2 Reis 5

ARC · Chapter 5/25

1E Naaman, chefe do exercito do rei da Syria, era um grande homem diante do seu senhor, e de muito respeito; porque por elle o Senhor déra livremente aos syros: e era este varão homem valoroso, porém leproso.

2E sairam tropas da Syria, da terra d'Israel e, levaram presa uma menina que ficou ao serviço da mulher de Naaman.

3E disse esta á sua senhora: Oxalá que o meu senhor estivesse diante do propheta que está em Samaria: elle o restauraria da sua lepra.

4Então entrou Naaman e o notificou a seu senhor, dizendo: Assim e assim fallou a menina que é da terra de Israel.

5Então disse o rei da Syria: Vae, anda, e enviarei a carta ao rei de Israel. E foi, e tomou na sua mão dez talentos de prata, e seis mil siclos de oiro e dez mudas de vestidos.

6E levou a carta ao rei de Israel, dizendo: Logo, em chegando a ti esta carta, saibas que eu te enviei Naaman, meu servo, para que o restaures da sua lepra.

7E succedeu que, lendo o rei de Israel a carta, rasgou os seus vestidos, e disse: Sou eu Deus, para matar e para vivificar, para que este envie a mim, para eu restaurar a um homem da sua lepra? Pelo que devéras notae, peço-vos, e vede que busca occasião contra mim.

8Succedeu porém que, ouvindo Eliseo, homem de Deus, que o rei de Israel rasgara os seus vestidos, mandou dizer ao rei: Porque rasgaste os teus vestidos? deixa-o vir a mim, e saberá que ha propheta em Israel.

9Veiu pois Naaman com os seus cavallos, e com o seu carro, e parou á porta da casa de Eliseo.

10Então Eliseo lhe mandou um mensageiro, dizendo: Vae, e lava-te sete vezes no Jordão, e a tua carne te tornará, e ficarás purificado.

11Porém Naaman muito se indignou, e se foi dizendo: Eis que eu dizia comigo: Certamente elle sairá, pôr-se-ha em pé, e invocará o nome do Senhor seu Deus, e passará a sua mão sobre o logar, e restaurará o leproso

12Não são porventura Abana e Farfar, rios de Damasco, melhores do que todas as aguas de Israel? Não me poderia eu lavar n'elles, e ficar purificado? E voltou-se, e se foi com indignação.

13Então chegaram-se a elle os seus servos, e lhe fallaram, e disseram: Meu pae, se o propheta te dissera alguma grande coisa, porventura não a farias? Quanto mais, dizendo-te elle: Lava-te, e ficarás purificado.

14Então desceu, e mergulhou no Jordão sete vezes, conforme a palavra do homem de Deus: e a sua carne tornou, como a carne d'um menino, e ficou purificado.

15Então voltou ao homem de Deus, elle e toda a sua comitiva, e veiu, e poz-se diante d'elle, e disse: Eis que tenho conhecido que em toda a terra não ha Deus senão em Israel: agora pois te peço que tomes uma benção do teu servo

16Porém elle disse: Vive o Senhor, em cuja presença estou, que a não tomarei. E instou com elle para que a tomasse, mas elle recusou.

17E disse Naaman: Quando não, comtudo dê-se a este teu servo uma carga de terra d'um jugo de mulas; porque nunca mais offerecerá este teu servo holocausto nem sacrificio a outros deuses, senão ao Senhor.

18N'isto perdoe o Senhor a teu servo: quando meu senhor entra na casa de Rimmon para ali se encurvar, e elle se encosta na minha mão, e eu tambem me hei de encurvar na casa de Rimmon; quando assim me encurvar na casa de Rimmon, n'isto perdoe o Senhor a teu servo.

19E elle lhe disse: Vae em paz. E foi-se d'elle a uma pequena distancia.

20Então Geazi, moço d'Eliseo, homem de Deus, disse: Eis que meu senhor impediu a este syro Naaman que da sua mão se désse alguma coisa do que trazia; porém, vive o Senhor que hei de correr atraz d'elle, e tomar d'elle alguma coisa.

21E foi Geazi em alcance de Naaman; e Naaman, vendo que corria atraz d'elle, saltou do carro a encontral-o, e disse-lhe: Vae tudo bem?

22E elle disse: Tudo vae bem; meu senhor me mandou dizer: Eis que agora mesmo vieram a mim dois mancebos dos filhos dos prophetas da montanha d'Ephraim; dá-lhes pois um talento de prata e duas mudas de vestidos.

23E disse Naaman: Sê servido tomar dois talentos. E instou com elle, e amarrou dois talentos de prata em dois saccos, com duas mudas de vestidos; e pôl-os sobre dois dos seus moços, os quaes os levaram diante d'elle.

24E, chegando elle á altura, tomou-os das suas mãos, e os depositou na casa: e despediu aquelles homens, e foram-se.

25Então elle entrou, e poz-se diante de seu senhor. E disse-lhe Eliseo: D'onde vens, Geazi? E disse: Teu servo não foi nem a uma nem a outra parte.

26Porém elle lhe disse: Porventura não foi comtigo o meu coração, quando aquelle homem voltou de sobre o seu carro, a encontrar-te? Era isto tempo para tomares prata, e para tomares vestidos, e olivaes, e vinhas, e ovelhas, e bois e servos e servas?

27Portanto a lepra de Naaman se pegará a ti e á tua semente para sempre. Então saiu de diante d'elle leproso, branco como a neve.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

Naaman, a leprous Syrian general, is healed after dipping seven times in the Jordan on Elisha's instruction, despite his initial resistance. Gehazi, Elisha's servant, lies to secretly obtain gifts from Naaman and is struck with the leprosy that Naaman had had.

Explanation

The healing of Naaman is one of the richest accounts about humility and grace: a powerful foreign general must humble himself to the point of following a simple instruction (bathing in an ordinary river) instead of the grand ritual he expected. Jesus cites this episode in Luke 4:27 as an example that God's grace reaches even foreigners when Israelites do not respond with faith. In contrast, Gehazi's disguised greed shows how proximity to sacred things does not protect against personal corruption — he witnessed the miracle up close, but still chose deceit out of greed.

Fun facts

  • The 'load of earth' that Naaman asks to take back to Syria (v.17) reflects an ancient religious belief that a god was tied to its geographic territory, and he wanted Israelite soil so he could properly worship the God of Israel even while physically in Syria.
  • Biblical leprosy ('tsara'at' in Hebrew) likely included several skin conditions, not just the disease known today as Hansen's disease (leprosy), but the social effect of isolation and ritual impurity was the same regardless of the exact medical cause.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. 2 Reis 5:1Leprosy in the Hebrew Bible covered a much wider range of skin diseases than modern Hansen's disease. The point of the text is the contrast between Naaman's military prestige and the condition that, even so, isolated him socially.
  2. 2 Reis 5:2A young Israelite girl is captured in a Syrian raid and becomes a servant to the wife of Naaman, the leprous general — she is the one who will point the way to his healing.
  3. 2 Reis 5:3Even as a captive in enemy territory, the girl wishes her master well and suggests that the prophet in Samaria could cure his leprosy.
  4. 2 Reis 5:4Naaman takes to the king of Syria exactly what the Israelite slave girl had said about the prophet in Samaria.
  5. 2 Reis 5:5The king of Syria sends Naaman to Israel with an official letter and a fortune in silver, gold, and clothing — treating the healing as a matter of state between kings.
  6. 2 Reis 5:6The letter asks the king of Israel directly to cure Naaman of his leprosy, as if it were a normal political request between rulers.
  7. 2 Reis 5:7The king of Israel (north) tears his clothes in panic, thinking it's a trap — he knows curing leprosy is beyond his power and fears it's a pretext for war.
  8. 2 Reis 5:8Hearing of the king's panic, Elisha sends for Naaman just to prove one simple thing: that there is a true prophet in Israel.
  9. 2 Reis 5:9Naaman arrives with horses and chariot, stopping with great pomp at the door of Elisha's simple house.
  10. 2 Reis 5:10Naaman expects a dramatic ritual, with the prophet calling on the name of God over him; instead he gets a simple instruction that sounds almost insulting, and he nearly gives up out of pride. Only his own servants convince him to try something so ordinary.
  11. 2 Reis 5:11Naaman is offended because he expected a dramatic ritual, with the prophet calling on the name of God and waving his hand over the spot of leprosy.
  12. 2 Reis 5:12Still irritated, Naaman argues that the rivers of Damascus are better than those of Israel, and he storms off without even trying.
  13. 2 Reis 5:13Naaman's own servants convince him: if the prophet had asked for something difficult he would have done it, so why not try something as simple as washing himself?
  14. 2 Reis 5:14Naaman finally dips himself seven times in the Jordan as Elisha instructed, and his skin becomes like that of a child again, completely healed.
  15. 2 Reis 5:15Taking Israelite soil home reflected the ancient idea that a god was tied to its own territory; Naaman wants to build altars to the Lord on soil from Israel even while living in Syria. He already apologizes in advance for having to accompany his king into a pagan temple as part of his duties, a very concrete crisis of conscience.
  16. 2 Reis 5:16Elisha refuses any payment from Naaman, swearing he will not accept anything, even with his insistence.
  17. 2 Reis 5:17Naaman asks to take Israelite soil home, because from now on he will only offer sacrifices to the Lord, and no longer to other gods.
  18. 2 Reis 5:18Naaman already apologizes in advance for having to bow in the temple of the god Rimmon when accompanying his king on official duty — a very concrete crisis of conscience for someone who has just converted.
  19. 2 Reis 5:19Elisha tells Naaman to go in peace, and he sets off, getting only a little way off before the next scene with Gehazi.
  20. 2 Reis 5:20Elisha had refused any payment from Naaman to make it clear the healing came from God, not a service sold for money. Gehazi runs after the Syrian behind his master's back, and the leprosy that leaves Naaman clings to him instead, as punishment for greed and lying.
  21. 2 Reis 5:21Naaman, seeing Gehazi running after him, gets down from his chariot to meet him, asking if all is well.
  22. 2 Reis 5:22Gehazi makes up an excuse: he says two young sons of the prophets have just arrived and need silver and clothing.
  23. 2 Reis 5:23Naaman insists on giving even more than Gehazi asked for, wrapping it all up and sending two servants to carry the gifts.
  24. 2 Reis 5:24Arriving near home, Gehazi takes the gifts, hides everything, and sends Naaman's servants away, as if nothing had happened.
  25. 2 Reis 5:25Back home, Elisha asks where Gehazi has been, and he lies straight to the prophet's face, saying he hadn't gone anywhere.
  26. 2 Reis 5:26Elisha reveals that he knew in spirit everything that happened, rebuking Gehazi for accepting silver and goods at a moment that called for no such thing.
  27. 2 Reis 5:27As punishment for the lie and the greed, Naaman's leprosy passes to Gehazi and his descendants forever, and he goes out white as snow.

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