2 Kings 5:5

5 Then the king of Syria said, "Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel." So he departed and took with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels 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.

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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 Then she said to her mistress, "If only my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria! For he would heal him of his leprosy."

4 And Naaman went in and told his master, saying, "Thus and thus said the girl who is from the land of Israel."

5 Then the king of Syria said, "Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel." So he departed and took with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothing.

6 Then he brought the letter to the king of Israel, which said, Now be advised, when this letter comes to you, that I have sent Naaman my servant to you, that you may heal him of his leprosy.

7 And it happened, when the king of Israel read the letter, that he tore his clothes and said, "Am I God, to kill and make alive, that this man sends a man to me to heal him of his leprosy? Therefore please consider, and see how he seeks a quarrel with me."