James 5:14–16
James: pray for one another; the prayer of the righteous has great power
Study it word by word14Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the assembly, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.
15And the prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, it will be forgiven him.
16So confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The supplication of a righteous person is very powerful in its working.
In its context
12But above all, my brothers, do not swear, neither by heaven nor by earth nor with any other oath; but let your yes be yes, and your no, no, so that you may not fall under judgment.
13Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.
…
17Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months.
18And he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the land produced its fruit.
Its words in the original
- ἀσθενεῖasthenei· be sick
Be sick, be weak.
- προσκαλεσάσθωproskalesasthō· summon
Call to oneself, summon.
- πρεσβυτέρουςpresbyterous· elder
Elder: an older man; also the leaders of a people or of a community.
- ἐκκλησίαςekklēsias· assembly
Assembly: the people God calls together and gathers. It is the word usually translated “church.”
- προσευξάσθωσανproseuxasthōsan· pray
Pray: speak with God.
- ἀλείψαντεςaleipsantes· anoint
Anoint with oil or perfume.
- ἐλαίῳelaiōi· olive oil
Olive oil.
- ὀνόματιonomati· name
Name. In the Bible, a name stands for the person himself.
- κυρίουkyriou· Lord, lord
Lord, master, owner. Said of God, the Lord; in Old Testament quotations it stands for the name YHWH.
- εὐχὴeuchē· vow, prayer
Vow, a promise made to God; also prayer.
- πίστεωςpisteōs· faith
Faith: firm trust in God; also faithfulness.
- σώσειsōsei· save
Save, rescue from danger or death; also heal from an illness.
- κάμνονταkamnonta· grow weary, be sick
Grow weary, be tired; also be sick.
- ἐγερεῖegerei· raise
Raise, wake up; get up; raise from the dead.
- κἂνkan· even if
Even if, and if; even.
- ἁμαρτίαςhamartias· sin
Sin: missing the mark, failing God and what he commands.
- ᾖēi· be
Be, exist.
- πεποιηκώςpepoiēkōs· do, make
Do, make, produce.
- ἀφεθήσεταιaphethēsetai· let go, forgive
Leave, let go, allow; said of sins and debts, forgive.
- ἐξομολογεῖσθεexomologeisthe· confess, praise
Confess openly, acknowledge; also praise. It can also mean to agree, to consent.
- ἀλλήλοιςallēlois· one another
One another, each other.
- εὔχεσθεeuchesthe· pray, wish
To ask; to pray to God; also to wish.
- ἰαθῆτεiathēte· heal
Heal, cure.
- πολὺpoly· much, many
Much, great; in the plural, many.
- ἰσχύειischyei· be strong, be able
Be strong, be able; be valid, be of use.
- δέησιςdeēsis· prayer, petition
Prayer, petition: a prayer that asks for something.
- δικαίουdikaiou· righteous, just
Righteous, just: someone who lives by what is right before God.
- ἐνεργουμένηenergoumenē· be at work
Be at work, operate with power; bring about.