2 Kings 5:1-6

1 Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man and in high favor with his master, because by him the Lord had given victory to Aram. The man, though a mighty warrior, suffered from leprosy.

2 Now the Arameans on one of their raids had taken a young girl captive from the land of Israel, and she served Naaman's wife.

3 She said to her mistress, "If only my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy."

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."

2 Kings 5:1-6 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.

Footnotes

• [a]. A term for several skin diseases; precise meaning uncertain
• [b]. A term for several skin diseases; precise meaning uncertain
• [c]. Heb [he]
• [d]. A term for several skin diseases; precise meaning uncertain