1Naaman, captain of the Syrian host, upon the report of a captive maid, cometh to Samaria to be cured of his leprosy. 8Elisha sendeth him to dip in Jordan, whereby he is healed. 15Naaman acknowledgeth the true God; cannot prevail on Elisha to accept his presents; asketh for earth; and is sent away in peace. 20Gehazi, Elisha's servant, by a lie obtaineth a present from Naaman, and is smitten with leprosy.
1NOW Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a 1great man with his 2master, 3and honourable, because by him the LORD had given 4deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper.
1 That is, of great power, in regard of his good qualities and valiant acts. Compare Exod. 11 on verse 3.
2 Namely, of the king of Syria. Also verses 4 and 18.
3 Hebr. exalted of face; that is, highly esteemed and regarded by all. Other, acceptable; according to a certain phrase or manner of speaking; of which see Gen. 32 on verse 20.
4 Namely, in distress of war, and common dangers of the land, by his wise counsel, and valiant acts.
25And the Syrians had gone out by 6companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she 7waited on Naaman's wife.
5 Or, The Syrians had marched forth by companies.
6 The Hebrew word signifies heaps, and assemblies of soldiers who make an incursion into a country to rob and to plunder. Also 1 Sam. 30:8; 2 Kings 13:21; 24:2.
7 Hebr. before the face of Naaman’s wife; that is, who waited on Naaman’s wife, or was a servant to her. Also, to stand before one’s face, is to serve him or wait on him; see Deut. 1 on verse 38; 1 Kings 1 on verse 2. Other, which was before the face of Naaman’s wife, that is, in her presence.
3And she said unto her mistress, Would Goda my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would 8recover him of his leprosy.
a Oh that!
8 Some perceive that this has regard to the separation of the lepers and their gathering unto the people when they were healed. See Num. 12 on verse 14. Also verses 6, 7, 11. Hebr. gather, which phrase, to gather one of, or from his leprosy, is as much as, to gather the leprosy on, that is, to take it away from him, because that which is gathered, is taken away from the place, from which it is gathered. See Psalm 26 on verse 9.
4And 9one went 10in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel.
9 Namely, Naaman, the Syrian, when these words of the Israelitish maid were told him.
10 Namely, unto the king, his lord.
5And the king of Syria said, Go to, go, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel. And he departed, and 11took 12with him 13ten talents of silver, and six thousand 14pieces of gold, and ten 15changes of raiment.
11 Namely, as a free-will present to honor the prophet therewith. See 1 Kings 14 on verse 3.
12 Hebr. in his hand. Compare 1 Sam. 9:8; 2 Sam. 8:10; 1 Kings 14:3; 2 Kings 8:8.
13 See of a talent, Exod. 25 on verse 39.
14 See of the value of a common shekel of gold, Gen. 24 on verse 22; Num. 7 on verse 14.
15 See Gen. 45 on verse 22.
6And 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 16recover him of his leprosy.
16 Namely, by means of your prophet Elisha, as a man may judge that this was his opinion by what was related in verse 4; but the king of Israel understood this thus, as if he himself in his own person were charged by the letter, to cure prince Naaman of his leprosy, as appears by the following verse.
7And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and said, Amb 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 17seeketh a quarrel against me.
b Deut. 32:39; 1 Sam. 2:6.
17 Namely, to make war against me, if I do not cure this Naaman: for he knows right well that it is not in my power to do it.
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, 18Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.
18 Intimating, that he ought not for this cause to have rent his clothes, but rather to have asked counsel of the Lord by him. Compare 2 Kings 1:6, 16.
9So Naaman came with his horses and with 19his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha.
19 Or, his wagons. For the singular number with this word, in such an act as this, is often taken for the plural; as Gen. 50:9; 1 Kings 1:5; 10:26; Isa. 37:24.
10And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan 20seven times, and thy flesh shall 21come again to thee, and 22thou shalt be clean.
20 Neither the Jordan, nor the seven-fold washing had the virtue to cure the leprosy, but only the power of God, Who was pleased to work by those means.
21 Namely, which by leprosy is removed and wasted away from thee.
22 Hebr. be thou clean, that is, thou shalt surely be clean. Also verse 13.
11But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, 23I thought, He 24will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and 25strike his hand over the place, and recover 26the leper.
23 Other, I said, he will surely come out to me, etc.
24 Hebr. coming out, come out.
25 Hebr. move.
26 That is, cure me of my leprosy. Other, that which is leprous, that is, take away the leprosy. See on verse 3.
12Are not 27Abana and 28Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? 29may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.
27 Otherwise called Amana, and by historians Adonis.
28 In histories called Orontes.
29 He thought that the virtue of the water could cure him, whereas it was but a sign and means of the promised cure.
13And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, 30My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some 31great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?
30 This is an appellation of reverence, love and fear, which inferiors are wont to give to their superiors, when they carry themselves indeed as fathers. Compare the annotation Gen. 41 on verse 43.
31 That is, had bid thee do some difficult thing.
14Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: andc his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
c Luke 4:27.
15¶And he returned to the man of God, he and 32all 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 33blessing of thy servant.
32 Hebr. all his camp. Understand hereby all those whom he had taken along with him in the journey, which were for multitude as an army.
33 That is, gift, present. See Gen. 33 on verse 11.
16But he said, As the LORD liveth, 34before whom I stand, 35I will receive none. And he urged him to take it; but he refused.
34 That is, Whom I serve. See Deut. 10 on verse 8.
35 Understand with this, the Lord punish me, for in oaths the Hebrews did commonly conceal this punishment. See Gen. 14 on verse 23.
17And Naaman said, 36Shall there not then, I pray thee, be 37given to 38thy servant 39two mules’ burden of earth? for thy servant will henceforth offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice unto other gods, but unto the LORD.
36 That is, if you will not receive my gifts, grant me at least another request, which I intend now to put up unto you. See the similar phrase, 2 Sam. 13:26.
37 He requests two things of the prophet: I. to carry some quantity of the country’s earth along with him into Syria, to build an altar therewith, on which he might offer sacrifice unto the Lord; II. that he might be pardoned, when he would be present in the house of the idol Rimmon to wait upon his lord there, whereby indeed he demonstrates a good intention to serve the true God, but not according to knowledge, thinking that one kind of earth was holier than another, and that one might offer sacrifice to God in any other place, as well as in Jerusalem, and praying for pardon of that which could not be done, without wounding his own conscience, and offending others.
38 That is, to me, who do owe thee service.
39 That is, as much as two mules are able to carry at once.
18In this thing the LORD pardon thy servant, that when 40my master goeth into the house of 41Rimmon to 42worship there, and he leaneth on my hand, and I 43bow myself in the house of Rimmon: when I bow down myself in the house of Rimmon, the LORD 44pardon thy servant in this thing.
40 Namely, the king of Syria, also verses 1, 4.
41 The name of an idol, which the Syrians worshipped.
42 Namely, to bow in adoration.
43 Not to worship the idol or to perform any religious honor or service unto it, but to wait and attend upon his king who leaned on his hand, when he bowed himself down before his idol; for which cause Naaman was also constrained to bow himself.
44 He then knew full well, that bowing down before idols, though it is not done to their honor, cannot be done or performed without sin.
19And he said unto him, 45Go in peace. So he departed from him a 46little way.
45 The prophet, without answering hereby to his request or consenting to it, wishes him only the blessing of the Lord. The 18th verse may be thus also suitably translated, according to the Hebrew text: The LORD pardon thy servant in this thing, when my Lord has gone into the house of Rimmon to bow down himself there, and he has leaned on mine hand, and I have bowed down myself in the house of Rimmon; when I have thus also bowed down myself in the house of Rimmon, the LORD now pardon thy servant in this thing: speaking thus not of the future, but of the past, of which he desires pardon. See a similar answer, 1 Sam. 1:17.
46 See Gen. 35 on verse 16.
20¶But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, 47said, 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.
47 Namely, within himself, as verse 11 and Gen. 20 on verse 11.
21So Gehazi followed after Naaman. And when Naaman saw him running after him, he 48lighted down from the chariot to meet him, and said, 49Is all well?
48 That is, with all speed he stepped down from it. Compare Gen. 24:64. Likewise, Joshua 15:18; Judges 1:14.
49 Hebr. is it peace? See 2 Kings 4 on verse 26, and so in the sequel.
22And 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.
23And 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.
24And when he came 50to the tower, he took them from their hand, and 51bestowed them in the house: and he let the men go, and they departed.
50 An high place or hill, situated not far from Samaria, where Elisha now dwelt.
51 Or, laid them away, or, gave them to be kept.
25But he went in, and stood before his master. And Elisha said unto him, Whence comest thou, Gehazi? And he said, Thy servant went nod whither.
d nowhere
26And he said unto him, 52Went 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, 53and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants?
52 As if he would say, Has not the Lord acquainted me in the spirit, and showed me in a vision, whither thou wentest, what thou hast spoken and done and received, as if I myself had been there present in person, and had seen all with mine own eyes?
53 That is, thou didst intend to buy these things with this silver.
2754The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. And he wente out from his presence a leper as white 55as snow.
54 That is, the leprosy that Naaman has had, shall come upon thee, and upon thy children, for an example of the just punishment of God for covetousness, simony, and lies.
e Num. 12:10; 2 Chron. 26:19, 20.
55 That is, of leprosy as white as snow. See Num. 12 on verse 10.