2 Kings 5:15
in 2 Kings 5Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God, stood before him, and declared, “Now I know for sure that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel. So please accept a gift from your servant.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And 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 present of thy servant.
KJV
And 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.
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This verse in 2 Kings 5
Commentary
6 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
He returned - Naaman was grateful (compare Luk 17:15). From the Jordan to Samaria was a distance of not less than 32 miles. Naaman further went to Damascus, far out of his way, lengthening his necessary journey by at least three days. His special object in returning seems to have been to relieve his feelings of obligation by inducing the prophet to accept a “blessing,” i. e. a gift. There is no God ... - Compare the marginal references; but in none of them are the expressions quite so strong as here.
This site's exposition
no God in all the earth, but in Israel
on 2 Kings 5:15-16
Naaman returns to the man he first tried to summon and now stands before him, and his confession names the whole point of the sign, not that Elisha's God has power, but that there is no God in all the earth but in Israel. He offers a blessing as a Gentile custom of honoring a healer, and Elisha refuses it with the oath Elijah used at 1 Ki 17:1, the Lord liveth, before whom I stand, keeping the healing free of any suggestion it was purchased.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
After Naaman had been persuaded by the prophet and had washed seven times in the Jordan, he eventually acknowledged his error. He was astonished, and a deep bewilderment took him when he realized that he had been delivered from his filthiness. And he thanked God …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Had he seen other lepers cleansed, perhaps the sight would not have convinced him, but the mercy of the cure affected him more than the miracle of it. Those are best able to speak of the power of divine grace who have themselves experienced it.
And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
He returned to the man of God - He saw that the hand of the Lord was upon him; he felt gratitude for his cleansing; and came back to acknowledge, in the most public way, his obligation to God and his servant. Stood before him - He was now truly humbled, and left all his state behind him. It is often the case that those who have least to value themselves on are proud and haughty; whereas the most excellent of the earth are the most humble, knowing that they have nothing but what they have received. Naaman, the leper, was more proud and dictatorial than he was when cleansed of his leprosy. There is no God in all the earth - Those termed gods are no gods; the God of Israel is sole God in all the earth. See my sermon on this subject. Take a blessing - Accept a present. Take an expiatory gift. - Arabic. He desired to offer something for his cleansing. He thought it right thus to acknowledge the hand from which he had received his healing, and thus honor the Lord by giving something to his servant.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
A blessing [a gift]. A gift of peace, upon greeting, [e.g.,] when a student or a servant greets [his] master, 9 See Bereishis:11. salud, in O.F. 10 Na’amon lived as a righteous gentile, keeping the seven commandments that God gave to Noach and his descendants.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
I will not accept. Because monies pertaining to idols are included in it.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
28 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיָּשָׁב֩ | vaiyashav | and he went back | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אִ֨ישׁ | ʾish | [the] man of | H376 → | 1663 times |
| הָאֱלֹהִ֜ים | haelohim | <the> God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| ה֣וּא | hu' | he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| וְכָֽל־ | vekhol | and all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| מַחֲנֵ֗הוּ | machanehu | camp his | H4264 → | 215 times |
| וַיָּבֹא֮ | vaiyavo' | and he came | H935 → | 2568 times |
| וַיַּעֲמֹ֣ד | vaiyaamod | and he stood | H5975 → | 521 times |
| לְפָנָיו֒ | lefanav | <to> before him | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| וַיֹּ֗אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| הִנֵּה־ | hineh- | here! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| נָ֤א | na' | please | H4994 → | 404 times |
| יָדַ֙עְתִּי֙ | yada'ti | I know | H3045 → | 945 times |
| כִּ֣י | ki | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| אֵ֤ין | ʾein | there not | H369 → | 789 times |
| אֱלֹהִים֙ | ʾelohim | [is] a God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| בְּכָל־ | bekhol | in all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הָאָ֔רֶץ | haaretz | the earth | H776 → | 2504 times |
| כִּ֖י | ki | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| אִם־ | ʾim- | except | H518 → | 1069 times |
| בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל | beyisrael | in Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| וְעַתָּ֛ה | veatah | and now | H6258 → | 433 times |
| קַח־ | kach- | accept | H3947 → | 966 times |
| נָ֥א | na' | please | H4994 → | 404 times |
| בְרָכָ֖ה | verakhah | a blessing | H1293 → | |
| מֵאֵ֥ת | meet | from with | H854 → | 929 times |
| עַבְדֶּֽךָ׃ | ʾavdekha | servant your | H5650 → | 799 times |
וַיָּשָׁב֩and he went back
vaiyashavH7725 →1056 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
אִ֨ישׁ[the] man of
ʾishH376 →1663 times
הָאֱלֹהִ֜ים<the> God
haelohimH430 →2601 times
ה֣וּאhe
hu'H1931 →1879 times
וְכָֽל־and all
vekholH3605 →5413 times
מַחֲנֵ֗הוּcamp his
machanehuH4264 →215 times
וַיָּבֹא֮and he came
vaiyavo'H935 →2568 times
וַיַּעֲמֹ֣דand he stood
vaiyaamodH5975 →521 times
לְפָנָיו֒<to> before him
lefanavH6440 →2123 times
וַיֹּ֗אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
הִנֵּה־here!
hineh-H2009 →843 times
נָ֤אplease
na'H4994 →404 times
יָדַ֙עְתִּי֙I know
yada'tiH3045 →945 times
כִּ֣יthat
kiH3588 →4482 times
אֵ֤יןthere not
ʾeinH369 →789 times
אֱלֹהִים֙[is] a God
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
בְּכָל־in all
bekholH3605 →5413 times
הָאָ֔רֶץthe earth
haaretzH776 →2504 times
כִּ֖יthat
kiH3588 →4482 times
אִם־except
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑לin Israel
beyisraelH3478 →2507 times
וְעַתָּ֛הand now
veatahH6258 →433 times
קַח־accept
kach-H3947 →966 times
נָ֥אplease
na'H4994 →404 times
בְרָכָ֖הa blessing
verakhahH1293 →
מֵאֵ֥תfrom with
meetH854 →929 times
עַבְדֶּֽךָ׃servant your
ʾavdekhaH5650 →799 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Isaiah 44:8Do not tremble or fear. Have I not told you and declared it long ago? You are My witnesses! Is there any God but Me? There is no other Rock; I know not one.”
it leads to
- Isaiah 43:10
“You are My witnesses,” declares the LORD, “and My servant whom I have chosen, so that you may consider and believe Me and understand that I am He. Before Me no god was formed,…
- 1 Samuel 2:2
There is no one holy like the LORD. Indeed, there is no one besides You! And there is no Rock like our God.
- Deuteronomy 4:35
You were shown these things so that you would know that the LORD is God; there is no other besides Him.
- Deuteronomy 4:39
Know therefore this day and take to heart that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth below; there is no other.
- John 10:30
I and the Father are one.”
- Isaiah 43:10
Through
Daniel 2:47The king said to Daniel, “Your God is truly the God of gods and Lord of kings, the Revealer of Mysteries, since you were able to reveal this mystery.”
it leads to
- Daniel 2:22
He reveals the deep and hidden things; He knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with Him.
- Daniel 2:28
But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the latter days. Your dream and the visions that came into your…
- Amos 3:7
Surely the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing His plan to His servants the prophets.
- Daniel 2:22
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies3
On this verse
On this chapter
About 2 Kings
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ephrem the Syrian, ON THE SECOND BOOK OF KINGS 5:15; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil, The Books of the Kings and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.