14c–15a anointing + save — Link between Anointing and Eschatological Salvation Two passages from the Iliad echo James’ allusions to eschatological salvation:

• →Homer Il. 16.677–680 “Immediately then he [i.e., Apollo] lifted up noble Sarpedon out of the range of the missiles and, carrying him far away, bathed him in the streams of the river, and anointed him with ambrosia (chrisen t' ambrosiêᵢ), and clothed him with immortal raiment (ambrota heimata), and gave him to swift conveyers, to the twin brothers Sleep and Death, to bring with them, and they set him down speedily in the rich land of wide Lycia” (Murray and Wyatt 1999, 2:212–213).
• →Homer Il. 23.184–187 “So he [i.e., Achilles] spoke threatening, but no dogs were busy with Hector [i.e., his body], but the daughter of Zeus, Aphrodite, kept dogs from him by day and by night alike, and with oil she anointed him (chrien elaiôᵢ), rose-sweet, ambrosial, so that Achilles might not tear him as he dragged him” (Murray and Wyatt 1999, 2:506–507).

15b will raise him up "Relieve" or "Comfort" Instead of "Raise Up" Much of the Latin tradition (e.g., →Glossa ord., →C; →Suarez Disp. 41 sect. 1.11) reads alleviabit (instead of adlevabit), which, in addition to "raise up," can also be translated as "relieve" or "comfort."

10–20 Use in Lectionary

• →BL: Special and General Feasts: Prophets; one of three reading options.

13–20 Use in Lectionary

• →RML: Saturday, Week 7, Year 2.
• →RCL: Proper 21, Year B.

15c they will be forgiven him Sacramentology: Effects of the Anointing of the Sick.

Traditional Teaching

• →Florence Exs. Deo "The effect is the healing of the mind and, as far as it is good for the soul, of the body as well (effectus vero est mentis sanatio et, in quantum animae expedit, ipsius enim corporis)" (→DzH 1325).
• →Trent Extr. unct. 2 quotes Jas 5:15 to identify "the reality (res) and effect (effectus) of this sacrament." The Council adds the explanation, "For the reality is the grace (gratia) of the Holy Spirit, whose anointing takes away the sins, if there be any still to be expiated, and also the remains of sin (pecatti reliquas); it comforts and strengthens the soul (animam alleviat et confirmat) of the sick person by awakening in him great confidence in the divine mercy (fiduciam excitando); supported by this, the sick bears more lightly the inconveniences and trials of his illness, and resists more easily the temptations of the devil, who lies in wait for his heel [cf. Gn 3:15]; at times it also restores bodily health (sanitatem corporis), when it is expedient for the salvation of the soul (ubi saluti animae expedierit)" (→DzH 1696).

Vatican II Reform

Reflecting a changed approach after Vatican II, →CCC 1520–1523 speaks of four effects:

• →CCC 1520: A particular gift of the Holy Spirit. "The first grace of this sacrament is one of strengthening, peace and courage to overcome the difficulties that go with the condition of serious illness (aegritudinis gravis) or the frailty of old age. This grace is a gift of the Holy Spirit, who renews trust and faith in God and strengthens against the temptations of the evil one, the temptation to discouragement and anguish in the face of death. This assistance from the Lord by the power of his Spirit is meant to lead the sick person to healing of the soul, but also of the body if such is God's will (si talis est Dei voluntas). Furthermore, 'if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven' (Jas 5:15)."
• →CCC 1521: Union with the Passion of Christ. "By the grace of this sacrament the sick person receives the strength and gift of uniting himself more closely to Christ's Passion: in a certain way he is consecrated (consecratur) to bear fruit by configuration to the Savior's redemptive Passion. Suffering (dolor), a consequence of original sin, acquires a new meaning; it becomes a participation (participatio) in the saving work of Jesus." Cf. →Vatican II LG 11 "By the sacred anointing of the sick and the prayer of her priests the whole Church commends the sick to the suffering and glorified Lord, asking that He may lighten their suffering and save them; she exhorts them, moreover, to contribute to the welfare of the whole people of God by associating themselves freely with the passion and death of Christ."
• →CCC 1522: An ecclesial grace. "The sick who receive this sacrament, 'by freely uniting themselves to the passion and death of Christ,' 'contribute to the good of the people of God (→Vatican II LG 11.2). By celebrating this sacrament the Church, in the communion of the saints, intercedes for the benefit of the sick person, and he, for his part, through the grace of this sacrament, contributes to the sanctification of the Church and to the good of all men for whom the Church suffers and offers herself through Christ to God the Father."
• →CCC 1523: A preparation for the final journey. "If the sacrament of anointing of the sick is given to all who suffer from serious illness and infirmity, even more rightly is it given to those at the point of departing this life; so it is also called sacramentum exeuntium (the sacrament of those departing) [referencing →Trent Extr. unct. 3 (→DzH 1698)]. The Anointing of the Sick completes our conformity to the death and Resurrection of Christ, just as Baptism began it. It completes the holy anointings that mark the whole Christian life: that of Baptism which sealed the new life in us, and that of Confirmation which strengthens us for the combat of this life. This last anointing fortifies the end of our earthly life like a solid rampart (firmo praesidio) for the final struggles before entering the Father's house."

13–18 Isotopy of Prayer Every verse in this passage refers to prayer; however, the words used are not simple synonyms.

• The noun euchê ("prayer," v. 15a) and the corresponding verb euchomai ("to pray," v. 16b) are generic terms.
• The verb expressing the prayer of petition is proseuchomai (v. 13a, 14b, 17b, 18a) or proseuchê (v. 17b).
• More concretely, the noun deêsis (v. 16c) stands for a supplication or a particular request.
• As for psallô ("to chant," v. 13b), it applies to prayer in the form of a hymn (Vocabulary Jas 5:13b), in particular in the liturgical context.

13–20 Connection between Healing and Conversion Several biblical passages evince the connection between healing (Jas 5:14–16) and conversion from sin (Jas 5:19–20):

• G-Dt 30:2–3 "And return (epistrephô) to the Lord your God and obey his voice in all that I command you today…and the Lord will heal (iaomai) your sins."
• 2Chr 7:14 "if then my people…turn (M: šwb; G: apostrephô) from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal (G: iaomai; M = rp’) their land."
• Is 6:10 "they turn (M: šwb; G: epistrephô) and be healed (M: rp’; G: iaomai)."
• Jer 3:22 "Return (M: šwb; G: epistrephô), rebellious children! I will heal (M: rp’; G: iaomai) your rebellions."
• Hos 6:1 "Come, let us return (M: šwb; G: epistrephô) to the Lord, For it is he who has torn, but he will heal (M: rp’; G: iaomai) us" (NAB).
• See also Prv 3:7; Ez 34:4,16.

15a prayer of faith will save Echo of the Jesus Tradition James echoes Jesus' teaching on prayer (e.g., Mt 21:21; Mk 11:24). The phrase may specifically echo Jesus' own characteristic teaching: "your faith has saved you" (e.g., Mk 5:34; Lk 7:50; 17:19). Compare also stories in the Jesus' tradition in which the faith of an intercessor leads to healing: Mk 2:1–12 (faith of the paralyzed man's friends); Mt 8:5–13 || Lk 7:1–10 (centurion's faith leads to healing of his son or servant); Mt 15:21–28 || Mk 7:24–30 (the Canaanite woman's faith leads to her daughter's healing).

15a will save Physically or Eschatologically?

• The Greek sôᵢzô, as also the Latin salvo, are ambiguous—they may refer to either physical healing or eschatological salvation.
• S opts for a translation (the ap‘el of ḥlm) that emphasizes physical healing or wholeness.

15a prayer of faith Echo James' phrase euchê tês pisteôs echoes his earlier teaching on prayer in Jas 1:6, "Let him ask in faith" (en pistei).

15c if he should have committed any sins Association of Sin, Sickness, Healing, and Forgiveness of Sins

• →CCC 1502 on the view of illness in the OT: “The man of the Old Testament lives his sickness in the presence of God. It is before God that he laments his illness, and it is of God, Master of life and death, that he implores healing (cf. Ps 6:2[3]; Ps 38; Is 38). Illness becomes a way to conversion (cf. Ps 38:4[5]; Ps 39:8[9]; Ps 39:11[12]); God’s forgiveness initiates the healing (cf. Ps 32:5; 107:17–20). It is the experience of Israel that illness is mysteriously linked to sin and evil, and that faithfulness to God according to his law restores life: ‘For I am the Lord, your healer’ (Ex 15:26). The prophet intuits that suffering can also have a redemptive meaning for the sins of others (cf. Is 53:11). Finally Isaiah announces that God will usher in a time for Zion when he will pardon every offence and heal every illness (Is 33:24).”
• →CCC 1505 comments on the links between Jesus' mission as a healer and his redemptive sacrifice on the cross: “Moved by so much suffering Christ not only allows himself to be touched by the sick, but he makes their miseries his own: ‘He took our infirmities and bore our diseases’ (cf. Mt 8:17; Is 53:4). But he did not heal all the sick. His healings were signs of the coming of the Kingdom of God. They announced a more radical healing: the victory over sin and death through his Passover. On the cross Christ took upon himself the whole weight of evil and took away the ‘sin of the world’ (Jn 1:29; cf. Is 53:4–6), of which illness is only a consequence. By his passion and death on the cross Christ has given a new meaning to suffering: it can henceforth configure us to him and unite us with his redemptive Passion."

15f Association of Sin and Illness

• →T. Reub. 1.7: "[God] struck me with a severe wound (plêgê megalê) in my loins for seven months [as punishment for Reuben's sexual sins]" (OTP 1:782; de Jonge 1978, 2).
• →T. Sim. 2.12–13 "for seven days my right hand became partly withered [as the Lord's punishment of Simeon for his desire to kill Joseph out of jealousy]" (OTP 1:785; de Jonge 1978, 16).
• →T. Zeb. 5.3 "For the sons of my brothers were sickly (astheneô) and died on account of Joseph (dia Iôsêph), because they did not act in mercy out of their inner compassion" (OTP 1:806; de Jonge 1978, 96).
• →T. Gad 5.9–11 "For God brought on me a disease (nosos) of the liver…For by whatever human capacity anyone transgresses, by that he is also chastised. Since my anger was merciless in opposition to Joseph, through this anger of mine I suffered mercilessly, and was brought under judgment for eleven months" (OTP 1:815; de Jonge 1978, 130–131).

15f Association between Forgiveness of Sin and Physical Healing

• →b. Ned. 41a "A sick person does not recover from his ailment before all of his sins are forgiven, 'Who forgives all your sins, who heals all your diseases' (Ps 103:3)" (Neusner 2005). Cf. Biblical Intertextuality Jas 5:15f.

13–20 Connection between Conversion and Healing As part of the generally assumed connection between illness and sin, conversion and health, many texts parallel James in linking healing (Jas 5:14–16) with references to repentance or conversion from sin (Jas 5:19–20).

• →Test. Dom. 1.24 (prayer over the oil for healing): “send on this oil (mšḥ’), which is the type of your fatness, the delivering [power] of your good compassion, that it may deliver those who labour and heal those who are sick, and sanctify those who return (mtpnyn), when they approach to your faith; for you are mightily and [to be] praised for ever and ever" (Cooper and MacLean 1902, 78; Rahmani 1899, 48)
• →Polycarp Phil. 6.1 identifies caring for the sick (episkeptomenoi pantas astheneis) and "turning back those who have gone astray (epistrephontes ta apopeplanêmena)" as duties of the presbyters (presbuteroi; Ehrman 2003, 1:340–341).

The language of physical healing can be used to describe repentance and conversion:

• →Const. ap. 2.14.11 "Now we ought to assist those who are with us (variant reading: 'those who are sick') and are in danger, and fall, and, as far as lies in our power, to reduce them to sobriety by our exhortations, and so save them from death (hugiazein autous kai ruesthai ek thanatou)" (ANF 7:401; von Funk 1905, 1:55).

13–18 Parallel with 1 Clement Several themes and some specific vocabulary occurring in Jas 5 appears in a prayer recorded in →1 Clem. 59.4 (Ehrman 2003, 1:142–143):

• "Save (sôᵢzô) those of us who are in affliction" (cf. Jas 5:15a: sôᵢzô);
• "raise (egeirô) those who have fallen" (cf. Jas 5:15b: egeirô);
• "heal (iaomai) those who are sick (astheneis)" (cf. Jas 5:14a: astheneô; Jas 5:16b: iaomai);
• "set straight (epistrephô) those among your people who are going astray (planaô)" (cf. Jas 5:19: planaô, epistrephô);
• "raise up (anistêmi) the weak (astheneis)" (cf. Jas 5:14a: astheneô; Jas 5:15b: egeirô).

Some scholars posit that 1 Clement is dependent on James, but the relationship may also be seen as a common reliance on early Christian vocabulary and concerns.

15c it will be forgiven him Semiticism The phrase aphethêsetai autôᵢ is likely a Semiticism, indicating the divine passive, as in the Hebrew nslḥ lô. See →Allison 2013, 768.

15a wearied Range of Meanings The Greek verb kamnô has a broad array of meanings:

• "to be weary"; e.g., →4 Macc. 3.8: David is "very tired" (sphodra kekmêkôs) after a battle with the Philistines;
• "to die"; e.g., Ws 4:16; 15:9.
• a general term for illness; e.g., →Strabo Geogr. 8.6.15: at Epidaurus, the temple of Asclepius, "who is believed to cure diseases (nosous) of every kind and always has his temple full of the sick (kamnontôn)" (Jones 1927, 4:176–177).

15b raise Two Basic Meanings The Greek verb egeirô has two possible meanings:

• It may refer, as in the direct meaning of this passage, to raising up a person physically (e.g., Acts 3:7).
• It is also used for raising from the dead (e.g., Mt 10:8), especially in reference to Jesus’ resurrection (Mt 16:21; Acts 3:15; Rom 6:4). See also Christian Tradition Jas 5:15b.

13–18 Exhortations on Prayer, Proper Speech, and Physical and Spiritual Healing The passage focuses on prayer (Literary Devices Jas 5:13–18). After warning the reader that he must ask God in faith, not doubting (Jas 1:5–8), and that he must not ask wrongly (Jas 4:2–3), James here gives examples of proper, effective prayer.

The passage also relates to James' concern with proper speech: after giving many admonitions against improper speech (e.g., Jas 5:9,12), James here gives example of the proper use of speech in praying and singing. See also →Speech in James.

The passage presents a holistic view of illness and healing: here, these two elements are closely associated: physical illness and “spiritual illness” (sin) on the one hand, and physical healing and forgiveness of sin on the other, are closely linked. There is also a strong link between understanding the anointing ritual as providing healing (both spiritual and physical) in this life, and understanding the anointing and prayer as preparation for ultimate healing in the resurrection and eternal life. This holistic emphasis reflects the theme of wholeness and integrity found throughout the letter. See further →Perfection / Wholeness in James.

Catholic tradition has drawn out the meaning of Jas 5:14–15 in various ways, primarily through the development of the teaching on the sacrament of the anointing of the sick. The tradition has at various times emphasized the different aspects of James’ integral vision: spiritual healing (Origen, John Chrysostom, Council of Trent), physical healing (an early tradition of anointing among the laity, Vatican II’s emphasis on a broader understanding of healing), and the eschatological dimension (the traditional emphasis on “extreme unction” as preparation for eternal life). See also Christian Tradition Jas 5:14f; Theology Jas 5:14f.

This section, and the letter, ends with James' exhortation to community members to turn back a straying fellow-believer (Jas 5:19–20). James thus reiterates his characteristic concern for harmony within the community. The history of interpretation generally interpreted the ambiguous passage to mean that a person who converted another from sin would in turn receive pardon of his own sins; this took its place in a traditional list of ways in which one could seek pardon for sins. See also Christian Tradition Jas 5:20c.

15ab save + raise up — Syllepsis: Ambiguity between Literal and Metaphorical Meanings James likely has an intentional play on the literal and metaphorical meanings of the two verbs.

• The verb sôᵢzô can be used in freeing or saving someone from a disease; e.g., Jesus' instruction to the woman with the hemorrhage: Mk 5:34 "Your faith has saved (sôᵢzô) you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction"; see also →Diodorus of Sicily Bibl. hist. 1.82.3 on the physicians' ability to save the patient (sôsai ton kamnonta; Oldfather 1933, 1:280–281). In the NT, it also frequently refers to eternal salvation; e.g., 2Tm 4:18 "The Lord will rescue me from every evil threat and will bring me safe (sôᵢzô) to his heavenly kingdom." Elsewhere in James sôᵢzô always refers to eternal salvation (Jas 1:21; 2:14; 4:12; 5:20).
• The verb egeirô is used with a similar ambiguity between literal and metaphorical; see Vocabulary Jas 5:15b. 

James may thus suggest an intimate connection between healing from a sickness and eternal salvation:

• perhaps the physical saving / raising is a sign or foreshadowing of eternal salvation / raising from the dead,
• or perhaps the physical saving / raising already participates in eternal salvation and raising in a proleptic manner.

See further Christian Tradition Jas 5:15a; Christian Tradition Jas 5:15b.

15f

Association of Sin and Illness

Different Scriptures witness to the various ways in which sin and illness are associated. 

• Illness, suffering, and death can be seen as the result of human sin (Gn 3:14–19; Rom 5:12).
• Disease is understood as a punishment for breaking God’s covenant Law in many OT books: Ex 15:26; Dt 7:15; 28:15–22. A connection between sin and disease is also evident in some NT passages: 1Cor 11:29–30; Jn 9:2 "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" See also Ps 38:3 (G-37:4), "There is no wholesomeness in my flesh because of your anger; there is no health in my bones because of my sin." Cf. Peritestamental Literature Jas 5:15f.
• The causal connection between sin and illness is questioned in the Book of Job (Jb 4:7–9; 7:20; 9:22–23). Jesus also questions the connection: Jn 9:3 "Neither he nor his parents sinned; it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him," although Jesus assumes there is still some connection between the two (see Mk 2:1–12).
• Illness is at times associated with demonic activity; see Mk 9:17: a boy possessed by a mute spirit; Lk 13:11: a woman "crippled by a spirit."
• Other passages also do not relate illness to sin, but instead promise salvation for the sick, e.g., Lazarus, a poor man covered with sores, who finds his eternal reward (Lk 16:19–31). See Theology Jas 5:15c.

James says significantly in Jas 5:15, "if he should have committed any sins," those sins will be forgiven to the sick person. Thus James sees no necessary, causal connection between sin and sickness.

Association of Forgiveness of Sin and Healing

Old Testament View

In its holistic view of the human being, several OT passages presuppose a close connection between forgiveness of sin and healing, just as some connection between sin and illness was assumed.

• Ps 103:2–3 (G-Ps 102:2–3) “Bless the Lord, my soul; and do not forget all his gifts. Who pardons all your sins, and heals (M: rp’; G: ioamai) all your ills." 
• Ps 107:17–20 (G-Ps 106:17–20) "Some fell sick from their wicked ways, afflicted because of their sins. They loathed all manner of food; they were at the gates of death. In their distress they cried to the Lord, who saved (M: yš‘; G: sôᵢzô) them in their peril, sent forth his word to heal them, and snatched them from the grave."
• In the eschatological age, both illness and sin will be removed: Is 33:24 "No one who dwells there will say, 'I am sick'; the people who live there will be forgiven their guilt." See further Theology Jas 5:14f.

Jesus' Holistic View of Healing

Jesus presumes the connection between sin and disability in his healing of the paralytic (Mt 9:1–8). In two further passages, however, Jesus denies a causal relation: those who suffer oppression or accident are no worse sinners than those who do not (Lk 13:1–5), and disability can be an opportunity to reveal God's works (Jn 9:3).

Jesus’ own healing is holistic. His healing of the paralytic is associated with forgiveness of sin in Mt 9:1–8 (cf. Mk 2:17 “It is not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick. I came to call not the upright, but sinners).” His healings are regularly associated with a call for faith (cf. Mk 2:5; 5:34,36; 9:23), and are understood as signs that the kingdom of God has come near (cf. Mt 11:5). See also Theology Jas 5:15b and →Thomas 1993; →Albl 2002.

15b the Lord will raise him up Oil and Eschatological Salvation / Resurrection Several early Christian texts connect olive oil with the tree of life in the Garden of Eden, and thus with future eternal life:

• →Gosp. Phil. 73.16–18 “The tree of life, however, is in the middle of the garden (paradeisos). It is an olive tree, and from it comes chrism, and from chrism comes resurrection (anastasis)" (Meyer 2007, 178; Layton 1989, 188).
• →Origen Cels. 6.27: Report of a group whose members profess, “I have been anointed with white ointment (chrismati leukôᵢ) from the tree of life” (Chadwick 1965, 342; Borret 1969, 3:244).
• →Ps.-Clement Recogn. 1.45.5 “Him [i.e., Christ] first God anointed with oil which was taken from the wood of the tree of life (hunc primum pater oleo perunxit, quod ex ligno vitae fuerat sumptum): from that anointing therefore He is called Christ. Thence, moreover, He Himself also, according to the appointment of His Father, anoints with similar oil (simili oleo perunguet) every one of the pious when they come to His kingdom, for their refreshment after their labours, as having got over the difficulties of the way; so that their light may shine, and being filled with the Holy Spirit, they may be endowed with immortality (inmortalitate donentur) (ANF 8:89; Rehm and Strecker 1994, 34).
• →Gosp. Nic. 19: Adam sends Seth in search of oil from Paradise to heal him, but he will not receive it until Christ descends to the underworld.

See also Vocabulary Jas 5:15b; Peritestamental Literature Jas 5:14c–15a; Theology Jas 5:15c.

1:1–5:20 James Depictions of James

Western Catholic Tradition

Depictions of James, the author of the epistle, in paintings, statues, manuscript illustrations, engravings, woodcuts, and embroidery on liturgical vestments are particularly prominent in the Middle Ages. A common consensus of the artists is that the author of the epistle is James the Just, leader of the Jerusalem church; he is typically further identified with James, son of Alphaeus, one of Jesus' Twelve (Mk 3:18), and "James the Less" (Mk 15:40; →Jameses near Jesus). The iconography of James draws particularly on accounts of James recorded in →Eusebius of Caesarea Hist. eccl. 2.23 and →Jerome Vir. ill. 2, who in turn draw on accounts from Clement of Alexandria and Hegesippus (→Introduction). Several prominent features of these portrayals may be noted:

• Following the tradition that he was the first bishop of Jerusalem, James is often portrayed anachronistically in bishop's vestments.
• James is often portrayed holding a fuller's club, alluding to the tradition that James was beaten to death with a such a club. Variations show him holding different types of clubs. Another related tradition shows James holding a bow such as one used by hat-makers of the Middle Ages.
• James bears a striking physical resemblance to his brother Jesus.
• One artistic tradition, based on accounts found in the preface to the →Glossa ord. and →de Voragine Leg. aur., portrays the infant James as part of a large extended family. According to this legend, Anne, mother of the Virgin Mary, had three children named Mary with three different husbands. James and his brothers Joses (Joseph), Simon, and Jude (cf. Mk 6:3) are the sons of Mary (daughter of Anne and Cleophas; cf. Jn 19:25) and Alphaeus (cf. Mk 3:18). James and his brothers are thus cousins of Jesus (son of Mary, daughter of Anne and Joachim) and of John the Evangelist and James the Greater (sons of Mary, daughter of Anne and Salomas).

The following images are noteworthy:

• A painting of James in the Armenian St. James Cathedral, Jerusalem: James is dressed in episcopal robes, wears a miter, and holds a crozier (→Gowler 2014, 54).
• Blessed James Apostle. In the Stavelot Bible (1093–1097, British Museum Add. MS. 28106–28107) illuminations of the apostle James are at the introduction to the Catholic epistles (f. 197 r→) and at the beginning of his epistle (f. 197 v→). The apostle stands, holding a book.
• Apostle James the Less, statue, south portal of Chartres Cathedral, early 13^th century.

James holds a club.

• Leonardo da Vinci, The Last Supper (1495–1498), Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan. 

James, who resembles his brother Jesus, is second from his left. This full-scale copy was the main source for the—unfortunate—twenty-year restoration of the original (1978–1998). It includes several lost details such as Christ's feet, the transparent glass decanters on the table, and the floral motifs of the tapestries that decorate the room's interior. It was first mentioned in 1626 by the author Bartolomeo Sanese as hanging in the Certosa di Pavia, a monastery near Pavia, Italy, but it is unlikely that it was intended for this location. At some point, the upper third of the picture was cut off, and the width was reduced. Giampietrino is thought to have worked closely with Leonardo when he was in Milan. A very fine, full-size copy of this painting, before it was cut down, is installed at Tongerlo Abbey in Westerlo, near Antwerp, Belgium. 

• Lucas Cranach the Elder, The Holy Kinship (1509), a triptych in the Städelsches Kunstinstitut, Frankfurt, Germany. The infant Jesus, his mother Mary, and Mary's mother Anne are portrayed in the center. To the right is Anne's other daughter Mary, her husband Zebedee, and sons John the Evangelist and James the Greater. To the left is another of Anne's daughters named Mary with her husband Alphaeus; their children James, Joses (Joseph), Simon, and Jude are in the left and center panels.

The side and central panels describe a great hall with blue grey walls and three-colored tiles. In the side panels are depicted the half-sisters of the Virgin Mary —called after their fathers Mary Cleophas (left) and Mary Salome (right)—together with their husbands.

Left panel: Mary Cleophas and Alphaeus (with the features of Frederick the Wise) with their two sons, the Apostles James the Less (at her breast) and Joseph Justus, called Barnabas, depicted with a book as annunciator of the Gospel according to Matthew.

Central panel: Joseph, who seems to seems to sleep, the Virgin dressed in blue with yellow lining, Anna and the Christ Child on her knee, who is stretching out his hand towards an apple given to him by the Virgin Mary. Anna's three husbands following →de Voragine Leg. aur. are shown in the background in the matroneum: on the left Joachim, who is attracted by the holy women in front of him and whose relation is also shown by the corresponding blue and yellow color of his dress, Cleophas (with the physiognomy and chain of Emperor Maximilian I), and Salomas (with the physiognomy of Sixtus Oelhafen von Schöllenbach, secretary of Frederick III, Maximilian I, and Charles V), who are talking to each other. There is an architectural structure by a great stone bench in the foreground of the central panel with two marble columns on the sides, over which is stretched a cloth of gold. On the right column is a tablet with date and signature: LVCAS CHRONVS FACIEBAT ANNO MDIX (1509). The parapet of the matroneum is decorated by a sculptured frieze with dancing putti holding six escutcheons with the six fields of the electorate of Saxony. In the hall are shown the 17 members of the The Holy Kinship. In the central panel are shown two more children of Mary Cleophas and Alpheus: the Apostles Simon, patron saint of weavers, dyers, tanners, and saddlers, and Jude, who went on mission. They suffered their martyrdom together and therefore are regularly depicted together.

Right panel: Mary Salome and Zebedee (with the features of Frederick III, Elector of Saxony, and his brother Herzog Johann der Beständige). Mary Salome, dressed in gold with dark red lining, is combing her son James the Greater, while John the Evangelist is hiding in her dress.

• Paolo Veronese (Caliari), James as Bishop (ca. 1578), Burghley House Collection, Lincolnshire, UK. James with crozier and miter, holding a book.

• El Greco, Saint James the Less (1610–1614), Museo del Greco, Toledo, Spain. 

James is shown holding a Bible, symbolizing his status as a scriptural writer, in one hand. James is depicted in the Mannerist style with elongated form and without any of the traditional iconographic symbols

• Niccolò Bambini, The Communion of the Apostle James the Less→ (1722–1723).

The risen Jesus appears to James and breaks bread with him (based on an account recorded in →Jerome Vir. ill. 2, said to be drawn from the Gospel according to the Hebrews).

• Angelo de Rossi, James the Less→ (1705–1711), Saint John Lateran, Rome.

James holds a book and club.

• James Tissot, Saint James the Less→ (1886–1894), Brooklyn Museum, New York.

James, resembling Jesus, prays on his knees with outstretched arms. It perhaps reflects Hegesippus' statement that James spent so much time in prayer that his knees were as hard as a camel's.

Eastern Orthodox Traditions

• Martyrdom of James the Just, illustration from the Menologion of Basil II (late 10^th/early 11^th c., PG 117:9–614), Vatican Library, Vat. gr. 1613: image 131→.
• James the Just, Russian icon, 16^th c., Novgorod. James is depicted in episcopal robes and holds a book.

The inscription bearing the name of the saint has disappeared, but the iconography—facial features and beard shape—suggest that the icon is of James. Byzantine art places him among the founding fathers of the Church. As the creator of the first liturgy containing memorial services and the author of the message that speaks of the healing power of prayer (Jas 5:14–16), he was worshipped in ancient times as a healer. In Novgorod, James is prayed for the end of the epidemics. In sacred iconography, the representations of James alone are very rare. On icons he is represented with other saints: James the brother of the Lord, Nicholas the Thaumaturgist, and Ignatius the God-Bearer (end of the 15^th c.); James the brother of the Lord, Cosmas, and Damian (2^nd quarter of the 16^th c.).

For discussion of visual depictions, see →Bedford 1911; →Gowler 2014, 53–62.

14c,15b the Lord Ambiguous Reference of the Divine Name James has two references to "the Lord" in this section on healing:

• v. 14c "anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord";
• v. 15b "and the Lord will raise him up."

In James, the title "Lord" refers to both God and Jesus: →Kurios in James. Given the close association of Jesus with the power of healing in Christian belief (including calling on the name of Jesus in healing; cf. Biblical Intertextuality Jas 5:14c), a reference to Jesus is likely here. It is also possible that James is intentionally ambiguous in order to suggest that Jesus and God share the divine name ("Lord"), and thus the divine power of healing.

15a the prayer of faith will save Centrality of the Prayer

• The earliest interpretations of Jas 5:14–18 focused on prayer and the forgiveness of sin as opposed to physical healing (cf. Christian Tradition Jas 5:14f).
• →Bonaventure Comm. Sent. 4.23.1.4 "in the institution of the sacrament James would seem to locate the greatest power (maximam vim) in the prayer and attribute all of its efficacy (totam efficaciam) to it when he says, 'the prayer of faith will save the sick.' He does not say that anointing will do this" (Hellmann et al. 2016, 371; Collegium S. Bonaventurae 1889, 4:595). 
• →Luther Capt. Bab. "James made careful and diligent provision in this case by attaching the promise of healing and the forgiveness of sins not to the unction, but to the prayer of faith" (LW 36:121; WA 6:570).
• →Zwingli Exp. Jac. ad loc. attributes any regaining of health in this ritual to the prayer of faith, not to the anointing with the oil. Zwingli notes that James here refers to the ancient practice of anointing, practiced also by Christ's disciples, and comments that oil is beneficial for many ailments as a medicine (pharmacum) (1533, 49).

14c–15a anointing + save — Anointing and Salvation in Second Temple Judaism James' link between the anointing ritual and eschatological salvation (Literary Devices Jas 5:15ab) reflects the Second Temple Jewish connection between anointing with oil and final salvation.

• →Apoc. Mos. 9.3; 13.2–3 (cf. Latin →L.A.E. 36.2 [oil of life = oleum vitae]; 40–42; 40.1 [oil of mercy = oleum misericordiae]): Adam, ill because of his sins, will receive a healing anointing with oil (Greek: elaion) from a tree in Paradise at the final resurrection (cf. other references to an olive tree in Paradise: →2 En. 8.4 [shorter recension]; →Gen. Rab. 33.6 ad Gn 8:11).
• →2 En. 22.8–10; cf. 56.2: Enoch’s anointing with "delightful oil" marks his transition from his earthly existence into becoming “like one of the glorious ones, and there was no observable difference" (OTP 1:138–139; Macaskill 2013, 102–103). See also →3 Bar. 15 (Greek): baskets of oil (elaion) as eschatological reward.
• →Jos. Asen. 8.5 (cf. 15.5): anointing with a “blessed ointment of incorruptibility (chrietai chrismati eulogêmenôᵢ aphtharsias)" (OTP 2:212; Philonenko 1968, 154); cf. →T. Adam 1.7 (OTP 1:993; Robinson 1982, 54–55).