Bible Commentaries

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

2 Kings 5

Introduction

1  Naaman, by the report of a captive maid, is sent to Samaria to be cured of his leprosy.
8  Elisha, sending him to Jordan cures him.
15  He refusing Naaman's gifts grants him some of the earth.
20  Gehazi, abusing his master's name unto Naaman, is smitten with leprosy.
Verse 1

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.
A. M. 3110. B.C. 894. Naaman
Luke 4:27
a great
4:8, Exodus 11:3, Esther 9:4, 10:3
with
Heb. before. honourable. or, gracious. Heb. lifted up, or accepted in countenance. by him.
Proverbs 21:31, Isaiah 10:5,6, Jeremiah 27:5,6, Deuteronomy 2:37, John 19:11, Romans 15:18
deliverance
or, victory. a leper.
27, 7:3, Leviticus 13:2,3,44-46, Numbers 12:10-12, 2 Samuel 3:29, 2 Chronicles 26:19-23, 2 Corinthians 12:7
Verse 2

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.
by companies
6:23, 13:20, Judges 9:34, 1 Samuel 13:17,18
waited on
Heb. was before.
Psalms 123:2
Verse 3

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.
Would God
Numbers 11:29, Acts 26:29, 1 Corinthians 4:8
with
Heb. before. he would.
8, Matthew 8:2,3, 11:5, Luke 17:12-14
recover him of
Heb. gather in.
Verse 4

And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel.
and told his lord
7:9-11, Mark 5:19, 16:9,10, John 1:42-46, 4:28,29, 1 Corinthians 1:26,27
Verse 5

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.
Go to, go
Genesis 11:3,7, Ecclesiastes 2:1, Isaiah 5:5, James 4:13, 5:1
and took
8:8,9, Numbers 22:7,17,18, 24:11-13, 1 Samuel 9:8, 1 Kings 13:7, 22:3, Acts 8:18-20
with him
Heb. in his hand. ten talents of silver. This, at 353£. 11s. 10®d. the talent, would amount to 3,535£. 18s. 9d.
six thousand
If shekels are meant, as the Arabic reads, then this, at 1£. 16s. 5d. each, will amount to 10,925£.; and the whole to 14,464£. 18s. 9d.: besides the value of the ten changes of raiment.
ten changes
Genesis 45:22, Judges 14:12, James 5:2,3
Verse 7

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.
that he rent
11:14, 18:37, 19:1, Numbers 14:6, Jeremiah 36:24, Matthew 26:65, Acts 14:14
Am I God
Genesis 30:2, Deuteronomy 32:29, 1 Samuel 2:6, Daniel 2:11, Hosea 6:1
see how
1 Kings 20:7, Luke 11:54
Verse 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, Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.
rent his clothes
7, 2 Samuel 3:31
let him come
3,15, 1:6, 1 Kings 17:24, 18:36,37
and he shall
Exodus 11:8, Romans 11:13, Ezekiel 2:5, Hosea 12:13
Verse 9

So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha.
3:12, 6:32, Isaiah 60:14, Acts 16:29,30,37-39
Verse 10

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.
sent a messenger
Matthew 15:23-26
wash
2:21, 3:16, 4:41, John 9:7, 1 Corinthians 6:11
seven times
Leviticus 14:7,16,51, 16:14,19, Numbers 19:4,19, Joshua 6:4,13-16
thy flesh
14, Exodus 4:6,7
Verse 11

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.
Naaman
Proverbs 13:10, Matthew 8:8, 15:27, Luke 14:11
went away
Proverbs 1:32, Matthew 19:22, John 6:66-69, 13:20, Hebrews 12:25
Behold
Proverbs 3:7, Isaiah 55:8,9, John 4:48, 1 Corinthians 1:21-25, 2:14-16, 3:18-20
I thought, etc
Heb. I said, etc. or, I said with myself, He will surely come out, etc. strike. Heb. move up and down.
Verse 12

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.
Abana and Pharpar
or, Amana. This river is evidently the Barrada, or Barda, as the Arabic renders, the Chrysorrhoas of the Greeks, which taking its rise in Antilibanus, runs eastward towards Damascus, where it is divided into three streams, one of which passes through the city, and the other two through the gardens; which reuniting at the east of the city, forms a lake about five or six leagues to the south-east, called Behairat el Marj, or, Lake of the Meadow. Pharpar was probably one of the branches.
better
17, 2:8,14, Joshua 3:15-17, Ezekiel 47:1-8, Zechariah 13:1, 14:8, Mark 1:9
Verse 13

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?
his servants
3, 1 Samuel 25:14-17, 1 Kings 20:23,31, Job 32:8,9, Jeremiah 38:7-10
My father
2:12, 6:21, 13:14, Genesis 41:43, Malachi 1:6, Matthew 23:9, 1 Corinthians 4:15
how much rather
1 Corinthians 1:21,27
Wash
10, Psalms 51:2,7, Isaiah 1:16, John 13:8, Acts 22:16, Ephesians 5:26,27, Titus 3:5, Hebrews 10:22, 1 Peter 3:21, Revelation 7:14
Verse 14

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.
went he down
Job 31:13, Proverbs 9:9, 25:11,12, Ezekiel 47:1-9, Zechariah 13:1, 14:8
according to
2 Chronicles 20:20, John 2:5, Hebrews 11:7,8
his flesh
10, Job 33:25
and he was clean
Luke 4:27, 5:13, Titus 2:14
Verse 15

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.
he returned
Luke 17:15-18
now I know
8, Joshua 2:9-11, 9:9,24, 1 Samuel 17:46,47, 1 Kings 18:36, Isaiah 43:10,11, Isaiah 44:6,8, 45:6, Jeremiah 10:10,11, 16:19-21, Daniel 2:47, 3:29, 4:34, Daniel 6:26,27, Romans 10:10
a blessing
Genesis 33:11, 1 Samuel 25:27, 2 Corinthians 9:5
Verse 16

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.
As the Lord
3:14, 1 Kings 17:1, 18:15
I will receive
20,26, Genesis 14:22,23, 1 Kings 13:8, Daniel 5:17, Matthew 10:8, Acts 8:18-20, Acts 20:33-35, 1 Corinthians 6:12, 10:32,33, 2 Corinthians 11:9,10, 12:14
Verse 17

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.
of earth
12, Romans 14:1
will henceforth
Acts 26:18, 1 Thessalonians 1:9, 1 Peter 4:3
Verse 18

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.
and he leaneth
This verse should probably, as many learned men have supposed, be read in the past, and not in the future tense: "In this thing the Lord pardon thy servant, that when my master went into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leaned on my hand, and I worshipped in the house of Rimmon; in that I have worshipped in the house of Rimmon, the Lord pardon thy servant in this thing." Rimmon is supposed by Selden to the same with Elion, a god of the Phoenicians, borrowed undoubtedly from the Elyon of the Hebrews, one of the names of God.
7:2,17
and I bow
17:35, Exodus 20:5, 1 Kings 19:18
the Lord pardon
2 Chronicles 30:18,19, Jeremiah 50:20
Verse 19

And he said unto him, Go in peace. So he departed from him a little way.
he said
Matthew 9:16,17, John 16:12, 1 Corinthians 3:2, Hebrews 5:13,14
Go in peace
Exodus 4:18, 1 Samuel 1:17, 25:35, Mark 5:34, Luke 7:50, 8:48
little way
Heb. a little piece of ground.
Genesis 35:16; *marg:
Verse 20

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.
Gehazi
4:12,31,36, Matthew 10:4, John 6:70, 12:6, 13:2, Acts 8:18,19
my master
Proverbs 26:16, Luke 16:8, John 12:5,6, Acts 5:2
as the Lord liveth
6:31, Exodus 20:7, 1 Samuel 14:39
and take
Exodus 20:17, Psalms 10:3, Jeremiah 22:17, Habakkuk 2:9, Luke 12:15, 1 Timothy 6:9-11, 2 Timothy 4:10, Titus 1:7, 1 Peter 5:2, 2 Peter 2:14,15
Verse 21

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?
he lighted
Luke 7:6,7, Acts 8:31, 10:25,26
Is all well
Heb. Is there peace?
4:26, 9:17-22
Verse 22

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.
My master
1 Kings 13:18, Isaiah 59:3, Jeremiah 9:3,5, John 8:44, Acts 5:3,4, Revelation 21:8
the sons
2:3, 1 Kings 20:35
give them
2 Corinthians 12:16-18
a talent
5, Exodus 38:24-28, 1 Kings 20:39
Verse 23

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.
Be content
1 Kings 20:7, Luke 11:54
And he urged him
16, 2:17
bound
12:10; *marg:
and they bare
Isaiah 30:6
Verse 24

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.
tower
or, secret place. and bestowed.
Joshua 7:1,11,12,21, 1 Kings 21:16, Isaiah 29:15, Habakkuk 2:6, Zechariah 5:3,4
Verse 25

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.
stood before
Proverbs 30:20, Ezekiel 33:31, Matthew 26:15,16,21-15, John 13:2,26-30
Whence
20:14, Genesis 3:8,9, 4:9, 16:8
Thy servant
22, Acts 5:3,4
no whither
Heb. not hither or thither.
Verse 26

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?
he said
Psalms 63:11, Proverbs 12:19,22, Acts 5:9
Went
6:12, 1 Corinthians 5:3, Colossians 2:5
Is it a time
16, Genesis 14:23, Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, Matthew 10:8, Acts 20:33,35, 1 Corinthians 9:11,12, 2 Corinthians 11:8-12, 2 Thessalonians 3:8,9
Verse 27

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.
leprosy
1, Joshua 7:25, Isaiah 59:2,3, Hosea 10:13, Malachi 2:3,4,8,9, Matthew 27:3-5, Acts 5:5,10, 8:20, 1 Timothy 6:10, 2 Peter 2:3
unto thy seed
1 Samuel 2:30-36, 2 Samuel 3:29
a leper
15:5, Exodus 4:6, Numbers 12:10

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