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2 Kings 5:20

in 2 Kings 5

Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, “Look, my master has spared this Aramean, Naaman, while not accepting what he brought. As surely as the LORD lives, I will run after him and get something from him.”

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

But Gehazi the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, Behold, my master hath spared this Naaman the Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought: as Jehovah liveth, I will run after him, and take somewhat of him.

KJV

But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, Behold, my master hath spared Naaman this Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought: but, as the Lord liveth, I will run after him, and take somewhat of him.

This verse in 2 Kings 5

Commentary

6 notes on this verse

A commentator

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament (1765)

This Syrian - A stranger, and one of that nation who are the implacable enemies of God's people. As the Lord - He swears, that he might have some pretense for the action to which he had bound himself by his oath; not considering, that to swear to do any wicked action, is so far from excusing it, that it makes it much worse.

This site's exposition

I will run after him and get something from him

on 2 Kings 5:20-24

Gehazi decides that his master “has spared this Aramean” and swears “As surely as the LORD lives”, using the oath Elisha had just sworn. Naaman presses “two talents” on him, twice what Gehazi's invented story asked. Naaman's servants reasoned him into obedience, and Elisha's servant reasons himself into theft.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

His heart (says bishop Hall) was packed up in Naaman's chests, and he must run after him to fetch it. Multitudes, by coveting worldly wealth, have erred from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.
But Gehazi the servant of Elisha the man of God said,....

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

My master hath spared - this Syrian - He has neither taken any thing from him for himself, nor permitted him to give any thing to me.
This Syrian - The words are emphatic. Gehazi persuades himself that it is right to spoil a Syrian - that is, a Gentile, and an enemy of Israel. As the Lord liveth - These words are here a profane oath. Gehazi, anxious to make himself believe that he is acting in a proper, and, even, in a religions spirit, does not scruple to introduce one of the most solemn of religious phrases.

The words behind it

27 Hebrew words

Every Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

  • וַיֹּ֣אמֶרand he said

    vaiyomerH559 →5305 times

  • גֵּיחֲזִ֗יGehazi

    geichaziH1522 →12 times

  • נַעַר֮[the] servant of

    naarH5288 →239 times

  • אֱלִישָׁ֣עElisha

    ʾelisha'H477 →58 times

  • אִישׁ־[the] man of

    ʾish-H376 →1663 times

  • הָאֱלֹהִים֒<the> God

    haelohimH430 →2601 times

  • הִנֵּ֣ה׀here!

    hinehH2009 →843 times

  • חָשַׂ֣ךְhe has restrained

    chasakhH2820 →

  • אֲדֹנִ֗יmaster my

    ʾadoniH113 →333 times

  • אֶֽת־<obj.>

    ʾet-H853 →10935 times

  • נַעֲמָ֤ןNaaman

    naamanH5283 →16 times

  • הָֽאֲרַמִּי֙the Aramean

    haaramiH761 →11 times

  • הַזֶּ֔ה<the> this

    hazehH2088 →1180 times

  • מִקַּ֥חַתfrom accepting

    mikachatH3947 →966 times

  • מִיָּד֖וֹfrom hand his

    miyadoH3027 →1618 times

  • אֵ֣ת<obj.>

    ʾetH853 →10935 times

  • אֲשֶׁר־[that] which

    ʾasher-H834 →5497 times

  • הֵבִ֑יאhe brought

    hevi'H935 →2568 times

  • חַי־[by] [the] life

    chai-H2416 →498 times

  • יְהוָה֙of Yahweh

    yahwehH3068 →6520 times

  • כִּֽי־that

    ki-H3588 →4482 times

  • אִם־except

    ʾim-H518 →1069 times

  • רַ֣צְתִּיI run

    ratztiH7323 →103 times

  • אַחֲרָ֔יוafter him

    ʾacharavH310 →715 times

  • וְלָקַחְתִּ֥יand I will accept

    velakachtiH3947 →966 times

  • מֵאִתּ֖וֹfrom with <the> him

    meitoH854 →929 times

  • מְאֽוּמָה׃anything

    meumahH3972 →

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    2 Kings 4:12

    And he said to Gehazi his servant, “Call the Shunammite woman.” And when he had called her, she stood before him,

    it leads to

    • 2 Kings 8:4–5

      Now the king had been speaking to Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, saying, “Please relate to me all the great things Elisha has done.”

    • 2 Kings 5:20–27

      Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, “Look, my master has spared this Aramean, Naaman, while not accepting what he brought. As surely as the LORD lives, I will run after…

    • 2 Kings 4:29–31

      So Elisha said to Gehazi, “Tie up your garment, take my staff in your hand, and go! If you meet anyone, do not greet him, and if anyone greets you, do not answer him.…

    • 1 Kings 19:3

      And Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there,

    • 2 Kings 3:11

      But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no prophet of the LORD here? Let us inquire of the LORD through him.” And one of the servants of the king of Israel answered, “Elisha son of Shaphat…

  • Through

    2 Kings 6:31

    He announced, “May God punish me, and ever so severely, if the head of Elisha son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders through this day!”

    it leads to

    • Ruth 1:17

      Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD punish me, and ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.”

  • Through

    2 Kings 4:31

    Gehazi went on ahead of them and laid the staff on the boy’s face, but there was no sound or response. So he went back to meet Elisha and told him, “The boy has…

    it leads to

    • John 11:11

      After He had said this, He told them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to wake him up.”

  • Through

    2 Kings 4:36

    Elisha summoned Gehazi and said, “Call the Shunammite woman.” So he called her and she came. Then Elisha said, “Pick up your son.”

    it leads to

    • Hebrews 11:35

      Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused their release, so that they might gain a better resurrection.

Where this verse is studied

About 2 Kings

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.