2 Kings 5

2 Kings · Chapter 5

2 Kings 5:17

1Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him the LORD had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper.2And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman’s wife.3And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy.4And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel.5And the king of Syria said, Go to, go, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment.6And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, Now when this letter is come unto thee, behold, I have therewith sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy.7And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy? wherefore consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me.8And it was so, when Elisha the man of God had heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.9So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha.10And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.11But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.12Are 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.13And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?14Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.15And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him: and he said, Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant.16But he said, As the LORD liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive none. And he urged him to take it; but he refused.17And 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.18In 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.19And he said unto him, Go in peace. So he departed from him a little way.20But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, Behold, my master hath spared Naaman this Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought: but, as the LORD liveth, I will run after him, and take somewhat of him.21So Gehazi followed after Naaman. And when Naaman saw him running after him, he lighted down from the chariot to meet him, and said, Is all well?22And he said, All is well. My master hath sent me, saying, Behold, even now there be come to me from mount Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets: give them, I pray thee, a talent of silver, and two changes of garments.23And Naaman said, Be content, take two talents. And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of garments, and laid them upon two of his servants; and they bare them before him.24And when he came to the tower, he took them from their hand, and bestowed them in the house: and he let the men go, and they departed.25But he went in, and stood before his master. And Elisha said unto him, Whence comest thou, Gehazi? And he said, Thy servant went no whither.26And he said unto him, Went not mine heart with thee, when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants?27The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
17And 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.“If you will not,” said Naaman, “please let me, your servant, be given as much soil as a pair of mules can carry. For your servant will never again make a burnt offering or a sacrifice to any other god but the LORD.And Naaman said, If not, yet, I pray thee, let there 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 Jehovah.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
and he saidוַיֹּאמֶר֮vai-yo-MERH0559
to say

אָמַר (a.mar) 1) to say, speak, utter 1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend 1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called 1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly 1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)

Naamanנַעֲמָן֒na-'a-MANH5283I
Naaman

נַעֲמָן (na.a.man) A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Ki.5.1 Also named: Neeman, Naiman (Νεεμάν, Ναιμάν "Naaman" G3497) § Naaman = "pleasantness" 1) son of Bela of the family of Benjamin; he was among the family of Jacob that went down to Egypt 2) commander-in-chief of the army of Syria; stricken with leprosy he went to Elisha, eventually followed his instructions, and was cured

and notוָלֹ֕אva-LO'H3808
not

לֹא (lo) 1) not, no 1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition) 1b) not (with modifier-negation) 1c) nothing (subst) 1d) without (with particle) 1e) before (of time) Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)

let it be givenיֻתַּן־yu-tan-H5414G
to give: give

נָתַן (na.tan) : give/deliver/send/produce 1) to give, put, set 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to give, bestow, grant, permit, ascribe, employ, devote, consecrate, dedicate, pay wages, sell, exchange, lend, commit, entrust, give over, deliver up, yield produce, occasion, produce, requite to, report, mention, utter, stretch out, extend 1a2) to put, set, put on, put upon, set, appoint, assign, designate 1a3) to make, constitute 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be given, be bestowed, be provided, be entrusted to, be granted to, be permitted, be issued, be published, be uttered, be assigned 1b2) to be set, be put, be made, be inflicted …

pleaseנָ֣אna'H4994
please

נָא (na) 1) I (we) pray, now, please 1a) used in entreaty or exhortation

to servant yourלְעַבְדְּךָ֔le-'av-de-KHAH5650
servant/slave

עֲבַד (a.vad) servant, slave Aramaic of e.ved (עֶ֫בֶד "servant/slave" H5650)

[the] load ofמַשָּׂ֥אma-SA'H4853A
burden

מַשָּׂא (mas.sa) 1) load, bearing, tribute, burden, lifting 1a) load, burden 1b) lifting, uplifting, that to which the soul lifts itself up 1c) bearing, carrying 1d) tribute, that which is carried or brought or borne

a pair ofצֶֽמֶד־tze-med-H6776
pair

צֶ֫מֶד (tse.med) 1) couple, pair, team, yoke 1a) couple, pair, span (usually of animals) 1b) acre 1b1) the amount of land a span of oxen could plow in one day

mulesפְּרָדִ֖יםpe-ra-DIMH6505
mule

פֶּ֫רֶד (pe.red) mule

earthאֲדָמָ֑ה'a-da-MAHH0127G
land: soil

אֲדָמָה (a.da.mah) : soil 1) ground, land 1a) ground (as general, tilled, yielding sustenance) 1b) piece of ground, a specific plot of land 1c) earth substance (for building or constructing) 1d) ground as earth's visible surface 1e) land, territory, country 1f) whole inhabited earth 1g) city in Naphtali

forכִּ֡יkiH3588A
for

כִּי (ki) 1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since 1a) that 1a1) yea, indeed 1b) when (of time) 1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force) 1c) because, since (causal connection) 1d) but (after negative) 1e) that if, for if, indeed if, for though, but if 1f) but rather, but 1g) except that 1h) only, nevertheless 1i) surely 1j) that is 1k) but if 1l) for though 1m) forasmuch as, for therefore

notלֽוֹא־lo'-H3808
not

לֹא (lo) 1) not, no 1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition) 1b) not (with modifier-negation) 1c) nothing (subst) 1d) without (with particle) 1e) before (of time) Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)

he will offerיַעֲשֶׂה֩ya-'a-SEHH6213INo entry
againע֨וֹדodH5750
still

עוֹד (od) subst 1) a going round, continuance adv 2) still, yet, again, besides 2a) still, yet (of continuance or persistence) 2b) still, yet, more (of addition or repetition) 2c) again 2d) still, moreover, besides Aramaic equivalent: od (עוֹד "still" H5751)

servant yourעַבְדְּךָ֜'av-de-KHAH5650
servant/slave

עֲבַד (a.vad) servant, slave Aramaic of e.ved (עֶ֫בֶד "servant/slave" H5650)

burnt offeringעֹלָ֤ה'o-LAHH5930A
burnt offering

עֲלָת (a.lah) burnt offering, holocaust Aramaic of o.lah (עֹלָה "burnt offering" H5930A)

and sacrificeוָזֶ֙בַח֙va-ZE-vachH2077
sacrifice

זֶ֫בַח (ze.vach) 1) sacrifice 1a) sacrifices of righteousness 1b) sacrifices of strife 1c) sacrifices to dead things 1d) the covenant sacrifice 1e) the passover 1f) annual sacrifice 1g) thank offering

to godsלֵאלֹהִ֣יםle-lo-HIMH0430J
God

אֱלֹהִים (e.lo.him) This name means "gods" (plural intensive-singular meaning), "God" Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)

otherאֲחֵרִ֔ים'a-che-RIMH0312
another

אַחֵר (a.cher) 1) another, other, following 1a) following, further 1b) other, different

thatכִּ֖יkiH3588B
that if: except

כִּי [אם] (ki im) 1) except if 1a) but if 1b) even though

exceptאִם־'im-H0518B
if: except

[כִּי] אם (ki im) 1) except if 1a) but if

to Yahwehלַיהוָֽה׃la-YAH-wehH3068G
Lord

אֲדֹנָי (a.do.nai) Lord - a title, spoken in place of Yahweh in Jewish display of reverence Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.