James 5

James 5 is the fifth (and last) chapter of the Epistle of James in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. The author identifies himself as "James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ" and the epistle is traditionally attributed to James the brother of Jesus, written in Jerusalem between 48 and 61 CE. Alternatively, some scholars argue that it is a pseudographical work written after 61 CE.[1][2][3] This chapter contains a warning to the rich and an exhortation to be patient until the coming of the Lord.[4]

This article is about a book chapter of the Bible. For James V, see James V of Scotland.
James 5
Epistle of James 4:9-5:1 on the verso side of Papyrus 100, from the 3rd century.
BookEpistle of James
CategoryGeneral epistles
Christian Bible partNew Testament
Order in the Christian part20

Text

The original text was written in Koine Greek.[5] This chapter is divided into 20 verses.

Textual witnesses

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter are:[6]

An ancient manuscript containing this chapter in the Coptic language is:

Warning to the Rich (5:1–3)

Written like an abbreviation of Jesus' criticism against the rich (Luke 12:16–21).[9]

The Oppression of the Poor and the Just (5:4-6)

This section exposes the unjust ways of the rich who gain their goods by oppressing the poor.[9]

Patience until the Coming of the Lord (5:7-20)

Verse 11
Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.[10]
  • Job was not a prophet, but as a righteous man he is used in Jewish stories circulating in James' day to represent the 'perfect example of patient endurance'.[11]

Verse 12
But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your "Yes" be "Yes," and your "No," "No," lest you fall into judgment.[12]

Cross reference: Matthew 5:37

Verse 16
Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.[13]
  • "Confess your faults one to another": Sins committed against one another should be acknowledged for mutual forgiveness and reconciliation at all times.[14]
  • "A righteous man": a person, who is justified by Christ's righteousness; also the upright and sincere one, such as Job, Joseph of Arimathea, and others; even though not without sin, as shown in the following verse: "Elijah was a man of like passions", but a just man, and his prayer was prevalent.[14]
  • "The effectual fervent (Greek: ἐνεργουμένη, energoumenē) prayer" has power, which is with the Spirit, not in a cold, lukewarm, lifeless, formal, and customary way. The Vulgate Latin version renders it, "daily", which is constant and continual prayer, without ceasing, as in the parable of the widow and the unjust judge. Some translate the word "inspired": the Spirit of God breathes into men the breath of spiritual life, or may be rendered "inwrought", as a true prayer is not what is written in a book, but what is wrought in the heart, by the Spirit of God; and such prayer is always heard, and regarded by him. The Jews have a great notion of prayer as 'the power of prayer',[15] is strong; and extol it above all other services,[16] it is better than good works, or than offerings and sacrifices; and particularly, the prayer of righteous men may turn "the holy blessed God from wrath to mercy".[17][14]

Verse 17
Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months.[18]
  • "Elijah" (Greek: Elias, as in KJV): points to the prophet "Elijah the Tishbite". Septuagint renders the name in Greek Elias in Malachi 4:5, just as written in the Greek text of this verse.[19] During his life, he was being charged by King Ahab as a "troubler of Israel", and persecuted by Jezebel, who tried to kill him, but was fed by ravens, by the widow of Zarephath, and by an angel; also, he asked to die, but by the wonderful power of God, he can see God, who "translated him, that he should not see death".[19]
  • "A man with a nature like ours": James gives an instance of earnest and fervent efficacious prayer in Elijah, in accordance with Jewish tradition (2 Esdras 7:109; m. Ta'an. 2:4; b. Sanh. 113a), in particular the example of Elijah and his prayer for rain (1 Kings 18:42–5).[20] James says that he was a "man", in contrast to some Jewish notion that Elijah was not born of a father and mother, but was an angel, who was clothed with the four elements of the world.[21] Also, he was by nature no better than others, as he himself confesses that he was no better than his fathers (1 Kings 19:4).[19] Furthermore, Elijah was "subject to like passions as we are" (KJV; Greek ὁμοιοπαθὴς ἡμῖν, homoiopathēs hēmin, "of_like_nature to_us"[22]) both in body and soul; he suffered hunger and was not free from sinful passions, as impatience, fear, and unbelief (1 Kings 17:20; 19:3–5, 10, 18).
  • "Prayed earnestly": or "prayed in prayer" as in Jewish literature it is said "he prayed his prayer" or, in other way of saying, "they prayed prayers",[23] not merely externally or formally, but with great intenseness of the Spirit. The first time, he prayed "that it might not rain", then later, he may have prayed each of the seven times he sent his servant to look out for a sign of rain (1 Kings 18:43).[19] The prayer "that it would not rain" (KJV: "that it might not rain") is not recorded implicitly, but can be deducted from (1 Kings 17:1) where he says, "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"; as such the passage is understood by the Jewish commentators that the phrase, "before whom I stand", is paraphrased as "before whom I am used to stand", "in prayer".[24] Another phrase, "according to my word", is interpreted,[25] that the rain should not come naturally, but it should only descend when Elijah "prayed for it", and it was so.[19] According to early church tradition, James himself was known as 'just' (dikaios) and a man of powerful prayer,[26]
  • "On the earth": means "on the land of Israel", as this was in judgment upon the Kingdom of Israel in the times of Ahab.[19] This instance of prayer is mentioned, not to be imitated, as Christians are not to pray for judgments, unless they receive a divine order for it as Elijah had, but to show the efficacy of prayer uttered according to the will of God.[19]
  • "Three years and six months": This exactly agrees with the words of Jesus Christ (Luke 4:25), although this time span is not found in the text of Old Testament.[20]

See also

References
  1. Riesner 2007, p. 1256.
  2. Davids, Peter H. (1982). I Howard Marshall and W Ward Gasque (ed.). New International Greek Testament Commentary: The Epistle of James (Repr. ed.). Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans. ISBN 0802823882.
  3. Evans, Craig A (2005). Craig A Evans (ed.). Bible Knowledge Background Commentary: John, Hebrews-Revelation. Colorado Springs, Colo.: Victor. ISBN 0781442281.
  4. Riesner 2007, p. 1257.
  5. 20. James: Introduction, Outline, and Argument. Bible.org
  6. "The New Testament Virtual Manuscript Room, Institute for New Testament Textual Research (INTF), Münster". Archived from the original on 2015-06-13. Retrieved 2015-06-15.
  7. Riesner 2007, p. 1255.
  8. Aland, Kurt; Aland, Barbara (1995). The Text of the New Testament: An Introduction to the Critical Editions and to the Theory and Practice of Modern Textual Criticism. Erroll F. Rhodes (trans.). Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. p. 96. ISBN 978-0-8028-4098-1.
  9. Riesner 2007, p. 1261.
  10. James 5:11 NKJV
  11. Davids 1994, p. 1366.
  12. James 5:12 NKJV
  13. James 5:16 NKJV
  14. John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible - James 5:16
  15. Zohar in Exod. fol. 100. 1.
  16. T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 32. 2.
  17. R. Eliezar. In: T. Bab. Succa, fol. 14. 1. & Yebamot, fol. 64. 1 Quote: "to what is, "prayer of righteous men" like? it is like a shovel: the sense is, that as the shovel turns the corn on the floor, from one place to another, so prayer turns the holy blessed God from wrath to mercy."
  18. James 5:17 NASB
  19. John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible - James 5:17
  20. Riesner 2007, p. 1292.
  21. Zohar in Gen. fol. 31. 1. & Imre Binah in ib.
  22. Hebrew Text Analysis: James 5:17. Biblehub
  23. Ib. in Exod. fol. 4. 2. & in Numb. fol. 79. 2.
  24. R. David, Kimchi in loc. apud Gill, "James 5" (See Gill on Matthew 6:5)
  25. Vid. Laniado in loc.
  26. Hegesippus, in Eus. Hist. Ecd. 2.23.4—7; apud Riesner 2007, p. 1292

Sources
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