2 Paralipomenon 5:17

Jerome's Latin Vulgate

Dixitque Naaman: Ut vis: sed, obsecro, concede mihi servo tuo ut tollam onus duorum burdonum de terra: non enim faciet ultra servus tuus holocaustum aut victimam diis alienis, nisi Domino.

Parallel Translations

Clementine Latin Vulgate (1592)
Pr�cepitque rex, ut tollerent lapides grandes, lapides pretiosos in fundamentum templi, et quadrarent eos :

Nova Vulgata (1979)
Dixitque Naaman: "Ut vis. Sed, obsecro, concedatur mihi servo tuo tantum terrae quantum onus duorum burdonum; non enim faciet ultra servus tuus holocaustum aut victimam diis alienis, nisi Domino.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

of earth: 2 Kings 5:12, Romans 14:1

will henceforth: Acts 26:18, 1 Thessalonians 1:9, 1 Peter 4:3

Reciprocal: Genesis 28:21 - then 1 Kings 8:41 - cometh out Jonah 1:16 - offered Romans 6:6 - that henceforth 2 Corinthians 5:15 - henceforth

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Naaman said, shall there not then, I pray thee, be given to thy servant two mules' burden of earth..... Not that he desired of Elisha that he would suffer his servant Gehazi to receive a present as much as two mules could carry; but inasmuch as the prophet refused a present from him, his servant, he asks a favour of him, that he would permit him to take with him, out of the land of Israel, as much earth two mules could carry, that is, to make an altar of earth, as the next words indicate: but as he might have this any where without the prophet's leave, some Jewish writers o think he requested it from his own house, and from the place his feet trod on, as conceiving in a superstitious way that there was a sort of holiness in it; or however, that wheresoever he had it, if with the prophet's leave, a blessing would go with it, or that would be a sort of a consecration of it; and having an altar made of the earth of this land, would show that he was in the faith of the same God, and performed the same worship to him Israel did:

for thy servant will henceforth offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice unto other gods, but unto the Lord: hence the Jews say, he became a proselyte of righteousness p, embraced the true religion, and the worship of the true God, according to the laws given to Israel; and the following words, rightly understood, confirm the same.

o Ben Gersom & Abarbinel in loc. p Shalshalet Hakabala, fol. 11. 2.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Two mules’ burden of earth - This earth, Naaman thought, spread over a portion of Syrian ground, would hallow and render it suitable for the worship of Yahweh.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Kings 5:17. Shall there not then, I pray thee — This verse is understood two different ways. I will give them both in a paraphrase: -

1. Shall there not then be given unto thy servant [viz., Naaman] two mules' burden of this Israelitish earth, that I may build an altar with it, on which I may offer sacrifices to the God of Israel? For thy servant, c.

2. Shall there not be given to thy [Elisha's] servant [Gehazi] two mules' burden of this earth? i.e., the gold and silver which he brought with him and which he esteemed as earth, or dust, in comparison of the cure he received. For thy servant [Naaman] will henceforth, c.

Each of these interpretations has its difficulties. Why Naaman should ask for two mules' burden of earth, which he might have taken up any where on the confines of the land, without any such liberty, is not easy to see. As to the prophet's permission, though the boon was ever so small, it was not his to give only the king of Israel could give such a permission: and what sort of an altar could he build with two mules' burden of earth, carried from Samaria to Damascus? If this be really the meaning of the place, the request was exceedingly foolish, and never could have come from a person enjoying the right use of his reason. The second opinion, not without its difficulties, seems less embarrassed than the former. It was natural for Naaman to wish to give something to the prophet's servant, as the master had refused his present. Again, impressed with the vast importance of the cure he had received, to take away all feeling of obligation, he might call two or ten talents of silver by the name of earth, as well as Habakkuk, Habakkuk 2:6, calls silver and gold thick clay; and by terms of this kind it has been frequently denominated, both by prophets and heathen writers: "Tyrus heaped up silver as the dust, and fine gold as the mire of the streets;" Zechariah 9:3. And the king made silver and gold at Jerusalem as stones; 2 Chronicles 1:15. Which is agreeable to the sentiments of the heathen: Χρυσος τις κονις εστι, και αργυρος, Gold and silver are only a certain kind of earth. - ARIST. Eth. Nicomach.

Should it be said, The gold and silver could not be two mules' burden; I answer, Let the quantity that Naaman brought with him be only considered, and it will be found to be as much, when put into two bags, as could be well lifted upon the backs of two mules, or as those beasts could conveniently carry. The silver itself would weigh 233lbs. 9oz. 15 1/2dwts., and the gold 1,140lbs. 7oz. 10dwts.; in the whole 1,3741bs. 5oz. 5 1/2dwts. Troy weight. Should it be objected that, taken in this sense, there is no visible connection between the former and latter clauses of the verse, I answer that there is as much connection between the words taken in this sense as in the other, for something must be brought in to supply both; besides, this makes a more complete sense than the other: "Shall there not, I pray thee, be given to thy servant two mules' burden of this silver and gold, [to apply it as he may think proper; I regard it not,] for thy servant will henceforth offer neither burnt-offering nor sacrifice unto other gods, [for the cure he has now received; or by way of worship at any time;] but unto Jehovah." The reader may choose which of these interpretations he pleases.