1 Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honorable, because by him the LORD had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valor, but he was a leper.
2 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.
3 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.
4 And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel.
5 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.
6 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.
7 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.
8 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.
9 So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha.
10 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.
11 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.
12 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.
13 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?
14 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.
15 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.
16 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.
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.
18 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.
19 And he said unto him, Go in peace. So he departed from him a little way.
20 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.
21 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?
22 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.
23 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.
24 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.
25 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.
26 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?
27 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.
1 Now Naaman, H5283 captain H8269 of the host H6635 of the king H4428 of Syria, H758 was a great H1419 man H376 with H6440 his master, H113 and honourable, H5375 because by him the LORD H3068 had given H5414 deliverance H8668 unto Syria: H758 he was also a mighty H1368 man H376 in valour, H2428 but he was a leper. H6879
2 And the Syrians H758 had gone out H3318 by companies, H1416 and had brought away captive H7617 out of the land H776 of Israel H3478 a little H6996 maid; H5291 and she waited on H6440 Naaman's H5283 wife. H802
3 And she said H559 unto her mistress, H1404 Would H305 God my lord H113 were with H6440 the prophet H5030 that is in Samaria! H8111 for H227 he would recover H622 him of his leprosy. H6883
4 And one went in, H935 and told H5046 his lord, H113 saying, H559 Thus and thus said H1696 the maid H5291 that is of the land H776 of Israel. H3478
5 And the king H4428 of Syria H758 said, H559 Go to, H3212 go, H935 and I will send H7971 a letter H5612 unto the king H4428 of Israel. H3478 And he departed, H3212 and took H3947 with him H3027 ten H6235 talents H3603 of silver, H3701 and six H8337 thousand H505 pieces of gold, H2091 and ten H6235 changes H2487 of raiment. H899
6 And he brought H935 the letter H5612 to the king H4428 of Israel, H3478 saying, H559 Now when this letter H5612 is come H935 unto thee, behold, I have therewith sent H7971 Naaman H5283 my servant H5650 to thee, that thou mayest recover H622 him of his leprosy. H6883
7 And it came to pass, when the king H4428 of Israel H3478 had read H7121 the letter, H5612 that he rent H7167 his clothes, H899 and said, H559 Am I God, H430 to kill H4191 and to make alive, H2421 that this man H2088 doth send H7971 unto me to recover H622 a man H376 of his leprosy? H6883 wherefore H389 consider, H3045 I pray you, and see H7200 how he seeketh a quarrel H579 against me.
8 And it was so, when Elisha H477 the man H376 of God H430 had heard H8085 that the king H4428 of Israel H3478 had rent H7167 his clothes, H899 that he sent H7971 to the king, H4428 saying, H559 Wherefore hast thou rent H7167 thy clothes? H899 let him come H935 now to me, and he shall know H3045 that there is H3426 a prophet H5030 in Israel. H3478
9 So Naaman H5283 came H935 with his horses H5483 and with his chariot, H7393 and stood H5975 at the door H6607 of the house H1004 of Elisha. H477
10 And Elisha H477 sent H7971 a messenger H4397 unto him, saying, H559 Go H1980 and wash H7364 in Jordan H3383 seven H7651 times, H6471 and thy flesh H1320 shall come again H7725 to thee, and thou shalt be clean. H2891
11 But Naaman H5283 was wroth, H7107 and went away, H3212 and said, H559 Behold, I thought, H559 He will surely H3318 come out H3318 to me, and stand, H5975 and call H7121 on the name H8034 of the LORD H3068 his God, H430 and strike H5130 his hand H3027 over the place, H4725 and recover H622 the leper. H6879
12 Are not Abana H71 H549 and Pharpar, H6554 rivers H5104 of Damascus, H1834 better H2896 than all the waters H4325 of Israel? H3478 may I not wash H7364 in them, and be clean? H2891 So he turned H6437 and went away H3212 in a rage. H2534
13 And his servants H5650 came near, H5066 and spake H1696 unto him, and said, H559 My father, H1 if the prophet H5030 had bid H1696 thee do some great H1419 thing, H1697 wouldest thou not have done H6213 it? how much rather then, H637 when he saith H559 to thee, Wash, H7364 and be clean? H2891
14 Then went he down, H3381 and dipped H2881 himself seven H7651 times H6471 in Jordan, H3383 according to the saying H1697 of the man H376 of God: H430 and his flesh H1320 came again H7725 like unto the flesh H1320 of a little H6996 child, H5288 and he was clean. H2891
15 And he returned H7725 to the man H376 of God, H430 he and all his company, H4264 and came, H935 and stood H5975 before H6440 him: and he said, H559 Behold, now I know H3045 that there is no God H430 in all the earth, H776 but in Israel: H3478 now therefore, I pray thee, take H3947 a blessing H1293 of thy servant. H5650
16 But he said, H559 As the LORD H3068 liveth, H2416 before H6440 whom I stand, H5975 I will receive H3947 none. And he urged H6484 him to take H3947 it; but he refused. H3985
17 And Naaman H5283 said, H559 Shall there not then, I pray thee, be given H5414 to thy servant H5650 two H6776 mules' H6505 burden H4853 of earth? H127 for thy servant H5650 will henceforth offer H6213 neither burnt offering H5930 nor sacrifice H2077 unto other H312 gods, H430 but unto the LORD. H3068
18 In this thing H1697 the LORD H3068 pardon H5545 thy servant, H5650 that when my master H113 goeth H935 into the house H1004 of Rimmon H7417 to worship H7812 there, and he leaneth H8172 on my hand, H3027 and I bow H7812 myself in the house H1004 of Rimmon: H7417 when I bow down H7812 myself in the house H1004 of Rimmon, H7417 the LORD H3068 pardon H5545 thy servant H5650 in this thing. H1697
19 And he said H559 unto him, Go H3212 in peace. H7965 So he departed H3212 from him a little H3530 way. H776
20 But Gehazi, H1522 the servant H5288 of Elisha H477 the man H376 of God, H430 said, H559 Behold, my master H113 hath spared H2820 Naaman H5283 this Syrian, H761 in not receiving H3947 at his hands H3027 that which he brought: H935 but, as the LORD H3068 liveth, H2416 I will run H7323 after H310 him, and take H3947 somewhat H3972 of him.
21 So Gehazi H1522 followed H7291 after H310 Naaman. H5283 And when Naaman H5283 saw H7200 him running H7323 after H310 him, he lighted down H5307 from the chariot H4818 to meet H7125 him, and said, H559 Is all well? H7965
22 And he said, H559 All is well. H7965 My master H113 hath sent H7971 me, saying, H559 Behold, even now there be come H935 to me from mount H2022 Ephraim H669 two H8147 young men H5288 of the sons H1121 of the prophets: H5030 give H5414 them, I pray thee, a talent H3603 of silver, H3701 and two H8147 changes H2487 of garments. H899
23 And Naaman H5283 said, H559 Be content, H2974 take H3947 two talents. H3603 And he urged H6555 him, and bound H6696 two H8147 talents H3603 of silver H3701 in two H8147 bags, H2754 with two H8147 changes H2487 of garments, H899 and laid H5414 them upon two H8147 of his servants; H5288 and they bare H5375 them before H6440 him.
24 And when he came H935 to the tower, H6076 he took H3947 them from their hand, H3027 and bestowed H6485 them in the house: H1004 and he let the men H582 go, H7971 and they departed. H3212
25 But he went in, H935 and stood H5975 before his master. H113 And Elisha H477 said H559 unto him, Whence H370 comest thou, Gehazi? H1522 And he said, H559 Thy servant H5650 went H1980 no whither. H575
26 And he said H559 unto him, Went H1980 not mine heart H3820 with thee, when the man H376 turned H2015 again from his chariot H4818 to meet H7125 thee? Is it a time H6256 to receive H3947 money, H3701 and to receive H3947 garments, H899 and oliveyards, H2132 and vineyards, H3754 and sheep, H6629 and oxen, H1241 and menservants, H5650 and maidservants? H8198
27 The leprosy H6883 therefore of Naaman H5283 shall cleave H1692 unto thee, and unto thy seed H2233 for ever. H5769 And he went out H3318 from his presence H6440 a leper H6879 as white as snow. H7950
1 Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honorable, because by him Jehovah had given victory unto Syria: he was also a mighty man of valor, `but he was' a leper.
2 And the Syrians had gone out in bands, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maiden; and she waited on Naaman's wife.
3 And she said unto her mistress, Would that my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! then would he recover him of his leprosy.
4 And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maiden that is of the land of Israel.
5 And the king of Syria said, Go now, 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.
6 And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, And now when this letter is come unto thee, behold, I have sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy.
7 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? but consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me.
8 And it was so, when Elisha the man of God 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.
9 So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariots, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha.
10 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.
11 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 Jehovah his God, and wave his hand over the place, and recover the leper.
12 Are not Abanah and Pharpar, the 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.
13 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?
14 Then went he down, and dipped `himself' seven times in the 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.
15 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 present of thy servant.
16 But he said, As Jehovah liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive none. And he urged him to take it; but he refused.
17 And Naaman said, If not, yet, I pray thee, let there 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 Jehovah.
18 In this thing Jehovah pardon thy servant: 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 myself in the house of Rimmon, Jehovah pardon thy servant in this thing.
19 And he said unto him, Go in peace. So he departed from him a little way.
20 But Gehazi the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, Behold, my master hath spared this Naaman the Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought: as Jehovah liveth, I will run after him, and take somewhat of him.
21 So Gehazi followed after Naaman. And when Naaman saw one running after him, he alighted from the chariot to meet him, and said, Is all well?
22 And he said, All is well. My master hath sent me, saying, Behold, even now there are come to me from the hill-country of Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets; give them, I pray thee, a talent of silver, and two changes of raiment.
23 And Naaman said, Be pleased to take two talents. And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of raiment, and laid them upon two of his servants; and they bare them before him.
24 And when he came to the hill, he took them from their hand, and bestowed them in the house; and he let the men go, and they departed.
25 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.
26 And he said unto him, Went not my heart `with thee', when the man turned 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 men-servants and maid-servants?
27 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.
1 And Naaman, head of the host of the king of Aram, was a great man before his lord, and accepted of face, for by him had Jehovah given salvation to Aram, and the man was mighty in valour -- leprous.
2 And the Aramaeans have gone out `by' troops, and they take captive out of the land of Israel a little damsel, and she is before the wife of Naaman,
3 and she saith unto her mistress, `O that my lord `were' before the prophet who `is' in Samaria; then he doth recover him from his leprosy.'
4 And `one' goeth in and declareth to his lord, saying, `Thus and thus she hath spoken, the damsel who `is' from the land of Israel.'
5 And the king of Aram saith, `Go thou, enter, and I send a letter unto the king of Israel;' and he goeth and taketh in his hand ten talents of silver, and six thousand `pieces' of gold, and ten changes of garments.
6 And he bringeth in the letter unto the king of Israel, saying, `And now, at the coming in of this letter unto thee, lo, I have sent unto thee Naaman my servant, and thou hast recovered him from his leprosy.'
7 And it cometh to pass, at the king of Israel's reading the letter, that he rendeth his garments, and saith, `Am I God, to put to death and to keep alive, that this `one' is sending unto me to recover a man from his leprosy? for surely know, I pray you, and see, for he is presenting himself to me.'
8 And it cometh to pass, at Elisha the man of God's hearing that the king of Israel hath rent his garments, that he sendeth unto the king, saying, `Why hast thou rent thy garments? let him come, I pray thee, unto me, and he doth know that there is a prophet in Israel.'
9 And Naaman cometh, with his horses and with his chariot, and standeth at the opening of the house for Elisha;
10 and Elisha sendeth unto him a messenger, saying, `Go, and thou hast washed seven times in Jordan, and thy flesh doth turn back to thee -- and be thou clean.
11 And Naaman is wroth, and goeth on, and saith, `Lo, I said, Unto me he doth certainly come out, and hath stood and called in the name of Jehovah his God, and waved his hand over the place, and recovered the leper.
12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? do I not wash in them and I have been clean?' and he turneth and goeth on in fury.
13 And his servants come nigh, and speak unto him, and say, `My father, a great thing had the prophet spoken unto thee -- dost thou not do `it'? and surely, when he hath said unto thee, Wash, and be clean.'
14 And he goeth down and dippeth in Jordan seven times, according to the word of the man of God, and his flesh doth turn back as the flesh of a little youth, and is clean.
15 And he turneth back unto the man of God, he and all his camp, and cometh in, and standeth before him, and saith, `Lo, I pray thee, I have known that there is not a God in all the earth except in Israel; and now, take, I pray thee, a blessing from thy servant.'
16 And he saith, `Jehovah liveth, before whom I have stood -- if I take `it';' and he presseth on him to take, and he refuseth.
17 And Naaman saith, `If not -- let be given, I pray thee, to thy servant, a couple of mules' burden of earth, for thy servant doth make no more burnt-offering and sacrifice to other gods, but to Jehovah.
18 For this thing Jehovah be propitious to thy servant, in the coming in of my lord into the house of Rimmon to bow himself there, and he was supported by my hand, and I bowed myself `in' the house of Rimmon; for my bowing myself in the house of Rimmon Jehovah be propitious, I pray thee, to thy servant in this thing.'
19 And he saith to him, `Go in peace.' And he goeth from him a kibrath of land,
20 And Gehazi, servant of Elisha the man of God, saith, `Lo, my lord hath spared Naaman this Aramaean, not to receive from his hand that which he brought; Jehovah liveth; surely if I have run after him, then I have taken from him something.'
21 And Gehazi pursueth after Naaman, and Naaman seeth one running after him, and alighteth from off the chariot to meet him, and saith, `Is there peace?'
22 And he saith, `Peace; my lord hath sent me, saying, Lo, now, this, come unto me have two young men from the hill-country of Ephraim, of the sons of the prophets; give, I pray thee, to them, a talent of silver, and two changes of garments.'
23 And Naaman saith, `Be pleased, take two talents;' and he urgeth on him, and bindeth two talents of silver in two purses, and two changes of garments, and giveth unto two of his young men, and they bear before him;
24 and he cometh in unto the high place, and taketh out of their hand, and layeth up in the house, and sendeth away the men, and they go.
25 And he hath come in, and doth stand by his lord, and Elisha saith unto him, `Whence -- Gehazi?' and he saith, `Thy servant went not hither or thither.'
26 And he saith unto him, `My heart went not when the man turned from off his chariot to meet thee; is it a time to take silver, and to take garments, and olives, and vines, and flock, and herd, and men-servants, and maid-servants?
27 yea, the leprosy of Naaman doth cleave to thee, and to thy seed, -- to the age;' and he goeth out from before him -- leprous as snow.
1 And Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man before his master, and honourable, for by him Jehovah had given deliverance to Syria; and he was a mighty man of valour, [but] a leper.
2 And the Syrians had gone out in bands, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman's wife.
3 And she said to her mistress, Oh, would that my lord were before the prophet that is in Samaria! then he would cure him of his leprosy.
4 And he went and told his lord saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel.
5 And the king of Syria said, Well! go, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand [shekels] of gold, and ten changes of raiment.
6 And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, And now, when this letter comes to thee, behold, I have sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest cure him of his leprosy.
7 And it came to pass when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his garments, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Wherefore consider, I pray you, and see how he seeks an occasion against me.
8 And it was so, when Elisha the man of God had heard that the king of Israel had rent his garments, that he sent to the king, saying, Why hast thou rent thy garments? let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.
9 And Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the doorway of the house of Elisha.
10 And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.
11 And Naaman was wroth, and went away and said, Behold, I thought, He will certainly come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of Jehovah his God, and wave his hand over the place, and cure the leper.
12 Are not the Abanah and the Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them and be clean? And he turned and went away in a rage.
13 And his servants drew near, and spoke to him and said, My father, [if] the prophet had bidden thee [do some] great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he says to thee, Wash and be clean?
14 Then he went down, and plunged himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God. And his flesh became again like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
15 And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came and stood before him; and he said, Behold, I know that there is no God in all the earth but in Israel; and now, I pray thee, take a present of thy servant.
16 But he said, As Jehovah liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive none! And he urged him to take it; but he refused.
17 And Naaman said, If not, then let there, I pray thee, be given to thy servant two mules' burden of [this] earth; for thy servant will no more offer burnt-offering and sacrifice to other gods, but to Jehovah.
18 In this thing Jehovah pardon thy servant: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to bow down there, and he leans on my hand, and I bow down myself in the house of Rimmon -- when I bow down myself in the house of Rimmon, Jehovah pardon thy servant, I pray thee, in this thing.
19 And he said to him, Go in peace. And he departed from him a little way.
20 And Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, Behold, my master has spared Naaman, this Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought; but as Jehovah liveth, I will run after him and take somewhat of him.
21 And Gehazi followed after Naaman. And when Naaman saw him running after him, he sprang down from the chariot to meet him, and said, Is all well?
22 And he said, All is well. My master has sent me saying, Behold, even now there are 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 raiment.
23 And Naaman said, Consent to take two talents. And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of raiment, and laid them upon two of his young men; and they bore them before him.
24 And when he came to the hill, he took them from their hand, and stowed them in the house; and he let the men go, and they departed.
25 And he entered in and stood before his master. And Elisha said to him, Whence [comest thou], Gehazi? And he said, Thy servant went no whither.
26 And he said to him, Did not my heart go, 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 bondmen, and bondwomen?
27 But the leprosy of Naaman shall fasten upon thee, and upon thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence leprous, as snow.
1 Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honorable, because by him Yahweh had given victory to Syria: he was also a mighty man of valor, [but he was] a leper.
2 The Syrians had gone out in bands, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maiden; and she waited on Naaman's wife.
3 She said to her mistress, Would that my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! then would he recover him of his leprosy.
4 One went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maiden who is of the land of Israel.
5 The king of Syria said, Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel. He departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand [pieces] of gold, and ten changes of clothing.
6 He brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, Now when this letter is come to you, behold, I have sent Naaman my servant to you, that you may recover him of his leprosy.
7 It happened, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he tore his clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man does send to me to recover a man of his leprosy? but consider, I pray you, and see how he seeks a quarrel against me.
8 It was so, when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, Why have you torn your clothes? let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.
9 So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariots, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha.
10 Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall come again to you, and you shall be clean.
11 But Naaman was angry, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of Yahweh his God, and wave his hand over the place, and recover the leper.
12 Aren't Abanah and Pharpar, the 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.
13 His servants came near, and spoke to him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid you do some great thing, wouldn't you have done it? how much rather then, when he says to you, Wash, and be clean?
14 Then went he down, and dipped [himself] seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh came again like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
15 He returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him; and he said, See now, I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, please take a present from your servant.
16 But he said, As Yahweh lives, before whom I stand, I will receive none. He urged him to take it; but he refused.
17 Naaman said, If not, yet, please let there be given to your servant two mules' burden of earth; for your servant will henceforth offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice to other gods, but to Yahweh.
18 In this thing Yahweh pardon your servant: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leans on my hand, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, when I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, Yahweh pardon your servant in this thing.
19 He said to him, Go in peace. So he departed from him a little way.
20 But Gehazi the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, Behold, my master has spared this Naaman the Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought: as Yahweh lives, I will run after him, and take somewhat of him.
21 So Gehazi followed after Naaman. When Naaman saw one running after him, he alighted from the chariot to meet him, and said, Is all well?
22 He said, All is well. My master has sent me, saying, Behold, even now there are come to me from the hill-country of Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets; please give them a talent of silver, and two changes of clothing.
23 Naaman said, Be pleased to take two talents. He urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of clothing, and laid them on two of his servants; and they bore them before him.
24 When he came to the hill, he took them from their hand, and bestowed them in the house; and he let the men go, and they departed.
25 But he went in, and stood before his master. Elisha said to him, Whence come you, Gehazi? He said, Your servant went no where.
26 He said to him, Didn't my heart go with you, when the man turned from his chariot to meet you? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and olive groves and vineyards, and sheep and oxen, and men-servants and maid-servants?
27 The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave to you, and to your seed forever. He went out from his presence a leper [as white] as snow.
1 Now Naaman, chief of the army of the king of Aram, was a man of high position with his master, and greatly respected, because by him the Lord had given salvation to Aram; but he was a leper.
2 Now the Aramaeans had gone out in bands, and taken prisoner from Israel a little girl, who became servant to Naaman's wife.
3 And she said to her master's wife, If only my lord would go to the prophet in Samaria, he would make him well.
4 And someone went and said to his lord, This is what the girl from the land of Israel says.
5 So the king of Aram said, Go then; and I will send a letter to the king of Israel. And he went, taking with him ten talents of silver and six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothing.
6 And he took the letter to the king of Israel, in which the king of Aram had said, See, I have sent my servant Naaman to you to be made well, for he is a leper.
7 But the king of Israel, after reading the letter, was greatly troubled and said, Am I God, to give death and life? why does this man send a leper to me to be made well? is it not clear that he is looking for a cause of war?
8 Now Elisha, the man of God, hearing that the king of Israel had done this, sent to the king, saying, Why are you troubled? send the man to me, so that he may see that there is a prophet in Israel.
9 So Naaman, with all his horses and his carriages, came to the door of Elisha's house.
10 And Elisha sent a servant to him, saying, Go to Jordan, and after washing seven times in its waters your flesh will be well again and you will be clean.
11 But Naaman was angry and went away and said, I had the idea that he would come out to see such an important person as I am, and make prayer to the Lord his God, and with a wave of his hand over the place make the leper well.
12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not be washed in them and become clean? So turning, he went away in wrath.
13 Then his servants came to him and said, If the prophet had given you orders to do some great thing, would you not have done it? how much more then, when he says to you, Be washed and become clean?
14 Then he went down seven times into the waters of Jordan, as the man of God had said; and his flesh became like the flesh of a little child again, and he was clean.
15 Then he went back to the man of God, with all his train, and, taking his place before him, said, Now I am certain that there is no God in all the earth, but only in Israel: now then, take an offering from me.
16 But he said, By the life of the Lord whose servant I am, I will take nothing from you. And he did his best to make him take it but he would not.
17 Then Naaman said, If you will not, then let there be given to your servant as much earth as two beasts are able to take on their backs; because from now on, your servant will make no offering or burned offering to other gods, but only to the Lord.
18 But may your servant have the Lord's forgiveness for this one thing: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon for worship there, supported on my arm, and my head is bent in the house of Rimmon; when his head is bent in the house of Rimmon, may your servant have the Lord's forgiveness for this thing.
19 And he said to him, Go in peace. And he went from him some distance.
20 But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha, the man of God, said, Now my master has taken nothing from Naaman, this Aramaean, of what he would have given him: by the living Lord, I will go after him and get something from him.
21 So Gehazi went after Naaman. And when Naaman saw him running after him, he got down from his carriage and went back to him and said, Is all well?
22 And he said, All is well: but my master has sent me, saying, Even now, two young men of the sons of the prophets have come to me from the hill-country of Ephraim; will you give me a talent of silver and two changes of clothing for them?
23 And Naaman said, Be good enough to take two talents. And forcing him to take them, he put two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of clothing, and gave them to his two servants to take before him.
24 When he came to the hill, he took them from their hands, and put them away in the house; and he sent the men away, and they went.
25 Then he came in and took his place before his master. And Elisha said to him, Where have you come from, Gehazi? And he said, Your servant went nowhere.
26 And he said to him, Did not my heart go with you, when the man got down from his carriage and went back to you? Is this a time for getting money, and clothing, and olive-gardens and vine-gardens, and sheep and oxen, and men-servants and women-servants?
27 Because of what you have done, the disease of Naaman the leper will take you in its grip, and your seed after you, for ever. And he went out from before him a leper as white as snow.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » John Gill's Exposition of the Bible » Commentary on 2 Kings 5
Commentary on 2 Kings 5 John Gill's Exposition of the Bible
INTRODUCTION TO 2 KINGS 5
This chapter gives an account of the leprosy of Naaman the Syrian, and of the cure of it by Elisha; how he came to hear of him, and the recommendation he had from the king of Syria to the king of Israel, 2 Kings 5:1, who, coming to Elisha's house, was ordered to dip himself seven times in Jordan, which made him depart in wrath; but one of his servants persuaded him to do it, and he did, and was cured, 2 Kings 5:9, upon which he returned to Elisha, and offered him a present, which he refused, 2 Kings 5:15 but Gehazi, his servant, ran after him with a lie in his mouth, and obtained it, and returned to his master with another, for which he was smitten with the leprosy of Naaman, 2 Kings 5:20.
Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria,.... The general of Benhadad's army; for he was now king of Syria, though some think Hazael his successor was:
was a great man with his master; high in his favour and esteem:
and honourable; not only acceptable to the king, and loaded with honours by him, but greatly respected by all ranks and degrees among the people:
because by him the Lord had given deliverance unto Syria; out of the hands of their enemies, and victory over them, and particularly in the last battle with Israel, in which Ahab was slain, and, as the Jews suppose, by the hands of Naaman; see Gill on 1 Kings 22:34 however, when any salvation was wrought, or victory obtained, even by Heathens, and by them over Israel, the people of God, it was of the Lord:
he was also a mighty man in valour; a very courageous valiant man:
but he was a leper; was stricken with the leprosy, which had deformed and disgraced his person, and weakened his strength, and dispirited him; all his grandeur and honour could not protect him from this loathsome disease.
And the Syrians had gone out by companies,.... Not regular troops, but a sort of banditti of robbers, which made excursions into the land of Israel, to plunder and carry off what booty they could:
and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; for boys and girls were a part of the booty of such robbers, whom they could sell for money, see Joel 3:1. Jarchi and Kimchi say she was a girl of Naaron, a city so called:
and she waited on Naaman's wife; being either made a present of to the general by those plunderers, or was bought by him of them for his wife's service.
And she said unto her mistress,.... As she was waiting upon her at a certain time, and perhaps her mistress was lamenting the case of her husband as desperate and incurable:
would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria; meaning Elisha, who, though sometimes in one place, and sometimes in another, yet often at Samaria, and it seems was there when this girl was taken captive:
for he would recover him of his leprosy; the maid had heard of the miracles wrought by Elisha, and doubted not that at the request of her lord he would be willing, as she believed he was able, to cure him of this disease.
And one went in and told his lord,.... What the girl had said to her mistress; one of the servants of the house that overheard it; or rather, Naaman went and told his lord the king of Syria; for as this was said to his wife, no doubt she told it to her husband, and not a servant; and the following words require this sense, and is the sense of most Jewish commentators:
saying, thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel; who for her wit and beauty might be well known at court by the name of the Israelitish girl.
And the king of Syria said, go to, go,.... On what Naaman related to him from what the maid had said, he urged him by all means to go directly to Samaria:
and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel; recommending him to use his interest in his behalf; this was Jehoram the son of Ahab:
and he departed; set out on his journey immediately, as soon as he could conveniently:
and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold; partly for the expenses of his journey, and partly to make presents to the king of Israel's servants, and especially to the prophet; a talent of silver, according to BrerewoodF4De Ponder. & Pret. Vet. Num. c. 4. , was three hundred and seventy five pounds of our money; but, according to Bishop Cumberland'sF5Scripture Weights and Measures, c. 4. p. 120. exact calculation, it was three hundred and fifty and three pounds eleven shillings and ten and an half pence the pieces of gold are, by the Targum, called golden pence, and a golden penny, according to the first of the above writersF6Ut supra, (De Ponder. & Pret. Vet. Num.) c. 3. , was of the value of our money fifteen shillings; so that these amounted to 4500 pounds sterling:
and ten changes of raiment; both for his own use, and presents.
And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying,.... The contents of which were, so far as it concerned Naaman and his case, which are only observed, these:
now when this letter is come unto thee; was received by him:
behold, I have therewith sent Naaman my servant unto thee; the bearer of it:
that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy; meaning not he himself, but that he would recommend him to the care of a proper person, his prophet, and enjoin him to do the best he could for him; but the king of Israel mistook his meaning, as appears by what follows.
And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes,.... As one in great distress, being thrown into perplexity of mind by it, not knowing what to do; or, as some think, at the blasphemy he supposed to be in it, requiring that of him which only God could do:
and said, am I God, to kill and to make alive; or have the power of life and death, which only belongs to the Supreme Being:
that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy; for a leper was reckoned as one dead, his disease incurable, his flesh upon him being mortified by it, see Numbers 12:12 and therefore not supposed to be in the power of man, only of God, to cure; and therefore, in Israel, none had anything to do with the leper but the priest, in the name of God:
wherefore consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me; to pick a quarrel with him, in order to go to war with him as he supposed. This seems to have been spoken to his lords and courtiers about him.
And it was so, when Elisha the man of God had heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes,.... And upon what account:
that he sent to the king, saying, wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? and thereby expressed so much concern and distress:
let him come now to me: meaning Naaman the Syrian leper:
and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel; able in the name of the Lord to work miracles, which he should be sensible of and acknowledge, to the glory of the God of Israel, by the cure that should be wrought upon him; and hereby he taxed the king of Israel with ignorance or neglect of him as a prophet.
So Naaman came with his horses, and with his chariot,.... In his chariot drawn by horses; or "with horsemen and chariots", a great retinue, both for his own grandeur, and for the honour of the prophet, and to make him the more respectable by him:
and stood at the door of the house of Elisha; who now dwelt at Gilgal, as is probable, see 2 Kings 4:38, hither Naaman was directed, and here he stopped; and having sent a messenger to Elisha to acquaint him who he was, and what was his business, he stayed waiting for an answer.
And Elisha sent a messenger unto him,.... Or returned an answer by Naaman's messenger; he did not go out to him, choosing to be retired, as he commonly did; and being perhaps employed in prayer for the cure; and it may be also to show his contempt of or little regard he had to worldly grandeur and honour, as well as to mortify the pride of Naaman:
saying, go and wash in Jordan seven times; so, according to the law of the cleansing the leper, he was to be sprinkled seven times, and on the seventh day his flesh was to be bathed or dipped all over in water, which is meant by washing here, Leviticus 14:7.
and thy flesh shall come again to thee; which was eaten and consumed by the disease on him:
and thou shalt be clean; freed from this pollution, or filthy disease, with which he was defiled; for a leper was reckoned unclean, Leviticus 13:3.
But Naaman was wroth with him,.... On more accounts than one:
and went away; not to Jordan, but from the prophet's house, with an intention to return to his own country:
behold, I thought, he will surely come out to me this he said within himself, making no doubt of it but that he would show him so much respect and civility as to come out of his house to him, and converse with him, or invite him into it and not doing this was one thing made him wroth: and stand; he supposed that he would not only come out, but stand before him, as inferiors before their superiors in reverence, but instead of that he remained sitting within doors:
and call on the name of the Lord his God: he expected, that as he was a prophet of the Lord, that he would have prayed to him for the cure of him:
and strike his hand over the place; wave his hand to and fro, as the word signifies, over the place of the leprosy, as the Targum, over the place affected with it; or towards the place where he worshipped the Lord, as Ben Gersom, toward the temple at Jerusalem; or towards Jordan, the place where he bid him go and wash, as Abarbinel; but the first sense seems best: "and recover the leper"; meaning himself, heal him by the use of such means and rites.
Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel?.... Abana is, in the marginal reading, called Amana, and so the Targum; perhaps from the Mount Amana, from whence it sprung, a mountain in SyriaF7Tacit. Annal. l. 2. c. 83. , mentioned with Lebanon, Song of Solomon 4:8. This river is thought to be the Chrysorrhoas of PlinyF8Nat. Hist. l. 5. c. 18. , 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. MaundrellF9Journey from Aleppo, p. 122, 123. 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 thoughtF11Cartwright's Preacher's Travels, p. 7, 8. Hiller. Onomast. Sacr. p. 908. 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 TudelaF12Itinerar. p. 55. 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 ItalyF13Servius in Virgil. Aeneid. l. 7. p. 1243. :
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 giveF14Ben Gersom in loc. & R. Joseph Kimchi, & R. Jonah in Ben Melech in. loc. :
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.
And his servant came near, and spake unto him, and said, my father,.... Or my lord, as the Targum; this being not a familiar and affectionate expression, but a term of honour, reverence, and submission:
if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? something that was hard and difficult to done, or painful to bear, to go through some severe operation, or disagreeable course of physic:
how much rather then when he saith to thee, wash, and be clean? which is so easy to be done; though Abarbinel observes it may be interpreted, the prophet has bid thee do a great thing, and which is wonderful; for though he has said, wash and be clean, consider it a great thing, and which is a wonderful mystery, and therefore do not despise his cure.
Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God,.... He listened to the reasoning of his servant, and his passion subsided, and did as the prophet ordered him:
and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child; clear and fresh, soft and tender as an infant, quite new flesh:
and he was clean; from the leprosy, and all the filthy symptoms of it.
And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company,.... To give him thanks for the advice he had given him, and by him to give thanks to God for the cure he had received; for he was sensible it was from the Lord, his words show:
and came and stood before him; for being admitted into the prophet's house, instead of the prophet standing before him, as he before expected, he now stood before the prophet in veneration of him, and sensible of his obligation to him:
behold, now I know there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel; though he did not before, but his cure fully convinced him of it:
I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant; not a wish of health and happiness, which the prophet would not have refused, but a present; the Targum calls it an offering.
But he said, as the Lord liveth, before whom I stand,.... Whose minister and prophet he was, and by whom he swears:
I will receive none: to let him know that this cure was not to be attributed to him, but the Lord only; and that what concern he had in it was not for the sake of money, but for the glory of the God of Israel:
and he urged him to take it, but he refused it; Naaman was very pressing upon him to receive a gift from him, but he could not be prevailed upon to accept it.
And Naaman said, shall there not then, I pray thee, be given to thy servant two mules' burden of earth..... Not that he desired of Elisha that he would suffer his servant Gehazi to receive a present as much as two mules could carry; but inasmuch as the prophet refused a present from him, his servant, he asks a favour of him, that he would permit him to take with him, out of the land of Israel, as much earth two mules could carry, that is, to make an altar of earth, as the next words indicate: but as he might have this any where without the prophet's leave, some Jewish writersF15Ben Gersom & Abarbinel in loc. think he requested it from his own house, and from the place his feet trod on, as conceiving in a superstitious way that there was a sort of holiness in it; or however, that wheresoever he had it, if with the prophet's leave, a blessing would go with it, or that would be a sort of a consecration of it; and having an altar made of the earth of this land, would show that he was in the faith of the same God, and performed the same worship to him Israel did:
for thy servant will henceforth offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice unto other gods, but unto the Lord: hence the Jews say, he became a proselyte of righteousnessF16Shalshalet Hakabala, fol. 11. 2. , embraced the true religion, and the worship of the true God, according to the laws given to Israel; and the following words, rightly understood, confirm the same.
In this thing the Lord pardon thy servant,.... Which he next mentions, and on account of which he desires the prayers of Elisha for him, as the Vulgate Latin version; or it may be, this is a prayer of his own, put up at this time to the true Jehovah, in whom he believed:
that when my master: meaning the king of Syria:
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; the house of Rimmon was a temple of an idol of that name; what idol it was is not easy to say; the Septuagint version calls it Remman, thought by some to be the same with Remphan, Acts 7:43, a name of Saturn, said to be given him from a Greek word, which signifies to "wander"F17A ρεμβεσθαι "vagari", Hesychius. , he being placed among the wandering stars in the supreme heavens; which is not likely, for the word is certainly of a Syriac signification, and comes either from רום, which signifies "high", and so the same with Elioun, the Phoenician deity, called the most highF18Vid. Selden. de Dis Syris Syntagm. 2. c. 10. ; or, as "Rimmon" is used for a pomegranate, this is thought to design the Syrian goddess, to whom this sort of fruit was sacred; or Juno, whose statue, in her temple at MycenasF19Pausan. Corinthiac. sive, l. 2. p. 114. , had a pomegranate in one hand; or rather this Rimmon was Jupiter Cassius, so called from Mount Cassius, which divided Syria from Egypt, who is painted with his hand stretched out, and a pomegranate in itF20Achilles Tatius, l. 3. Vid. Reland. Palestin. Illustrat. tom. 2. p. 934. ; and may be the same with Caphtor, the father of the Caphtorim, Genesis 10:14 who might be deified after his death, their names, Rimmon and Caphtor, being of the same significationF21See Clayton's Origin of Hieroglyphics, p. 113. . But be this deity as it may, it was worshipped by the Syrians; and when the king of Syria went in to worship, he used to lean upon the hand of one of his officers, either being lame, or for state sake, in which office Naaman was; and his request to the prophet, or to the Lord, is, not for pardon for a sin to be committed; nor to be indulged in his continuance of it; not to worship the idol along with his master; nor to dissemble the worship of it, when he really worshipped it not; nor to be excused any evil in the discharge of his post and office; but for the pardon of the sin of idolatry he had been guilty of, of which he was truly sensible, now sincerely acknowledges, and desires forgiveness of; and so Dr. LightfootF23Works, vol. 1. p. 86. , and some othersF24Vid. Quenstedt. Dissert. de. Petit. Naaman. sect. 21, 22. , interpret it; and to this sense the words may be rendered:
when my master went in to the house of Rimmon to worship there; which was his usual custom; and he leaned on my hand, which was the common form in which he was introduced into it:
and I worshipped in the house of Rimmon, as his master did, for the same word is used here as before:
in as much, or seeing I have worshipped in the house of Rimmon, have been guilty of such gross idolatry:
the Lord, I pray, forgive thy servant in this thing; the language of a true penitent.
And he said unto him,.... That is, the prophet said to Naaman:
go in peace: in peace of mind; be assured that God has pardoned this and all other transgressions:
so he departed from him a little way; about a mile, as the Targum, and so other Jewish writers; of this phrase; see Gill on Genesis 35:16, some say a land's length, that is, about one hundred and twenty feet; rather it was a thousand cubits, or half a mile.
But Gehazi the servant of Elisha the man of God said,.... Within himself, observing what had passed:
behold, my master hath spared Naaman this Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought: he speaks contemptibly of Naaman, as an alien from the commonwealth of Israel, and reproaches his master for letting him go free, without paying for his cure; when he thought he should have taken what he brought and offered, and given it to needy Israelites, and especially to the sons of the prophets, that wanted it; and perhaps it mostly disturbed him, that he had no share of it himself:
but, as the Lord liveth, I will run after him, and take somewhat of him; the word for "somewhat", wanting a letter usually in it, is what is sometimes used for a blot; and Jarchi observes, that Gehazi taking something from Naaman, was a blot unto him, and indeed such an one that he could not wipe off.
So Gehazi followed after Naaman,.... As fast as he could:
and when Naaman saw him running after him; which he might observe, looking back, or be informed of by some of his servants:
he lighted down from the chariot to meet him; in honour to the prophet, whose servant he was:
and said, is all well? fearing something ill had befallen Elisha; or he himself had done something wrong, which occasioned the servant to run after him.
And he said, all is well,.... He need give himself no uneasiness at the coming and sight of him:
my master hath sent me, saying, behold, even now there be come to me; just then, since he departed from him:
from Mount Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets: where perhaps was a school of them:
give them, I pray thee, a talent of silver, and two changes of garments: which, as it was a downright lie, so highly improbable that Elisha should ask so large a sum of money, with two changes of raiment, for two young scholars, see 2 Kings 5:5 and which Naaman, with a little reflection, might have seen through; but his heart was so filled with gratitude for the benefit received, that he was glad of an opportunity, at any rate, of showing respect to the prophet.
And Naaman said, be content,.... Or be pleased; do not object to it:
take two talents: a talent for each young man, which amounted to between three hundred and four hundred pounds apiece:
and he urged; pressed him hard, insisted upon his taking them, who might pretend a great deal of modesty, and a strict regard to his master's orders:
and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of garments; for each young man:
and laid them upon two of his servants, the servants of Naaman, not choosing to burden Elisha's servant with them; for such a quantity of money and clothes was pretty heavy:
and they bare them before him; both for his ease, and for his honour.
And when he came to the tower,.... Of Samaria, or which was near it; a fortified place, and where was a watch, to whom he could safely commit the money and clothes:
he took them from their hand; not willing they should go any further with him, lest the affair should be discovered to his master:
and bestowed them in the house; deposited them there in the hands of some person whom he could trust; or laid them out, or ordered them to be laid out, in the purchase of houses, lands, vineyards, &c. see 2 Kings 5:26.
and he let the men go, and they departed; to their master.
But he went in, and stood before his master,.... To know his will, and minister to him, as he had used to do, and as if he had never been from the house:
and Elisha said unto him, whence comest thou, Gehazi? where had he been, and where was he last?
and he said, thy servant went no whither; he pretended he had never been out of doors, which was another impudent lie; one would have thought that he who had lived so long with the prophet, and had seen the miracles wrought by him, and knew with what a spirit of prophecy he was endowed, would never have ventured to tell such an untruth, since he might expect to be detected; but covetousness had blinded his eyes and hardened his heart.
And he said unto him, went not mine heart with thee?.... Did my heart or knowledge go from me, that what thou hast done should be hid from me? so Ben Gersom and others; or my heart did not go with thee, it was contrary to my mind and will what thou didst; so Abendana; or rather, as the Targum, by a spirit of prophecy it was shown unto me, &c. I knew full well what thou wentest for, and hast done; and so MaimonidesF25Moreh Nevochim, par. 1. c. 39. ; was not I employed in my thoughts? or, did I not think that so it was as thou hast done? I did:
when the man turned again from chariot to meet thee? meaning Naaman the Syrian:
is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments: as Gehazi had now done:
and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants? that is, to purchase those with the two talents of silver he had received, as he thought in his heart, or intended to do, as the Targum; or had given orders to purchase such for him to the persons to whom he had committed the care of them in the tower; this was not a proper time, when the honour of the prophet, and the credit of religion, and the good of this man, as a new proselyte, were in danger thereby.
The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever,.... As long as any of his race remained; as through his covetousness he had his money, so for his punishment he should have his disease:
and he went out from his presence; as one ashamed and confounded, and discharged from his master's service:
a leper as white as snow; a leprosy of which colour is the worst, and is incurable.