2 Kings 5

1 Now Naaman [captain, commander], the [chief, ruler] commander of the army [military forces, host] of the king [ruler, sovereign] of Aram [Syria, a neighboring nation], was a great [prominent, esteemed] man in his master’s [lord, superior] sight and highly regarded [honorable, respected], for through him the LORD [Yehovah, God] had given [granted, provided] victory [deliverance, salvation] to Aram [Syria]. And he was a mighty [strong, powerful] man of valor [courage, strength], but he was a leper [afflicted with a skin disease, unclean]. word study 2 At this time the Arameans [Syrians, people of Aram] had gone out in bands [companies, groups of soldiers] and had taken [captured, brought away] a young girl [little maiden, small in age] from the land [country, territory] of Israel, and she was serving [waiting on, attending to] Naaman’s wife [woman, female companion]. word study 3 She said to her mistress [lady, woman of high social status], “If only [O that, would God] my master [lord, one in authority] would go to the prophet [one who speaks for God] who is in Samaria [the capital city of the northern kingdom of Israel], he would cure [recover, heal] him of his leprosy [a skin disease, a condition of uncleanness].” word study 4 And Naaman went [came, approached] and told [declared, spoke openly] his master [lord, ruler] what the girl [maiden, young woman] from the land [country, territory] of Israel [God’s chosen people] had said [spoken, communicated]. word study 5 “Go now [to the king of Israel],” said the king [ruler, monarch] of Aram [Syria, the region], “and I will send [dispatch, commission] you with a letter [scroll, written message] to the king [monarch, ruler] of Israel [the people of God].” So Naaman departed [left, set out], taking with him ten talents [units of weight, large amounts] of silver [precious metal, wealth], six thousand [a large quantity, a multitude] shekels [units of weight, measure] of gold [valuable metal, treasure], and ten sets [changes, garments] of clothing [attire, garments]. word study 6 And the letter [a written document, scroll] that he took to the king [royal ruler, monarch] of Israel [God’s chosen people, descendants of Jacob] stated: “With this letter [official message, correspondence] I am sending [dispatching, entrusting] my servant [faithful attendant, bondservant] Naaman, so that you may [be able to, have the power to] cure [heal, restore to health] him of his leprosy [a skin disease].” word study 7 When the king [ruler, monarch] of Israel read the letter, he tore [rent, ripped apart] his clothes and asked, “Am I [myself, personally] God [Elohim, the supreme Being], killing [putting to death, destroying] and giving life [reviving, quickening], that this man expects [requests, demands] me to cure [heal, restore] a leper [one afflicted with leprosy, a skin disease]? Surely [certainly, indeed] you can see that he is seeking [looking for, attempting to find] a quarrel [conflict, dispute] with me [against me, towards me]!” word study 8 Now when Elisha [the prophet, man of God] the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn [rent, ripped] his clothes, he sent a message to the king: “Why have you torn [rent, ripped] your clothes? Please let the man come to me, and he will know [understand, perceive] that there is a prophet [one who speaks for God] in Israel [the people of God, descendants of Jacob].” word study 9 So Naaman [a commander from Syria] came with his horses [chariot horses, cavalry] and chariots [vehicles, teams of horses] and stood [to stand firm, in a strong sense] at the door [entrance, doorway] of Elisha’s [God is salvation, a prophet] house [dwelling place, home]. word study 10 Then Elisha [the prophet, God’s messenger] sent him a messenger [a representative], who said, “Go [walk, proceed] and wash [bathe, cleanse] yourself seven times [occurrences, repetitions] in the Jordan [the river, a place of spiritual renewal], and your flesh [body, humanity] will be restored [healed, made whole], and you will be clean [pure, ceremonially cleansed, righteous].” word study 11 But Naaman went away [in a rage, furious] angry, saying, “I thought that he would surely come out [to me, towards me], stand [in my presence, before me] and call on the name [invoke, proclaim] of the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] his God [Elohim, the one true God], and wave [move, stretch out] his hand [in power, with authority] over the spot [the place, the location] to cure [heal, restore] my leprosy [the disease, the affliction]. word study 12 Are not the Abanah [a river near Damascus] and Pharpar [a swift river in Syria], the rivers [a flood] of Damascus [the capital city of Syria], better [more pleasant] than all [everything] the waters [sources of refreshment] of Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob]? Could I not have washed [bathed] in them and been cleansed [made pure]?” So he turned [faced away] and went away in a rage [intense anger, burning fury]. word study 13 Naaman’s servants [his loyal attendants], however, approached [drew near, came to] him and said, “My father [honored leader], if the prophet [God’s spokesperson] had told you to do some great [extraordinary, remarkable] thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash [bathe, cleanse yourself] and be cleansed’?” word study 14 So Naaman went down [to a lower place, descended] and dipped [immersed, plunged] himself in the Jordan [the river] seven times [on seven occasions, repeatedly], according to the word [instruction, command] of the man of God [a prophet, divine messenger], and his flesh [body, physical being] was restored [healed, renewed] and became like that of a little child [youth, innocent one], and he was clean [purified, made whole]. word study 15 Then Naaman [and his whole entourage] and all his attendants went back [returned to the place] to the man of God [Elisha, the prophet], stood before him, and declared, “Now I know [am fully convinced, have come to understand] for sure that there is no God [Elohim, the one supreme God] in all the earth [land, world] except in Israel [the people of God]. So please [I pray, I ask] accept a gift [blessing, present] from your servant [one who serves, a slave].” word study 16 But Elisha replied, “As surely as the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] lives [is alive, has spiritual life], before whom I stand [am present, in His presence], I will not accept [receive, take] it.” And although Naaman urged [pressed, persuaded] him to accept [take, receive] it, he refused [said no, rejected it]. word study 17 “If you will not [refuse, decline],” said Naaman, “please [I pray thee, I ask] let me, your servant [slave, bondservant], be given as much soil [earth, land] as a pair [team, yoke] of mules [donkey-horse hybrid] can carry. For your servant [slave, bondservant] will never again [from now on, henceforth] make a burnt offering [sacrifice, gift to God] or a sacrifice [offering, act of worship] to any other god [deity, idol] but [except, only] the LORD [Yehovah, the one true God]. word study 18 Yet may the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] forgive [pardon, show mercy] your servant [one who serves, a bondservant] this one thing: When my master [lord, one in authority] goes into the temple [house, place of worship] of Rimmon [a Syrian deity] to worship [bow down, pay homage] there, and he leans [rests, trusts] on my arm [hand], and I bow down [prostrate myself, show respect] in the temple of Rimmon, may the LORD [Yehovah, God] forgive [show compassion, cancel debt] your servant [one who serves, a slave] in this matter [thing, affair].” word study 19 “Go [in harmony, with God’s blessing] in peace [shalom, completeness and wellness],” said Elisha [the prophet of God]. But after Naaman had traveled [walked, journeyed] a short distance [a little way, about half a day’s journey], word study 20 Gehazi, the servant [attendant, minister] of Elisha the man [human, mortal] of God [Elohim, the supreme Creator], said, “Look [behold, see], my master [lord, authority] has spared [preserved, shown mercy to] this Aramean [Syrian, from Aram], Naaman, while not accepting [receiving, taking] what he brought [offered, presented]. As surely as the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] lives [is alive, exists], I will run [rush, hurry] after him and get [take, receive] something [anything, a gift] from him.” word study 21 So Gehazi [chased after] pursued Naaman. And when Naaman [perceived] saw him running [swiftly, with haste] toward him, he got down [alighted, stepped down] from the chariot [vehicle, means of transportation] to meet him and asked, “Is everything [completely] all right [well, peaceful, shalom]?” word study 22 “Everything is all right [peace, wellness, and friendship, shalom],” Gehazi replied. “My master [lord, the one in authority] has sent [dispatched, commissioned] me to say [speak, communicate], ‘I have just now [at this time] discovered that two [a pair] young men [youth, from infancy to adolescence] from the sons [descendants] of the prophets [those who speak for God] have come [arrived] to me from the hill country [mountain] of Ephraim [doubly fruitful, referring to Joseph’s son and the tribe that descended from him]. Please [I pray] give [provide, grant] them a talent [a unit of weight or currency] of silver [money, wealth] and two [a pair] sets [changes, replacements] of clothing [garments, coverings].’” word study 23 But Naaman insisted [urging strongly, compelling], “Please, take two talents [150 pounds of silver, a large sum].” And he urged [pressed, persuaded] Gehazi to accept them [to receive, to take willingly]. Then he tied up two talents of silver [wealth, riches] in two bags [purses, containers] along with two sets of clothing [garments, attire] and gave them [bestowed, granted] to two of his servants [attendants, young men], who carried them [lifted, bore] ahead of Gehazi [before, in front of]. word study 24 When Gehazi came [to the tower, a high place] to the hill [a mound, a fortress], he took [received, got] the gifts [presents, offerings] from the servants [attendants, men] and stored [bestowed, laid] them in the house [a dwelling place, a home]. Then he dismissed [sent away, let go] the men [individuals, persons], and they departed [went, walked away]. word study 25 When Gehazi [the servant, valley of vision] went in and stood [in a strong sense, like a sentinel] before his master [lord, authority figure], Elisha [God is salvation, prophet] asked him, “Gehazi [valley of vision], where [in what direction, to what place] have you been [gone, walked]?” “Your servant [one who serves, attendant] did not go [walk, travel] anywhere [to any place, in any direction],” he replied [said, spoke]. word study 26 But Elisha questioned him, “Did not my spirit [heart, inner being] go with you when the man [a male person] got down from his chariot [a vehicle] to meet you? Is this the time [haeth, a moment or occasion] to accept [take, receive] money [silver] and clothing [garments], olive groves [olive trees] and vineyards [gardens for vines], sheep [a flock] and oxen [cattle], menservants [male slaves] and maidservants [female slaves]? word study 27 Therefore, the leprosy [a skin disease] of Naaman [a commander from Syria] will cling [to cleave, stick to] to you and your descendants [seed, offspring] forever [always, for eternity]!” And as Gehazi left his presence [face, being before him], he was leprous [afflicted with leprosy]—as white as snow [sheleg]. word study