2 Kings 5:11

11 But Naaman became angry and left. He said, "I thought he would at least come out[of his house], stand somewhere, call on the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the[infected] place, and heal the skin disease.

2 Kings 5:11 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 5:11

But Naaman was wroth with him
On more accounts than one:

and went away;
not to Jordan, but from the prophet's house, with an intention to return to his own country:

behold, I thought, he will surely come out to me
this he said within himself, making no doubt of it but that he would show him so much respect and civility as to come out of his house to him, and converse with him, or invite him into it and not doing this was one thing made him wroth: and stand; he supposed that he would not only come out, but stand before him, as inferiors before their superiors in reverence, but instead of that he remained sitting within doors:

and call on the name of the Lord his God:
he expected, that as he was a prophet of the Lord, that he would have prayed to him for the cure of him:

and strike his hand over the place;
wave his hand to and fro, as the word signifies, over the place of the leprosy, as the Targum, over the place affected with it; or towards the place where he worshipped the Lord, as Ben Gersom, toward the temple at Jerusalem; or towards Jordan, the place where he bid him go and wash, as Abarbinel; but the first sense seems best: "and recover the leper"; meaning himself, heal him by the use of such means and rites.

2 Kings 5:11 In-Context

9 Naaman came with his horses and chariot and stopped at the entrance to Elisha's home.
10 Elisha sent a messenger to him. He said, "Wash yourself seven times in the Jordan River, and your skin will be healthy and clean."
11 But Naaman became angry and left. He said, "I thought he would at least come out[of his house], stand somewhere, call on the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the[infected] place, and heal the skin disease.
12 The Abana and Pharpar Rivers in Damascus have better water than any of the rivers in Israel. Couldn't I wash in them and be clean?" So he turned around and left in anger.
13 But Naaman's servants went to him and said, "Master, if the prophet had asked you to do some extraordinary act, wouldn't you have done it? Why shouldn't you do as he said: 'Wash and be clean'?"
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