New King James Version
2 Kings 5:17
17So 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.
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 Living Translation (NLT)Then Naaman said, “All right, but please allow me to load two of my mules with earth from this place, and I will take it back home with me. From now on I will never again offer burnt offerings or sacrifices to any other god except the Lord.
Context of 2 Kings 5:17
15And he returned to the man of God, he and all his aides, and came and stood before him; and he said, “Indeed, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel; now therefore, please take a gift from your servant.” 16But he said, “As the Lord lives, before whom I stand, I will receive nothing.” And he urged him to take it, but he refused. 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. 18Yet 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.” 19Then he said to him, “Go in peace.” So he departed from him a short distance.
Read all of 2 Kings 52 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
People and places in 2 Kings 5:17
Cross-references for 2 Kings 5:17
- 2 Kings 5:12Are 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.
- Romans 14:1Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things.
- Acts 26:18to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’
- 1 Thessalonians 1:9For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God,
- 1 Peter 4:3For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles—when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries.
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
In the dictionaries
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries