2 Kings 5:5

5 The king of Aram said, Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Yisra'el. He departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand [pieces] of gold, and ten changes of clothing.

2 Kings 5:5 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 5:5

And the king of Syria said, go to, go
On what Naaman related to him from what the maid had said, he urged him by all means to go directly to Samaria:

and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel;
recommending him to use his interest in his behalf; this was Jehoram the son of Ahab:

and he departed;
set out on his journey immediately, as soon as he could conveniently:

and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of
gold;
partly for the expenses of his journey, and partly to make presents to the king of Israel's servants, and especially to the prophet; a talent of silver, according to Brerewood F4, was three hundred and seventy five pounds of our money; but, according to Bishop Cumberland's F5 exact calculation, it was three hundred and fifty and three pounds eleven shillings and ten and an half pence the pieces of gold are, by the Targum, called golden pence, and a golden penny, according to the first of the above writers F6, was of the value of our money fifteen shillings; so that these amounted to 4500 pounds sterling:

and ten changes of raiment;
both for his own use, and presents.


FOOTNOTES:

F4 De Ponder. & Pret. Vet. Num. c. 4.
F5 Scripture Weights and Measures, c. 4. p. 120.
F6 Ut supra, (De Ponder. & Pret. Vet. Num.) c. 3.

2 Kings 5:5 In-Context

3 She said to her mistress, Would that my lord were with the prophet who is in Shomron! then would he recover him of his leprosy.
4 One went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maiden who is of Eretz-Yisra'el.
5 The king of Aram said, Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Yisra'el. He departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand [pieces] of gold, and ten changes of clothing.
6 He brought the letter to the king of Yisra'el, saying, Now when this letter is come to you, behold, I have sent Na`aman my servant to you, that you may recover him of his leprosy.
7 It happened, when the king of Yisra'el had read the letter, that he tore his clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man does send to me to recover a man of his leprosy? but consider, I pray you, and see how he seeks a quarrel against me.
The Hebrew Names Version is in the public domain.