2 Kings 5:16 (GNV)

Passage

But hee sayde, As the Lord liueth (before whom I stand) I wil not receiue it. And he would haue constrained him to receiue it, but he refused.

Nearby Context

2 Kings 5:14 Then went he downe, and washed him selfe seuen times in Iorden, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came againe, like vnto ye flesh of a litle child, and he was cleane.

2 Kings 5:15 And hee turned againe to the man of God, hee, and all his companie, and came and stood before him, and sayd, Behold, now I knowe that there is no God in all the world, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee, take a reward of thy seruant.

2 Kings 5:16 But hee sayde, As the Lord liueth (before whom I stand) I wil not receiue it. And he would haue constrained him to receiue it, but he refused.

2 Kings 5:17 Moreouer Naaman sayde, Shall there not be giuen to thy seruant two mules loade of this earth? for thy seruant will henceforth offer neither burnt sacrifice nor offring vnto any other god, saue vnto the Lord.

2 Kings 5:18 Herein the Lord bee mercifull vnto thy seruant, that when my master goeth into the house of Rimmon, to worship there, and leaneth on mine hand, and I bowe my selfe in the house of Rimmon: when I doe bowe downe, I say, in the house of Rimmon, the Lord be mercifull vnto thy seruant in this point.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "sayde", "lord", "liueth", "before", "stand", "receiue", "haue", and "constrained". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "sayde" and "lord", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "And hee turned againe to the man..." into verse 17's "Moreouer Naaman sayde Shall there not be...", so "sayde" and "lord" belong inside that flow. In 2 Kings context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "sayde" and "lord" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.