2 Kings 5:17
New International Version
“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.

New Living Translation
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.

English Standard Version
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.

Berean Standard Bible
“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.

King James Bible
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 King James Version
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.

New American Standard Bible
Then Naaman said, “If not, please let your servant be given two mules’ load of earth; for your servant will no longer offer a burnt offering nor a sacrifice to other gods, but to the LORD.

NASB 1995
Naaman said, “If not, please let your servant at least be given two mules’ load of earth; for your servant will no longer offer burnt offering nor will he sacrifice to other gods, but to the LORD.

NASB 1977
And Naaman said, “If not, please let your servant at least be given two mules’ load of earth; for your servant will no more offer burnt offering nor will he sacrifice to other gods, but to the LORD.

Legacy Standard Bible
So Naaman said, “If not, please let your servant at least be given two mules’ load of earth; for your servant will no longer offer burnt offering nor will he sacrifice to other gods, but to Yahweh.

Amplified Bible
Naaman said, “If not, then please, let your servant be given a load of earth for a team of mules; for [from this day on] your servant will no longer offer a burnt offering nor a sacrifice to other gods, but only to the LORD, [the God of Israel].

Christian Standard Bible
Naaman responded, “If not, please let your servant be given as much soil as a pair of mules can carry, for your servant will no longer offer a burnt offering or a sacrifice to any other god but the LORD.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Naaman responded, “If not, please let your servant be given as much soil as a pair of mules can carry, for your servant will no longer offer a burnt offering or a sacrifice to any other god but Yahweh.

American Standard Version
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.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And Naaman said: “And why ever not would be given to your Servant two mules’ loads of soil, because your Servant again makes no burnt sacrifices and sacrifices to another god, but only to LORD JEHOVAH alone!

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Naiman said, Well then, if not, let there be given to thy servant, I pray thee, the load of a yoke of mules; and thou shalt give me of the red earth: for henceforth thy servant will not offer whole-burnt-offering or sacrifice to other gods, but only to the Lord by reason of this thing.

Contemporary English Version
Finally Naaman said, "If you won't accept a gift, then please let me take home as much soil as two mules can pull in a wagon. Sir, from now on I will offer sacrifices only to the LORD.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And Naaman said: As thou wilt: but I beseech thee, grant to me thy servant, to take from hence two mules' burden of earth: for thy servant will not henceforth offer holocaust, or victim, to other gods, but to the Lord.

English Revised Version
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 the LORD.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
So Naaman said, "If you won't take it, please have someone give me as much dirt as a pair of mules can carry. From now on I will sacrifice to the LORD alone. I will not offer any burnt offering or sacrifice to any other gods.

Good News Translation
So Naaman said, "If you won't accept my gift, then let me have two mule-loads of earth to take home with me, because from now on I will not offer sacrifices or burnt offerings to any god except the LORD.

International Standard Version
So Naaman asked, "No? Then please let your servant load two mules with dirt from Israel, because your servant will no longer offer any burnt offering or sacrifice to any other god but the LORD.

JPS Tanakh 1917
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 the LORD.

Literal Standard Version
And Naaman says, “If not, please let a couple of mules’ burden of earth be given to your servant, for your servant makes no more burnt-offering and sacrifice to other gods, but [only sacrifices] to YHWH.

Majority Standard Bible
“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.

New American Bible
Naaman said: “If you will not accept, please let me, your servant, have two mule-loads of earth, for your servant will no longer make burnt offerings or sacrifices to any other god except the LORD.

NET Bible
Naaman 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.

New Revised Standard Version
Then Naaman said, “If not, please let two mule-loads of earth be given to your servant; for your servant will no longer offer burnt offering or sacrifice to any god except the LORD.

New Heart English Bible
Naaman said, "If not, then, please let two mules' burden of earth be given to your servant; for your servant will from now on offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice to other gods, but to the LORD.

Webster's Bible Translation
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 to other gods, but to the LORD.

World English Bible
Naaman said, “If not, then, please let two mules’ load of earth be given to your servant; for your servant will from now on offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice to other gods, but to Yahweh.

Young's Literal Translation
And Naaman saith, 'If not -- let be given, I pray thee, to thy servant, a couple of mules' burden of earth, for thy servant doth make no more burnt-offering and sacrifice to other gods, but to Jehovah.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Gehazi's Greed and Leprosy
16But Elisha replied, “As surely as the LORD lives, before whom I stand, I will not accept it.” And although Naaman urged him to accept it, he refused. 17“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. 18Yet may the LORD forgive your servant this one thing: When my master goes into the temple of Rimmon to worship there, and he leans on my arm, and I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the LORD forgive your servant in this matter.”…

Cross References
Exodus 20:24
You are to make for Me an altar of earth, and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and peace offerings, your sheep and goats and cattle. In every place where I cause My name to be remembered, I will come to you and bless you.

2 Kings 5:18
Yet may the LORD forgive your servant this one thing: When my master goes into the temple of Rimmon to worship there, and he leans on my arm, and I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the LORD forgive your servant in this matter."


Treasury of Scripture

And Naaman said, Shall there not then, I pray you, be given to your servant two mules' burden of earth? for your servant will from now on offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice to other gods, but to the LORD.

of earth

2 Kings 5:12
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.

Romans 14:1
Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.

will henceforth

Acts 26:18
To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

1 Thessalonians 1:9
For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;

1 Peter 4:3
For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries:

Jump to Previous
Burden Burnt Burnt-Offering Earth Gods Henceforth Least Mules Naaman Na'aman Offer Offering Please Sacrifice Servant
Jump to Next
Burden Burnt Burnt-Offering Earth Gods Henceforth Least Mules Naaman Na'aman Offer Offering Please Sacrifice Servant
2 Kings 5
1. Naaman, by the report of a captive maid, is sent to Samaria to be cured of leprosy
8. Elisha, sending him to Jordan cures him
15. He refusing Naaman's gifts grants him some of the earth
20. Gehazi, abusing his master's name unto Naaman, is smitten with leprosy














(17) Shall there not then.--Rather, If not, let there be given, I pray thee. LXX., ??? ?? ??.

Two mules' burden of earth?--Literally, a load of a yoke of mules' (in) earth. It was natural for Naaman, with his local idea of divinity, to make this request. He wished to worship the God of Israel, so far as possible, on the soil of Israel, Jehovah's own land. He would therefore build his altar to Jehovah on a foundation of this earth, or construct the altar itself therewith. (Comp. Exodus 20:24; 1Kings 18:38.)

Burnt offering nor sacrifice.--Burnt offering nor peace offering.

Offer.--Literally, make.

Verse 17. - And Naaman said, Shall there not then, I pray thee, be given to thy servant two mules' burden of earth? Naaman does not state what he intends to do with the earth; and the critics have consequently suggested two uses. Some suppose that he intended to make the earth into an altar upon which he might offer his sacrifices; comp. Exodus 20:24, where an altar of earth is spoken of (Bahr and others). But the more general opinion (Thenius, Von Gerlach, etc.) is that he wished to spread the earth over a piece of Syrian ground, and thereby to hallow the ground for purposes of worship. The Jews themselves are known to have acted similarly, transferring earth from Jerusalem to Babylonia, to build a temple on it; and the idea is not an unnatural one, It does not necessarily imply the "polytheistic superstition" that every god has his own laud, where alone he can be properly worshipped. It rests simply on the notion of there being such a thing as "holy ground" (Exodus 3:5) - ground more suited for the worship of God than ordinary common soil, which therefore it is worth while to transfer from place to place for a religious purpose. For thy servant will henceforth offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice [as meat offerings or firstfruits] unto other gods, but unto the Lord. It is implied that Naaman had been hitherto a polytheist. Not much is known of the Syrian religion, but, so far as can be gathered, it would seem to have been a somewhat narrow polytheism. The sun was the supreme god, and was worshipped ordinarily under the name of Hadad (Ma-crob, 'Sat.,' 1:23). There was also, certainly, a great goddess, the "Dea Syra" of the Romans, whom they identified with Cybele and with their own "Bona Dea," a divinity parallel with the Ashtoreth of the Phoenicians, and the Ishtar of the Assyrians and Babylonians. Whether there were any other distinct deities may be doubted, since Bitumen is possibly only another name of Hadad (see the comment on ver. 18). Adonis is simply "Adonai," i.e. "my Lord," an epithet of the Supreme Being.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
“If you will not,”
וָלֹ֕א (wā·lō)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

said
וַיֹּאמֶר֮ (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

Naaman,
נַעֲמָן֒ (na·‘ă·mān)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 5283: Naaman -- a descendant of Benjamin, also an Aramean (Syrian) general

“please
נָ֣א (nā)
Interjection
Strong's 4994: I pray', 'now', 'then'

let me, your servant,
לְעַבְדְּךָ֔ (lə·‘aḇ·də·ḵā)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 5650: Slave, servant

be given
יֻתַּן־ (yut·tan-)
Verb - QalPass - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

as much soil
אֲדָמָ֑ה (’ă·ḏā·māh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 127: Ground, land

as a pair
צֶֽמֶד־ (ṣe·meḏ-)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6776: A couple, pair

of mules
פְּרָדִ֖ים (pə·rā·ḏîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 6505: A mule

can carry.
מַשָּׂ֥א (maś·śā)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4853: A burden, tribute, porterage, an utterance, chiefly a, doom, singing, mental, desire

For
כִּ֖י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

your servant
עַבְדְּךָ֜ (‘aḇ·də·ḵā)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 5650: Slave, servant

will never
לֽוֹא־ (lō·w-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

again
ע֨וֹד (‘ō·wḏ)
Adverb
Strong's 5750: Iteration, continuance, again, repeatedly, still, more

make
יַעֲשֶׂה֩ (ya·‘ă·śeh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6213: To do, make

a burnt offering
עֹלָ֤ה (‘ō·lāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5930: Whole burnt offering

or a sacrifice
וָזֶ֙בַח֙ (wā·ze·ḇaḥ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2077: A slaughter, the flesh of an animal, a sacrifice

to any other
אֲחֵרִ֔ים (’ă·ḥê·rîm)
Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 312: Hinder, next, other

god
לֵאלֹהִ֣ים (lê·lō·hîm)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

but
כִּ֡י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

the LORD.
לַיהוָֽה׃ (Yah·weh)
Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel


Links
2 Kings 5:17 NIV
2 Kings 5:17 NLT
2 Kings 5:17 ESV
2 Kings 5:17 NASB
2 Kings 5:17 KJV

2 Kings 5:17 BibleApps.com
2 Kings 5:17 Biblia Paralela
2 Kings 5:17 Chinese Bible
2 Kings 5:17 French Bible
2 Kings 5:17 Catholic Bible

OT History: 2 Kings 5:17 Naaman said If not yet please let (2Ki iiKi ii ki 2 kg 2kg)
2 Kings 5:16
Top of Page
Top of Page