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.

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.

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.

4 And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel.

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.

6 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 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.

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.

9 So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

19 And he said unto him, Go in peace. So he departed from him a little way.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

1 Now Naaman captaine of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him the Lord had giuen deliuerance vnto Syria: He was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper.

2 And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away captiue out of the land of Israel a litle maid, & she waited on Naamans wife.

3 And shee saide vnto her mistresse, Would God my lord were with the Prophet that is in Samaria, for hee would recouer him of his leprosie.

4 And one went in, and tolde his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the mayd that is of the land of Israel.

5 And the king of Syria said, Goe to, Goe, and I will send a letter vnto the king of Israel. And hee departed, and tooke with him ten talents of siluer, and sixe thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment.

6 And hee brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, Now when this letter is come vnto thee, behold, I haue therewith sent Naaman my seruant to thee, that thou mayest recouer him of his leprosie.

7 And it came to passe when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make aliue, that this man doeth send vnto me, to recouer a man of his leprosie? Wherefore consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrell against me.

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 mee, and he shall know that there is a Prophet in Israel.

9 So Naaman came with his horses, and with his charet, and stood at the doore of the house of Elisha.

10 And Elisha sent a messenger vnto him, saying, Goe and wash in Iordane seuen times, and thy flesh shall come againe to thee, and thou shalt be cleane.

11 But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and saide, Beholde, 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 ouer the place, and recouer the leper.

12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, riuers of Damascus, better then all the waters of Israel? May I not wash in them, and be cleane? So he turned, and went away in a rage.

13 And his seruants came neere and spake vnto him, and said, My father, If the Prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not haue done it? How much rather then, when hee saith to thee, Wash and be cleane?

14 Then went he downe, and dipped himselfe seuen times in Iordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came againe like vnto the flesh of a litle childe, and he was cleane.

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 seruant.

16 But he said, As the Lord liueth, before whom I stand, I will receiue none: And hee vrged him to take it, but he refused.

17 And Naaman said, Shall there not then, I pray thee, be giuen to thy seruant two mules burden of earth? for thy seruant wil henceforth offer neither burnt offering, nor sacrifice vnto other gods, but vnto the Lord.

18 In this thing the Lord pardon thy seruant, that when my master goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and hee leaneth on my hand, and I bow myselfe in the house of Rimmon: when I bow downe my selfe in the house of Rimmon, the Lord pardon thy seruant in this thing.

19 And he said vnto him, Go in peace. So he departed from him, a litle way.

20 But Gehazi the seruant of Elisha the man of God, said, Behold, my master hath spared Naaman this Syrian, in not receiuing at his hands that which hee brought: but as the Lord liueth, I wil runne after him, and take somewhat of him.

21 So Gehazi followed after Naaman: and when Naaman saw him running after him, hee lighted downe from the charet to meet him, and said, Is all well?

22 And he said, All is well: my master hath sent me, saying, Behold, euen now there be come to mee from mount Ephraim two yong men, of the sonnes of the Prophets: Giue them, I pray thee, a talent of siluer, and two changes of garments.

23 And Naaman said, Bee content, take two talents: and hee vrged him, and bound two talents of siluer in two bags, with two changes of garments, and layde them vpon two of his seruants, and they bare them before him.

24 And when he came to the towre, he tooke them from their hand, and bestowed them in the house, and hee let the men goe, and they departed.

25 But he went in, and stood before his master: and Elisha said vnto him, Whence commest thou, Gehazi? And hee said, Thy seruant went no whither.

26 And he said vnto him, Went not mine heart with thee, when the man turned againe from his charet to meete thee? Is it a time to receiue money, and to receiue garments, and Oliue yards, and Uineyards, and sheepe, and oxen, and men seruants, and mayd seruants?

27 The leprosie therefore of Naaman shall cleaue vnto thee, and vnto thy seede for euer: And hee went out from his presence a leper as white as snow.

I == Ez 11:3 ; Luke 4:27

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

V == 1st Sam 9:8 ; 2nd Kings 8:8-9

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

VII == Gen 30:2 ; Deut 32:39 ; 1st Sam 2:6

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

X == 2nd Kings 4:41 ; John 9:7

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XIV == Job 33:25 ; Luke 4:27

 

 

XV == Gen 33:11 ; Dan 2:47 ; 3:29 ; 6:26-27

 

 

 

 

XVI == Gen 14:23 ; 2nd Kings 3:14 ; Matt 10:8 ; Acts 8:18 , 20

 

 

 

 

XVIII == 2nd Kings 7:2 , 17

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XXVII == Ex 4:6 ; Num 12:10 ; 2nd Kings 15:5 ; 1st Tim 6:10

1 Naaman, the army commander of the king of Aram, was highly esteemed and respected by his master, for through him the LORD had brought victory to Aram. But valiant as he was, the man was a leper.

2 Now the Arameans had captured from the land of Israel in a raid a little girl, who became the servant of Naaman's wife.

3 "If only my master would present himself to the prophet in Samaria," she said to her mistress, "he would cure him of his leprosy."

4 Naaman went and told his lord just what the slave girl from the land of Israel had said.

5 "Go," said the king of Aram. "I will send along a letter to the king of Israel." So Naaman set out, taking along ten silver talents, six thousand gold pieces, and ten festal garments.

6 To the king of Israel he brought the letter, which read: "With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you, that you may cure him of his leprosy."

7 When he read the letter, the king of Israel tore his garments and exclaimed: "Am I a god with power over life and death, that this man should send someone to me to be cured of leprosy? Take note! You can see he is only looking for a quarrel with me!"

8 When Elisha, the man of God, heard that the king of Israel had torn his garments, he sent word to the king: "Why have you torn your garments? Let him come to me and find out that there is a prophet in Israel."

9 Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha's house.

10 The prophet sent him the message: "Go and wash seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will heal, and you will be clean."

11 But Naaman went away angry, saying, "I thought that he would surely come out and stand there to invoke the LORD his God, and would move his hand over the spot, and thus cure the leprosy.

12 Are not the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be cleansed?" With this, he turned about in anger and left.

13 But his servants came up and reasoned with him. "My father," they said, "if the prophet had told you to do something extraordinary, would you not have done it? All the more now, since he said to you, 'Wash and be clean,' should you do as he said."

14 So Naaman went down and plunged into the Jordan seven times at the word of the man of God. His flesh became again like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

15 He returned with his whole retinue to the man of God. On his arrival he stood before him and said, "Now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel. Please accept a gift from your servant."

16 "As the LORD lives whom I serve, I will not take it," Elisha replied; and despite Naaman's urging, he still refused.

17 Naaman said: "If you will not accept, please let me, your servant, have two mule-loads of earth, for I will no longer offer holocaust or sacrifice to any other god except to the LORD.

18 But I trust the LORD will forgive your servant this: when my master enters the temple of Rimmon to worship there, then I, too, as his adjutant, must bow down in the temple of Rimmon. May the LORD forgive your servant this."

19 "Go in peace," Elisha said to him.

20 Naaman had gone some distance when Gehazi, the servant of Elisha, the man of God, thought to himself: "My master was too easy with this Aramean Naaman, not accepting what he brought. As the LORD lives, I will run after him and get something out of him."

21 So Gehazi hurried after Naaman. Aware that someone was running after him, Naaman alighted from his chariot to wait for him. "Is everything all right?" he asked.

22 "Yes," Gehazi replied, "but my master sent me to say, 'Two young men have just come to me, guild prophets from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two festal garments.'"

23 "Please take two talents," Naaman said, and pressed them upon him. He tied up these silver talents in bags and gave them, with the two festal garments, to two of his servants, who carried them before Gehazi.

24 When they reached the hill, Gehazi took what they had, carried it into the house, and sent the men on their way.

25 He went in and stood before Elisha his master, who asked him, "Where have you been, Gehazi?" He answered, "Your servant has not gone anywhere."

26 But Elisha said to him: "Was I not present in spirit when the man alighted from his chariot to wait for you? Is this a time to take money or to take garments, olive orchards or vineyards, sheep or cattle, male or female servants?

27 The leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and your descendants forever." And Gehazi left Elisha, a leper white as snow.

v 1-3. All the prestige and authority of Captain Naaman did not prevent him from getting loathsome leprosy. The little maid was a captive, but she had come to love and respect her owners. She was a faithful witness even in her unfortunate circumstances.

 

v 4-7. Naaman was valuable to the king, and he was willing to pay a good price for his healing. The king of Israel was a follower of false gods and did not even think about Elisha. The absurdity of himself curing the man left him with the assumption that the king of Syria was only using his inability as an excuse for war.

 

 

 

 

v 8-9. Elisha heard of the king’s distress and told him to send Naaman to him, not just to heal the man, but that Naaman might know God through His prophet. Naaman and his entourage quickly came to Elisha’s door.

v 10-12. Naaman was angry that Elisha didn’t even come to the door to meet someone of his prestige. He expected a dramatic healing event. Washing in the muddy Jordan instead of the clear water of his native rivers added insult to injury.

v 13-14. His servants talked sense into him, and doing as told, he became healed completely. This is typical of people who reject God’s plan of salvation. They scoff at simple faith and believe there is some great work they should do. Had Naaman gone to one of his rivers in disobedience, he would not have been healed.

 

v 15-19. Naaman returned to Elisha, convinced this was a miracle of the one true God of Israel, but Elisha refused payment. Offerings to the prophets were acceptable, but he wanted to show this Syrian that he did not extract payment as was done to the false gods, and that he was healed by God. Naaman showed his faith by asking for dirt to take from Israel that he might make an altar to worship the true God just as if he was in Israel. He desired to worship only God, but he realized he would be obligated to assist his master when he worshipped false gods. He asks advance forgiveness  for having to bow before a false god with his master. This was acceptable to Elisha and he sent him in peace, dealing gently with him as a new convert. This was no doubt proper for this new believer whose life would have been in jeopardy had he refused his master. Believing Negro slaves in our own country had to go along with their master’s Godless ways. Daniel and his fellows were established believers and they refused to bow before anything but God. Mature believers should set an example and teach babes in Christ till they are convicted in making right choices. 

v 20-24. Gehazi was overcome with greed and thought he would take advantage of the gifts his master had refused. After brazenly lying, he accepted an even greater gift than what he had requested. He was careful to take the items from Naaman’s servants and conceal them in the house so Elisha wouldn’t find out. (House was on a “Tower”  hill or “mound”. Same word here is used for “mounds”, emerods, 1 Sam. 5:6)

 

v 25-27. Gehazi must have been sweating when he again lied to Elisha that he had not gone anyplace. The Lord had revealed his actions to Elisha  (Cp. Ac. 5:1-10), and he rebuked him for taking pay for what God freely provided. It was a just thing that he was given the leprosy which had been upon Naaman. That his family would also have this plague (Cp. Ex. 20:5) was no doubt because they were following in his sins.
Leprosy, like sin, grows, engulfs and destroys, and in those days could only be divinely healed. We are hopelessly “sick” and only God can heal by His grace, no work on our part, just trust and accept His way. Titus 3:5.