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
Then they said H559 one H376 to another, H7453 We do H6213 not well: this day H3117 is a day H3117 of good tidings, H1309 and we hold our peace: H2814 if we tarry H2442 till the morning H1242 light, H216 some mischief H5771 will come H4672 upon us: now therefore come, H3212 that we may go H935 and tell H5046 the king's H4428 household. H1004 So they came H935 and called H7121 unto the porter H7778 of the city: H5892 and they told H5046 them, saying, H559 We came H935 to the camp H4264 of the Syrians, H758 and, behold, there was no man H376 there, neither voice H6963 of man, H120 but horses H5483 tied, H631 and asses H2543 tied, H631 and the tents H168 as they were. And he called H7121 the porters; H7778 and they told H5046 it to the king's H4428 house H1004 within. H6441
Howbeit G1161 Jesus G2424 suffered G863 him G846 not, G3756 but G235 saith G3004 unto him, G846 Go G5217 home G1519 G3624 G4675 to G4314 thy friends, G4674 and G2532 tell G312 them G846 how great things G3745 the Lord G2962 hath done G4160 for thee, G4671 and G2532 hath had compassion G1653 on thee. G4571
Now G1161 when Jesus was risen G450 early G4404 the first G4413 day of the week, G4521 he appeared G5316 first G4412 to Mary G3137 Magdalene, G3094 out of G575 whom G3739 he had cast G1544 seven G2033 devils. G1140 And she G1565 went G4198 and told G518 them that had been G1096 with G3326 him, G846 as they mourned G3996 and G2532 wept. G2799
And G2532 he brought G71 him G846 to G4314 Jesus. G2424 And G1161 when Jesus G2424 beheld G1689 him, G846 he said, G2036 Thou G4771 art G1488 Simon G4613 the son G5207 of Jona: G2495 thou G4771 shalt be called G2564 Cephas, G2786 which G3739 is by interpretation, G2059 A stone. G4074 The day following G1887 Jesus G2424 would G2309 go forth G1831 into G1519 Galilee, G1056 and G2532 findeth G2147 Philip, G5376 and G2532 saith G3004 unto him, G846 Follow G190 me. G3427 Now G1161 Philip G5376 was G2258 of G575 Bethsaida, G966 the city G4172 of G1537 Andrew G406 and G2532 Peter. G4074 Philip G5376 findeth G2147 Nathanael, G3482 and G2532 saith G3004 unto him, G846 We have found G2147 him, of whom G3739 Moses G3475 in G1722 the law, G3551 and G2532 the prophets, G4396 did write, G1125 Jesus G2424 of G575 Nazareth, G3478 the son G5207 of Joseph. G2501 And G2532 Nathanael G3482 said G2036 unto him, G846 Can G1410 there any G5100 good thing G18 come G1511 out of G1537 Nazareth? G3478 Philip G5376 saith G3004 unto him, G846 Come G2064 and G2532 see. G1492
The woman G1135 then G3767 left G863 her G846 waterpot, G5201 and G2532 went her way G565 into G1519 the city, G4172 and G2532 saith G3004 to the men, G444 Come, G1205 see G1492 a man, G444 which G3739 told G2036 me G3427 all things G3956 that ever G3745 I did: G4160 is G2076 not G3385 this G3778 the Christ? G5547
For G1063 ye see G991 your G5216 calling, G2821 brethren, G80 how that G3754 not G3756 many G4183 wise men G4680 after G2596 the flesh, G4561 not G3756 many G4183 mighty, G1415 not G3756 many G4183 noble, G2104 are called: But G235 God G2316 hath chosen G1586 the foolish things G3474 of the world G2889 to G2443 confound G2617 the wise; G4680 and G2532 God G2316 hath chosen G1586 the weak things G772 of the world G2889 to G2443 confound G2617 the things which are mighty; G2478
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on 2 Kings 5
Commentary on 2 Kings 5 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 5
2Ki 5:1-7. Naaman's Leprosy.
1. Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master—highly esteemed for his military character and success.
and honourable—rather, "very rich."
but he was a leper—This leprosy, which, in Israel, would have excluded him from society, did not affect his free intercourse in the court of Syria.
2-5. a little maid—who had been captured in one of the many predatory incursions which were then made by the Syrians on the northern border of Israel (see 1Sa 30:8; 2Ki 13:21; 24:2). By this young Hebrew slave of his wife, Naaman's attention was directed to the prophet of Israel, as the person who would remove his leprosy. Naaman, on communicating the matter to his royal master, was immediately furnished with a letter to the king of Israel, and set out for Samaria, carrying with him, as an indispensable preliminary in the East, very costly presents.
5. ten talents of silver—£3421; 6000 shekels of gold; a large sum of uncertain value.
ten changes of raiment—splendid dresses, for festive occasions—the honor being thought to consist not only in the beauty and fineness of the material, but on having a variety to put on one after another, in the same night.
7. when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes—According to an ancient practice among the Eastern people, the main object only was stated in the letter that was carried by the party concerned, while other circumstances were left to be explained at the interview. This explains Jehoram's burst of emotion—not horror at supposed blasphemy, but alarm and suspicion that this was merely made an occasion for a quarrel. Such a prince as he was would not readily think of Elisha, or, perhaps, have heard of his miraculous deeds.
2Ki 5:8-15. Elisha Sends Him to Jordan, and He Is Healed.
8-12. when Elisha the man of God had heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, … let him come now to me—This was the grand and ultimate object to which, in the providence of God, the journey of Naaman was subservient. When the Syrian general, with his imposing retinue, arrived at the prophet's house, Elisha sent him a message to "go and wash in Jordan seven times." This apparently rude reception to a foreigner of so high dignity incensed Naaman to such a degree that he resolved to depart, scornfully boasting that the rivers of Damascus were better than all the waters of Israel.
11. strike his hand over the place—that is, wave it over the diseased parts of his body. It was anciently, and still continues to be, a very prevalent superstition in the East that the hand of a king, or person of great reputed sanctity, touching, or waved over a sore, will heal it.
12. Abana and Pharpar—the Barrady and one of its five tributaries—uncertain which. The waters of Damascus are still highly extolled by their inhabitants for their purity and coldness.
14. Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan—Persuaded by his calmer and more reflecting attendants to try a method so simple and easy, he followed their instructions, and was cured. The cure was performed on the basis of God's covenant with Israel, by which the land, and all pertaining to it, was blessed. Seven was the symbol of the covenant [Keil].
2Ki 5:15-19. Elisha Refuses Naaman's Gifts.
15, 16. he returned to the man of God—After the miraculous cure, Naaman returned to Elisha, to whom he acknowledged his full belief in the sole supremacy of the God of Israel and offered him a liberal reward. But to show that he was not actuated by the mercenary motives of the heathen priests and prophets, Elisha, though he accepted presents on other occasions (2Ki 4:42), respectfully but firmly declined them on this, being desirous that the Syrians should see the piety of God's servants, and their superiority to all worldly and selfish motives in promoting the honor of God and the interests of true religion.
17. two mules' burden of earth—with which to make an altar (Ex 20:24) to the God of Israel. What his motive or his purpose was in this proposal—whether he thought that God could be acceptably worshipped only on his own soil; or whether he wished, when far away from the Jordan, to have the earth of Palestine to rub himself with, which the Orientals use as a substitute for water; or whether, by making such a request of Elisha, he thought the prophet's grant of it would impart some virtue; or whether, like the modern Jews and Mohammedans, he resolved to have a portion of this holy earth for his nightly pillow—it is not easy to say. It is not strange to find such notions in so newly a converted heathen.
18. goeth into the house of Rimmon—a Syrian deity; probably the sun, or the planetary system, of which a pomegranate (Hebrew, Rimmon) was the symbol.
leaneth on my hand—that is, meaning the service which Naaman rendered as the attendant of his sovereign. Elisha's prophetic commission not extending to any but the conversion of Israel from idolatry, he makes no remark, either approving or disapproving, on the declared course of Naaman, but simply gives the parting benediction (2Ki 5:19).
2Ki 5:20-27. Gehazi, by a Lie, Obtains a Present, but Is Smitten with Leprosy.
20-25. I will run after him, and take somewhat of him—The respectful courtesy to Elisha, shown in the person of his servant, and the open-handed liberality of his gifts, attest the fulness of Naaman's gratitude; while the lie—the artful management is dismissing the bearers of the treasure, and the deceitful appearance before his master, as if he had not left the house—give a most unfavorable impression of Gehazi's character.
23. in two bags—People in the East, when travelling, have their money, in certain sums, put up in bags.
27. leper as white as snow—(See on Le 13:3). This heavy infliction was not too severe for the crime of Gehazi. For it was not the covetousness alone that was punished; but, at the same time, it was the ill use made of the prophet's name to gain an object prompted by a mean covetousness, and the attempt to conceal it by lying [Keil].