Naaman Seeks Healing
Study note
Naaman was the commander of the entire Syrian army. He was a great warrior, highly respected by the king of Syria. But he had a serious skin disease, often translated as leprosy. A young Israelite girl who had been captured in a raid and now served Naaman's wife suggested he visit the prophet in Samaria. The king of Syria sent Naaman to the king of Israel with a letter and an enormous gift of silver, gold, and clothing. The king of Israel was terrified, thinking Syria was picking a fight.
1 Naaman was the top general of the Syrian army. His king thought very highly of him because God had used Naaman to win great battles for Syria. He was a brave and powerful warrior, but he suffered from a terrible skin disease. Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him the LORD had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper.
2 During one of their raids into Israel, Syrian soldiers had kidnapped a young Israelite girl. She came to be as a servant for Naaman's wife. 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 The girl told her mistress, "If only my master could visit the prophet in Samaria! That prophet could cure his skin disease." 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 Naaman went to the king of Syria and told him what the Israelite girl had said. And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel.
5 The king of Syria replied, "Then go! I will write a letter of introduction to the king of Israel." Naaman headed out, bringing about 750 pounds of silver, 150 pounds of gold, and ten sets of fine clothing. 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 He delivered the letter to Israel's king. It read, "I am sending my officer Naaman to you so you can cure his skin disease." 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 When Israel's king read the letter, he ripped his clothes in frustration. He said, "Does he think I am God, with the power to kill or heal? He sends me this man and expects me to cure his skin disease! He is clearly picking a fight with me!" 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.
Naaman Is Healed
Study note
Elisha heard about the king of Israel's panic and sent word to bring Naaman to him. When Naaman arrived with all his horses and chariots, Elisha did not even come out to meet him. Instead, he sent a messenger telling Naaman to wash seven times in the Jordan River. Naaman was furious. He expected a dramatic ceremony and thought the rivers of Damascus were better than the Jordan. His servants wisely convinced him to obey the simple instruction. When he dipped in the Jordan the seventh time, his skin became clean like a child's.
8 When Elisha heard that the king had torn his clothes, he sent him a message: "Why are you so worked up? Send Naaman to me, and he will discover that Israel truly has a prophet." 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 Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stood outside the door of Elisha's house. So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha.
10 Elisha did not even come out. He sent a servant with this instruction: "Go wash yourself seven times in the Jordan River, and your skin disease will be gone. You will be completely healed." 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 Naaman stormed off in anger. He fumed, "I expected him to come out personally, stand before me, pray to the Lord his God, wave his hand over the diseased area, and heal me!" 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 "Besides, the rivers back home in Damascus -- the Abana and the Pharpar -- are much better than any river in Israel! Why could I not wash in one of them to get clean?" He turned and marched away in a rage. 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 But his servants approached him carefully. They said, "Sir, if the prophet had asked you to do something hard, you would have done it without question. So why not do this simple thing he asked? He only said, 'Wash and be healed.'" 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 So Naaman went down and dipped himself in the Jordan River seven times, following Elisha's instructions exactly. His skin became perfectly healthy -- as smooth and fresh as a little child's skin. 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.
Naaman's New Faith
Study note
Naaman returned to Elisha a changed man. He declared that there was no God in all the earth except in Israel. He tried to give Elisha a gift, but the prophet refused, showing that God's healing cannot be bought. Naaman asked for two cartloads of Israelite dirt to take home so he could worship the God of Israel on Israelite soil. He also asked for forgiveness in advance for the times he would have to bow in the temple of the Syrian god Rimmon while helping his elderly king. Elisha told him to go in peace.
15 Naaman returned to Elisha with all his servants. He stood before the prophet and declared, "Now I know for certain that there is no real God anywhere on earth except the God of Israel. Please accept a gift from me." 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 Elisha answered, "I serve the living Lord, and I swear by his name -- I will not take a thing." Naaman tried to talk him into it, but Elisha refused. 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 Naaman said, "Then at least let me load two of my mules with soil from this land to take home. From today on, I will only offer sacrifices and worship the Lord. I will never pray to any other god." 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 "But please forgive me for one thing: when my king goes to worship at his god Rimmon's temple and leans on my arm, I have to bow along with him. Please ask the Lord to overlook this." 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 Elisha told him, "Go home without worry." Naaman left and had only traveled a short way. And he said unto him, Go in peace. So he departed from him a little way.
Gehazi's Greed and Punishment
Study note
After Naaman left, Elisha's servant Gehazi decided to chase after the Syrian and get some of the gifts Elisha had refused. He made up a lie, saying Elisha had sent him to collect silver and clothing for two young prophets. Naaman was happy to give even more than Gehazi asked for. Gehazi hid the goods and returned to Elisha, pretending he had gone nowhere. But Elisha knew exactly what had happened through God's revelation. As punishment, Naaman's skin disease was transferred to Gehazi and his family forever.
20 But Gehazi, who served Elisha, thought to himself, "My master made it too easy on that Syrian by refusing his gifts! I swear by the Lord's name, I am going to chase him down and get something out of him." 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 Gehazi took off running after Naaman. When Naaman noticed someone chasing him, he climbed down from his chariot and asked, "Is something wrong?" 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 Gehazi lied, "Everything is fine. My master sent me with a message. He said, 'Two young prophets appeared from the hill country of Ephraim. Could you give them 75 pounds of silver and two changes of clothing?'" 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 Naaman insisted, "Please, take 150 pounds!" He packed 150 pounds of silver into two bags along with two sets of clothing and gave them to two of his servants, who carried them ahead of Gehazi. 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 When they reached the hill near Elisha's house, Gehazi took the gifts from the servants and stashed them inside. Then he sent the men on their way. 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 He went in and stood before Elisha, who asked, "Where did you go, Gehazi?" He lied, "I did not go anywhere." 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 Elisha replied, "My spirit was there watching when that man stepped down from his chariot to greet you. Is now truly the time to grab money and clothes? Next you will want olive orchards, vineyards, sheep, cattle, and servants!" 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 "Because of this, Naaman's skin disease will cling to you and your family line forever." When Gehazi walked out, his skin was already white as snow with the disease. 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.