2 Kings 5:18
“In this thing the LORD pardon thy servant, that when my master goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leaneth on my hand, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon: when I bow down myself in the house of Rimmon, the LORD pardon thy servant in this thing.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Naaman asks God's pardon for the day he must bow in Rimmon's temple when the king leans on him.
Context
Naaman foresees a moment when duty to the king will require him to appear to worship a false god, and he seeks forgiveness in advance.
What Does 2 Kings 5:18 Mean?
Naaman's prayer is honest, almost desperate. He knows the future: the king will come to worship Rimmon, and Naaman, as a trusted commander, will stand at his side. When the king bows, etiquette or loyalty may require that Naaman bow also. It is a trap that every person of faith faces when they live in a godless power structure. Naaman does not ask God to spare him the humiliation. He asks only for pardon. He is new to faith, and he is realistic about what his world demands.
This is not the voice of a hypocrite negotiating permission to sin. This is a man learning to walk in faith while remaining in darkness. God's grace meets him in his honest struggle. We too live in worlds that pull us toward compromise, and sometimes we cannot fully escape those worlds. What matters is that we remain true to God in our hearts, that we acknowledge where the tension lies, and that we ask God's mercy for the moments when we are caught between two loyalties.
Application
You may live in a setting where complete faithfulness is costly or dangerous. God sees your heart. Speak the truth to Him about what you cannot fully escape, and trust His mercy.