7:3 Now four men with a skin disease 4 were sitting at the entrance of the city gate. They said to one another, “Why are we just sitting here waiting to die? 5
5:1 Now Naaman, the commander of the king of Syria’s army, was esteemed and respected by his master, 6 for through him the Lord had given Syria military victories. But this great warrior had a skin disease. 7
1 tn Heb “cling to.”
2 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Gehazi) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
3 tn Traditionally, “he went from before him, leprous like snow.” But see the note at 5:1, as well as M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 66.
4 sn See the note at 2 Kgs 5:1.
5 tn Heb “until we die.”
7 tn Heb “was a great man before his master and lifted up with respect to the face.”
8 tn For a discussion of מְצֹרָע (mÿtsora’), traditionally translated “leprous,” see M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 63. Naaman probably had a skin disorder of some type, not leprosy/Hansen’s disease.
10 tn Heb “they ate and drank.”
11 tn Heb “and they hid [it].”
12 tn Heb “and they took from there.”
13 tn Traditionally, “he was a leper.” But see the note at 5:1.
14 tn The precise meaning of בֵית הַחָפְשִׁית (bet hakhofÿshit), “house of […?],” is uncertain. For a discussion of various proposals, see M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 166-67.