SEV Biblia, Chapter 5:12
Abana y Farfar, los ríos de Damasco, ¿no son mejores que todas las aguas de Israel? Si me lavare en ellos, ¿no seré también limpio? Y se volvió, y se fue enojado.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 2 Kings 5:12
Verse 12. Are not Abana and Pharpar] At present these rivers do not exist by these names; and where they are we know not; nor whether they were the Orontes and Chrysorroes. Mr. Maundrell, who traveled over all this ground, could find no vestige of the names Abana and Pharpar. The river Barrady he accurately describes: it has its source in Antilibanus; and, after having plentifully watered the city of Damascus and the gardens, dividing into three branches, (one of which goes through the city, and the two others are distributed among the gardens,) it is lost in the marshy country about five or six leagues from Damascus. Two of these branches were doubtless called in the time of Elisha Abana, or Amana, as many copies have it; and Pharpar. And in the time in which the Arabic version was made, one of these branches were called (Arabic) Barda and Toura, for these are the names by which this version translates those of the text. May I not wash in them, and be clean?] No, for God has directed thee to Jordan! and by its waters, or none, shalt thou be cleansed. Abana and Pharpar may be as good as Jordan; and in respect to thy cleansing, the simple difference is, God will convey his influence by the latter, and not by the former.
There is often contention among the people of Bengal and other places, concerning the superior efficacy of rivers; though the Ganges bears the bell in Bengal, as the Thames does in England, and the Nile in Egypt.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 12. Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel ? etc.] Abana is, in the marginal reading, called Amana, and so the Targum; perhaps from the Mount Amana, from whence it sprung, a mountain in Syria f57 , mentioned with Lebanon, ( Song of Solomon 4:8). This river is thought to be the Chrysorrhoas of Pliny f58 , and other writers; there are no traces of its name, or of the following, to be met with now; the only river by Damascus is called Barrady, which supplies Damascus and its gardens, and makes them so fruitful and pleasant as they be; it pours down from the mountains, as Mr. Maundrell describes it, and is divided into three streams, of which the middlemost and biggest runs directly to Damascus, through a large field, called the field of Damascus; and the other two are drawn round, the one to the right hand, and the other to the left, on the borders of the gardens. Pharpar is thought to be the river Orontes, which runs close to the walls of Antioch, and courses through its large and spacious plain, being numbered among the rivers of Syria; it takes its rise from Lebanon, and, sliding through the said plain, falls into the Syrian sea. Benjamin of Tudela speaks of these rivers under their Scripture names; Abana or Amana as he says, passes through the city and supplies the houses of great men with water through wooden pipes; and Pharpar is without the city and runs among the gardens and orchards, and waters them. Farfar is also the name of a river in Italy f62 : may I not wash in them, and be clean ? as well as in Jordan; or rather, since they are better waters, and so not have been at this trouble and expense to come hither; or have I not washed in them every day? I have, and am I clean? I am not; which is the sense the several Jewish writers give f63 : so he turned, and went away in a rage ; in a great passion, swearing and cursing perhaps, ordering his chariot driver to turn and be gone at once.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 9-14 - Elisha knew Naaman to be a proud man, and he would let him know, tha before the great God all men stand upon the same level. All God' commands make trial of men's spirits, especially those which direct sinner how to apply for the blessings of salvation. See in Naaman the folly of pride; a cure will not content him, unless he be cured with pomp and parade. He scorns to be healed, unless he be humoured. The way by which a sinner is received and made holy, through the blood, and by the Spirit of Christ, through faith alone in his name, does no sufficiently humour or employ self, to please the sinner's heart. Huma wisdom thinks it can supply wiser and better methods of cleansing Observe, masters should be willing to hear reason. As we should be dea to the counsel of the ungodly, though given by great and respecte names, so we are to have our ears open to good advice, though brough by those below us. Wouldst thou not do any thing? When diseased sinner are content to do any thing, to submit to any thing, to part with an thing, for a cure, then, and not till then, is there any hope of them The methods for the healing of the leprosy of sin, are so plain, tha we are without excuse if we do not observe them. It is but, Believe and be saved; Repent, and be pardoned; Wash, and be clean. The believe applies for salvation, not neglecting, altering, or adding to the Saviour's directions; he is thus made clean from guilt, while others who neglect them, live and die in the leprosy of sin.
Original Hebrew
הלא 3808 טוב 2896 אבנה 71 ופרפר 6554 נהרות 5104 דמשׂק 1834 מכל 3605 מימי 4325 ישׂראל 3478 הלא 3808 ארחץ 7364 בהם וטהרתי 2891 ויפן 6437 וילך 1980 בחמה׃ 2534
