2 Kings 5:1-14

Naaman Healed of Leprosy

1 Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the LORD had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy.^[a]

2 Now bands of raiders from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife.

3 She said to her mistress, “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.”

4 Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said.

5 “By all means, go,” the king of Aram replied. “I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents^[b] of silver, six thousand shekels^[c] of gold and ten sets of clothing.

6 The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: “With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy.”

7 As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said, “Am I God? Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!”

8 When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: “Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.”

9 So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house.

10 Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, “Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.”

11 But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy.

12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?” So he turned and went off in a rage.

13 Naaman’s servants went to him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’!”

14 So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.

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2 Kings 5:1-14 Meaning and Commentary

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, 2Ki 5:1-8, 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, 2Ki 5:9-14, upon which he returned to Elisha, and offered him a present, which he refused, 2Ki 5:15-19 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, 2Ki 5:20-27.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 19

1. S Genesis 10:22; S 2 Samuel 10:19
2. S Exodus 4:6; S Numbers 12:10; Luke 4:27
3. 2 Kings 6:23; 2 Kings 13:20; 2 Kings 24:2
4. S Genesis 20:7
5. ver 22; S Genesis 24:53; Judges 14:12; S 1 Samuel 9:7
6. 2 Kings 19:14
7. S Genesis 30:2
8. S Deuteronomy 32:39; 1 Samuel 2:6
9. 1 Kings 20:7
10. S 1 Kings 22:7
11. John 9:7
12. S Genesis 33:3; S Leviticus 14:7
13. S Exodus 7:19
14. Isaiah 8:6
15. Proverbs 14:17,29; Proverbs 19:11; Proverbs 29:11
16. 2 Kings 6:21; 2 Kings 13:14
17. S Genesis 33:3; S Leviticus 14:7; S Joshua 6:15
18. S Exodus 4:7
19. Job 33:25; Luke 4:27

Footnotes 3

[a]. The Hebrew for "leprosy" was used for various diseases affecting the skin; also in verses 3, 6, 7, 11 and 27.
[b]. That is, about 750 pounds or about 340 kilograms
[c]. That is, about 150 pounds or about 69 kilograms