He brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, “Now when this letter has come to you, behold, I have sent Naaman my servant to you, that you may heal him of his leprosy.”
When the king of Israel had read the letter, he tore his clothes, and said, “Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends to me to heal a man of his leprosy? But please consider and see how he seeks a quarrel against me.”
It was so, when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, “Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.”
Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On v8 The Prophet rebuketh the king because he did not…
The Prophet rebuketh the king because he did not consider that God was true in his promise, and therefore would not leave his Church destitute of a Prophet, whose prayers he would hear, and to whom others should have recourse for comfort.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv6–8 2Ki 5:6 And he brought the letter to the…
2Ki 5:6 And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, Now when this letter is come unto thee, behold, I have [therewith] sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy.
Ver. 6. That thou mayest recover him of his leprosy,] sc., By commending him to thy prophet, so famous for his miracles; and by commanding him to cure him.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv6–8 i.e. Procure his recovery by the means of Elisha,…
i.e. Procure his recovery by the means of Elisha, 2Ki 5:3,4, whom thou mayest command to use his utmost skill and power herein.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv6–8 And he brought the letter to the king of…
And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying,.... The contents of which were, so far as it concerned Naaman and his case, which are only observed, these:
now when this letter is come unto thee; was received by him:
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behold, I have therewith sent Naaman my servant unto thee; the bearer of it:
that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy; meaning not he himself, but that he would recommend him to the care of a proper person, his prophet, and enjoin him to do the best he could for him; but the king of Israel mistook his meaning, as appears by what follows.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On vv7–8 Verse 7. Am I God, to kill and to…
Verse 7. Am I God, to kill and to make alive] He spoke thus under the conviction that God alone could cure the leprosy; which, indeed, was universally acknowledged: and must have been as much a maxim among the Syrians as among the Israelites, for the disorder was equally prevalent in both countries; and in both equally incurable. See the notes on Leviticus 13 and 14. And it was this that led the king of Israel to infer that the Syrian king sought a quarrel with him, in desiring him to do a work which God only could do; and then declaring war upon him because he did not do it.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On vv6–8 2Ki 5:6. Now when this letter is come unto…
2Ki 5:6. Now when this letter is come unto thee, &c. — The beginning of the letter, which, it is likely, contained the usual compliments, is omitted, as not pertinent to the matter in hand. That thou mayest recover him of his leprosy — Or, That, by thy command, the prophet that is with thee may cleanse him; for kings are often said to do those things which they command to be done: in which view, there is no ambiguity in this letter of the king of Syria. But this not being plainly expressed, the king of Israel apprehended that the intention of this demand was only to pick a quarrel with him, and seek an occasion, or rather a pretence, for a war with him.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On vv6–8 That thou mayest recover him - literally, “And thou…
That thou mayest recover him - literally, “And thou shalt recover him.” The Syrian king presumes that, if there is a cure for leprosy to be had in Israel, the mode of obtaining it will be well known to his royal brother.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On vv7–8 Leprosy. The cure was deemed very difficult; as it…
Leprosy. The cure was deemed very difficult; as it generally kept gaining ground, and destroyed the constitution. See Numbers xii. 12., and Isaias liii 4. (Calmet) --- Me. The letter was, in effect, written in a haughty style, (Menochius) and the king might naturally infer that war would be the consequence. (Haydock)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On vv7–8 when the king of Israel had read the letter,…
when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes--According to an ancient practice among the Eastern people, the main object only was stated in the letter that was carried by the party concerned, while other circumstances were left to be explained at the interview. This explains Jehoram's burst of emotion--not horror at supposed blasphemy, but alarm and suspicion that this was merely made an occasion for a quarrel. Such a prince as he was would not readily think of Elisha, or, perhaps, have heard of his miraculous deeds.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv6–8 6. That thou mayest recover him of his leprosy…
6. That thou mayest recover him of his leprosy — The letter made no mention of the prophet Elisha. The king of Syria presumed that Elisha’s fame and power to work miracles was known throughout Samaria, and especially to Jehoram, and he seems to have imagined that the king of Israel had entire control over his prophets, and their miraculous powers.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv6–8 6. he brought the letter to the king of…
6. he brought the letter to the king of Israel] The Syrian king would conclude that the prophet was at the king’s command, and so he had only to write to the king, and all would be done that could be done.
Now [R.V. And now] when this letter] This is not the commencement of the letter. The writer only extracts from it the sentence which contains the request. The insertion of the copula ‘And’ by R.V. shews this, and so represents the Hebrew more exactly.
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that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy] The Syrian king speaks as though the cure were to be Jehoram’s work. But of course he only required of the king that he should use his power with the mighty prophet. This however can hardly have been made plain in the body of the letter, or Jehoram’s thoughts would have turned to Elisha.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv6–8 (6) Now.—Heb., And now, continuing an omitted passage. Only…
(6) Now.—Heb., And now, continuing an omitted passage. Only the principal sentence of the letter is given. The message pre-supposes a not altogether hostile relation between the two kings; and the words of the next verse, “He seeketh a quarrel against me,” point to the time of comparative lull which ensued after the luckless expedition to Ramoth-gilead (1. Kings 22), and the short reign of the invalid Ahaziah; i.e., to the reign of Jehoram, not to that of Jehoahaz, in which Israel was wholly crushed by Syria (2Ki_13:3-7). Schenkel thinks the Syrian inroads (2Ki_5:2) indicate the reign of Jehu, and that Hazael was the king who wrote the letter, as he was personally acquainted with Elisha (2Ki_5:5, seq.). But, as Thenius remarks, he forgets that the relations between Jehu and Syria were throughout strained to the last degree, so that such a friendly passage between the two kings as is here described is not to be thought of.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv6–8 And he brought the letter to the King of…
And he brought the letter to the King of Israel, saying. The hostile relations between Syria and Israel would not interfere with the coming and going of a messenger from either king to the other, who would be invested with an ambassadorial character. Now when this letter is come unto thee. We must not suppose that we have here the whole letter, which, no doubt, began with the customary Eastern formalities and elaborate compliments. The historian omits these, and hastens to, communicate to us the main point of the epistle, or rather, perhaps, its main drift, which he states somewhat baldly and bluntly. Behold, I have therewith sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him literally, and thou shalt recover himof his leprosy. The letter made no mention of Elisha. Ben-hadad assumed that, if the King of Israel had in his dominions a person able to cure leprosy, he would be fully cognizant of the fact, and would at once send for him, and call upon him for an exertion of his gift or art. He is not likely to have comprehended the relations in which Kings of Israel stood towards the Jehovistic prophets, but may probably have thought of Elisha "as a sort of chief magus, or as the Israelitish high priest" (Menken), whom the king would have at his beck and call, and whose services would be completely at his disposal.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Paul E. Kretzmann 1924 · Public Domain On v7 The Healing of Naaman
The Healing of Naaman
v. 8. And it was so, when Elisha, the man of God, had heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, being in despair on account of the apparently impossible feat which was expected of him, that he sent to the king, saying, Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? in his opinion an act of foolish fear. Let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel, a servant of the true and almighty God.
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v. 9. So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, with his entire retinue, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha, too proud, as it seems, to enter the poor hut, but expecting the prophet to deal with him in a manner befitting his rank.
v. 10. And Elisha, utterly unimpressed by the show of wealth and power, sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, return to the former state of firmness and health, and thou shalt be clean. From this Naaman was to learn that his healing would not be a matter of magic nor dependent upon the person of Elisha, but that it was a free gift of the God of Israel.
v. 11. But Naaman was wroth, which shows in what state of mind he had come to Samaria, as the proud general demanding aid, not as a suppliant pleading for help, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord, his God, and strike his hand over the place, moving it back and forth over the infected spot with a gesture of conjuring, and recover the leper. He thought such religious ceremonies, together with some application of magic, were essential, especially in his case.
v. 12. Are not Abana (or Amana) and Pharpar, mountain streams with clear, fresh water, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? May I not wash in them and be clean? He thought the cure consisted in the removal of the filth in the flesh by the outward application of water. So he turned and went away in a rage.
v. 13. And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, an address at the same time intimate and respectful, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, something particularly difficult to perform, wouldest thou not have done it? How much rather, then, when he saith to thee, Wash and be clean?
v. 14. Then went he down, from the hill on which Samaria was situated, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God, the number seven being the signature of the works of God; and his flesh came again, it was restored to its full healthy condition,like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
v. 15. And he returned to the man of God, to Samaria, he and all his company, and came and stood before him. And he said, in the conviction which had been forced upon him by his recent experiences, Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth but in Israel, faith in the true God had been wrought in his heart. Now, therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant, in the form of a rich present.
v. 16. But he said, As the Lord liveth, before whom I stand, as His humble and devoted servant, I will receive none. And he urged him to take it; but he refused, not wishing to have even the suspicion of selfishness and of seeking personal gain resting upon him.
v. 17. And Naaman said, in a humble tone, which contrasted strangely with his former overbearing behavior, Shall there not, then, I pray thee, be given to thy servant two mules’ burden of earth? For thy servant will henceforth offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice unto other gods, but unto the Lord. He did not ascribe magical powers to the soil of Israel, but wanted his act of building an altar from this earth to he a confession of his faith in Jehovah.
v. 18. In this thing the Lord pardon thy servant, that when my master goeth into the house of Rimmon, the chief idol of Syria, to worship there, and he leaneth on my hand, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, namely, while assisting the king in his act of worship: when I bow down myself in the house of Rimmon, not in personal worship, but in serving his master, the Lord pardon thy servant in this thing. He freely confessed this scruple of a tender conscience, in order not to have it appear that he was denying the Lord whom he now had so openly accepted.
v. 19. a. And he, Elisha, said unto him, Go in peace. We see from this entire story, first, that the Lord demands simple and absolute obedience to His Word; secondly, that He had mercy. also upon the poor heathen; and finally, that He expects us to watch very carefully lest we become partakers of other men’s sins.
Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv7–8 he tore his clothes
he tore his clothes
Often people would rip their clothes if they were in great distress. AT: "he ripped his clothes to show his distress" (See: Symbolic Action)
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Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man wants me to cure a man of his leprosy?
The king uses this rhetorical question to emphasize that the request of the king of Aram is outrageous and something he cannot do. This can be written as a statement. AT: "The king of Aram must think I am some sort of God, with the power over death and life! He wants me to cure this man of his leprosy, but I cannot do that." (See: Rhetorical Question)
It seems he is seeking to start an argument with me
The king of Israel did not believe the request to heal Naamam was the real reason for the letter. He thought the real reason was to start a fight. AT: "It seems he is looking for an excuse to start a fight with me" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
translationWords
God
life
leper
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv7–8 5:7 tore his clothes: This action was often a…
5:7 tore his clothes: This action was often a sign of intense agitation (11:4), grief (Gen 37:34; 2 Sam 13:31), or sorrow (2 Kgs 6:30; Job 1:20; 2:12). Due to the perennial distrust and hostilities between the Arameans and the Israelites, Joram assumed that the Aramean king was trying to pick a fight, as had occurred in the days of his father Ahab (1 Kgs 20:1-12).
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.