Bible Strands
James 5:18
Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth yielded its crops.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — James writes to Jewish Christian believers immediately after recounting Elijah’s drought prayer in James 5:17. He records Elijah’s second prayer at the precise moment the three-and-a-half-year famine ends.
The words — The Greek πάλιν (palin) means "again," and ἔδωκεν (edōken) translates literally as "gave." These terms mark the narrative shift from withholding rain to restoring it.
The thread — Elijah’s action echoes 1 Kings 18:42, where he prays for rain at Mount Carmel, and aligns with Jeremiah 14:22, which attributes rainfall solely to God.
Why it lands — The text states that the earth yielded crops after Elijah prayed, requiring readers to acknowledge divine sovereignty over natural cycles. It demands recognition that prayer precedes restoration without guaranteeing human control over outcomes.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.
Cross-references
- 1 Kings 18:42 So Ahab went up to eat and drink. But Elijah climbed to the summit of Carmel, bent down on the ground, and put his face between his knees.
- Jeremiah 14:22 Can the worthless idols of the nations bring rain? Do the skies alone send showers? Is this not by You, O LORD our God? So we put our hope in You, for You have done all these things.
- 1 Kings 18:18 “I have not troubled Israel,” Elijah replied, “but you and your father’s house have, for you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD and have followed the Baals.
- Acts 14:17 Yet He has not left Himself without testimony to His goodness: He gives you rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness.”