James 5:17

James 5:17

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.

a. NLT: Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! [Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.]

b. NIV: Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. [THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by Permission of Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide.]

c. Young’s Literal Translation: Elijah was a man like affected as we, and with prayer he did pray -- not to rain, and it did not rain upon the land three years and six months; [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]

d. Amplified Bible: Elijah was a human being with a nature such as we have [with feelings, affections, and a constitution like ours]; and he prayed earnestly for it not to rain, and no rain fell on the earth for three years and six months. [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

1. “Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are…”

a. Elias [Strong: 2243 Hēlías, hay-lee'-as; of Hebrew origin (H452); Helias (i.e. Elijah), an Israelite:—Elias.]

b. was [Strong: 2258 ēn, ane; imperfect of G1510; I (thou, etc.) was (wast or were):—+ agree, be, X have (+ charge of), hold, use, was(-t), were.]

c. [a] man [Strong: 444 ánthrōpos, anth'-ro-pos; from G435 and ὤψ ṓps (the countenance; from G3700); man-faced, i.e. a human being:—certain, man.]

d. subject to like passions [Strong: 3663 homoiopathḗs, hom-oy-op-ath-ace'; from G3664 and the alternate of G3958; similarly affected:—of (subject to) like passions.] [homoios-similar; pathos-passion] [Strong: similarly affected:--of (subject to) like passions.]

e. [as we are [Strong: 2254 hēmîn, hay-meen'; dative case plural of G1473; to (or for, with, by) us:—our, (for) us, we.]

2. “…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.” 

a. and [Strong: 2532 kaí, kahee; apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:—and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]

b. [he] prayed [Strong: 4336 proseúchomai, pros-yoo'-khom-ahee; from G4314 and G2172; to pray to God, i.e. supplicate, worship:—pray (X earnestly, for), make prayer.] [Zodhiates: to pray to God; proseuchomai; pros-to; euchomai-to pray.] [Thayer: to offer prayers, to pray.]

 

c. [Strong: 3588. [tou] ὁ ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.] [Thayer: [tou] ὁ, ἡ, τό, originally τος, τῇ, τό (as is evident from the forms τοι, ται for οἱ, αἱ in Homer and the Ionic writings), corresponds to our definite article the (German der, die, das), which is properly a demonstrative pronoun, which we see in its full force in Homer, and of which we find certain indubitable traces also in all kinds of Greek prose, and hence also in the N. T.] [Additional variants: tē, hoi, oi, tēn, ta, tēs, tois, tais, tō, tōn, tou, Hē, hé  hē, hai, tas.]

d. earnestly [Strong: 4335 proseuchḗ, pros-yoo-khay'; from G4336; prayer (worship); by implication, an oratory (chapel):—X pray earnestly, prayer.] [Thayer: prayer addressed to God, a place set apart or suited for the offering of prayer, a synagogue, a place in the open air where the Jews were wont to pray, outside the cities, where they had no synagogue, such places were situated upon the bank of a stream or the shore of a sea, where there was a supply of water for washing the hands before prayer.]

e. [that it might] not [Strong: 3361 mḗ, may; a primary particle of qualified negation (whereas G3756 expresses an absolute denial); (adverb) not, (conjunction) lest; also (as an interrogative implying a negative answer (whereas G3756 expects an affirmative one)) whether:—any but (that), × forbear, + God forbid, + lack, lest, neither, never, no (X wise in), none, nor, (can-)not, nothing, that not, un(-taken), without. Often used in compounds in substantially the same relations.]

f. rain [Strong: 1026 bréchō, brekh'-o; a primary verb; to moisten (especially by a shower):—(send) rain, wash.]

g. and [Strong: 2532 kaí, kahee; apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:—and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]

h. [it] rained [Strong: 1026 bréchō, brekh'-o; a primary verb; to moisten (especially by a shower):—(send) rain, wash.]

i. not [Strong: 3756 ou, oo; a primary word; the absolute negative (compare G3361) adverb; no or not:—+ long, nay, neither, never, no (X man), none, (can-)not, + nothing, + special, un(-worthy), when, + without, + yet but.]

j. on [Strong: 1909 epí, ep-ee'; a primary preposition; properly, meaning superimposition (of time, place, order, etc.), as a relation of distribution (with the genitive case), i.e. over, upon, etc.; of rest (with the dative case) at, on, etc.; of direction (with the accusative case) towards, upon, etc.:—about (the times), above, after, against, among, as long as (touching), at, beside, × have charge of, (be-, (where-))fore, in (a place, as much as, the time of, -to), (because) of, (up-)on (behalf of), over, (by, for) the space of, through(-out), (un-)to(-ward), with.]

k. the [Strong: 3588. [tēs] ὁ ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.] [Thayer: [tēs] ὁ, ἡ, τό, originally τος, τῇ, τό (as is evident from the forms τοι, ται for οἱ, αἱ in Homer and the Ionic writings), corresponds to our definite article the (German der, die, das), which is properly a demonstrative pronoun, which we see in its full force in Homer, and of which we find certain indubitable traces also in all kinds of Greek prose, and hence also in the N. T.] [Additional variants: tē, hoi, oi, tēn, ta, tēs, tois, tais, tō, tōn, tou, Hē, hé  hē, hai, tas.]

l. earth [Strong: 1093 gē, ghay; contracted from a primary word; soil; by extension a region, or the solid part or the whole of the terrene globe (including the occupants in each application):—country, earth(-ly), ground, land, world.]

m. [by the space of] three [Strong: 5140 treîs, trice; a primary (plural) number; "three":—three.]

n. years [Strong: 1763 eniautós, en-ee-ow-tos'; prolongation from a primary ἔνος énos (a year); a year:—year.]

o. and [Strong: 2532 kaí, kahee; apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:—and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]

p. six [Strong: 1803 héx, hex; a primary numeral; six:—six.]

q. months [Strong: 3376 mḗn, mane; a primary word; a month:—month.]

1). Adam Clark’s Commentary: He prayed with prayer; a Hebraism for, he prayed fervently.

2). Why did Elijah pray for it not to rain? I don’t know for sure but there is an interesting Jewish tradition that attempts to fill in the blanks with some information that gives an explanation on the ending of 1 Kings 16 and the beginning of 1 Kings 17 concerning Elijah’s first appearance in Scripture.

a). “Elijah’s first appearance in the Bible is as a messenger to Ahab, considered the most sinful of Israel’s kings. He proclaims “As the Lord the God of Israel lives, for whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word” (1 Kings 17: 1).  In the Midrash version, we see that Elijah initially objects to meeting Ahab.  The Midrash version states, “Elijah at first refused to seek out the sinner who had violated the Divine Injunction against rebuilding Jericho, for he said that the blasphemous talk of such evil-doers always called for his rage” (Ginzberg 4).  The Midrash also claims that Ahab mocked Elijah, saying “Was not Moses greater than Joshua, and did he not say that God would let no rain descend upon the earth, if Israel served and worshipped idols? There is not an idol to which I do not pay homage, and yet we enjoy all that is goodly and desirable” (Ginzberg 4).  Elijah agrees and states “there shall be no dew nor rain these years, but according to my word” (Ginzberg 4)

http://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/widow-of-zarephath-midrash-and-aggadah

b). It seems reasonable to believe that after Ahab’s mockery of God, Elijah prayed earnestly for a famine and that his prayer was heard, for the famine was 3 ½ years long, and only ended because Elijah prayed for it to be over.