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 out a messenger who told him, “Go and wash seven times in the Jordan; your skin will be restored and you will be healed.” 11Naaman went away angry. He said, “Look, I thought for sure he would come out, stand there, invoke the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the area, and cure the skin disease. The rivers of Damascus, the Abana and Pharpar, are better than any of the waters of Israel! Could I not wash in them and be healed?” So he turned around and went away angry. 13His servants approached and said to him, “O master, if the prophet had told you to do some difficult task, you would have been willing to do it. It seems you should be happy that he simply said, “Wash and you will be healed.” 14So he went down and dipped in the Jordan seven times, as the prophet had instructed. His skin became as smooth as a young child’s and he was healed.

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 5:17Naaman said, “If not, then please give your servant a load of dirt, enough for a pair of mules to carry, for your servant will never again offer a burnt offering or sacrifice to a god other than the Lord.
• 2 Kings 2:8Elijah took his cloak, folded it up, and hit the water with it. The water divided, and the two of them crossed over on dry ground.
• Joshua 3:15When the ones carrying the ark reached the Jordan and the feet of the priests carrying the ark touched the surface of the water – (the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest time) –
• Ezekiel 47:1Then he brought me back to the entrance of the temple. I noticed that water was flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was flowing down from under the right side of the temple, from south of the altar.
• Zechariah 13:1“In that day there will be a fountain opened up for the dynasty of David and the people of Jerusalem to cleanse them from sin and impurity.
• Zechariah 14:8Moreover, on that day living waters will flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea; it will happen both in summer and in winter.
• Mark 1:9Now in those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John 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