2 Kings / Chapter 5

2 Kings 5

27 verses • Westminster Leningrad Codex

Translator's Introduction

What This Chapter Is About

Naaman, commander of the army of Aram, is a great and honored man through whom the LORD had given victory to Aram. But he suffers from a skin disease. A young Israelite girl captured in a raid and serving Naaman's wife tells her mistress about a prophet in Israel who could cure her master. Naaman goes to the king of Israel with a letter from the king of Aram, along with enormous gifts of silver, gold, and clothing. The Israelite king tears his robes in alarm, thinking Aram is picking a quarrel. Elisha hears and sends word: send Naaman to me, so he will know there is a prophet in Israel. Naaman arrives at Elisha's door with his horses and chariots, but Elisha does not come out. He sends a messenger telling Naaman to wash seven times in the Jordan. Naaman is furious — he expected the prophet to come out, wave his hand, call on the LORD, and cure him dramatically. He names the rivers of Damascus as superior to any water in Israel. His servants reason with him: if the prophet had told you something difficult, you would have done it. How much more when he simply says, wash and be clean? Naaman goes down and dips in the Jordan seven times, and his skin is restored like the skin of a young child. He returns to Elisha and declares that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel. He offers gifts, but Elisha refuses. Naaman asks for two mule-loads of Israelite soil to take home and requests pardon for bowing in the temple of Rimmon when he accompanies his king there. Elisha sends him away in peace. Gehazi, Elisha's servant, runs after Naaman and lies, claiming Elisha has changed his mind and wants silver and clothing for visiting prophets. Naaman gladly gives more than requested. Gehazi hides the goods and returns to Elisha, who confronts him: 'Was it a time to accept money, garments, olive groves, vineyards, sheep, oxen, and servants?' Naaman's skin disease transfers to Gehazi and his descendants forever.

What Makes This Chapter Remarkable

The chapter is constructed around reversals and the crossing of every boundary the ancient world knew. A pagan general is healed by Israel's God; a captive slave girl has the knowledge that the most powerful men lack; the prophet of God will not even come to the door for the most important visitor in the story. Naaman's anger at being told to wash in the Jordan is theologically precise — he wanted a spectacular cure and received a humiliating command. He wanted the prophet to perform; instead the prophet sent a messenger. He wanted his own rivers; he was told to use Israel's river. Every expectation of how divine power works is overturned. The chapter also contains the clearest monotheistic confession by a non-Israelite in the books of Kings: 'Now I know that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel.' Naaman's request for two mule-loads of earth reveals a common ancient belief that deities were tied to specific territories — he wants Israelite soil so he can worship the LORD on His own ground. Elisha's response to the Rimmon question — 'Go in peace' — is strikingly tolerant, allowing Naaman to work out the practical implications of his new faith within his existing political obligations.

Translation Friction

Naaman's statement that the LORD gave victory to Aram (verse 1) is theologically startling — it attributes military success against Israel to Israel's own God. This implies that God's sovereignty extends beyond Israel's borders and interests, using even enemy nations for His purposes. Elisha's tolerance of Naaman's continued temple attendance for Rimmon (verses 18-19) raises questions about religious compromise — can a believer in the LORD participate in pagan worship as a political necessity? Gehazi's punishment — the skin disease of Naaman clinging to him and his descendants 'forever' — seems disproportionate and raises questions about hereditary punishment for individual sin. The young Israelite slave girl who initiates the entire chain of healing is never named, raising questions about how the biblical narrative preserves or erases the identities of the vulnerable. The LXX and some traditions add details not in the MT.

Connections

Jesus cites this story in Luke 4:27 — 'There were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian' — using it to demonstrate that God's healing extends beyond ethnic Israel, provoking the Nazareth crowd to attempt to kill him. The seven washings connect to ritual purification laws in Leviticus 14 (the cleansing of skin disease). Naaman's confession ('no God in all the earth except in Israel') connects to the monotheistic declarations of Rahab (Joshua 2:11), the queen of Sheba (1 Kings 10:9), and Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 4:34-35). Gehazi's fall from prophetic servant to cursed outcast parallels Judas's fall from disciple to betrayer — both were destroyed by greed while serving a master who modeled radical generosity. The skin-disease transfer from Naaman to Gehazi is a narrative reversal: what the pagan was freed from, the Israelite receives.

2 Kings 5:1

וְנַעֲמָ֞ן שַׂר־צְבָ֤א מֶלֶךְ־אֲרָם֙ הָיָ֣ה אִ֣ישׁ גָּד֡וֹל לִפְנֵ֣י אֲדֹנָיו֩ וּנְשֻׂ֨א פָנִ֜ים כִּי־ב֣וֹ נָתַן־יְהוָ֗ה תְּשׁוּעָ֣ה לַאֲרָם֮ וְהָאִ֣ישׁ הָיָ֗ה גִּבּ֣וֹר חַ֔יִל מְצֹרָֽע׃

Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man in the eyes of his master and highly regarded, because through him the LORD had given victory to Aram. He was a mighty warrior — but he had a skin disease.

KJV Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him the LORD had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper.

Notes & Key Terms 2 terms

Key Terms

צָרַעַת tsara'at
"skin disease" — skin disease, skin affliction, surface condition (also applied to fabrics and walls)

Tsara'at is not modern leprosy (Hansen's disease). The Levitical legislation (Leviticus 13-14) describes a range of skin conditions that rendered a person ritually impure. The term also applies to discoloration on fabrics and walls. Rendering it 'leprosy' imports a specific medical diagnosis that the Hebrew term does not carry.

נַעֲמָן na'aman
"Naaman" — pleasant, gracious, agreeable, lovely

The name Na'aman derives from the root n-'-m, meaning 'to be pleasant, to be lovely.' The name is ironic in context: the man whose name means 'pleasant' bears a condition that makes him socially and ritually unpleasant.

Translator Notes

  1. The word metzora is traditionally translated 'leper' but the Hebrew tzara'at covers a range of skin conditions far broader than Hansen's disease (modern leprosy). We render it 'skin disease' to avoid medical anachronism. The name Na'aman means 'pleasant, gracious' — an ironic name for a man whose skin condition would have been considered repulsive. The phrase nesu fanim ('lifted of face') is an idiom for high social standing and the favor of superiors.
2 Kings 5:2

וַאֲרָם֙ יָצְא֣וּ גְדוּדִ֔ים וַיִּשְׁבּ֛וּ מֵאֶ֥רֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל נַעֲרָ֣ה קְטַנָּ֑ה וַתְּהִ֕י לִפְנֵ֖י אֵ֥שֶׁת נַעֲמָֽן׃

Aramean raiding parties had gone out and captured a young girl from the land of Israel. She served Naaman's wife.

KJV And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman's wife.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The na'arah qetannah ('young girl, small maiden') is an Israelite war captive — taken in a raid, separated from her family, enslaved in a foreign household. Despite her powerlessness, she becomes the catalyst for the entire narrative. She has no name, no family history, no tribal identity in the text — she is identified only by her age, her nationality, and her servitude. Yet she knows about the prophet in Israel, and she speaks.
2 Kings 5:3

וַתֹּ֙אמֶר֙ אֶל־גְּבִרְתָּ֔הּ אַחֲלֵ֣י אֲדֹנִ֔י לִפְנֵ֥י הַנָּבִ֖יא אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּשֹׁמְר֑וֹן אָ֛ז יֶאֱסֹ֥ף אֹת֖וֹ מִצָּרַעְתּֽוֹ׃

She said to her mistress, "If only my master could go to the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his skin disease."

KJV And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy.

Notes & Key Terms 1 term

Key Terms

צָרַעַת tsara'at
"skin disease" — skin disease, skin affliction, surface condition

The slave girl speaks of Naaman's tsara'at as something the prophet can remove. In Israelite understanding, tsara'at was not merely a medical condition but a state of ritual impurity that isolated the sufferer from community and worship.

Translator Notes

  1. The slave girl's declaration achalei adoni lifnei ha-navi asher be-Shomron ('if only my master were before the prophet who is in Samaria') is an act of extraordinary compassion — she wishes healing for the master of the household that enslaved her. The verb ye'esof ('he would gather, he would remove') applied to the skin disease means to gather it away, to cure it. Her faith in the prophet is unconditional.
2 Kings 5:4

וַיָּבֹ֕א וַיַּגֵּ֥ד לַאדֹנָ֖יו לֵאמֹ֑ר כָּזֹ֥את וְכָזֹ֖את דִּבְּרָ֥ה הַנַּעֲרָ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר מֵאֶ֥רֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

Naaman went and told his lord, "The girl from the land of Israel said such and such."

KJV And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The report reaches the king of Aram through Naaman himself. The phrase kazot ve-khazot ('thus and thus, such and such') is a summary formula indicating the full content was relayed. The entire diplomatic and military apparatus of two kingdoms is about to be set in motion by the words of an unnamed slave girl.
2 Kings 5:5

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר מֶלֶךְ־אֲרָם֙ לֶךְ־בֹּ֔א וְאֶשְׁלְחָ֥ה סֵ֖פֶר אֶל־מֶ֣לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיֵּ֜לֶךְ וַיִּקַּ֣ח בְּיָד֗וֹ עֶ֣שֶׂר כִּכְּרֵי־כֶ֗סֶף וְשֵׁ֤שֶׁת אֲלָפִים֙ זָהָ֔ב וְעֶ֖שֶׂר חֲלִיפ֥וֹת בְּגָדִֽים׃

The king of Aram said, "Go, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel." So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand pieces of gold, and ten sets of clothing.

KJV And the king of Syria said, Go to, go, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The gifts are staggering: eser kikkerei khesef ('ten talents of silver') amounts to roughly 340 kilograms of silver; sheshet alafim zahav ('six thousand gold pieces') is an enormous sum. The ten sets of clothing (chalifot begadim) were luxury goods in the ancient world. Naaman approaches healing as a transaction — he brings payment commensurate with his status, expecting a commercial exchange for the cure.
2 Kings 5:6

וַיָּבֵ֣א הַסֵּ֔פֶר אֶל־מֶ֥לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֵאמֹ֑ר וְעַתָּ֗ה כְּב֞וֹא הַסֵּ֤פֶר הַזֶּה֙ אֵלֶ֔יךָ הִנֵּ֨ה שָׁלַ֤חְתִּי אֵלֶ֙יךָ֙ אֶת־נַעֲמָ֣ן עַבְדִּ֔י וַאֲסַפְתּ֖וֹ מִצָּרַעְתּֽוֹ׃

He brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read: "When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his skin disease."

KJV And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, Now when this letter is come unto thee, behold, I have therewith sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The Aramean king's letter is addressed king-to-king: he assumes healing is a royal prerogative, something one king can command another to produce. The instruction va-asafto mitzara'to ('and you shall remove his skin disease') treats the cure as a political favor between sovereigns. The letter entirely bypasses the prophet — the king of Aram does not understand that healing comes from God through the prophet, not from the king.
2 Kings 5:7

וַיְהִ֡י כִּקְרֹ֣א מֶלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל֩ אֶת־הַסֵּ֨פֶר וַיִּקְרַ֤ע בְּגָדָיו֙ וַיֹּ֗אמֶר הַאֱלֹהִ֥ים אָנִ֛י לְהָמִ֥ית וּלְהַחֲי֖וֹת כִּי־זֶ֣ה שֹׁלֵ֤חַ אֵלַי֙ לֶאֱסֹ֣ף אִ֣ישׁ מִצָּרַעְתּ֔וֹ כִּ֤י אַךְ־דְּעוּ־נָ֣א וּרְא֔וּ כִּי־מִתְאַנֶּ֥ה ה֖וּא לִֽי׃

When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, "Am I God, to kill and to give life, that this man sends to me to cure someone of his skin disease? See for yourselves how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!"

KJV And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy? wherefore consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The king's alarm is revealing: ha-Elohim ani lehamit uleha'achayot ('am I God, to kill and to give life?'). He correctly recognizes that healing skin disease is beyond human power — it belongs to God alone. But he does not think of the prophet. His panic — ki mit'anneh hu li ('he is seeking a pretext against me') — reveals political paranoia: he interprets the impossible request as a deliberate provocation designed to justify war.
2 Kings 5:8

וַיְהִ֗י כִּשְׁמֹ֤עַ אֱלִישָׁע֙ אִישׁ־הָ֣אֱלֹהִ֔ים כִּֽי־קָרַ֥ע מֶלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל אֶת־בְּגָדָ֑יו וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח אֶל־הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר לָ֤מָּה קָרַ֙עְתָּ֙ בְּגָדֶ֔יךָ יָבֹ֥א נָ֛א אֵלַ֖י וְיֵדַ֕ע כִּ֥י יֵ֛שׁ נָבִ֖יא בְּיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent word to the king: "Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come to me, and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel."

KJV And it was so, when Elisha the man of God had heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.

Notes & Key Terms 1 term

Key Terms

נָבִיא navi
"prophet" — prophet, spokesperson, one who speaks on behalf of God

Elisha's self-identification — yesh navi be-Yisrael ('there is a prophet in Israel') — echoes the rhetorical question of chapter 1 ('is there no God in Israel?'). The prophet's existence is evidence of God's existence and engagement with His people.

Translator Notes

  1. Elisha's message corrects the king's panic and redirects Naaman. The key phrase is ve-yeda ki yesh navi be-Yisrael ('and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel'). The purpose of the healing is not merely medical but revelatory — Naaman must come to know that the God of Israel has a prophet, a spokesperson, a living representative. The healing will be evidence of God's reality.
2 Kings 5:9

וַיָּבֹ֣א נַעֲמָ֔ן בְּסוּסָ֖יו וּבְרִכְבּ֑וֹ וַיַּעֲמֹ֥ד פֶּ֖תַח הַבַּ֥יִת לֶאֱלִישָֽׁע׃

Naaman arrived with his horses and chariots and stood at the entrance of Elisha's house.

KJV So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Naaman arrives in full military display — be-susav u-ve-rikhbo ('with his horses and his chariot') — at the petach ha-bayit ('entrance of the house') of the prophet. The contrast is deliberate: the commander of the Aramean army, with all the trappings of military power, stands at the door of a prophet's modest dwelling. The expected protocol — that the host emerges to greet a distinguished visitor — is about to be violated.
2 Kings 5:10

וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח אֵלָיו֙ אֱלִישָׁ֔ע מַלְאָ֖ךְ לֵאמֹ֑ר הָל֗וֹךְ וְרָחַצְתָּ֤ שֶׁ֣בַע פְּעָמִים֙ בַּיַּרְדֵּ֔ן וְיָשֹׁ֧ב בְּשָׂרְךָ֛ לְךָ֖ וּטְהָֽר׃

Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, "Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your skin will be restored to you, and you will be clean."

KJV And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Elisha does not come out. He sends a mal'akh ('messenger') with instructions. The command is simple: halokh ve-rachatzta sheva pe'amim ba-Yarden ('go and wash seven times in the Jordan'). The promise is twofold: ve-yashov besarkha lekha ('your flesh will return to you') and utehar ('you will be clean'). The seven washings connect to the Levitical purification ritual for skin disease (Leviticus 14). The Jordan is specified — not just any water, but Israel's river.
2 Kings 5:11

וַיִּקְצֹ֣ף נַעֲמָ֗ן וַיֵּ֙לֶךְ֙ וַיֹּ֗אמֶר הִנֵּ֣ה אָמַ֗רְתִּי אֵלַ֤י יֵצֵא֙ יָצ֔וֹא וְעָמַד֙ וְקָרָ֣א בְשֵׁם־יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהָ֔יו וְהֵנִ֥יף יָד֛וֹ אֶל־הַמָּק֖וֹם וְאָסַ֥ף הַמְּצֹרָֽע׃

But Naaman went away furious. He said, "I thought he would surely come out to me, stand there, call on the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the spot, and cure the skin disease.

KJV But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Naaman's fury (va-yiqtzof) stems from violated expectations. He had scripted the encounter in his mind: the prophet would yetze yatzo ('certainly come out'), ve-amad ('stand'), ve-qara ve-shem YHWH Elohav ('call on the name of the LORD his God'), ve-henif yado ('wave his hand'). He wanted spectacle, drama, personal attention — a performance worthy of his status. Instead he received a secondhand message and a command to wash in a river.
2 Kings 5:12

הֲלֹ֡א אֲמָנָ֣ה וּ֠פַרְפַּ֠ר נַהֲר֨וֹת דַּמֶּ֜שֶׂק ט֣וֹבִים ׀ מִכֹּ֣ל ׀ מֵימֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל הֲלֹא־אֶרְחַ֥ץ בָּהֶ֖ם וְטָהָ֑רְתִּי וַיִּ֖פֶן וַיֵּ֥לֶךְ בְּחֵמָֽה׃

"Are not the Abanah and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?" He turned and left in a rage.

KJV Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Naaman's comparison — the Abanah (modern Barada) and Pharpar (possibly the A'waj) versus the waters of Israel — reflects both national pride and a fundamental misunderstanding. He thinks the healing power is in the water's quality. But the Jordan's significance is not hydraulic — it is theological. It is the river of Israel's identity, the boundary of the promised land. Healing in the Jordan means healing on God's terms, in God's place. Naaman's rage (chemah, 'heat, fury') drives him away from the cure.
2 Kings 5:13

וַיִּגְּשׁ֣וּ עֲבָדָ֗יו וַיְדַבְּר֤וּ אֵלָיו֙ וַיֹּאמְר֔וּ אָבִ֕י דָּבָ֥ר גָּד֛וֹל הַנָּבִ֥יא דִּבֶּ֖ר אֵלֶ֣יךָ הֲל֣וֹא תַעֲשֶׂ֑ה וְאַ֗ף כִּי־אָמַ֥ר אֵלֶ֛יךָ רְחַ֖ץ וּטְהָֽר׃

But his servants approached him and said, "My father, if the prophet had told you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? How much more when he simply tells you, 'Wash and be clean'?"

KJV And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much then when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The servants' wisdom is expressed in an a fortiori argument (qal va-chomer): if you would obey a hard command, how much more an easy one? They address him as avi ('my father'), a term of respectful affection that softens the correction. The servants — like the slave girl earlier — understand what the powerful man does not: obedience does not require understanding.
2 Kings 5:14

וַיֵּ֗רֶד וַיִּטְבֹּ֤ל בַּיַּרְדֵּן֙ שֶׁ֣בַע פְּעָמִ֔ים כִּדְבַ֖ר אִ֣ישׁ הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים וַיָּ֣שׇׁב בְּשָׂר֗וֹ כִּבְשַׂ֛ר נַ֥עַר קָטֹ֖ן וַיִּטְהָֽר׃

So he went down and immersed himself in the Jordan seven times, according to the word of the man of God. His skin was restored like the skin of a young child, and he was clean.

KJV Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

Notes & Key Terms 1 term

Key Terms

צָרַעַת tsara'at
"skin disease" — skin disease, skin affliction, surface condition

The cleansing from tsara'at required both physical healing and ritual purification. Naaman's healing accomplishes both simultaneously: his skin is restored (medical) and he is declared tahor, 'clean' (ritual).

Translator Notes

  1. The verb va-yitbol ('he immersed') is the root of the later word for ritual immersion (tevilah). The comparison to a na'ar qaton ('small child') emphasizes complete renewal rather than mere repair. The phrase kidvar ish ha-Elohim ('according to the word of the man of God') links the healing to prophetic authority — the cure works because it follows the prophet's instruction, not because of any quality in the Jordan's water.
2 Kings 5:15

וַיָּ֜שׇׁב אֶל־אִ֤ישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים֙ ה֣וּא וְכׇל־מַחֲנֵ֔הוּ וַיָּבֹ֖א וַיַּעֲמֹ֣ד לְפָנָ֑יו וַיֹּ֗אמֶר הִנֵּה־נָ֤א יָדַ֙עְתִּי֙ כִּ֣י אֵ֤ין אֱלֹהִים֙ בְּכׇל־הָאָ֔רֶץ כִּ֖י אִם־בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְעַתָּ֥ה קַח־נָ֛א בְרָכָ֖ה מֵאֵ֥ת עַבְדֶּֽךָ׃

He returned to the man of God — he and his entire retinue — came in, and stood before him. He said, "Now I know that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel. Please accept a gift from your servant."

KJV And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him: and he said, Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The confession ein Elohim bekhol ha-aretz ki im be-Yisrael ('there is no God in all the earth except in Israel') goes further than mere henotheism (acknowledging other gods exist but worshipping one). It is a monotheistic declaration: no God exists anywhere except the God of Israel. The word berakhah ('blessing') used for the gift is significant — Naaman is not offering payment but a blessing-gift, a token of gratitude and relationship.
2 Kings 5:16

וַיֹּ֕אמֶר חַי־יְהוָ֛ה אֲשֶׁר־עָמַ֥דְתִּי לְפָנָ֖יו אִם־אֶקָּ֑ח וַיִּפְצַר־בּ֥וֹ לָקַ֖חַת וַיְמָאֵֽן׃

But Elisha said, "As the LORD lives, before whom I stand, I will not accept it." Naaman urged him to take it, but he refused.

KJV But he said, As the LORD liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive none. And he urged him to take it; but he refused.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Elisha's refusal is sworn: chai YHWH asher amadti lefanav im eqqach ('as the LORD lives before whom I stand, I will not take'). The oath is the same formula used in 3:14. The refusal is theologically essential: accepting payment would make the healing a transaction rather than a revelation of God's grace. Naaman presses (va-yiftzer bo) but Elisha is immovable (va-yema'en, 'he refused'). The prophet's refusal will make Gehazi's later acceptance all the more criminal.
2 Kings 5:17

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר נַעֲמָ֗ן וָלֹ֗א יֻתַּן־נָ֤א לְעַבְדְּךָ֙ מַשָּׂ֣א צֶמֶד־פְּרָדִ֔ים אֲדָמָ֑ה כִּ֡י לוֹא֩ יַעֲשֶׂ֨ה ע֜וֹד עַבְדְּךָ֗ עֹלָ֤ה וָזֶ֙בַח֙ לֵאלֹהִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֔ים כִּ֖י אִם־לַיהוָֽה׃

Naaman said, "Then please let your servant be given as much earth as a pair of mules can carry, for your servant will no longer offer burnt offerings or sacrifices to any other god but the LORD."

KJV And Naaman said, Shall there not then, I pray thee, be given to thy servant two mules' burden of earth? for thy servant will henceforth offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice unto other gods, but unto the LORD.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Naaman's request for massa tzemed peradim adamah ('a load of a pair of mules of earth') reflects the ancient Near Eastern belief that deities were connected to specific territories. To worship the LORD properly in Damascus, Naaman believes he needs Israelite soil to stand on. His commitment — lo ya'aseh od avdekha olah va-zevach le-elohim acherim ki im la-YHWH ('your servant will no longer make burnt offering or sacrifice to other gods except to the LORD') — is exclusive devotion, even if his theological understanding of sacred geography is incomplete.
2 Kings 5:18

לַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֗ה יִסְלַ֤ח יְהוָה֙ לְעַבְדֶּ֔ךָ בְּב֨וֹא אֲדֹנִ֜י בֵּ֣ית רִמּ֗וֹן לְהִשְׁתַּחֲוֺ֤ת שָׁ֙מָּה֙ וְה֣וּא נִשְׁעָ֣ן עַל־יָדִ֔י וְהִֽשְׁתַּחֲוֵ֖יתִי בֵּ֣ית רִמּ֑וֹן בְּהִשְׁתַּחֲוָיָ֥תִי בֵּית־רִמֹּ֖ן יִסְלַ֥ח יְהוָ֛ה לְעַבְדְּךָ֖ בַּדָּבָ֥ר הַזֶּֽה׃

"But in this matter may the LORD pardon your servant: when my master enters the temple of Rimmon to worship there and he leans on my arm, and I bow down in the temple of Rimmon — when I bow in the temple of Rimmon, may the LORD pardon your servant in this."

KJV 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.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Naaman's request for pardon (yislach YHWH le-avdekha) reveals his theological sensitivity: he knows that bowing in the temple of Rimmon (a Syrian deity, possibly Hadad the storm god) is incompatible with exclusive devotion to the LORD. But his political role — he must accompany his king — makes avoidance impossible. He does not ask permission to worship Rimmon; he asks forgiveness for the outward act of bowing while his heart belongs to the LORD. The tension between inner conviction and outer conformity is left unresolved.
2 Kings 5:19

וַיֹּ֥אמֶר ל֖וֹ לֵ֣ךְ לְשָׁל֑וֹם וַיֵּ֥לֶךְ מֵאִתּ֖וֹ כִּבְרַת־אָֽרֶץ׃

Elisha said to him, "Go in peace." Naaman departed from him and had gone some distance,

KJV And he said unto him, Go in peace. So he departed from him a little way.

Notes & Key Terms 1 term

Key Terms

שָׁלוֹם shalom
"peace" — peace, wholeness, completeness, well-being, right relationship

Elisha's parting shalom blesses Naaman's departure and implicitly accepts his complicated situation. The peace Elisha speaks over Naaman stands in stark contrast to the turmoil Gehazi is about to create.

Translator Notes

  1. Elisha's response lekh le-shalom ('go in peace') is remarkably tolerant. He neither approves nor condemns the Rimmon arrangement — he sends Naaman away with a blessing of peace. The phrase allows Naaman to work out his new faith within his existing circumstances. The word shalom here carries its full weight: wholeness, well-being, right relationship. The expression kivrat aretz ('a stretch of land, some distance') sets up the Gehazi episode — Naaman has not yet gone far.
2 Kings 5:20

וַיֹּ֜אמֶר גֵּחֲזִ֣י נַעַר֮ אֱלִישָׁ֣ע אִישׁ־הָאֱלֹהִים֒ הִנֵּ֣ה חָשַׂ֣ךְ אֲדֹנִ֡י אֶֽת־נַעֲמָ֨ן הָאֲרַמִּ֤י הַזֶּה֙ מִקַּ֣חַת מִיָּד֔וֹ אֵ֖ת אֲשֶׁ֣ר הֵבִ֑יא חַי־יְהוָ֕ה כִּי־אִם־רַ֤צְתִּי אַחֲרָיו֙ וְלָקַחְתִּ֥י מֵאִתּ֖וֹ מְאֽוּמָה׃

But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said to himself, "My master has let this Aramean Naaman off too easily by not accepting what he brought. As the LORD lives, I will run after him and get something from him."

KJV But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, Behold, my master hath spared Naaman this Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought: but, as the LORD liveth, I will run after him, and take somewhat of him.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Gehazi's soliloquy reveals his inner corruption. He calls Naaman ha-Arammi ha-zeh ('this Aramean') with a tone of ethnic contempt. His oath chai YHWH ('as the LORD lives') profanes the divine name — he invokes God to justify greed. The verb chasakh ('he spared, he held back') frames Elisha's refusal as excessive restraint rather than principled integrity. Gehazi sees an economic opportunity where Elisha saw a theological moment.
2 Kings 5:21

וַיִּרְדֹּ֥ף גֵּחֲזִ֖י אַחֲרֵ֣י נַעֲמָ֑ן וַיִּרְאֶ֣ה נַעֲמָ֗ן רָ֚ץ אַחֲרָ֔יו וַיִּפֹּ֛ל מֵעַ֥ל הַמֶּרְכָּבָ֖ה לִקְרָאת֑וֹ וַיֹּ֖אמֶר הֲשָׁלֽוֹם׃

Gehazi pursued Naaman. When Naaman saw someone running after him, he got down from his chariot to meet him and asked, "Is everything well?"

KJV So Gehazi followed after Naaman. And when Naaman saw him running after him, he lighted down from the chariot to meet him, and said, Is all well?

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Naaman's response to seeing Gehazi run after him is gracious — he gets down from his chariot (va-yippol me'al ha-merkavah, literally 'he fell from the chariot,' meaning he quickly dismounted) and asks ha-shalom ('is it peace? is everything well?'). The word shalom returns in Naaman's mouth — the same peace Elisha just pronounced is now the healed man's instinctive greeting.
2 Kings 5:22

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר שָׁל֔וֹם אֲדֹנִ֣י שְׁלָחָ֔נִי לֵאמֹ֕ר הִנֵּ֣ה עַתָּ֗ה זֶ֣ה בָ֧אוּ אֵלַ֛י שְׁנֵֽי־נְעָרִ֖ים מֵהַ֣ר אֶפְרָ֑יִם מִבְּנֵ֣י הַנְּבִיאִ֔ים תְּנָ֨ה נָ֤א לָהֶם֙ כִּכַּ֣ר כֶּ֔סֶף וּשְׁתֵּ֖י חֲלִיפ֥וֹת בְּגָדִֽים׃

Gehazi said, "All is well. My master has sent me to say: Two young men from the sons of the prophets have just come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two sets of clothing."

KJV And he said, All is well. My master hath sent me, saying, Behold, even now there be come to me from mount Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets: give them, I pray thee, a talent of silver, and two changes of garments.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Gehazi's lie is elaborate: he invents two visitors from the prophetic community and claims Elisha sent him. He asks for a kikkar kesef ('a talent of silver,' about 34 kilograms) and two sets of clothing — a significant but plausible amount. By invoking the sons of the prophets, he makes the request seem charitable rather than greedy. Every element is calculated to seem reasonable.
2 Kings 5:23

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר נַעֲמָ֔ן הוֹאֵ֕ל קַ֖ח כִּכְּרָ֑יִם וַיִּפְרׇץ־בּ֗וֹ וַיָּ֜צַר כִּכְּרַ֤יִם כֶּ֙סֶף֙ בִּשְׁנֵ֣י חֲרִטִ֔ים וּשְׁתֵּ֖י חֲלִיפ֣וֹת בְּגָדִ֑ים וַיִּתֵּן֙ אֶל־שְׁנֵ֣י נְעָרָ֔יו וַיִּשְׂא֖וּ לְפָנָֽיו׃

Naaman said, "Please, take two talents." He urged Gehazi, tied up two talents of silver in two bags along with two sets of clothing, and gave them to two of his servants, who carried them ahead of Gehazi.

KJV And Naaman said, Be content, take two talents. And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of garments, and laid them upon two of his servants; and they bare them before him.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Naaman's generosity — ho'el qach kikkarayim ('be willing, take two talents') — doubles the requested amount. He is overflowing with gratitude and glad to give. He assigns two of his own servants to carry the goods before Gehazi. The irony is painful: Naaman gives freely out of genuine thankfulness, while Gehazi takes through deception out of greed.
2 Kings 5:24

וַיָּבֹ֣א אֶל־הָעֹ֗פֶל וַיִּקַּ֤ח מִיָּדָם֙ וַיִּפְקֹ֣ד בַּבַּ֔יִת וַיְשַׁלַּ֥ח אֶת־הָאֲנָשִׁ֖ים וַיֵּלֵֽכוּ׃

When he reached the hill, he took the goods from the servants' hands, stored them in the house, and sent the men away.

KJV And when he came to the tower, he took them from their hand, and bestowed them in the house: and he let the men go, and they departed.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The ofel ('hill, citadel, fortified mound') is a location near Elisha's dwelling where Gehazi can hide the goods. He dismisses Naaman's servants (va-yeshallach et ha-anashim) before they can report back to the prophet. Every action is concealment — taking, storing, sending away witnesses.
2 Kings 5:25

וְהוּא־בָ֗א וַֽיַּעֲמֹד֮ אֶל־אֲדֹנָיו֒ וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלָיו֙ אֱלִישָׁ֔ע מֵאַ֖יִן גֵּחֲזִ֑י וַיֹּ֕אמֶר לֹא־הָלַ֥ךְ עַבְדְּךָ֖ אָ֥נֶה וָאָֽנָה׃

He went in and stood before his master. Elisha asked him, "Where have you been, Gehazi?" He said, "Your servant has not gone anywhere."

KJV But he went in, and stood before his master. And Elisha said unto him, Whence comest thou, Gehazi? And he said, Thy servant went no whither.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Gehazi stands before Elisha (va-ya'amod el adonav) as if nothing has happened. Elisha's question me-ayin Gechazi ('from where, Gehazi?') is not seeking information — the prophet already knows. It is an invitation to confess, a chance to tell the truth. Gehazi lies: lo halakh avdekha aneh va-anah ('your servant did not go anywhere'). The lie completes his fall — he has now deceived both Naaman and his own master.
2 Kings 5:26

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלָ֗יו לֹ֤א לִבִּי֙ הָלַ֔ךְ כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר הָפַ֥ךְ אִ֛ישׁ מֵעַ֥ל מֶרְכַּבְתּ֖וֹ לִקְרָאתֶ֑ךָ הַעֵ֣ת לָ֠קַ֠חַת אֶת־הַכֶּ֨סֶף וְלָקַ֜חַת בְּגָדִ֣ים וְזֵיתִ֧ים וּכְרָמִ֛ים וְצֹ֥אן וּבָקָ֖ר וַעֲבָדִ֥ים וּשְׁפָחֽוֹת׃

Elisha said to him, "Did not my heart go with you when the man got down from his chariot to meet you? Is this the time to accept silver, clothing, olive groves, vineyards, sheep, oxen, male servants, and female servants?"

KJV And he said unto him, Went not mine heart with thee, when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants?

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The phrase lo libbi halakh expresses prophetic omniscience — Elisha's 'heart' (lev, the seat of perception and will) traveled with Gehazi and witnessed everything. The expanded list of items (olive groves, vineyards, sheep, oxen, servants) that Gehazi did not actually receive may represent what Gehazi intended to acquire over time, or it may be Elisha's way of naming what greed ultimately desires — not just money but an entire estate built on corruption.
2 Kings 5:27

וְצָרַ֤עַת נַעֲמָן֙ תִּדְבַּק־בְּךָ֔ וּבְזַרְעֲךָ֖ לְעוֹלָ֑ם וַיֵּצֵ֤א מִלְּפָנָיו֙ מְצֹרָ֣ע כַּשָּׁ֔לֶג׃

"Therefore the skin disease of Naaman will cling to you and to your descendants forever." Gehazi left his presence afflicted with a skin disease, white as snow.

KJV The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow.

Notes & Key Terms 1 term

Key Terms

צָרַעַת tsara'at
"skin disease" — skin disease, skin affliction, surface condition

The tsara'at transfers from Naaman to Gehazi — a narrative reversal that embodies the chapter's theology. The disease that a pagan general humbled himself to receive healing from becomes the permanent mark on a prophet's servant who could not humble his greed.

Translator Notes

  1. The hereditary nature of the punishment (u-vezar'akha le-olam, 'and to your seed forever') is one of the harsher elements in the narrative. It raises the difficult question of whether children should bear the consequences of a parent's sin. The phrase metzora ka-shaleg ('skin-diseased like snow') echoes Moses' hand becoming 'leprous like snow' in Exodus 4:6, another sign of divine judgment and power.
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