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2 Kings Chapter
Five
New King James Version (NKJV)
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.
2 Kings 5:1 Now
Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great and honorable
man in the eyes of his master, because by him the Lord had given
victory to Syria. He was also a mighty man of valor, but a leper.
YLT
1And 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.
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.
2 Kings 5:2 2 And the Syrians had gone
out on raids, and had brought back captive a young girl from the land of
Israel. She waited on Naaman’s wife.
YLT
2And 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,
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.
2 Kings 5:3 3 Then she said to her
mistress, “If only my master were with the prophet who is in
Samaria! For he would heal him of his leprosy.”
YLT
3and 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.'
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.
2 Kings 5:4 4 And Naaman went in
and told his master, saying, “Thus and thus said the girl who is from
the land of Israel.”
YLT
4And [one] goeth in and
declareth to his lord, saying, `Thus and thus she hath spoken, the damsel who
[is] from the land of Israel.'
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.
2 Kings 5:5 5 Then the king of Syria
said, “Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So he departed
and took with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold,
and ten changes of clothing.
YLT
5And 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.
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.
2 Kings 5:6 6 Then he brought the letter
to the king of Israel, which said, Now be advised, when this letter comes to
you, that I have sent Naaman my servant to you, that you may heal him of his
leprosy.
YLT
6And 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.'
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.
2 Kings 5:7 7 And it happened, when the
king of Israel read the letter, that he tore his clothes and said, “Am I
God, to kill and make alive, that this man sends a man to me to heal him of his
leprosy? Therefore please consider, and see how he seeks a quarrel with me.”
YLT
7And 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.'
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.
2 Kings 5:8 8 So it was, 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? Please let him come to me,
and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.”
YLT
8And 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.'
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.
2 Kings 5:9 9 Then Naaman went with his
horses and chariot, and he stood at the door of Elisha’s house.
YLT
9And Naaman cometh, with his
horses and with his chariot, and standeth at the opening of the house for
Elisha;
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.
2 Kings 5:10 10 And Elisha sent a
messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your
flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean.”
YLT
10and 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.
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.
2 Kings 5:11 11 But Naaman became furious,
and went away and said, “Indeed, I said to myself, ‘He will surely come out to
me, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and
wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.’
YLT
11And 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.
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.
2 Kings 5:12 12 Are
not the Abanah[a] and the
Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I
not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage.
YLT
12Are 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.
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.
2 Kings 5:13 13 And his servants came near
and spoke to him, and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to
do something great, would you not have done it? How much more then,
when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?”
YLT
13And 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.'
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.
2 Kings 5:14 14 So he went down and dipped
seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his
flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
YLT
14And 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.
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.
2 Kings 5:15 15 And he returned to the man
of God, he and all his aides, and came and stood before him; and he said,
“Indeed, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in
Israel; now therefore, please take a gift from your servant.”
YLT
15And 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.'
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.
2 Kings 5:16 16 But he said, “As
the Lord
lives, before whom I stand, I will receive nothing.” And he urged him to take it,
but he refused.
YLT
16And he saith, `Jehovah
liveth, before whom I have stood -- if I take [it];' and he presseth on him to
take, and he refuseth.
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.
2 Kings 5:17 17 So Naaman said, “Then, if
not, please let your servant be given two mule-loads of earth; for your servant
will no longer offer either burnt offering or sacrifice to other gods, but to
the Lord.
YLT
17And 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.
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.
2 Kings 5:18 18 Yet in this thing may the Lord pardon your
servant: when my master goes into the temple of Rimmon to worship there, and he
leans on my hand, and I bow down in the temple of Rimmon—when I bow down in the
temple of Rimmon, may the Lord please pardon your
servant in this thing.”
YLT
18For 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.'
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.
2 Kings 5:19 19 Then he said to him, “Go
in peace.” So he departed from him a short distance.
YLT
19And he saith to him, `Go in
peace.' And he goeth from him a kibrath of land,
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.
2 Kings 5:20 20 But Gehazi, the servant of
Elisha the man of God, said, “Look, my master has spared Naaman this Syrian,
while not receiving from his hands what he brought; but as the Lord lives, I will
run after him and take something from him.”
YLT
20And 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.'
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.
2 Kings 5:21 21 So Gehazi pursued Naaman.
When Naaman saw him running after him, he got down from the chariot to
meet him, and said, “Is all well?”
YLT
21And 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?'
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.
2 Kings 5:22 22 And he said, “All is
well. My master has sent me, saying, ‘Indeed, just now two young men of the
sons of the prophets have come to me from the mountains of Ephraim. Please give
them a talent of silver and two changes of garments.’”
YLT
22And 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.'
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.
2 Kings 5:23 23 So Naaman said, “Please,
take two talents.” And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two
bags, with two changes of garments, and handed them to two of his
servants; and they carried them on ahead of him.
YLT
23And 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;
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.
2 Kings 5:24 24 When he came to the
citadel, he took them from their hand, and stored them away in
the house; then he let the men go, and they departed.
YLT
24and 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.
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.
2 Kings 5:25 25 Now he went in and stood
before his master. Elisha said to him, “Where did you go, Gehazi?” And
he said, “Your servant did not go anywhere.”
YLT
25And 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.'
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.
2 Kings 5:26 26 Then he said to him, “Did
not my heart go with you when the man turned back from his chariot to
meet you? Is it time to receive money and to receive clothing, olive
groves and vineyards, sheep and oxen, male and female servants?
YLT
26And 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?
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.
2 Kings 5:27 27 Therefore the leprosy of
Naaman shall cling to you and your descendants forever.” And he went out from
his presence leprous, as white as snow.
YLT
27yea, 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.
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.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)