2 Kings 5:1

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 

2 Kings 17:16

17:16 They abandoned all the commandments of the Lord their God; they made two metal calves and an Asherah pole, bowed down to all the stars in the sky, ³  and worshiped ⁴  Baal.

2 Kings 21:3

21:3 He rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he set up altars for Baal and made an Asherah pole just like King Ahab of Israel had done. He bowed down to all the stars in the sky ⁵  and worshiped ⁶  them.

2 Kings 23:5

23:5 He eliminated ⁷  the pagan priests whom the kings of Judah had appointed to offer sacrifices ⁸  on the high places in the cities of Judah and in the area right around Jerusalem. (They offered sacrifices ⁹  to Baal, the sun god, the moon god, the constellations, and all the stars in the sky.)

[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.

[17:16]  ³ tn The phrase כָל צְבָא הַשָּׁמַיִם (khol tsÿva’ hashamayim), traditionally translated “all the host of heaven,” refers to the heavenly lights, including stars and planets. In 1 Kgs 22:19 these heavenly bodies are pictured as members of the Lord’s royal court or assembly, but many other texts view them as the illegitimate objects of pagan and Israelite worship.

[17:16]  ⁴ tn Or “served.”

[21:3]  ⁵ sn See the note at 2 Kgs 17:16.

[21:3]  ⁶ tn Or “served.”

[23:5]  ⁷ tn Perhaps, “destroyed.”

[23:5]  ⁸ tn Or “burn incense.”

[23:5]  ⁹ tn Or “burned incense.”