2 Kings 5:17

2 Kings 5:17 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And Naaman said, Shall there not then, I pray thee, be given to thy servant two mules’ burden of earth? for thy servant will henceforth offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice unto other gods, but unto the Lord.
• New International Version (NIV)“If you will not,” said Naaman, “please let me, your servant, be given as much earth as a pair of mules can carry, for your servant will never again make burnt offerings and sacrifices to any other god but the Lord.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Then Naaman said, "If not, please let there be given to your servant two mule loads of earth, for from now on your servant will not offer burnt offering or sacrifice to any god but the Lord.
• New King James Version (NKJV)So Naaman said, “Then, if not, please let your servant be given two mule-loads of earth; for your servant will no longer offer either burnt offering or sacrifice to other gods, but to the Lord.

Context of 2 Kings 5:17

15Then Naaman and his whole company went back to the man of God, stood before him, and declared, “I know there’s no God in the whole world except in Israel. Therefore, please accept a gift from your servant.” 16But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives, in whose presence I stand, I will not accept it.” Naaman urged him to accept it, but he refused. Naaman responded, “If not, please let your servant be given as much soil as a pair of mules can carry, for your servant will no longer offer a burnt offering or a sacrifice to any other god but the Lord. 18However, in a particular matter may the Lord pardon your servant: When my master, the king of Aram, goes into the temple of Rimmon to bow in worship while he is leaning on my arm, and I have to bow in the temple of Rimmon — when I bow in the temple of Rimmon, may the Lord pardon your servant in this matter.” 19So he said to him, “Go in peace.” After Naaman had traveled a short distance from Elisha,

2 Kings 5:17 word by word

וַיֹּאמֶר֮ נַעֲמָן֒ וָלֹ֕א יֻתַּן־נָ֣א לְעַבְדְּךָ֔ מַשָּׂ֥א צֶֽמֶד־פְּרָדִ֖ים אֲדָמָ֑ה כִּ֡י לֽוֹא־יַעֲשֶׂה֩ ע֨וֹד עַבְדְּךָ֜ עֹלָ֤ה וָזֶ֙בַח֙ לֵאלֹהִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֔ים כִּ֖י אִם־לַיהוָֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Naamanנַעֲמָןna‛ămân · NaamanH5283
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Shall there not then, I pray thee, be givenנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
• to thy servantעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
• twoצֶ֫מֶדtsemed · pairH6776
• mules’פֶּ֫רֶדpered · muleH6505
• burdenמַשָּׂאmaώώâ' · burdenH4853
• of earthאֲדָמָה'ădâmâh · land: soilH127
• will henceforth offerעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: offerH6213
• neither burnt offeringעֹלָה‛ôlâh ‛ôlâh · burnt offeringH5930
• nor sacrificeזֶ֫בַחzebach · sacrificeH2077
• unto otherאַחֵר'achêr · anotherH312
• godsאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• but unto the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068

Cross-references for 2 Kings 5:17

• 2 Kings 5:12Aren’t Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and left in a rage.
• Romans 14:1Welcome anyone who is weak in faith, but don’t argue about disputed matters.
• Acts 26:18to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a share among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’
• 1 Thessalonians 1:9for they themselves report what kind of reception we had from you: how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God
• 1 Peter 4:3For there has already been enough time spent in doing what the Gentiles choose to do: carrying on in unrestrained behavior, evil desires, drunkenness, orgies, carousing, and lawless idolatry.

Commentaries on 2 Kings 5:17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17Shall there not then, I pray thee - This verse is understood two different ways. I will give them both in a paraphrase: - Shall there not then be given unto thy servant [viz., Naaman] two mules' burden of this Israelitish earth, that I may build an altar with it, on which I may offer sacrifices to the God of Israel? For thy servant, etc. Shall there not be given to thy [Elisha's] servant [Gehazi] two mules' burden of this earth? i.e., the gold and silver…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17Two mules‘ burden of earth - This earth, Naaman thought, spread over a portion of Syrian ground, would hallow and render it suitable for the worship of Yahweh.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-19Verses 15-19 The mercy of the cure affected Naaman more than the miracle. Those are best able to speak of the power of Divine grace, who themselves experience it. He also shows himself grateful to Elisha the prophet. Elijah refused any recompence, not because he thought it unlawful, for he received presents from others, but to show this new convert that the servants of the God of Israel looked upon worldly wealth with a holy contempt. The whole work was…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 17soil: In ancient Near Eastern customs, people linked a nation's god with its land. Naaman thought he needed Israelite soil to build an altar and worship Israel's God correctly.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1717. two mules' burden of earth--with which to make an altar (Ex 20:24) to the God of Israel. What his motive or his purpose was in this proposal--whether he thought that God could be acceptably worshipped only on his own soil; or whether he wished, when far away from the Jordan, to have the earth of Palestine to rub himself with, which the Orientals use as a substitute for water; or whether, by making such a request of Elisha, he thought the prophet's…Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Kings 5:17

• Decision
• Elisha
• Joram
• Miracles
• Mule
• Naaman

In the dictionaries

• Naaman
• Burnt offering
• Clean
• Earth
• Light
• Mule
• Recover
• Wash
• Altar
• Burden

Commentaries on 2 Kings 5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings