What’s easy to miss is that James isn't just telling a cool story about Elijah; he's highlighting that Elijah was just like us in his human nature and emotions. The text emphasizes he "prayed with prayer," a powerful way of saying his petition wasn't casual but intensely focused and fervent, demonstrating the extraordinary power available even to ordinary believers.
Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.
English Standard Version (ESV)
James is building a case for the power of persistent prayer, urging believers to keep praying even when things seem impossible. He points to Elijah, not as a distant, divine figure, but as a man with the same human struggles and limitations as his readers. This powerful example highlights how God can work through ordinary people who earnestly bring their requests to Him.
Think Elijah was some kind of superhero, immune to doubt or weakness? Think again. James wants you to see him as one of us.
James starts by calling Elijah 'a man with a nature like ours.' This isn't just a casual observation; it's crucial. The original Greek word, 'homoio-pathes,' literally means 'suffering like things' or 'having similar experiences.' It's about being subject to the same human frailties, emotions, and struggles that we face. He wasn't a distant, untouchable figure. He had a human constitution, experienced weariness, and likely battled discouragement, just like anyone else.
Why does James emphasize this? To show that Elijah's incredible prayer life wasn't due to some superhuman status, but to his direct connection with God. His prayers were powerful because God is powerful, and He chooses to work through ordinary, faithful people. This is a massive encouragement: if God heard Elijah, a man like you and me, He can hear you too.
James doesn't just say Elijah prayed; he describes how he prayed. It wasn't a casual whisper, but a powerful declaration.
The phrase 'he prayed fervently' is a powerful emphasis in the original language. Literally, it's something like 'he prayed with prayer' (proseuche proseuxato). This is a common Hebrew and Greek literary device used to intensify the meaning of the verb. Think of it like saying, 'He truly, truly prayed.'
This wasn't a polite request; it was an intense, focused, and earnest appeal to God. The scholars note that this kind of phrasing conveys vehemence and deep sincerity. Elijah wasn't just asking for something; he was pouring out his soul in prayer.
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This connects directly to the extended period of drought. His prayer was so potent that for three and a half years, it did not rain. This highlights that when God's people pray with deep conviction and intensity, based on His will, the results can be profound and far-reaching.
James highlights Elijah's prayer for drought, which lasted three and a half years, to show that even someone with human weaknesses, just like us, could make such a profound impact through earnest prayer. This wasn't about Elijah's special powers, but about the incredible power of prayer directed to God.
c. 875-869 BC— this verse
Elijah's Confrontation and Drought
The prophet Elijah confronts King Ahab of Israel, denounces the nation's idolatry, and declares that it will not rain except by his word. This marks the beginning of a severe drought.
c. 875-870 BC
Elijah's Ministry at Zarephath
During the drought, Elijah is miraculously sustained by God in the land of Sidon. He also raises a widow's son from the dead.
c. 870 BC
Elijah's Ministry at the Brook Cherith
God commands Elijah to hide by the brook Cherith, where he is fed by ravens. The brook eventually dries up due to the prolonged drought.
c. 870 BC
Confrontation on Mount Carmel
After three years of drought, Elijah challenges the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. He calls down fire from heaven, proving God's power, and then prays for rain, which God sends.
c. AD 40-50
James's Epistle Circulated
The Epistle of James is written and begins to circulate among Jewish Christians. It uses Elijah's prayer for drought and subsequent prayer for rain as an example of fervent prayer.
This passage is the direct source of the event James refers to, showing Elijah boldly declaring the drought, which James interprets as an answer to prayer.
1 Kings 18:41-46This shows Elijah praying fervently for rain after the drought, demonstrating the same earnest prayer that James highlights as powerful.
Luke 4:25Jesus himself references the drought during Elijah's time, specifically mentioning the three-and-a-half-year duration, lending divine weight to the event.
Romans 8:28This passage speaks to God's sovereign hand working through all circumstances, including the seemingly harsh judgment of drought, for the good of those who love Him, mirroring how God used Elijah's prayer.
Hebrews 4:15-16This highlights Jesus as our compassionate High Priest who sympathizes with our weaknesses, reminding us that even a man like Elijah, with 'like passions,' could approach God, and so can we through Christ.
ellicottJames 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."
(17) Elias. —James supplies a lacuna in the story of Elijah. In 1Kings 17:1 , the prophet simply and sternly tells Ahab “there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.” Further on ( 1Kings 18:41-46 ) “there is a sound of abundance of rain.” In our Epistle we read that Elias “prayed ear…
vincentJames 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 man (ἄνθρωπος)The generic word; human like ourselves, this thought being emphasized by the succeeding epithet of like passions. See the same expression, Acts 14:15.Of like passions (ὁμοιοπαθὴς)Only here and Acts 14:15. There is some danger of a misunderstanding of this rendering, from the limited and ge…
What’s easy to miss is that James isn't just telling a cool story about Elijah; he's highlighting that Elijah was just like us in his human nature and emotions. The text emphasizes he "prayed with prayer," a powerful way of saying his petition wasn't casual but intensely focused and fervent, demonstrating the extraordinary power available even to ordinary believers.
James is building a case for the power of persistent prayer, urging believers to keep praying even when things seem impossible. He points to Elijah, not as a distant, divine figure, but as a man with the same human struggles and limitations as his readers. This powerful example highlights how God can work through ordinary people who earnestly bring their requests to Him.
James is building a case for the power of persistent prayer, urging believers to keep praying even when things seem impossible. He points to Elijah, not as a distant, divine figure, but as a man with the same human struggles and limitations as his readers. This powerful example highlights how God can work through ordinary people who earnestly bring their requests to Him.
"Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit." — What’s easy to miss is that James isn't just telling a cool story about Elijah; he's highlighting that Elijah was just like us in his human nature and emotions. The text emphasizes he "prayed with…
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Last reviewed October 2026
