SEV Biblia, Chapter 5:16
Confesaos vuestras faltas unos a otros, y rogad los unos por los otros, para que seis sanos. Porque la oracin eficaz del justo, es muy poderoso.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - James 5:16
Verse 16. Confess your faults one to another] This is a good general direction to Christians who endeavour to maintain among themselves the communion of saints. This social confession tends much to humble the soul, and to make it watchful. We naturally wish that our friends in general, and our religious friends in particular, should think well of us; and when we confess to them offenses which, without this confession, they could never have known, we feel humbled, are kept from self-applause, and induced to watch unto prayer, that we may not increase our offenses before God, or be obliged any more to undergo the painful humiliation of acknowledging our weakness, fickleness, or infidelity to our religious brethren. It is not said, Confess your faults to the ELDERS that they may forgive them, or prescribe penance in order to forgive them. No; the members of the Church were to confess their faults to each other; therefore auricular confession to a priest, such as is prescribed by the Romish Church, has no foundation in this passage. Indeed, had it any foundation here it would prove more than they wish, for it would require the priest to confess his sins to the people, as well as the people to confess theirs to the priest.
And pray one for another] There is no instance in auricular confession where the penitent and the priest pray together for pardon; but here the people are commanded to pray for each other that they may be healed.
The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.] The words dehsiv energoumenh signify energetic supplication, or such a prayer as is suggested to the soul and wrought in it by a Divine energy.
When God designs to do some particular work in his Church he pours out on his followers the spirit of grace and supplication; and this he does sometimes when he is about to do some especial work for an individual.
When such a power of prayer is granted, faith should be immediately called into exercise, that the blessing may be given: the spirit of prayer is the proof that the power of God is present to heal. Long prayers give no particular evidence of Divine inspiration: the following was a maxim among the ancient Jews, hdxq yqydx tlpt the prayers of the righteous are short. This is exemplified in almost every instance in the Old Testament.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 16. Confess your faults one to another , etc.] Which must be understood of sins committed against one another; which should be acknowledged, and repentance for them declared, in order to mutual forgiveness and reconciliation; and this is necessary at all times, and especially on beds of affliction, and when death and eternity seem near approaching: wherefore this makes nothing for auricular confession, used by the Papists; which is of all sins, whereas this is only of such by which men offend one another; that is made to priests, but this is made by the saints to one another, by the offending party to him that is offended, for reconciliation, whereby a good end is answered; whereas there is none by the other, and very often bad consequences follow. And pray for one another, that ye may be healed ; both corporeally and spiritually: the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much . Not any man's prayer; not the prayer of a profane sinner, for God heareth not sinners; nor of hypocrites and formal professors: but of the righteous man, who is justified by the righteousness of Christ, and has the truth of grace in him, and lives soberly and righteously; for a righteous man often designs a good man, a gracious man, one that is sincere and upright, as Job, Joseph of Arimathea, and others; though not without sin, as the person instanced in the following verse shows; Elias, who was a man of like passions, but a just man, and his prayer was prevalent: and not any prayer of a righteous man is of avail, but that which is effectual, fervent; that has power, and energy, and life in it; which is with the Spirit, and with the understanding, with the heart, even with a true heart, and in faith; and which is put up with fervency, and not in a cold, lukewarm, lifeless, formal, and customary way: it is but one word in the original text; and the Vulgate Latin version renders it, daily; that prayer which is constant and continual, and without ceasing, and is importunate; this prevails and succeeds, as the parable of the widow and the unjust judge shows. Some translate the word inspired: the Spirit of God breathes into men the breath of spiritual life, and they live, and being quickened by him, they breathe; and prayer is the breath of the spiritual man, and is no other than the reverberation of the Spirit of God in him; and such prayer cannot fail of success: it may be rendered inwrought; true prayer is not what is written in a book, but what is wrought in the heart, by the Spirit of God; who is the enditer of prayer, who impresses the minds of his people with a sense of their wants, and fills their mouths with arguments, and puts strength into them to plead with God, and makes intercession for them according to the will of God; and such prayer is always heard, and regarded by him: this has great power with God; whatever is asked, believing, is received; God can deny nothing prayed for in this manner; it has great power with Christ, as Jacob had over the angel, when he wrestled with him; and as the woman of Canaan, when she importuned him, on account of her daughter, and would have no denial: such prayer has often been of much avail against Satan, who has been dispossessed by it; even the most stubborn kind of devils have been dislodged by fasting and prayer: it has often been the means of preserving kingdoms and nations, when invaded by enemies, as the instances of Jehoshaphat and Hezekiah show; and of removing judgments from a people, as was often done, through the prayers of Moses, as when fire and fiery serpents were sent among them; and of bringing down blessings as rain from heaven by Elijah; and of delivering particular persons from trouble, as Peter was delivered from prison, through the incessant prayer of the church for him: and this power, and efficacy, and prevalence of prayer, does not arise from any intrinsic worth and merit in it, but from the grace of the Spirit, who influences and endites it, directs to it, and assists in it; and from the powerful mediation, precious blood, and efficacious sacrifice of Christ; and from the promise of God and Christ, who have engaged, that whatever is asked according to the will of God, and in the name of Christ, shall be done. The Jews have had formerly a great notion of prayer: the power of prayer, they say f50 , is strong; and extol it above all other services: they say f51 , it is better than good works, or than offerings and sacrifices; and particularly, the prayer of righteous men: says R. Eliezar f52 to what is yqydx l tlpt , 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.
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
εξομολογεισθε 1843 5732 αλληλοις 240 τα 3588 παραπτωματα 3900 και 2532 ευχεσθε 2172 5737 υπερ 5228 αλληλων 240 οπως 3704 ιαθητε 2390 5686 πολυ 4183 ισχυει 2480 5719 δεησις 1162 δικαιου 1342 ενεργουμενη 1754 5734
Vincent's NT Word Studies
16. Confess (exomologeisqe). The preposition ejx, forth out, implies full, frank, open confession, and so in every case of its use in the New Testament. See on Matt. iii. 6.
Faults (paraptwmata). See on Matt. vi. 14.
The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much (polu iscuei dehsiv dikaiou energoumenh). Lit., much availeth (ijscuei, is strong), the prayer of a righteous man working or operating. The rendering of the A.V., besides being unwarranted by the text, is almost a truism. An effectual prayer is a prayer that avails. The Rev. is at once more correct and more natural: The supplication of a righteous man availeth much in its working.
