2 Kings 5:1-14

Elisha Heals a Syrian General

5:1 Now Naaman, the commander of the king of Syria’s army, was esteemed and respected by his master, ¹  for through him the Lord had given Syria military victories. But this great warrior had a skin disease. ²  5:2 Raiding parties went out from Syria and took captive from the land of Israel a young girl, who became a servant to Naaman’s wife. 5:3 She told her mistress, “If only my master were in the presence of the prophet who is in Samaria! ³  Then he would cure him of his skin disease.”

5:4 Naaman ⁴  went and told his master what the girl from the land of Israel had said. 5:5 The king of Syria said, “Go! I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So Naaman ⁵  went, taking with him ten talents ⁶  of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, ⁷  and ten suits of clothes. 5:6 He brought the letter to king of Israel. It read: “This is a letter of introduction for my servant Naaman, ⁸  whom I have sent to be cured of his skin disease.” 5:7 When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God? Can I kill or restore life? Why does he ask me to cure a man of his skin disease? ⁹  Certainly you must see that he is looking for an excuse to fight me!” ¹⁰ 

5:8 When Elisha the prophet ¹¹  heard that the king had torn his clothes, he sent this message to the king, “Why did you tear your clothes? Send him ¹²  to me so he may know there is a prophet in Israel.” 5:9 So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stood in the doorway of Elisha’s house. 5:10 Elisha sent out a messenger who told him, “Go and wash seven times in the Jordan; your skin will be restored ¹³  and you will be healed.” 5:11 Naaman went away angry. He said, “Look, I thought for sure he would come out, stand there, invoke the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the area, and cure the skin disease. 5:12 The rivers of Damascus, the Abana and Pharpar, are better than any of the waters of Israel! ¹⁴  Could I not wash in them and be healed?” So he turned around and went away angry. 5:13 His servants approached and said to him, “O master, ¹⁵  if the prophet had told you to do some difficult task, ¹⁶  you would have been willing to do it. ¹⁷  It seems you should be happy that he simply said, “Wash and you will be healed.” ¹⁸  5:14 So he went down and dipped in the Jordan seven times, as the prophet had instructed. ¹⁹  His skin became as smooth as a young child’s ²⁰  and he was healed.

[5:1]  ¹ tn Heb “was a great man before his master and lifted up with respect to the face.”

[5:1]  ² 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.

[5:3]  ³ map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.

[5:4]  ⁴ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Naaman) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[5:5]  ⁵ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Naaman) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[5:5]  ⁶ tn The Hebrew term כִּכָּר (kikkar, “circle”) refers generally to something that is round. When used of metals it can refer to a disk-shaped weight made of the metal or to a standard unit of weight, generally regarded as a talent. Since the accepted weight for a talent of metal is about 75 pounds, this would have amounted to about 750 pounds of silver (cf. NCV, NLT, CEV).

[5:5]  ⁷ tn Heb “six thousand gold […].” The unit of measure is not given in the Hebrew text. A number of English versions supply “pieces” (e.g., KJV, ASV, NAB, TEV) or “shekels” (e.g., NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[5:6]  ⁸ tn Heb “and now when this letter comes to you, look, I have sent to you Naaman my servant.”

[5:7]  ⁹ tn Heb “Am I God, killing and restoring life, that this one sends to me to cure a man from his skin disease?” In the Hebrew text this is one lengthy rhetorical question, which has been divided up in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[5:7]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “Indeed, know and see that he is seeking an occasion with respect to me.”

[5:8]  ¹¹ tn Heb “man of God” (also in vv. 15, 20).

[5:8]  ¹² tn Heb “Let him come.”

[5:10]  ¹³ tn Heb “will return to you.”

[5:12]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all of the waters of Israel?” The rhetorical question expects an emphatic “yes” as an answer.

[5:13]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “my father,” reflecting the perspective of each individual servant. To address their master as “father” would emphasize his authority and express their respect. See BDB 3 s.v. אָב and the similar idiomatic use of “father” in 2 Kgs 2:12.

[5:13]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “a great thing.”

[5:13]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “would you not do [it]?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “Of course you would.”

[5:13]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “How much more [when] he said, “Wash and be healed.” The second imperative (“be healed”) states the expected result of obeying the first (‘wash”).

[5:14]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “according to the word of the man of God.”

[5:14]  ²⁰ tn Heb “and his skin was restored, like the skin of a small child.”