Yaakov 5:18

18 And again Eliyahu [HaNavi] davened, and Shomayim gave GESHEM (rain) and ha’aretz caused its p’ri to sprout. [MELACHIM ALEF 18:45]

Yaakov 5:18 Meaning and Commentary

James 5:18

And he prayed again
( 1 Kings 18:42 1 Kings 18:43 ) . 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", (llpthl) , "to pray, and he cast himself down upon the earth", (Mymvgh le llpthl) , "to pray for rain; and he put his face between his knees", (llpthw) , "and prayed, and said to his servant, go up now, look toward the sea"; and this he said while he was (wtlyptb) , "in his prayers" ^F9: and the effect of this his prayer was,

and the heaven gave rain;
see ( 1 Kings 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, ( 1 Kings 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 ^F11: 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.

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FOOTNOTES:

F9 Jarchi, Kimchi, Ralbag, & Laniado in loc.
F11 T. Bab. Moed Katon, fol. 28. 1. & Taanith, fol. 19. 1. 23. 1. 24. 2. 25. 2. & Yoma, fol. 53. 2.

Yaakov 5:18 In-Context

16 Therefore, make vidduy (confession of sin) to one another, and daven tefillos on behalf of one another, so that you may have refuah sheleimah (complete healing). The tefillah of a tzaddik is powerful and effective.

17 Eliyahu [HaNavi] was a man of like nature to us, and with tefillah he davened for it not to rain, and it did not rain upon ha’aretz for shalosh shanim and shishah chodashim (three years and six months). [MELACHIM ALEF 17:1]

18 And again Eliyahu [HaNavi] davened, and Shomayim gave GESHEM (rain) and ha’aretz caused its p’ri to sprout. [MELACHIM ALEF 18:45]

19 My Achim b’Moshiach, if anyone among you wanders vait (astray) from HaEmes and someone turns a choteh (sinner) to become a ba’al teshuva

20 You should have da’as that the one having helped a choteh (sinner) to become a ba’al teshuva and to turn from the toyus (error) of his derech, and from setiyah HaDerech Hashem (turning aside or deviating from the Way of Hashem) will save the neshamah of him from mavet and will cover a multitude of chatta’im. [T.N. This may be the earliest writing in the Brit Chadasha. Of royal blood, Ya’akov Bar Yosef Ben Dovid, like Rav Sha’ul, was an unbeliever until he came to faith by the appearance of the Risen Moshiach (see I Cor 15:7). He died al kiddush ha-Shem 62 C.E. according to Josephus. His brother Yehuda wrote the letter on p.1118. See p848.]