“Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain, and it didn’t rain on the earth for three years and six months.”
— WEB
James 5:17
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Translations sourced from the public-domain WEB, KJV, and ASV. See all sources.
“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.”
— KJV
“Elijah was a man of like passions with us, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain; and it rained not on the earth for three years and six months.”
— ASV
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Commentary
Elias . . . like passions as we--therefore it cannot be said that he was so raised above us as to afford no example applicable to common mortals like ourselves. prayed earnestly--literally, "prayed with prayer": Hebraism for prayed intensely. Compare Luk 22:15, "With desire I have desired," that is, earnestly desired. ALFORD is wrong in saying, Elias' prayer that it might not rain "is not even hinted at in the Old Testament history." In Kg1 17:1 it is plainly implied, "As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word." His prophecy of the fact was according to a divine intimation given to him in answer to prayer. In jealousy for God's honor (Kg1 19:10), and being of one mind with God in his abhorrence of apostasy, he prayed that the national idolatry should be punished with a national judgment, drought; and on Israel's profession of repentance he prayed for the removal of the visitation, as is implied in Kg1 18:39-42; compare Luk 4:25. three years, &c.--Compare Kg1 18:1, "The third year," namely, from Elijah's going to Zarephath; the prophecy (Jam 5:1) was probably about five or six months previously.
— Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary (public domain)
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