2 Kings 5:15-27

Gehazi's Greed

15 When he returned to the man of God with all his company, and came and stood before him, he said, "Behold now, ¹I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel; so please ²take a present from your servant now."

16 But he said, "³As the LORD lives, before whom I stand, ⁴I will take nothing." And he urged him to take it, but he refused.

17 Naaman said, "If not, please let your servant at least be given two mules' load of ⁵earth; for your servant will no longer offer burnt offering nor will he sacrifice to other gods, but to the LORD.

18 "In this matter may the LORD pardon your servant: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and ⁶he leans on my hand and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, when I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, the LORD pardon your servant in this matter."

19 He said to him, "⁷Go in peace." So he departed from him some distance *.

20 But ⁸Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, thought, "Behold, my master has spared this Naaman the Aramean, by not receiving from his hands what he brought. ⁹As the LORD lives, I will run after him and take something from him."

21 So Gehazi pursued Naaman. When Naaman saw one running after him, he came down from the chariot to meet him and said, "Is all well?"

22 He said, "¹⁰All is well. My master has sent me, saying, 'Behold, just now two young men of the sons of the prophets have come to me from ¹¹the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and ¹²two changes of clothes.' "

23 Naaman said, "¹³Be pleased to take two talents." And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags with two changes of clothes and gave them to two of his servants; and they carried them before him.

24 When he came to the hill, he took them from their hand and ¹⁴deposited them in the house, and he sent the men away, and they departed.

25 But he went in and stood before his master. And Elisha said to him, "Where have you been, Gehazi?" And he said, "¹⁵Your servant went nowhere *."

26 Then he said to him, "Did not my heart go with you, when the man turned from his chariot to meet you? ¹⁶Is it a time to receive money and to receive clothes and olive groves and vineyards and sheep and oxen and male and female servants *?

27 "Therefore, the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and to your descendants forever." So he went out from his presence ¹⁷a leper as white as snow.

2 Kings 5:15-27 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 2 KINGS 5

This chapter gives an account of the leprosy of Naaman the Syrian, and of the cure of it by Elisha; how he came to hear of him, and the recommendation he had from the king of Syria to the king of Israel, 2Ki 5:1-8, who, coming to Elisha's house, was ordered to dip himself seven times in Jordan, which made him depart in wrath; but one of his servants persuaded him to do it, and he did, and was cured, 2Ki 5:9-14, upon which he returned to Elisha, and offered him a present, which he refused, 2Ki 5:15-19 but Gehazi, his servant, ran after him with a lie in his mouth, and obtained it, and returned to his master with another, for which he was smitten with the leprosy of Naaman, 2Ki 5:20-27.

Cross References

• 1. Joshua 2:11; 1 Samuel 17:46, 47; 2 Kings 5:8
• 2. 1 Samuel 25:27
• 3. 2 Kings 3:14
• 4. Genesis 14:22, 23; 2 Kings 5:20, 26
• 5. Exodus 20:24
• 6. 2 Kings 7:2, 17
• 7. Exodus 4:18; 1 Samuel 1:17; Mark 5:34
• 8. 2 Kin 4:12, 31, 36
• 9. Exodus 20:7; 2 Kings 6:31
• 10. 2 Kings 4:26
• 11. Joshua 24:33
• 12. 2 Kings 5:5
• 13. 2 Kings 6:3
• 14. Josh 7:1, 11, 12, 21; 1 Kings 21:16
• 15. 2 Kings 5:22
• 16. 2 Kings 5:16
• 17. Exodus 4:6; Numbers 12:10

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "he and"
• [b]. Lit "blessing"
• [c]. Lit "said"
• [d]. Lit "from"
• [e]. Lit "Ophel"
• [f]. Lit "seed"