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| 1 Now, Naaman, general of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man in presence of his lord, and held in honour, because, by him, had Yahweh given deliverance to Syria,–and, the man, was a hero of valour–[but], a leper. |
The LORD had given – Naaman's victory is credited to Jehovah, who did interfere with the affairs of outside nations to some extent. R3438:2
Deliverance unto Syria – To Syria and Israel, in combination against Shalmaneser II. R3438:2
He was a leper – Leprosy corresponds to sin: it is incurable, loathsome, contagious, destructive, painless. R4769:1, R3439:3, R2347:2
A figure of sin, incurable, except by divine miracle. R5780:4 2 Kings 5:3
She said unto her mistress – So all those who know of a divine power and arrangement for the healing of sinners may tell the good tidings, even to their enemies. R4769:1
Leprosy – See comments on 2 Kings 5:1.
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| 2 Now, the Syrians, had gone out in companies, and had brought back out of the land of Israel, a little maiden,–who became an attendant on the wife of Naaman. |
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| 3 And she said unto her mistress, Ah! would that my lord were before the prophet, who is in Samaria! then, would he set him free from his leprosy. |
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| 4 And he went in and told his lord, saying,–Thus and thus, hath spoken the maiden who is of the land of Israel! |
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| 5 And the king of Syria said–Go, get in, that I may send a letter unto the king of Israel. So he went, and took in his hand ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment. |
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| 6 And he brought in the letter unto the king of Israel, saying, Now, therefore, when this letter cometh in unto thee, lo! I have sent unto thee, Naaman my servant, and thou shalt set him free from his leprosy. |
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| 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 is sending unto me, to set one free from his leprosy,–but, of a truth, just mark, I pray you, and see, that he, is seeking an occasion, against me. |
Rent his clothes – In indication of his great distress. R5780:5, R3438:6, R2347:1
Am I God – The king of Israel was an idolater. He probably had no dealings with, and scarcely any knowledge of, Elisha. R3438:6
Leprosy – See comments on 2 Kings 5:1.
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| 8 And it was so, when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent unto the king, saying–Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? let him come, I pray thee, unto me, that he may get to know that there is a prophet in Israel.
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| 9 So Naaman came, with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the entrance of the house of Elisha; |
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| 10 and Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying,–Go and bathe seven times in the Jordan, so shall thy flesh come back to thee, and be thou clean. |
And Elisha – See comments on 2 Kings 2:14.
Sent a messenger – We feel sure that it would not be the Lord's will that we as his followers should duplicate or copy Elisha's manner, but should render honor to those to whom honor is due. R3439:1
Elisha's course declared, "I am greater than you, because while you are the servant of the king of Syria, I am a servant of the King of kings." R3439:2
Wash in Jordan – See comments on 2 Kings 2:6.
The antitypical Jordan, "the fountain filled with blood, drawn from Immanuel's veins." R2347:6, R4769:1
Seven times – A complete cleansing, washing. R4769:1, R3439:4, R2347:6
Our belief, obedience and baptism unto death must be perfect or complete, otherwise there is no remission of sins. R3439:4
Signifying that half-hearted consecration and obedience are not what the Lord is pleased to honor and bless. R3439:5
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| 11 But Naaman was wroth, and went away,–and said–Lo! I thought, Unto me, will he, come right out, and take his stand, and call on the name of Yahweh his God, and wave his hand towards the spot, and so set free the leper. |
But Naaman was wroth – He expected great consideration for his rank. R4768:6, R2347:1, R3439:1, R5780:5
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| 12 Are not, Abanah and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not bathe, in them, and be clean? So he turned, and went away in a rage. |
Are not Abana – No doubt the modern river Barrada; it has the clearest waters possible. R3439:2
May I not wash in them – There are various theories, philosophies and many suggestions as to how sin can be gotten rid of. R3439:4
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| 13 Then drew near his servants, and spake unto him, and said–My father! if, some great thing, the prophet had commanded thee, wouldst thou not have done it? then, how much rather, when he hath said unto thee, Bathe and be clean? |
His servants came near – In a moderate and wise manner, and offered him some good advice. R2347:2, R4768:6
When someone comes to the place of being ready to obey the Lord's voice, to be rid of his load of sin, it not infrequently is the result of good counsel on the part of his Christian friends. R2347:6
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| 14 Then went he down, and dipped himself in the Jordan, seven times, according to the word of the man of God: and his flesh came back, as the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. |
Then went he down – Although fearful that no good would come from the washing and that he would be the laughing stock of all. R4768:6
Others may help to impress the lesson; yet no recovery from sin can be made except as the individual himself follows the divine prescription. R4769:1
Seven times – See comments on 2 Kings 5:10.
And he was clean – As only divine power could heal the leper, only the same can heal the sinner. R4769:1
Foreshadows the restitution work. B266
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| 15 And he returned unto the man of God, he and all his company; and came, and took his stand before him, and said–Lo! I pray thee–I know that there is no God in all the earth, save in Israel,–now, therefore, I pray thee, accept a blessing from thy servant. |
And he returned – Retraced his journey nearly forty miles to thank the prophet and to bestow gifts. R4769:2
Gratitude is one of the most worthy sentiments of the human mind. R4769:2
Demonstrating that the Lord's blessing of healing was conferred upon a man of naturally noble traits. R3439:5, R2348:2
Take a blessing – A present. R2348:2
The truly great take pleasure in being just and generous. R3439:6
His gifts were consecrated beforehand and so, after receiving the blessing, to have withheld any part would have proven him unworthy; so with our consecration. R3440:1
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| 16 But he said–By the life of Yahweh, before whom I stand, I will not accept one. And, though he urged him to accept it, yet did he refuse. |
I will receive none – Thus showing that Naaman's healing was a favor, and not in exchange for the expensive presents he brought. R3439:2, R2348:4
The gifts of God's grace are not to be bartered for earthly good things. R4769:4, R5780:6
While it is not wrong for servants of the Lord to receive compensation, yet the Lord is more glorified if they do not. R3440:2
How much to the Lord's glory if all of God's people would emulate Elisha in this respect. R4769:4, R3440:2, R2348:4
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| 17 Then said Naaman, Shall there not, then, I pray thee, be given to thy servant, two mules' burden of earth? For thy servant will henceforth offer neither ascending-offering nor sacrifice to other gods, save only to Yahweh. |
Burden of earth – Enough of the consecrated soil of Palestine for the building of an altar to the Lord. R3440:2, R2348:5
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| 18 In this thing, Yahweh grant forgiveness to thy servant,–When my lord entereth the house of Rimmon, to bow down therein, he leaning upon my hand, and so I bow down in the house of Rimmon, when he boweth down in the house of Rimmon, Yahweh, I pray, grant forgiveness to thy servant, in this thing. |
Pardon thy servant – Since Naaman was not an Israelite but a stranger to the covenant and promises of Israel, less would be required of him. R3440:3, R2348:6
My master – The king of Syria. R3440:2
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| 19 And he said unto him–Go and prosper! But, when he had gone from him some distance, |
Go In peace – Elisha's answer was, in substance, that if the General made full profession of faith in the true God it would not be improper for him to accompany his master to the house of the false god, for his adherence to Jehovah God would be recognized. R5781:1
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| 20 Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said–Lo! my lord, hath restrained, this Naaman the Syrian, by not taking at his hand that which he brought! By the life of Yahweh, verily, I will runs after him, and accept of him, something. |
But Gehazi – Elisha's servant had a different spirit and determined to get something by a process of graft." R4769:4, R5781:3, R3440:5, R2349:2
Covetousness leads to various other sins. Nearly every crime is more or less traceable to it. R2349:2,4
There are some today in daily contact with the truth who do not partake of its spirit and in whom selfishness is the ruling passion. R3440:5
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| 21 So Gehazi hastened after Naaman. And, when Naaman saw one running after him, he alighted from his chariot to meet him, and said,–Is all well? |
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| 22 And he said, All is well. My lord, hath sent me to say, Lo! just now, have come unto me, two young men out of the hill country of Ephraim, of the sons of the prophets,–give for them, I pray thee, a talent, of silver, and two changes of raiment. |
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| 23 And Naaman said, Be content, accept two talents. So he urged him, and bound up two talents of silver in two bags, and two changes of raiment, and laid them upon two of his young men, and they bare them before him. |
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| 24 And, when he came to the hill-tower, he took them from their hand, and put them in charge within,–and let the men go, and they departed. |
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| 25 Now, when, he, came in and stood before his lord, Elisha said unto him, Whence comest thou, Gehazi? And he said,–Thy servant hath been neither hither nor thither. |
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| 26 Then he said unto him–My heart, had not gone with thee, when someone turned again from off his chariot, to meet thee! Is it a time to accept silver, or to accept raiment, or oliveyards, or vineyards, or flocks or herds, or men-servants, or maid-servants? |
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| 27 The leprosy of Naaman, therefore, shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed, to times age-abiding. And he went forth from before him–a leper–like snow. |
Leprosy . . . of Naaman – With knowledge came responsibility; hence, the severe punishment inflicted upon him for hypocrisy and deception. R5781:2
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