SEV Biblia, Chapter 5:14
¿Est alguno enfermo entre vosotros? Llame a los ancianos de la Iglesia, y oren por l, ungindole con aceite en el Nombre del Seor;
Clarke's Bible Commentary - James 5:14
Verse 14. Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders] This was also a Jewish maxim. Rabbi Simeon, in Sepher Hachaiyim, said: "What should a man do who goes to visit the sick? Ans. He who studies to restore the health of the body, should first lay the foundation in the health of the soul. The wise men have said, No healing is equal to that which comes from the word of God and prayer. Rabbi Phineas, the son of Chamma, hath said, 'When sickness or disease enters into a man's family, let him apply to a wise man, who will implore mercy in his behalf.'" See Schoettgen. St. James very properly sends all such to the elders of the Church, who had power with God through the great Mediator, that they might pray for them.
Anointing him with oil] That St. James neither means any kind of incantation, any kind of miracle, or such extreme unction as the Romish Church prescribes, will be sufficiently evident from these considerations: 1. Be was a holy man, and could prescribe nothing but what was holy. 2. If a miracle was intended, it could have been as well wrought without the oil, as with it. 3. It is not intimated that even this unction is to save the sick man, but the prayer of faith, ver. 15. 4. What is here recommended was to be done as a natural means of restoring health, which, while they used prayer and supplication to God, they were not to neglect. 5. Oil in Judea was celebrated for its sanative qualities; so that they scarcely ever took a journey without carrying oil with them, (see in the case of the Samaritan,) with which they anointed their bodies, healed their wounds, bruises, &c. 6. Oil was and in frequently used in the east as a means of cure in very dangerous diseases; and in Egypt it is often used in the cure of the plague. Even in Europe it has been tried with great success in the cure of dropsy. And pure olive oil is excellent for recent wounds and bruises; and I have seen it tried in this way with the best effects. 7. But that it was the custom of the Jews to apply it as a means of healing, and that St. James refers to this custom, is not only evident from the case of the wounded man ministered to by the good Samaritan, Luke x. 34, but from the practice of the Jewish rabbins. In Midrash Koheleth, fol. 73, 1, it is said: "Chanina, son of the brother of the Rabbi Joshua, went to visit his uncle at Capernaum; he was taken ill; and Rabbi Joshua went to him and anointed him with oil, and he was restored." They had, therefore, recourse to this as a natural remedy; and we find that the disciples used it also in this way to heal the sick, not exerting the miraculous power but in cases where natural means were ineffectual. And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them; Mark vi. 13. On this latter place I have supposed that it might have been done symbolically, in order to prepare the way for a miraculous cure: this is the opinion of many commentators; but I am led, on more mature consideration, to doubt its propriety, yet dare not decide. In short, anointing the sick with oil, in order to their recovery, was a constant practice among the Jews. See Lightfoot and Wetstein on Mark vi. 13. And here I am satisfied that it has no other meaning than as a natural means of restoring health; and that St. James desires them to use natural means while looking to God for an especial blessing. And no wise man would direct otherwise. 8. That the anointing recommended here by St. James cannot be such as the Romish Church prescribes, and it is on this passage principally that they found their sacrament of extreme unction, is evident from these considerations: 1. St. James orders the sick person to be anointed in reference to his cure; but they anoint the sick in the agonies of death, when there is no prospect of his recovery; and never administer that sacrament, as it is called, while there is any hope of life. 2. St James orders this anointing for the cure of the body, but they apply it for the cure of the soul; in reference to which use of it St. James gives no directions: and what is said of the forgiveness of sins, in ver. 15, is rather to be referred to faith and prayer, which are often the means of restoring lost health, and preventing premature death, when natural means, the most skillfully used, have been useless. 3. The anointing with oil, if ever used as a means or symbol in working miraculous cures, was only applied in some cases, perhaps very few, if any; but the Romish Church uses it in every case; and makes it necessary to the salvation of every departing soul. Therefore, St. James' unction, and the extreme unction of the Romish Church, are essentially different. See below.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 14. Is any sick among you ? etc.] Which is often the case; the bodies of the saints, as well as others, are liable to a variety of diseases; they are sick, and sometimes nigh unto death, as Epaphroditus was: and then, let him call for the elders of the church ; in allusion to the elders of the congregation of Israel, ( Leviticus 4:15). By these may be meant, either the elder members of the church, men of gravity and soundness in the faith, persons of long standing and experience; who have the gift and grace of prayer, and are not only capable of performing that duty, but of giving a word of counsel and advice to the sick. It was a kind of proverbial saying of Aristophanes the grammarian; the works of young men, the counsels of middle aged persons, and eucai gerontwn , the prayers of ancient men f48 : or rather officers of churches are meant, particularly pastors, who are so called in Scripture; these should be sent for in times of sickness, as well as physicians; and rather than they, since their prayers may be the means of healing both soul and body: so in former times, the prophets of God were sent to in times of sickness, for advice and assistance. It is a saying of R.
Phinehas ben Chama that whoever has a sick person in his house, let him go to a wise man, and he will seek mercy for him.
And it follows here, and let them pray over him ; or for him, for the recovery of his health: anointing him with oil, in the name of the Lord ; which some think was only done in a common medicinal way, oil being used much in the eastern countries for most disorders; and so these elders used ordinary medicine, as well as prayer: or rather this refers to an extraordinary gift, which some elders had of healing diseases, as sometimes by touching, and by laying on of hands, or by expressing some words, and so by anointing with oil; (see Mark 6:13) which extraordinary gifts being now ceased, the rite or ceremony of anointing with oil ceases in course: however, this passage gives no countenance to the extreme unction of the Papists; that of theirs being attended with many customs and ceremonies, which are not here made mention of; that being used, as is pretended, for the healing of the souls of men, whereas this was used for corporeal healing; that is only performed when life is despaired of, and persons are just going out of the world; whereas this was made use of to restore men to health, and that they might continue longer in it, as follows.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 12-18 - The sin of swearing is condemned; but how many make light of commo profane swearing! Such swearing expressly throws contempt upon God' name and authority. This sin brings neither gain, nor pleasure, no reputation, but is showing enmity to God without occasion and withou advantage It shows a man to be an enemy to God, however he pretends to call himself by his name, or sometimes joins in acts of worship. But the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. In day of affliction nothing is more seasonable than prayer. The spirit i then most humble, and the heart is broken and tender. It is necessar to exercise faith and hope under afflictions; and prayer is the appointed means for obtaining and increasing these graces. Observe that the saving of the sick is not ascribed to the anointing with oil but to prayer. In a time of sickness it is not cold and formal praye that is effectual, but the prayer of faith. The great thing we shoul beg of God for ourselves and others in the time of sickness is, the pardon of sin. Let nothing be done to encourage any to delay, under the mistaken fancy that a confession, a prayer, a minister's absolution an exhortation, or the sacrament, will set all right at last, where the duties of a godly life have been disregarded. To acknowledge our fault to each other, will tend greatly to peace and brotherly love. And when a righteous person, a true believer, justified in Christ, and by his grace walking before God in holy obedience, presents an effectua fervent prayer, wrought in his heart by the power of the Holy Spirit raising holy affections and believing expectations and so leadin earnestly to plead the promises of God at his mercy-seat, it avail much. The power of prayer is proved from the history of Elijah. I prayer we must not look to the merit of man, but to the grace of God It is not enough to say a prayer, but we must pray in prayer. Thought must be fixed, desires must be firm and ardent, and graces exercised This instance of the power of prayer, encourages every Christian to be earnest in prayer. God never says to any of the seed of Jacob, Seek m face in vain. Where there may not be so much of miracle in God' answering our prayers, yet there may be as much of grace.
Greek Textus Receptus
και 2532 CONJ η 3588 T-NSF ευχη 2171 N-NSF της 3588 T-GSF πιστεως 4102 N-GSF σωσει 4982 5692 V-FAI-3S τον 3588 T-ASM καμνοντα 2577 5723 V-PAP-ASM και 2532 CONJ εγερει 1453 5692 V-FAI-3S αυτον 846 P-ASM ο 3588 T-NSM κυριος 2962 N-NSM καν 2579 COND-C αμαρτιας 266 N-APF η 5600 5753 V-PXS-3S πεποιηκως 4160 5761 V-RAP-NSM αφεθησεται 863 5701 V-FPI-3S αυτω 846 P-DSM
