(18) In this thing. — Touching this thing (but in at the end of the verse). The LXX. and Syriac read, “and touching this thing,” an improvement in the connection.
To worship. — To bow down (the same verb occurs thrice in the verse).
The house of Rimmon. — The Assyrian Rammânu (from ramâmu, “to thunder”). One of his epithets in the cuneiform is Râmimu, “the thunderer;” and another is Barqu (=Bâriqu), “he who lightens.” Rimmon was the god of the atmosphere, called in Accadian, AN. IM (“god of the air or wind”), figured on bas-reliefs and cylinders as armed with the thunderbolt. His name is prominent in the story of the Flood (e.g., it is said Rammânu irmum, “Rimmon thundered”); and one of his standing titles is Râhiçu (“he who deluges”). The Assyrians identified Rammân with the Aramean and Edomite Hadad. (Comp. the name Hadad-rimmon, Zechariah 12:11; and Tabrimon, 1 Kings 15:18.) A list of no fewer than forty-one titles of Rimmon has been found among the cuneiform tablets.
Leaneth on my hand. — A metaphor denoting the attendance on the king by his favourite grandee or principal adjutant. (Comp. 2 Kings 7:2; 2 Kings 7:17.)
When I bow down myself. — An Aramaic form is used. The clause is omitted in some Hebrew MSS.
The Lord pardon thy servant. — Naaman had solemnly promised to serve no god but Jehovah for the future. He now prays that an unavoidable exception — which will, indeed, be such only in appearance — may be excused by Jehovah. His request is not, of course, to be judged by a Christian standard. By the reply, “Go in peace,” the prophet, as spokesman of Jehovah, acceded to Naaman’s prayer. “Naaman durst not profess conversion to the foreign cultus before the king, his master; so he asks leave to go on assisting at the national rites” (Reuss).
The Lord pardon. — In the current Hebrew text it is the Lord pardon, I pray. The LXX. appears to have had the same reading; but very many MSS. and all the other versions omit the precative particle. It is, however, probably genuine.