2 Kings 5:17
“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.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Naaman asks for earth from Israel to take home, so he may worship only the LORD.
Context
Naaman, knowing he must return to Syria and its court, makes one last request of Elisha.
What Does 2 Kings 5:17 Mean?
Naaman has understood something profound. He will return to a pagan kingdom where the religious air is thick with Rimmon worship, where the king's officials bow to stone gods. But he has seen the true God work. So he asks for dirt—two mules' burden of earth from Israel—because he believes that where Israel's soil rests, the God of Israel will be present. His faith is tender and new, shaped by his experience of healing rather than theological training.
We recognize in Naaman's request the longing of a heart changed by encounter with God. He cannot escape his world, but he will not worship its gods. He carries home with him a physical reminder of where his healing came from. Like Naaman, we too are called to maintain faith in hostile environments, to refuse the gods of our culture even when we cannot physically leave.
In the Original Language
Rimmon — a Levantine storm god, worshipped in Damascus; Naaman anticipates his complicity in this practice when he must bow with the king.
Application
When you live in a culture that does not honor God, keep something with you—a practice, a community, a prayer—that reminds you of your true loyalty. Small acts of faithfulness in unfaithful places are seen by God.