2 Kings 5:1
in 2 Kings 5Now Naaman, the commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man in his master’s sight and highly regarded, for through him the LORD had given victory to Aram. And he was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
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.
KJV
Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him the Lord had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper.
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This verse in 2 Kings 5
Commentary
7 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
By him the Lord had given deliverance unto Syria - An Assyrian monarch had pushed his conquests as far as Syria exactly at this period, bringing into subjection all the kings of these parts. But Syria revolted after a few years and once more made herself independent. It was probably in this war of independence that Naaman had distinguished himself. But he was a leper - leprosy admitted of various kinds and degrees Lev. 13; 14 Some of the lighter forms would not incapacitate a man from discharging the duties of a courtier and warrior.
This site's exposition
captain of the host of the king of Syria
on 2 Kings 5:1-3
Naaman is introduced with every mark of greatness a court could give, captain of Syria's army, honored by his master, credited with a victory the text says the Lord himself had given, and the report turns on one clause, but he was a leper. The healing that follows begins with the smallest voice in the house, a captive girl waiting on Naaman's wife, who has no name and no standing yet speaks the one true word anyone in the chapter has spoken so far. Jesus names Naaman directly at Luke 4:27, set beside the many lepers in Israel in Elisha's own day, a New Testament statement that mercy reached past Israel's border.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man and in high favor with his master because by him the Lord had given victory to Aram." Some rely on these words to say that he was the one who had …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria,....
Let Israel know that when the Syrians prevailed it was from the Lord. That he was very acceptable to his prince, was his favourite, and prime-minister of state; so great was he, so high, so honourable, and a mighty man of valour; but he was a leper, was under that loathsome disease, which made him a burden to himself.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master--highly esteemed for his military character and success. and honourable--rather, "very rich." but he was a leper--This leprosy, which, in Israel, would have excluded him from society, did not affect his free intercourse in the court of Syria.
Naaman, captain of the host - Of Naaman we know nothing more than is related here. Jarchi and some others say that he was the man who drew the bow at a venture, as we term it, and slew Ahab: see 1Ki 22:34 (note), and the notes there. He is not mentioned by Josephus, nor has he any reference to this history; which is very strange, as it exists in the Chaldee, Septuagint, and Syriac. King of Syria - The Hebrew is מלך ארם melech Aram, king of Aram; which is followed by the Chaldee and Arabic. The Syriac has Adom; but as the Syriac dolath is the same element as the Syriac rish, differing only in the position of the diacritic point, it may have been originally Aram. The Septuagint and Vulgate have Syria, and this is a common meaning of the term in Scripture. If the king of Syria be meant, it must be Ben-hadad; and the contemporary king of Israel was Jehoram. A great man - He was held in the highest esteem. And honorable - Had the peculiar favor and confidence of his master; and was promoted to the highest trusts. Had given deliverance unto Syria - That is, as the rabbins state, by his slaying Ahab, king of Israel; in consequence of which the Syrians got the victory. A mighty man in valor - He was a giant, and very strong, according to the Arabic. He had, in a word, all the qualifications of an able general. But he was a leper - Here was a heavy tax upon his grandeur; he was afflicted with a disorder the most loathsome and the most humiliating that could possibly disgrace a human being. God often, in the course of his providence, permits great defects to be associated with great eminence, that he may hide pride from man; and cause him to think soberly of himself and his acquirements.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
Na’amon the general. He goes on and lists the miracles that were performed through Elisha.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
23 Hebrew wordsEvery 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.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְ֠נַעֲמָן | venaamon | and Naaman | H5283 → | 16 times |
| שַׂר־ | sar- | [the] commander of | H8269 → | 421 times |
| צְבָ֨א | tzeva' | [the] army of | H6635 → | 485 times |
| מֶֽלֶךְ־ | melekh- | [the] king of | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| אֲרָ֜ם | ʾaram | Aram | H758 → | 143 times |
| הָיָ֣ה | hayah | he was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| אִישׁ֩ | ʾish | a man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| גָּד֨וֹל | gadol | great | H1419 → | 526 times |
| לִפְנֵ֤י | lifnei | <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| אֲדֹנָיו֙ | ʾadonav | master<s> his | H113 → | 333 times |
| וּנְשֻׂ֣א | unesu' | and lifted up of | H5375 → | 656 times |
| פָנִ֔ים | fanim | face | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| ב֛וֹ | vo | by him | ||
| נָֽתַן־ | natan- | he had given | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| יְהוָ֥ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| תְּשׁוּעָ֖ה | teshuah | victory | H8668 → | 34 times |
| לַאֲרָ֑ם | laaram | to Aram | H758 → | 143 times |
| וְהָאִ֗ישׁ | vehaish | and the man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| הָיָ֛ה | hayah | he was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| גִּבּ֥וֹר | gibor | a mighty [man] of | H1368 → | 158 times |
| חַ֖יִל | chayil | strength | H2428 → | 246 times |
| מְצֹרָֽע׃ | metzora' | having a skin disease | H6879 → | 20 times |
וְ֠נַעֲמָןand Naaman
venaamonH5283 →16 times
שַׂר־[the] commander of
sar-H8269 →421 times
צְבָ֨א[the] army of
tzeva'H6635 →485 times
מֶֽלֶךְ־[the] king of
melekh-H4428 →2525 times
אֲרָ֜םAram
ʾaramH758 →143 times
הָיָ֣הhe was
hayahH1961 →3559 times
אִישׁ֩a man
ʾishH376 →1663 times
גָּד֨וֹלgreat
gadolH1419 →526 times
לִפְנֵ֤י<to> before
lifneiH6440 →2123 times
אֲדֹנָיו֙master<s> his
ʾadonavH113 →333 times
וּנְשֻׂ֣אand lifted up of
unesu'H5375 →656 times
פָנִ֔יםface
fanimH6440 →2123 times
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
ב֛וֹby him
vo
נָֽתַן־he had given
natan-H5414 →2011 times
יְהוָ֥הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
תְּשׁוּעָ֖הvictory
teshuahH8668 →34 times
לַאֲרָ֑םto Aram
laaramH758 →143 times
וְהָאִ֗ישׁand the man
vehaishH376 →1663 times
הָיָ֛הhe was
hayahH1961 →3559 times
גִּבּ֥וֹרa mighty [man] of
giborH1368 →158 times
חַ֖יִלstrength
chayilH2428 →246 times
מְצֹרָֽע׃having a skin disease
metzora'H6879 →20 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach 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
Proverbs 21:31A horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory is of the LORD.
it leads to
- Psalms 20:7
Some trust in chariots and others in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.
- Isaiah 31:1
Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in their abundance of chariots and in their multitude of horsemen. They do not look to the Holy…
- Psalms 33:17–18
A horse is a vain hope for salvation; even its great strength cannot save.
- Psalms 147:10
He does not delight in the strength of the horse; He takes no pleasure in the legpower of the man.
- Psalms 3:3
But You, O LORD, are a shield around me, my glory, and the One who lifts my head.
- Psalms 20:7
Through
Romans 15:18I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obedience by word and deed,
it leads to
- Acts 15:12
The whole assembly fell silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul describing the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them.
- Romans 1:5
Through Him and on behalf of His name, we received grace and apostleship to call all those among the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith.
- Acts 15:12
Through
Esther 10:3For Mordecai the Jew was second only to King Xerxes, preeminent among the Jews and highly favored by his many kinsmen, seeking the good of his people and speaking peace to all his countrymen.
it leads to
- Nehemiah 2:10
But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were deeply disturbed that someone had come to seek the well-being of the Israelites.
- Nehemiah 2:10
Where this verse is studied
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Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Ephrem the Syrian, ON THE SECOND BOOK OF KINGS 5:1; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.