וְנַעֲמָן שַׂר־צְבָא מֶלֶךְ־אֲרָם הָיָה אִישׁ גָּדוֹל לִפְנֵי אֲדֹנָיו וּנְשֻׂא פָנִים כִּי־בוֹ נָתַן־יְהוָה תְּשׁוּעָה לַאֲרָם 5:1 וְהָאִישׁ הָיָה גִּבּוֹר חַיִל מְצֹרָע׃
2Kin. 5:1 Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Aram, was a great man before his master and of high regard, for the Lord had given victory to Aram by him. But the man was a mighty man of valor who was a leper.
וַאֲרָם יָצְאוּ גְדוּדִים וַיִּשְׁבּוּ מֵאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל נַעֲרָה קְטַנָּה וַתְּהִי לִפְנֵי אֵשֶׁת נַעֲמָן׃ 5:2
2Kin. 5:2 And troops of the Arameans had gone out and had led a young maid captive from the land of Israel, and she was before the wife of Naaman.
וַתֹּאמֶר אֶל־גְּבִרְתָּהּ אַחֲלֵי אֲדֹנִי לִפְנֵי הַנָּבִיא אֲשֶׁר בְּשֹׁמְרוֹן אָז יֶאֱסֹף אֹתוֹ מִצָּרַעְתּוֹ׃ 5:3
2Kin. 5:3 And she said to her mistress, “Would that my lord were before the prophet who is in Samaria. Then he would recover him from his leprosy.”
וַיָּבֹא וַיַּגֵּד לַאדֹנָיו לֵאמֹר כָּזֹאת וְכָזֹאת דִּבְּרָה הַנַּעֲרָה אֲשֶׁר מֵאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל׃ 5:4
2Kin. 5:4 Then he came and told to his lord saying, “The maid who is from the land of Israel spoke like this and like that.”
וַיֹּאמֶר מֶלֶךְ־אֲרָם לֶךְ־בֹּא וְאֶשְׁלְחָה סֵפֶר אֶל־מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיֵּלֶךְ וַיִּקַּח בְּיָדוֹ עֶשֶׂר כִּכְּרֵי־כֶסֶף וְשֵׁשֶׁת 5:5 אֲלָפִים זָהָב וְעֶשֶׂר חֲלִיפוֹת בְּגָדִים׃
2Kin. 5:5 And the king of Aram said, “Go depart, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So he left and took ten talents of silver and six thousand pieces of gold and ten changes of clothes in his hand.
וַיָּבֵא הַסֵּפֶר אֶל־מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמֹר וְעַתָּה כְּבוֹא הַסֵּפֶר הַזֶּה אֵלֶיךָ הִנֵּה שָׁלַחְתִּי אֵלֶיךָ אֶת־נַעֲמָן 5:6 עַבְדִּי וַאֲסַפְתּוֹ מִצָּרַעְתּוֹ׃
2Kin. 5:6 And he brought the letter to the king of Israel saying, “And now when this letter comes to you, behold, I have sent Naaman, my servant to you, so you may recover him from his leprosy.”
וַיְהִי כִּקְרֹא מֶלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת־הַסֵּפֶר וַיִּקְרַע בְּגָדָיו וַיֹּאמֶר הַאֱלֹהִים אָנִי לְהָמִית וּלְהַחֲיוֹת כִּי־זֶה שֹׁלֵחַ 5:7 אֵלַי לֶאֱסֹף אִישׁ מִצָּרַעְתּוֹ כִּי אַךְ־דְּעוּ־נָא וּרְאוּ כִּי־מִתְאַנֶּה הוּא לִי׃
2Kin. 5:7 And it happened when the king of Israel had read the letter that he rent his clothes and said, “Am I God to make dead and to make alive, that this is sent to me to recover a man from his leprosy? But just think now and see how he seeks against me.”
וַיְהִי כִּשְׁמֹעַ אֱלִישָׁע אִישׁ־הָאֱלֹהִים כִּי־קָרַע מֶלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת־בְּגָדָיו וַיִּשְׁלַח אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ לֵאמֹר לָמָּה 5:8 קָרַעְתָּ בְּגָדֶיךָ יָבֹא־נָא אֵלַי וְיֵדַע כִּי יֵשׁ נָבִיא בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל׃
2Kin. 5:8 And it was when Elisha, the man of God, heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to the king saying, “Why have you rent your clothes? Let him come now to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.”
וַיָּבֹא נַעֲמָן (בְּסוּסוֹ) [בְּסוּסָיו] וּבְרִכְבּוֹ וַיַּעֲמֹד פֶּתַח־הַבַּיִת לֶאֱלִישָׁע׃ 5:9
2Kin. 5:9 So Naaman came with his horses and his chariot and stood at the door of the house of Elisha's.
The error in the parentheses is due to a missing vav, which makes the word translate to with his horse instead of with his horses. The correct spelling appears in the brackets.
וַיִּשְׁלַח אֵלָיו אֱלִישָׁע מַלְאָךְ לֵאמֹר הָלוֹךְ וְרָחַצְתָּ שֶׁבַע־פְּעָמִים בַּיַּרְדֵּן וְיָשֹׁב בְּשָׂרְךָ לְךָ וּטְהָר׃ 5:10
2Kin. 5:10 Then Elisha sent a messenger to him saying, “Go and wash seven times in the Jordan and your flesh shall return to you and be clean.”
וַיִּקְצֹף נַעֲמָן וַיֵּלַךְ וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֵּה אָמַרְתִּי אֵלַי יֵצֵא יָצוֹא וְעָמַד וְקָרָא בְּשֵׁם־יְהוָה אֱלֹהָיו וְהֵנִיף יָדוֹ 5:11 אֶל־הַמָּקוֹם וְאָסַף הַמְּצֹרָע׃
2Kin. 5:11 But Naaman became angry and he left as he said, “Behold, I said to myself: ‘Surely he would come out and stand and call on the name of the Lord, his God, and wave his hand over the place and recover who has leprosy.’
הֲלֹא טוֹב (אֲבָנָה) [אֲמָנָה] וּפַרְפַּר נַהֲרוֹת דַּמֶּשֶׂק מִכֹּל מֵימֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הֲלֹא־אֶרְחַץ בָּהֶם וְטָהָרְתִּי 5:12
וַיִּפֶן וַיֵּלֶךְ בְּחֵמָה׃
2Kin. 5:12 ‘Are not Amanah and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Should I not wash in them and be clean?’” And he turned and left in anger.
The name of the Syrian river in the parentheses is considered to be misspelled. The alleged error is rather strange in that it assumes a veth is in place of a mem, an unusual substitution. However, it turns out that both spellings are of names of Syrian rivers. Moreover, both rivers are in or near Damascus. I presume the basis for calling the first spelling an error is that it appears no where else in the bible, while the assumed corrected spelling, in the brackets, appears in two other places.
וַיִּגְּשׁוּ עֲבָדָיו וַיְדַבְּרוּ אֵלָיו וַיֹּאמְרוּ אָבִי דָּבָר גָּדוֹל הַנָּבִיא דִּבֶּר אֵלֶיךָ הֲלוֹא תַעֲשֶׂה וְאַף כִּי־אָמַר 5:13 אֵלֶיךָ רְחַץ וּטְהָר׃
2Kin. 5:13 But his servants came near and spoke to him and said, “My father, had the prophet spoken a great act to you, would you not do? Then how much more when he says to you: ‘Wash and be clean?’”
וַיֵּרֶד וַיִּטְבֹּל בַּיַּרְדֵּן שֶׁבַע פְּעָמִים כִּדְבַר אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים וַיָּשָׁב בְּשָׂרוֹ כִּבְשַׂר נַעַר קָטֹן וַיִּטְהָר׃ 5:14
2Kin. 5:14 So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times according to the word of the man of God and his flesh returned like the flesh of a small child and he was clean.
וַיָּשָׁב אֶל־אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים הוּא וְכָל־מַחֲנֵהוּ וַיָּבֹא וַיַּעֲמֹד לְפָנָיו וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֵּה־נָא יָדַעְתִּי כִּי אֵין אֱלֹהִים 5:15 בְּכָל־הָאָרֶץ כִּי אִם־בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל וְעַתָּה קַח־נָא בְרָכָה מֵאֵת עַבְדֶּךָ׃
2Kin. 5:15 Then he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came and stood before him and said, “Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the land but only in Israel. So now, I pray you, take a gift from your servant.”
וַיֹּאמֶר חַי־יְהוָה אֲשֶׁר־עָמַדְתִּי לְפָנָיו אִם־אֶקָּח וַיִּפְצַר־בּוֹ לָקַחַת וַיְמָאֵן׃ 5:16
2Kin. 5:16 But he said, “As the Lord lives, before Whom I stand, I will not take.” And he urged him to take, but he refused.
וַיֹּאמֶר נַעֲמָן וָלֹא יֻתַּן־נָא לְעַבְדְּךָ מַשָּׂא צֶמֶד־פְּרָדִים אֲדָמָה כִּי לוֹא־יַעֲשֶׂה עוֹד עַבְדְּךָ עֹלָה וָזֶבַח 5:17 לֵאלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים כִּי אִם־לַיהוָה׃
2Kin. 5:17 And Naaman said, “Then no. Let, I pray you, the burden of a pair of mules of earth be given to your servant, for your servant will no longer offer a burnt offering or a sacrifice to other gods but only to the Lord.”
לַדָּבָר הַזֶּה יִסְלַח יְהוָה לְעַבְדֶּךָ בְּבוֹא אֲדֹנִי בֵית־רִמּוֹן לְהִשְׁתַּחֲוֺת שָׁמָּה וְהוּא נִשְׁעָן עַל־יָדִי 5:18 וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוֵיתִי בֵּית רִמֹּן בְּהִשְׁתַּחֲוָיָתִי בֵּית רִמֹּן יִסְלַח־ נא יְהוָה לְעַבְדְּךָ בַּדָּבָר הַזֶּה׃
2Kin. 5:18 “About this thing, let the Lord give pardon to your servant: On the going of my lord into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he will be leaning on my hand so I bow down in the house of Rimmon, let, I pray you, the Lord give pardon to your servant in this thing.”
וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ לֵךְ לְשָׁלוֹם וַיֵּלֶךְ מֵאִתּוֹ כִּבְרַת־אָרֶץ׃ 5:19
2Kin. 5:19 And he said to him, “Go in peace.” And he went a stretch of land from him.
וַיֹּאמֶר גֵּיחֲזִי נַעַר אֱלִישָׁע אִישׁ־הָאֱלֹהִים הִנֵּה חָשַׂךְ אֲדֹנִי אֶת־נַעֲמָן הָאֲרַמִּי הַזֶּה מִקַּחַת מִיָּדוֹ אֵת 5:20 אֲשֶׁר־הֵבִיא חַי־יְהוָה כִּי־אִם־רַצְתִּי אַחֲרָיו וְלָקַחְתִּי מֵאִתּוֹ מְאוּמָה׃
2Kin. 5:20 But Gehazi, servant of Elisha, the man of God, said, “Behold, my master has spared this Naaman, the Aramean, from receiving this from his hand what he had brought. As the Lord lives, if I not run after him and I will take a little from him.”
וַיִּרְדֹּף גֵּיחֲזִי אַחֲרֵי נַעֲמָן וַיִּרְאֶה נַעֲמָן רָץ אַחֲרָיו וַיִּפֹּל מֵעַל הַמֶּרְכָּבָה לִקְרָאתוֹ וַיֹּאמֶר הֲשָׁלוֹם׃ 5:21
2Kin. 5:21 So Gehazi pursued after Naaman. When Naaman saw he was running after him, then he alit from the chariot to meet him and said, “Is it well?”
וַיֹּאמֶר שָׁלוֹם אֲדֹנִי שְׁלָחַנִי לֵאמֹר הִנֵּה עַתָּה זֶה בָּאוּ אֵלַי שְׁנֵי־נְעָרִים מֵהַר אֶפְרַיִם מִבְּנֵי הַנְּבִיאִים 5:22 תְּנָה־נָּא לָהֶם כִּכַּר־כֶּסֶף וּשְׁתֵּי חֲלִפוֹת בְּגָדִים׃
2Kin. 5:22 And he said, “It is well. My master has sent me to say: ‘Behold, just now two young men from the hill country of Ephraim have come to me from the sons of the prophets. I pray you, give for them a talent of silver and two changes of clothes.”
וַיֹּאמֶר נַעֲמָן הוֹאֵל קַח כִּכָּרָיִם וַיִּפְרָץ־בּוֹ וַיָּצַר כִּכְּרַיִם כֶּסֶף בִּשְׁנֵי חֲרִטִים וּשְׁתֵּי חֲלִפוֹת בְּגָדִים וַיִּתֵּן 5:23 אֶל־שְׁנֵי נְעָרָיו וַיִּשְׂאוּ לְפָנָיו׃
2Kin. 5:23 And Naaman said, “Be content. Take two talents.” And he urged him and bound two talents of silver in two bags and two changes of clothes and gave to two of his servants, and they carried before him.
וַיָּבֹא אֶל־הָעֹפֶל וַיִּקַּח מִיָּדָם וַיִּפְקֹד בַּבָּיִת וַיְשַׁלַּח אֶת־הָאֲנָשִׁים וַיֵּלֵכוּ׃ 5:24
2Kin. 5:24 When he came to the hill, then he took from their hands and deposited in the house, and he sent the men away, and they left.
וְהוּא־בָא וַיַּעֲמֹד אֶל־אֲדֹנָיו וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו אֱלִישָׁע (מֵאָן) [מֵאַיִן] גֵּחֲזִי וַיֹּאמֶר לֹא־הָלַךְ עַבְדְּךָ אָנֶה 5:25
וָאָנָה׃
2Kin. 5:25 Then he went in and stood by his master. And Elisha said to him, “From where, Gehazi?” And he said, “Your servant did not go to and fro.”
The word in parentheses is missing a yad. The correction is in the brackets.
וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו לֹא־לִבִּי הָלַךְ כַּאֲשֶׁר הָפַךְ־אִישׁ מֵעַל מֶרְכַּבְתּוֹ לִקְרָאתֶךָ הַעֵת לָקַחַת אֶת־הַכֶּסֶף 5:26 וְלָקַחַת בְּגָדִים וְזֵיתִים וּכְרָמִים וְצֹאן וּבָקָר וַעֲבָדִים וּשְׁפָחוֹת׃
2Kin. 5:26 And he said to him, “My heart was not moved as the man turned from his chariot to meet you. Was it a time to receive money or to receive clothes, or olive yards or vineyards or sheep or oxen or menservants or maidservants?”
וְצָרַעַת נַעֲמָן תִּדְבַּק־בְּךָ וּבְזַרְעֲךָ לְעוֹלָם וַיֵּצֵא מִלְּפָנָיו מְצֹרָע כַּשָּׁלֶג׃ 5:27
2Kin. 5:27 “Then the leprosy of Naaman shall abide in you and your seed forever.” And he went out from his presence leprous like snow.
This is a rather harsh consequence of Gehazi’s behavior. Why are Gehazi’s children included in this? The sins of the father? But they are not handed down forever! Only to the third and fourth generations (Exod. 34:7).
On a possibly more significant note, I imagine and suggest that these chapters may be meant as a harbinger of the Messianic age. Remember that Malachi (Mala. 3:23) prophesies that Elijah will show up to indicate the imminence of the Messiah’s arrival. Elisha’s amazing miracles hint at his being the One who fulfills the prophecy..
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