2 Kings 5:6

6 He brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, "When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you my servant Naaman, that you may cure him of his leprosy."

2 Kings 5:6 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 5:6

And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying
The contents of which were, so far as it concerned Naaman and his case, which are only observed, these:

now when this letter is come unto thee;
was received by him:

behold, I have therewith sent Naaman my servant unto thee;
the bearer of it:

that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy;
meaning not he himself, but that he would recommend him to the care of a proper person, his prophet, and enjoin him to do the best he could for him; but the king of Israel mistook his meaning, as appears by what follows.

2 Kings 5:6 In-Context

4 So Naaman went in and told his lord just what the girl from the land of Israel had said.

5 And the king of Aram said, "Go then, and I will send along a letter to the king of Israel." He went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten sets of garments.

6 He brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, "When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you my servant Naaman, that you may cure him of his leprosy."

7 When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, "Am I God, to give death or life, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Just look and see how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me."

8 But when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent a message to the king, "Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come to me, that he may learn that there is a prophet in Israel."

Footnotes

• [a]. A term for several skin diseases; precise meaning uncertain