2 Kings 5:12

2 Kings 5:12 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.
• New International Version (NIV)Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?” So he turned and went off in a rage.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?" So he turned and went away in a rage.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Are not the Abanah and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage.

Context of 2 Kings 5:12

10Elisha sent his servant with a message to Naaman. He said, ‘Go to the Jordan River. Wash yourself seven times in the river. Then your skin will be clean again. You will not have the disease.’ 11But Naaman was angry and he went away. He said, ‘I thought that the prophet would come out of his house to see me. Then he would stand here with me. He would pray in the name of the Lord his God. Then he would move his hand over the bad place in my skin. After that my skin would be clean again. That is what I thought he would do. The Abana and Pharpar rivers in Damascus are better than any of the rivers in Israel. Surely, I could wash in those rivers and become clean!’ So Naaman turned around and he went away. He was very angry. 13But Naaman's servants went to him. One of them said, ‘My master, the prophet might have asked you to do something very difficult. Then you surely would have done it! Now he says to you, “Wash yourself! Then you will be clean.” That is much easier for you to do.’ 14So Naaman went down to the Jordan River. He washed himself in it seven times, as the man of God had told him to do. Naaman's skin became well again. It became as clean as a young child's skin.

2 Kings 5:12 word by word

הֲלֹ֡א טוֹב֩ אֲמָנָ֨ה וּפַרְפַּ֜ר נַהֲר֣וֹת דַּמֶּ֗שֶׂק מִכֹּל֙ מֵימֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל הֲלֹֽא־אֶרְחַ֥ץ בָּהֶ֖ם וְטָהָ֑רְתִּי וַיִּ֖פֶן וַיֵּ֥לֶךְ בְּחֵמָֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• not Abanaאֲמָנָה'ămânâh · AmanaH549
• not Abanaאֲבָנָה'ăbânâh · AbanaH71
• and Pharparפַּרְפַּרparpar · PharparH6554
• riversנָהָרnâhâr · riverH5104
• of Damascusדַּמֶּ֫שֶׂקdammeώeq dûmeώeq darmeώeq · DamascusH1834
• betterטוֹבţôb · pleasantH2896
• than all the watersמַיmayim · waterH4325
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• may I not washרָחַץrâchats · to wash: washH7364
• in them, and be cleanטָהֵרţâhêr · be pureH2891
• So he turnedפָּנָהpânâh · to turnH6437
• and went awayיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
• in a rageחֵמָהchêmâh chêmâ' · rageH2534

Cross-references for 2 Kings 5:12

• 2 Kings 5:17So Naaman said, ‘So, you will not accept my gift. But please agree to let me take home some soil from here. I will take as much soil as two mules can carry. Then I will never again make any sacrifices or burnt offerings to any other god. I will only worship the Lord.
• 2 Kings 2:8Elijah took off his coat. He rolled it up and he hit the water with it. The water became separate to the left side and to the right side. Elijah and Elisha went across the river on dry ground.
• Joshua 3:15It was the time of the harvest and there was a lot of water coming down the river. But when the priests reached the shore of the river with the Covenant Box and their feet touched the water,
• Ezekiel 47:1The man brought me back to the entrance of the temple. There I saw water that was pouring out from under the entrance. It was pouring towards the east. (The front entrance of the temple opened towards the east.) The river of water came from under the south side of the temple. It went past the south side of the altar.
• Zechariah 13:1‘On that day, water will start to pour from a fountain for King David's descendants and Jerusalem's people. It will make them clean from their sins and the dirty things that they have done.’
• Zechariah 14:8On that day, water will come out from Jerusalem. Half of this water will go towards the sea in the east. Half of this water will go towards the sea in the west. This will go on during summer and winter.
• Mark 1:9Soon after this, Jesus came from the town of Nazareth in Galilee. John baptized him in the Jordan River.

Commentaries on 2 Kings 5:12

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12Are not Abana and Pharpar - At present these rivers do not exist by these names; and where they are we know not; nor whether they were the Orontes and Chrysorroes. Mr. Maundrell, who traveled over all this ground, could find no vestige of the names Abana and Pharpar. The river Barrady he accurately describes: it has its source in Antilibanus; and, after having plentifully watered the city of Damascus and the gardens, dividing into three branches, (one of…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12The Abana is the Barada, or true river of Damascus, which, rising in the anti-Libanus, flows westward from its foot and forms the oasis within which Damascus is placed. The Pharpar is usually identified with the Awaaj. Naaman thinks that, if washing is to cure him, his own rivers may serve the purpose. Their water was brighter, clearer, and colder than that of Jordan.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 9-14Verses 9-14 Elisha knew Naaman to be a proud man, and he would let him know, that before the great God all men stand upon the same level. All God's commands make trial of men's spirits, especially those which direct a sinner how to apply for the blessings of salvation. See in Naaman the folly of pride; a cure will not content him, unless he be cured with pomp and parade. He scorns to be healed, unless he be humoured. The way by which a sinner is received…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9-12Instead of welcoming Naaman, who came to pay for his healing, Elisha left him at the door and sent a messenger to speak with him. Naaman expected special treatment because of his status and felt let down by Elisha's refusal to meet him and by the instructions to wash seven times in the Jordan River. He thought the Jordan was inferior to the rivers of Aram. Washing in the Jordan would visibly show that only Yahweh, the God of Israel, could heal Naaman.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 8-128-12. when Elisha the man of God had heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, ... let him come now to me--This was the grand and ultimate object to which, in the providence of God, the journey of Naaman was subservient. When the Syrian general, with his imposing retinue, arrived at the prophet's house, Elisha sent him a message to "go and wash in Jordan seven times." This apparently rude reception to a…Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Kings 5:12

• Abana
• Anger
• Elisha
• Excuses
• Joram
• Jordan
• Leprosy
• Miracles
• Naaman
• Pharpar
• Pride
• Rashness
• Readings, Select
• Unbelief

In the dictionaries

• Damascus
• Israel
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Rivers of Damascus
• Abana
• Amana
• Clean
• Light
• Naaman

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