King James Version

What Does 2 Kings 5:13 Mean?

“And 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?”

Context

But 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. I thought: Heb. I said. or, I said with my self, He will surely come out, etc. strike: Heb. move up and down

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. Abana: or, Amana

And 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?

Then 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.

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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Commentary

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(13) **Came near.**—Comp. Genesis 18:23. **My father.**—A title implying at once respect and affection. (Comp. 1Samuel 24:11; 2Kings 6:21.) Perhaps, however, the word is a corruption of *’im* (“if”), which is otherwise not expressed in the Hebrew. **Great thing.**—Emphatic in the Hebrew. **Wouldest thou not have done?**—Or,wouldest thou not do? **He saith.—***He hath said.* **Be clean?**—*i.e., thou shalt be clean*: a common Hebrew idiom.

Charles John Ellicott (1819–1905). Public Domain.

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of 2 Kings. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

2 Kings 5:13 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.