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

10But Elisha sent a messenger out to him with this message: “Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan River. Then your skin will be restored, and you will be healed of your leprosy.” 11But Naaman became angry and stalked away. “I thought he would certainly come out to meet me!” he said. “I expected him to wave his hand over the leprosy and call on the name of the Lord his God and heal me! Aren’t the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than any of the rivers of Israel? Why shouldn’t I wash in them and be healed?” So Naaman turned and went away in a rage. 13But his officers tried to reason with him and said, “Sir, if the prophet had told you to do something very difficult, wouldn’t you have done it? So you should certainly obey him when he says simply, ‘Go and wash and be cured!’” 14So Naaman went down to the Jordan River and dipped himself seven times, as the man of God had instructed him. And his skin became as healthy as the skin of a young child, 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 5:17Then 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.
• 2 Kings 2:8Then Elijah folded his cloak together and struck the water with it. The river divided, and the two of them went across on dry ground!
• Joshua 3:15It was the harvest season, and the Jordan was overflowing its banks. But as soon as the feet of the priests who were carrying the Ark touched the water at the river’s edge,
• Ezekiel 47:1In my vision, the man brought me back to the entrance of the Temple. There I saw a stream flowing east from beneath the door of the Temple and passing to the right of the altar on its south side.
• Zechariah 13:1“On that day a fountain will be opened for the dynasty of David and for the people of Jerusalem, a fountain to cleanse them from all their sins and impurity.
• Zechariah 14:8On that day life-giving waters will flow out from Jerusalem, half toward the Dead Sea and half toward the Mediterranean, flowing continuously in both summer and winter.
• Mark 1:9One day Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and 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
• Rivers of Damascus
• Abana
• Amana
• Clean
• Light
• Naaman
• Pharpar
• Recover

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