2 Kings 5 Study Notes

5:15 Naaman’s next words to Elisha sounded like another paradigmatic statement of the expected consequences of God’s great works—the response of faith on the part of those who experience or learn of God’s great works (Ex 18:9-10; Jos 2:10-11; 1Kg 8:42-43; Ps 66:5-8).

5:16 Elisha was not in his ministry for the money. Then and now, ministry is a calling rather than a career.

5:17-19 Elisha’s last words to Naaman implied two concessions to Naaman’s new faith. (1) As a man of new faith and incomplete understanding, Naaman believed there would be benefit in having soil from Israel at hand when he worshiped Israel’s God. Elisha cooperated with Naaman’s superstitious belief, much as the apostle Paul encourages mature believers to do with immature believers (Rm 14). (2) A more significant concession was to allow Naaman to participate (seemingly in body only, not mind and heart) in his king’s worship of the god Rimmon. “Rimmon” could have been a local name for the god Hadd/Hadad or a local manifestation of that god. Elisha’s words, Go in peace, imply acceptance of Naaman’s requests.

5:20 Elisha’s servant Gehazi decided to exploit his religious position for money, especially since it involved taking money from a foreigner. Contrast this with Elisha’s attitude (v. 16).

5:21-24 When Gehazi asked for clothing and money based on his fabricated story, Naaman gave him twice the money he asked for and sent two men to help him take the treasures back and possibly to protect him on the trip.

5:25-26 Gehazi added lying to his other deceits, but this lie conflicted with knowledge that God had supernaturally imparted to Elisha. Elisha’s answer listed some of the pleasures one could expect to gain with money.

5:27 As a leper, Gehazi was no longer fit to serve as Elisha’s servant. As is commonly the case in other biblical narratives, we should not assume chronological order for the events narrated in this passage unless such order is explicitly indicated in the text. Therefore there is no necessary contradiction between the fact that Gehazi is here banished from Elisha and the fact that he is presented as Elisha’s servant in 8:1-6. That incident, though recorded later in the book, could have occurred before Naaman’s healing.