myBibleHistory

Journey of a Passage

2 Kings 5:17–19

Naaman's earth and the house of Rimmon

The witnesses agree: Naaman asks for Israelite earth and for pardon when he must bow beside his king in the temple of Rimmon. Elisha answers "Go in peace." The question is moral and interpretive, not textual.

Stable text: no manuscript differences in meaning

The family tree

Each row is a language or text tradition. Witnesses in the same row may share ancestry, revise one another, or have an uncertain relationship; the line under each box says which. A solid arrow appears only where direct copying or a documented revised edition is established. Order by date never implies copying. Scroll sideways on a phone.

✓ contains this verse · ▢ pages lost · – no copy survives

  • Same line, through lost copies
  • Translation
Hebrew
  1. Original KingsUnknown (debated)
  2. Masoretic Text (Leningrad Codex)AD 1008Descends, through lost copies, from Original Kings
Greek
  1. Septuagint, 4 Kingdoms (library text: Giguet's French)Translated c. 2nd century BC; kaige revision 1st c. BC–1st c. ADTranslated from a Hebrew text of the period
Latin
  1. Jerome's Vulgatec. AD 400Translated from Hebrew texts of Jerome's day
English
  1. King James Bible1611Translated from printed Masoretic Hebrew

Every witness, in order

  1. Unknown (debated)

    Original Kings

    – No copy survives

    No original survives.

  2. Translated c. 2nd century BC; kaige revision 1st c. BC–1st c. AD

    Septuagint, 4 Kingdoms (library text: Giguet's French)

    ✓ Contains this passageTranslated from a Hebrew text of the period

    How the site knows this: Known here only through a translation.

    lorsque mon maître entrera dans le temple de Remman… que le Seigneur pardonne alors à ton serviteur

    One Greek text (Vaticanus type, kaige revision) via Giguet's French; not checked against a critical Greek edition.

  3. c. AD 400

    Jerome's Vulgate

    ✓ Contains this passageTranslated from Hebrew texts of Jerome's day

    How the site knows this: Read in the site's library text: Clementine Vulgate (1592 edition).

    in templum Remmon

  4. AD 1008

    Masoretic Text (Leningrad Codex)

    ✓ Contains this passageDescends, through lost copies, from Original Kings

    How the site knows this: Read in the site's library text: Westminster Leningrad Codex, a digital transcription of the Leningrad Codex.

    בְּבוֹא אֲדֹנִי בֵית־רִמּוֹן לְהִשְׁתַּחֲוֺת שָׁמָּה

    when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to bow down there

  5. 1611

    King James Bible

    ✓ Contains this passageTranslated from printed Masoretic Hebrew

    How the site knows this: Read in the site's library text: King James Version (1769 text).

    when my master goeth into the house of Rimmon

What changed, and why

Rabbinic and Christian commentators debated whether Elisha permitted outward conformity or simply dismissed Naaman with a blessing, leaving the matter to his conscience.

What the evidence shows

  • Independently documentedAll checked witnesses agree.

Sources

    Related lessons

    • Naaman and Gehazi →Naaman, commander of the army of Aram, has a skin disease. An Israelite girl captured in a raid tells his wife about the prophet in Samaria. Elisha does not even come out, but tells him to wash seven times in the Jordan. Angry at first, Naaman obeys and is healed. He asks for two mule-loads of earth to worship the LORD in Damascus, and pardon when he must bow in the temple of Rimmon. Gehazi runs after him for silver and is struck with Naaman's disease.