James 5:18

Jas 5:18. Πάλιν προσηύξατο, he prayed again) when the idolatry had been abolished. His gesture in prayer is described, 1Ki 18:42.—καὶ ἡ γῆ, and the earth) καὶ, and so.—αὐτῆς, her or its) though a little before it had not been able to produce it.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Jam_5:18. The second prayer of Elias, and its result.

ὁ οὐρανὸς ὑετὸν ἔδωκεν] a popular form of expression; comp. Act_14:17.

καὶ ἡ γῆ κ.τ.λ.] contains not a further description, but added to mark more strongly the effect of the prayer: heaven and earth acted according to the prayer of Elias.

ἐβλάστησεν] properly an intransitive verb; so in Mat_13:26; Mar_4:27; Heb_9:4. The first aorist here, as frequently in the later classics, in a transitive signification; comp. Gen_1:11, LXX. With respect to the form, see Winer, p. 77 [E. T. 92].

τὸν καρπὸν αὑτῆς] Schneckenburger: fruges suas i. e. quas ferre solet.

Meyer — Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament — English translation by Peter Christie, edited by Frederick Crombie (T&T Clark, 1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Jas 5:18 . With this and the preceding verse cf. Ta‘anith , 24 b , where we are told of how Rabbi Chaninah, on being caught in a shower of rain, prayed: “Master of the Universe, the whole world is pleased, while Chaninah alone is annoyed”; then the rain immediately ceased. On arriving home he prayed: “Master of the Universe, shall all the world be grieved while Chaninah enjoys his comfort?” Whereupon the rain came down again (see Jewish Encycl. , vi. 215).

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

prayed . . . and--that is, "and so." Mark the connection between the prayer and its accomplishment.

her fruit--her usual and due fruit, heretofore withheld on account of sin. Three and a half years is the time also that the two witnesses prophesy who "have power to shut and open heaven that it rain not."

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 18. And he prayed again] This second prayer is not mentioned in the history in express words, but as in 1Kgs 18:42, it is said, He cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees; that was probably the time of the second praying, namely, that rain might come, as this was the proper posture of prayer.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

And he prayed again,.... Kg1 18:42. Here also is no express mention of his prayer, but it may be concluded from his gestures; and so the Jewish interpreters understand these words, "Elijah went up to the top of Carmel", "to pray, and he cast himself down upon the earth", , "to pray for rain; and he put his face between his knees", "and prayed, and said to his servant, go up now, look toward the sea"; and this he said while he was "in his prayers" (i): and the effect of this his prayer was,

and the heaven gave rain; see Kg1 18:45.

And the earth brought forth her fruit: which for the years past it had not; hence there was a sore famine in the land, Kg1 18:2. Now the apostle chose to give this example, because it was a common thing for the Jews to ask for rain: we often read of such a doctor, that he prayed for rain, and it came; and of another, that he asked for the rains, and they descended (k): and his view is to observe, that the weakness and infirmities of the saints ought not to discourage them from prayer; and that they should be earnest and fervent in it, as was Elias, a man of like passions with themselves.

(i) Jarchi, Kimchi, Ralbag, & Laniado in loc. (k) T. Bab. Moed Katon, fol. 28. 1. & Taanith, fol. 19. 1. 23. 1. 24. 2. 25. 2. & Yoma, fol. 53. 2.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.

Ver. 18. And the earth brought forth] When the roots and fruits seemed all dried up, and the land past recovery. But prayer never comes too late, because God never doth.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And he prayed again - The allusion here seems to be to 1Ki 18:42, 1Ki 18:45, though it is not expressly said there that he prayed. Perhaps it might be fairly gathered from the narrative that he did pray, or at least that would be the presumption, for he put himself into a natural attitude of prayer. “He cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees,” 1Ki 18:42. In such circumstances, it is to be fairly presumed that such a man would pray; but it is remarkable that it is not expressly mentioned, and quite as remarkable that James should have made his argument turn on a thing which is not expressly mentioned, but which seems to have been a matter of inference. It seems probable to me, therefore, that there was some tradition on which he relied, or that it was a common interpretation of the passage in 1 Kings, that Elijah prayed earnestly, and that this was generally believed by those to whom the apostle wrote. Of the fact that Elijah was a man of prayer, no one could doubt; and in these circumstances the tradition and common belief were sufficient to justify the argument which is employed here.

And the heaven gave rain - The clouds gave rain. “The heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain,” 1Ki 18:45.

And the earth brought forth her fruit - The famine ceased, and the land again became productive. The case referred to here was indeed a miracle, but it was a case of the power of prayer, and therefore to the point. If God would work a miracle in answer to prayer, it is reasonable to presume that he will bestow upon us the blessings which we need in the same way.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

And he prayed again; after the destroying the prophets of Baal. Baal-worship especially gave occasion to his former prayer, which he puts up out of his zeal to God’s glory, then laid low by the Israelites’ idolatry, and a desire to have them by some exemplary punishment for their sin awakened to repentance. And the destruction of the idolaters, and reformation of the people, who now acknowledged the Lord to be God, might give occasion to this.

And the heaven gave rain; i.e. the air or clouds, which had not been for three years before.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

18. Prayed—In the Old Testament narrative (1Ki_17:1; 1Ki_18:42-45) it is not expressly said that he prayed. Herein Huther affirms, and Alford does not deny, a discrepancy. But the whole narrative (1Ki_18:36-46) suggests the truth of our apostle’s statement. At the time of the evening sacrifice Elijah prays for God’s vindication of himself by miracle, and the prayer is answered by fire. As concluding part of the same transaction Elijah is described as first warning Ahab of the approaching rain which closed the miraculous drought, and as then on Carmel putting himself in the attitude of profound prayer, while his servant was commissioned to watch and report the tokens of the coming of the “great rain.” We are hereby entitled to infer that Elijah’s position by divine assignment was that of deep communion and harmony with God. His office was as mediator between God and Israel, to pray for the divine self-vindication, and the self-vindication itself was verified as being a manifested answer to his permanent inward and outward prayer. Hence was he a true example for the early Church standing in the same position. When specially gifted with the prayer of miraculous faith by its deep communion with God, and commissioned to vindicate God’s revelation of himself in Christianity, the apostolic Church was entitled to offer that prayer which was antecedent to a divine response. It was thereby that the apostle fully comprehended, both by sympathy and similar position, the position of Elijah. And similar to this of James was the view of St. John, as appears by his allusion in Rev_11:6. Similar was, doubtless, the view of the entire apostolic Church. And similar, too, was, probably, the view of the devout in the Jewish Church. So Sir_48:1-3 : “Then stood up Elias the prophet as fire, and his word burned like a lamp. He brought a sore famine upon them, and by his zeal he diminished their number. By the word of the Lord he shut up the heaven, and also three times brought down fire.” Here is a depth of sympathetic understanding of the divine word that rebukes the shallowness of modern rationalism. The deep divine assent of the great prophet, wrought by his commissioning God, was a permanent prayer of which the miracle was the consequent. So that in this deep view our writers make him cause the miracles he predicts. When he prayed again, then the heaven and earth obeyed his prayer through an intervening omnipotence. Her accustomed fruit—So long miraculously withheld.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

He prayed again - When idolatry was abolished.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

18. And he prayed again. See 1 Kings 18:42. This prayer was on Mt. Carmel after the trial which ended in the overthrow of the priests of Baal, and was followed the same day by rain.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

18. ἐβλάστησεν: in the other three passages of the N.T. where βλαστἀνω occurs, viz. Mat 13:26, Mar 4:27, Heb 9:4, it bears an intransitive sense as usually in the classics.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

18.] Example of this effectual prayer, in the case of Elias.

18.] and again he prayed (see above), and the heavens gave rain (reff.) and the earth brought forth (βλαστέω or -άνω is properly an intr. verb, but used transitively in the 1 aor., as some other verbs. So in Hippocrates (Palm and Rost’s Lex.), Apoll. Rhod. i. 1131 (οὕς ποτε νύμφη Ἀγχιάλη, Δικταῖον ἀνὰ σπέος, ἀμφοτέρῃσιν Δραξαμένη γαίης Οἰαξίδος ἐβλάστησε), and later writers) her fruit (“quas ferre solet,” Schneckenb.).

19,

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

18. καὶ ὁ οὐρανὸς ὑετὸν ἔδωκεν. For ὑετὸν διδόναι, cf. 1Sa 12:17, 1Ki 18:1, Act 14:17, in all which cases the subject is “God.”

For similar instances of the efficacy of prayer in bringing a severe drought to an end, cf. Jos. Antiq. xiv, 2:1, in the case of Onias, δίκαιος καὶ θεοφιλής, and Epiphanius, Hær. lviii (lxxviii), 14, in a story of James himself.

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.