Abana and Pharpar

Biblical Text

Abana and Pharpar are mentioned only once, in the account of Naaman in 2 Kings 5. Naaman, the commander of the army of Aram, went to Elisha, the prophet of Israel, to be healed of leprosy. Elisha did not come out in person but sent a messenger with the instruction, "Go and wash in Jordan seven times" (2 Kings 5:10). Naaman became angry, saying that he had expected Elisha to come out and "strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper" (2 Kings 5:11). He then said:

"Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean?" (2 Kings 5:12)

After his servants persuaded him, Naaman dipped himself seven times in the Jordan River, and "his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child" (2 Kings 5:13–14).

Background

The two rivers watered Damascus, the capital of Aram. Damascus was an oasis city on the edge of the desert, and these rivers gave it an abundant water supply and fertile land.

• Abana: Generally identified with the Barada River, which flows down from the Anti-Lebanon Mountains and through the city of Damascus. In the Greco-Roman period it was known as the Chrysorrhoas, meaning "golden river." The Hebrew Masoretic Text has a marginal note indicating that the word is to be read "Amana." Amana also appears as the name of a mountain in Song of Solomon 4:8.
• Pharpar: Commonly identified with the Awaj River, which rises on the slopes of Mount Hermon and flows south of Damascus.

Both rivers are understood to end in the marshes and lakes east of Damascus. Scholars may differ, however, on how these ancient names correspond to present-day rivers, and the original meanings of the two names are uncertain.

Significance in the Wider Bible

Naaman's words reveal both the pride of the powerful nation of Aram and contempt for the rivers of the small nation of Israel. The text indicates that the power to heal lay not in the size or quality of a river's water; healing came through obedience to the word of God. Once healed, Naaman confessed, "Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel" (2 Kings 5:15).

The two rivers do not appear in the New Testament. In the synagogue at Nazareth, however, Jesus said that although there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha, none was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian (Luke 4:27). This statement is understood to indicate that God's grace extends to the Gentiles as well.

Interpretation and Points of Discussion

• The color of the Jordan's water: Sermons often add that the Jordan was muddy while the rivers of Damascus were clear. The text, however, does not say that the Jordan was dirty; it records only that Naaman considered the rivers of Damascus better.
• A type of baptism: Since the early church, some interpreters have read Naaman's cleansing in the Jordan as a type of baptism—a foreshadowing of what was to come. Others focus on the word "dipped" and connect it with baptism by immersion. Denominations differ in their emphasis on this point (see Baptism and Immersion).
• Seven times: Many interpreters regard the number seven as a symbol of completeness, though the text itself does not explain its significance.

In the Korean Church

In Korean preaching, "Abana and Pharpar" is often used as a figure for the attitude of clinging to one's own ideas and familiar standards rather than following God's way. Together with the phrase "I thought" in 2 Kings 5:11, the passage is frequently cited in sermons on pride, obedience, and self-denial.