2 Kings 5:18

2 Kings 5:18 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)In this thing the Lord pardon thy servant, that when my master goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leaneth on my hand, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon: when I bow down myself in the house of Rimmon, the Lord pardon thy servant in this thing.
• New International Version (NIV)But may the Lord forgive your servant for this one thing: When my master enters the temple of Rimmon to bow down and he is leaning on my arm and I have to bow there also—when I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the Lord forgive your servant for this.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)In this matter may the Lord pardon your servant: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, leaning on my arm, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, when I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, the Lord pardon your servant in this matter."
• New King James Version (NKJV)Yet in this thing may the Lord pardon your servant: when my master goes into the temple of Rimmon to worship there, and he leans on my hand, and I bow down in the temple of Rimmon—when I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the Lord please pardon your servant in this thing.”

Context of 2 Kings 5:18

16But Elisha replied, ‘I serve the Lord. I promise you, as surely as he lives, I will not accept a gift from you.’ Naaman asked him many times to accept a gift but Elisha refused. 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. But I pray that the Lord will forgive me, your servant, when I do this one thing: My master, the king of Syria, often goes into the temple of our god, Rimmon. When he bends down low to worship Rimmon, he takes hold of my arm. So I also have to bend down low with him. I ask the Lord to forgive me when I do that.’ 19Elisha said to Naaman, ‘Go home with peace in your mind.’ Then Naaman started on his way home. 20Elisha's servant, Gehazi, thought, ‘My master did not accept the gifts that Naaman offered to him. He made it too easy for that Syrian man. As surely as the Lord lives, I will run after him. I will accept a gift from him.’

2 Kings 5:18 word by word

לַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֔ה יִסְלַ֥ח יְהוָ֖ה לְעַבְדֶּ֑ךָ בְּב֣וֹא אֲדֹנִ֣י בֵית־רִמּוֹן֩ לְהִשְׁתַּחֲוֹ֨ת שָׁ֜מָּה וְה֣וּא׀ נִשְׁעָ֣ן עַל־יָדִ֗י וְהִֽשְׁתַּחֲוֵ֙יתִי֙ בֵּ֣ית רִמֹּ֔ן בְּהִשְׁתַּחֲוָיָ֙תִי֙ בֵּ֣ית רִמֹּ֔ן יִסְלַח־יְהוָ֥ה לְעַבְדְּךָ֖ בַּדָּבָ֥ר הַזֶּֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• In this thingדָּבָרdâbâr · word: thingH1697
• the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• pardonסָלַחsâlach · to forgiveH5545
• thy servantעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
• when my masterאָדוֹן'âdôn 'âdôn · lordH113
• goethבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• into the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: templeH1004
• of Rimmonרִמּוֹןrimmôn rimmôn rimmônô · RimmonH7417
• to worshipשָׁחָהshâchâh · to bowH7812
• there, and he leanethשָׁעַןshâ‛an · to leanH8172
• on my handיָדyâd · handH3027

Cross-references for 2 Kings 5:18

• 2 Kings 7:2The special officer who was near to the king said to the man of God, ‘That will never happen! Even if the Lord opens the skies and sends us rain, it could not happen so soon.’ Elisha said, ‘You yourself will see this happen, but you will not eat any of the food!’
• 2 Kings 17:35The Lord made a covenant with the descendants of Israel. He said to them, ‘Do not worship any other gods. Do not bend down low to give them honour. Do not serve them. Do not offer any sacrifices to them.
• Exodus 20:5You must not bend down your head to any idol or worship it. I am the Lord your God and I want you to belong to me alone. I will punish children because of the bad things that their fathers have done. I will also punish their children and their grandchildren too. That is how I will punish everyone who turns against me.
• 1 Kings 19:18But remember this: I still have 7,000 people in Israel who have not worshipped Baal. They have not kissed his idols.’
• 2 Chronicles 30:18Most of the people who came from the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun had not made themselves properly clean. They should not have eaten the Passover meal, because God's law said that was wrong. But they still ate the meal. So Hezekiah prayed for them. He said, ‘Lord you are good. Please forgive everyone
• Jeremiah 50:20At that time, I will forgive the sins of my people. I have let a few people of Israel and Judah remain. And they will no longer be guilty of any sins.’ That is what the Lord says.

Commentaries on 2 Kings 5:18

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18In this thing the Lord pardon thy servant - It is useless to enter into the controversy concerning this verse. By no rule of right reasoning, nor by any legitimate mode of interpretation, can it be stated that Naaman is asking pardon for offenses which he may commit, or that he could ask or the prophet grant indulgence to bow himself in the temple of Rimmon, thus performing a decided act of homage, the very essence of that worship which immediately before…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18Rimmon is known to us as a god only by this passage. The name is connected with a root “to be high.” Hadad-rimmon Zechariah 12:11, the name of a place near Megiddo, points to the identity of Rimmon with Hadad, who is known to have been the Sun, the chief object of worship to the Syrians. When he leaneth on mine hand - The practice of a monarch‘s “leaning on the hand” of an attendant was not common in the East (compare the marginal reference). It probably…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. 18The name Rimmon appears in Tabrimmon (1 Kings 15:18), the father of Ben-hadad I. In Aramean, the god's name is actually Ramman (meaning the thunderer), a storm god mentioned in Assyrian writings. The spelling Rimmon (meaning pomegranate) might be a pun to mock the god.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1818. goeth into the house of Rimmon--a Syrian deity; probably the sun, or the planetary system, of which a pomegranate (Hebrew, Rimmon) was the symbol. leaneth on my hand--that is, meaning the service which Naaman rendered as the attendant of his sovereign. Elisha's prophetic commission not extending to any but the conversion of Israel from idolatry, he makes no remark, either approving or disapproving, on the declared course of Naaman, but simply gives…Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Kings 5:18

• Elisha
• Idolatry
• Joram
• Miracles
• Naaman
• Rimmon
• Temple

In the dictionaries

• Rimmon
• Bowing
• Clean
• Light
• Naaman
• Recover
• Wash
• Adoration
• Benhadad
• Damascus

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