2 Kings 5:10

10 Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, "Go, you must wash seven times in the Jordan, then your flesh shall return to you, and you shall be clean."

2 Kings 5:10 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 5:10

And Elisha sent a messenger unto him
Or returned an answer by Naaman's messenger; he did not go out to him, choosing to be retired, as he commonly did; and being perhaps employed in prayer for the cure; and it may be also to show his contempt of or little regard he had to worldly grandeur and honour, as well as to mortify the pride of Naaman:

saying, go and wash in Jordan seven times;
so, according to the law of the cleansing the leper, he was to be sprinkled seven times, and on the seventh day his flesh was to be bathed or dipped all over in water, which is meant by washing here, ( Leviticus 14:7 Leviticus 14:9 )

and thy flesh shall come again to thee;
which was eaten and consumed by the disease on him:

and thou shalt be clean;
freed from this pollution, or filthy disease, with which he was defiled; for a leper was reckoned unclean, ( Leviticus 13:3 ) .

2 Kings 5:10 In-Context

8 It happened that as soon as Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent to the king, saying, "Why did you tear your clothes? Please may he come to me, that he might know that there is a prophet in Israel."

9 Then Naaman came with his horses and his chariots, and he stopped [at] the doorway of the house of Elisha.

10 Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, "Go, you must wash seven times in the Jordan, then your flesh shall return to you, and you shall be clean."

11 But Naaman became angry and he went and said, "Look, I said to myself, 'Surely he will come out, stand, call upon the name of Yahweh his God, and wave his hands over the spot; then he would take away the skin disease.'

12 Are not the Abana and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all of the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them that I may be clean?" Then he turned and left in anger.