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.
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.
Naaman. Note the five servants in this chapter: 1. The King's servant (Naaman) 2 Kings 5:1 . 2. Naaman's wife's servant (the maid), 2 Kings 5:2 . 3. Jehovah's servant (Elisha), 2 Kings 5:8 . 4. Naaman's servants (2 Kings 5:13 ). 5. The Prophet's servant (Gehazi), 2 Kings 5:20 .
was = had come to be.
by him. An unconscious instrument.
the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4 .
deliverance. Probably from the Assyrians.
but, &c. Figure of speech Anesis. App-6 .
a leper. Compare Leviticus 13 . Not regarded ceremonially by heathen. Not far gone (2 Kings 5:19 ). Probably only in initial stage. One of nine so afflicted. See note on Exodus 4:6 . The story of Naaman may be compared with the parallel in John 9 .
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.
companies = marauding bands. Compare 2 Kings 6:23 .
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.
Would God, &c. Figure of speech Ejaculatio. App-6 .
in Samaria. This is the girl's expression. Samaria was where she had heard of him.
And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel.
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.
king of Israel. Probably Jehoram.
talents. See App-51 .
changes of raiment. See Genesis 45:22 .
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.
recover. A Homonym, with another meaning, to snatch away or destroy, as in Psalms 26:9 and Jeremiah 16:5 . See notes there.
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.
Am I God . . . ? Figure of speech Erotesis. App-6 .
God. Hebrew. Elohim. (the Creator). App-4 .
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.
man of God. See App-49 .
So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha.
door = entrance.
And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.
Go and wash. Compare John 9:7 , and other commands: "Go, call" (John 4:16 ); "Go, sell" (Matthew 19:21 ).
wash = bathe (ceremonially). See note on Leviticus 14:9 .
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.
I thought. Compare 2 Kings 5:15 , "Now I know". Human thought and Divine certitude.
strike = wave, move, or pass.
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.
Are not. ? Figure of speech Erotesis. App-6 .
Abana. Some codices, and three early printed editions, read "Amana".
rivers. Hebrew. nahar , an ever-flowing stream. (Not nahal, a summer stream.) Rising in Mount Hermon and losing themselves in a lake near Damascus.
Damascus. Used of the district, or of the city near which they flowed and were known.
in a rage. One of eleven rulers offended with God's servants for speaking the truth. See note on Exodus 10:28 .
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 rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?
servants. Again used by God. Compare verses: 2 Kings 5:2-4 .
My father. A title of honour and affection.
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.
came again. The tenth miracle of Elisha. See note on 2 Kings 2:15 .
child = boy.
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 earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant.
returned. About thirty miles.
now I know. Compare "Behold, I thought", 2 Kings 5:11 .
take = accept.
blessing = a present. Compare Genesis 33:11 .Judges 1:15 .
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.
before, &c. A phrase referring to priesthood, for the sacrifices Naaman speaks of (2 Kings 5:17 ).
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.
earth = soil. Naaman may have heard of Exodus 20:24 .
offer = prepare. See App-43 .
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.
Simmon. The Assyrian storm-god Ramman.
worship = bow down himself. leaneth. Compare 2Ki 7:2 , 2 Kings 7:17 .
the LORD pardon = Jehovah pardon. Some codices add "I pray thee", but marked "to be cancelled".
And he said unto him, Go in peace. So he departed from him a little way.
Go in peace. God's servants are not "directors of conscience", but ministers of His Word. To have sanctioned it would have recognized idolatry. To have forbidden it would have put Naaman under a yoke to Elisha. It was for Naaman to decide whether he could do this thing, and be at "peace".
a little way. A phrase found only here and Genesis 35:16 with Genesis 48:7 . = a stone's throw.
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.
servant = young man.
somewhat = a trifle.
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?
Is all well? Hebrew Is it peace?
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.
mount Ephraim. There were two schools of the prophets there: Beth-el and Gilgal. Compare 2 Kings 2:1 ; 2 Kings 2:3 .
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.
take = accept. Some codices, with one early printed edition, read "and accept".
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.
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.
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?
Went not . . . ? Figure of speech Erotesis. = Did not my heart beat?
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.
cleave. Elisha's eleventh miracle. See note on 2 Kings 2:15 .
a leper. One of the nine afflicted with leprosy. See note on Exodus 4:6 .
as snow. i.e. completely a leper; but not clean ceremonially. See note on Leviticus 13:13 .