—whether for soothing wounds, anointing bodies, or signifying divine favor. The act of anointing carried cultural weight, blending care, honor, and ritual. The elders of the community, as respected figures, were called to mediate divine intervention through prayer, reflecting a communal approach to healing. Confession of sins was not merely private but relational, tied to restoration within the group. Elijah’s example underscores the power of fervent prayer, aligning with Jewish traditions that viewed prophets as intercessors. The term , describing weariness or illness, captures the holistic distress of body and spirit. The effectiveness of prayer was understood as an active, divine intervention, not abstract but tangible in its outcomes. This passage reflects a worldview where physical, spiritual, and communal well-being were deeply intertwined.
›See the receipts
How other translations render this
JAS 5:13
- KJV
- Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.
- BSB
- Is any one of you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone cheerful? He should sing praises.
- Koinōnos
- Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.
JAS 5:14
- KJV
- Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
- BSB
- Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.
- Koinōnos
- Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the assembly, and let them pray over him, anointing him with olive oil in the name of the Lord.
JAS 5:15
- KJV
- And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
- BSB
- And the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick. The Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.
- Koinōnos
- And the prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.
JAS 5:16
- 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.
- BSB
- 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.
- Koinōnos
- Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerfully effective.
JAS 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.
- BSB
- Elijah 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.
- Koinōnos
- Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it would not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth.
JAS 5:18
- KJV
- And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.
- BSB
- Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth yielded its crops.
- Koinōnos
- Then he prayed again, and the sky gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.
Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.
Where the historical framing draws from
- Josephus, WarsWars 2.8.9
›Josephus, Wars Wars 2.8.9
“They also think it a good thing to obey their elders, and the major part. Accordingly, if ten of them be sitting together, no one of them will speak while the other nine are against it.”
Cited to ground: The elders of the community, as respected figures, were called to mediate divine intervention through prayer, reflecting a communal approach to healing.
Translator's notes
JAS 5:14
- having anointed:The word translated 'having anointed' refers to the common practice of rubbing oil on the body for medicinal purposes, hygiene, or as a sign of honor, rather than a strictly ritualistic anointing.
- with oil:The 'oil' mentioned here was typically olive oil, a common and versatile substance in the ancient world used for food, light, cosmetics, and medicinal applications.
JAS 5:15
- ailing:The word translated 'ailing' suggests a state of weariness or exhaustion that often accompanies illness, rather than just a general sickness.
JAS 5:16
- being made effective.:The phrase 'being made effective' describes something that is actively at work and producing results, emphasizing its dynamic and powerful nature.