Naaman (2 Kings 5:1; 2 Kings 5:2–4; 2 Kings 5:5–7; 2 Kings 5:8–10; 2 Kings 5:11–12; 2 Kings 5:13–14; 2 Kings 5:15–19; 2 Kings 5:20–27; Luke 4:27)

Captain of the Host of the King of Syria

Naaman the Syrian, a great and honorable captain and a mighty man of valor, who was a leper, was sent by the king of Syria to Israel, went away in a rage when told to wash in the Jordan, dipped himself seven times and was clean, and said that there is no God in all the earth but in Israel.

The book of 2 Kings introduces him: “Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honorable, because by him Jehovah had given victory unto Syria: he was also a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper” (2 Kings 5:1). A little maiden taken captive out of Israel, who waited on his wife, said that the prophet in Samaria would recover him of his leprosy (2 Kings 5:2-3). The king of Syria sent him to the king of Israel with a letter, silver, gold and garments (2 Kings 5:5-6); the king of Israel rent his clothes, and Elisha the man of God sent word, “let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel” (2 Kings 5:8).

Naaman came with his horses and chariots to the door of Elisha's house, and Elisha sent a messenger to tell him to wash in the Jordan seven times. “But Naaman was wroth, and went away” (2 Kings 5:11), and “turned and went away in a rage” (2 Kings 5:12). His servants spoke to him, and “then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean” (2 Kings 5:14). He returned to Elisha and said, “Behold now, I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel” (2 Kings 5:15). Elisha would receive no present; Naaman asked for two mules' burden of earth, said he would henceforth offer sacrifice only to the LORD, and asked pardon in the matter of the house of Rimmon, and Elisha said, “Go in peace” (2 Kings 5:19).

Gehazi, Elisha's servant, ran after Naaman and took silver and garments from him, saying, My master hath sent me; Elisha told him, “The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever” (2 Kings 5:27). The text does not say what became of Naaman afterward. The New Testament names him once, when Jesus speaks at Nazareth: “there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian” (Luke 4:27).

Strengths

• A mighty man of valor
• Great and honorable with his master
• Did according to the saying of the man of God
• Confessed no God in all the earth but in Israel

Weaknesses

• Wroth, and went away
• Went away in a rage

Themes

• A foreigner cleansed
• Wroth at the word
• The little maiden's word
• Seven times in the Jordan
• No God but in Israel
• The prophet in Israel

Captain of Syria, and a leper (2 Kings 5:1)

Naaman is captain of the host of the king of Syria, a great man with his master and honorable, a mighty man of valor, but a leper.

The maiden's word (2 Kings 5:2–4)

A little maiden taken captive out of Israel, who waited on Naaman's wife, says that the prophet in Samaria would recover her master of his leprosy, and one goes in and tells his lord what the maiden said.

The letter to the king of Israel (2 Kings 5:5–7)

The king of Syria sends Naaman with a letter, ten talents of silver, six thousand pieces of gold and ten changes of raiment; the king of Israel rends his clothes.

At the door of Elisha's house (2 Kings 5:8–10)

Elisha hears that the king has rent his clothes and asks that Naaman come to him; Naaman stands at the door, and Elisha sends a messenger to bid him wash in the Jordan seven times.

Wroth at the Jordan (2 Kings 5:11–12)

Naaman is wroth and goes away, saying what he had thought and that the rivers of Damascus are better, and turns away in a rage.

Wroth at the Jordan

Naaman “came with his horses and with his chariots, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha” (2 Kings 5:9). Elisha did not come out; he “sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean” (2 Kings 5:10).

“But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of Jehovah his God, and wave his hand over the place, and recover the leper. Are not Abanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage” (2 Kings 5:11-12).

Cleansed in the Jordan (2 Kings 5:13–14)

His servants reason with him, and Naaman goes down, dips himself seven times in the Jordan according to the saying of the man of God, and is clean.

Cleansed in the Jordan

“And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?” (2 Kings 5:13).

“Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean” (2 Kings 5:14).

Confession and the house of Rimmon (2 Kings 5:15–19)

Naaman returns to Elisha with all his company, says there is no God in all the earth but in Israel, is refused when he offers a present, and asks for earth and for pardon in the house of Rimmon; Elisha says, Go in peace.

Confession and the house of Rimmon

“And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him; and he said, Behold now, I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee, take a present of thy servant” (2 Kings 5:15). Elisha answered, “As Jehovah liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive none. And he urged him to take it; but he refused” (2 Kings 5:16).

“And Naaman said, If not, yet, I pray thee, let there 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 Jehovah. In this thing Jehovah pardon thy servant: when my master goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leaneth on my hand, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon … Jehovah pardon thy servant in this thing” (2 Kings 5:17-18).

Elisha “said unto him, Go in peace. So he departed from him a little way” (2 Kings 5:19).

Gehazi runs after him (2 Kings 5:20–27)

Naaman alights from his chariot to meet Gehazi, gives him two talents of silver and two changes of raiment, and Elisha tells Gehazi that the leprosy of Naaman shall cleave to him.

Elisha (2 Kings 5:8–10; 2 Kings 5:15–19)

The man of God who sent him to wash in the Jordan, refused his present, and said, Go in peace; Naaman called himself his servant.

The king of Syria (2 Kings 5:1; 2 Kings 5:5–6)

Naaman's master, who sent him with a letter to the king of Israel as his servant.

The little maiden (2 Kings 5:2–4)

A captive out of the land of Israel who waited on Naaman's wife and said that the prophet in Samaria would recover him.

Naaman's servants (2 Kings 5:13–14)

Came near and spoke to him, saying, My father, wash and be clean; then he went down to the Jordan.

Gehazi (2 Kings 5:20–27)

Elisha's servant, who ran after Naaman and took two talents of silver and two changes of raiment; the leprosy of Naaman cleaved to him.

Major sections

• 2 Kings 5:1–27

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