2 Kings 5:26
in 2 Kings 5But Elisha questioned him, “Did not my spirit go with you when the man got down from his chariot to meet you? Is this the time to accept money and clothing, olive groves and vineyards, sheep and oxen, menservants and maidservants?
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And he said unto him, Went not my heart with thee, when the man turned from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards and vineyards, and sheep and oxen, and men-servants and maid-servants?
KJV
And he said unto him, Went not mine heart with thee, when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants?
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This verse in 2 Kings 5
Commentary
8 notes on this verseAnd he said unto him, went not mine heart with thee?.... Did my heart or knowledge go from me, that what thou hast done should be hid from me? so Ben Gersom and others; or my heart did not go with thee, it was contrary to my mind and will what thou didst; so Abendana; or rather, as the Targum, by a spirit of prophecy it was shown unto me, &c.
This site's exposition
Whence comest thou, Gehazi
on 2 Kings 5:25-27
Elisha's question exposes a lie already prepared, thy servant went no whither, and Elisha answers that his heart went with Gehazi in spirit to the meeting the servant thought private. The leprosy Naaman left behind in Jordan falls on Gehazi and his seed forever, the same disease moving from the Syrian who received grace freely to the Israelite who tried to sell it. A chapter that opened with a captive girl's free word closes with a greedy servant's own words condemning him, the two servants framing Naaman's story on both ends.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
After Gehazi had come back from his meeting with Naaman, he entered Elisha's house, and [the prophet] asked him, according to custom, why he had moved away from him. "Where do you come from?" he said to Gehazi. He said this on purpose, so that …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Olive yards, &c. - Which Gehazi intended to purchase with this money: and therefore the prophet names them, to inform him, that he exactly knew, not only his outward actions, but even his most secret intentions. What a folly is it, to presume upon sin in hopes of secrecy?
1 Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him the L ORD had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:95%@v1
Had Gehazi yet to learn that prophets had spiritual eyes? or could he think to hide any thing from a seer, from him with whom the secret of the Lord was? Note, It is folly to presume upon sin in hopes of secresy.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Went not mine heart with thee - The Chaldee gives this a good turn: By the prophetic spirit it was shown unto me, when the man returned from his chariot to meet thee. Is it a time to receive money - He gave him farther proof of this all-discerning prophetic spirit in telling him what he designed to do with the money; he intended to set up a splendid establishment, to have men-servants and maid-servants, to have oliveyards and vineyards, and sheep and oxen, This, as the Chaldee says, he had thought in his heart to do.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Went not mine heart with thee? - i. e. “Was I not with thee in spirit - did I not see the whole transaction, as if I had been present at it?” He uses the verb “went,” because Gehazi has just denied his “going.” Is it a time ... - i. e. “Was this a proper occasion to indulge greed, when a Gentile was to be favorably impressed, and made to feel that the faith of the Israelites was the only true religion? Was it not, on the contrary, an occasion for the exhibition of the greatest unselfishness, that so a pagan might be won to the truth?” And oliveyards and vineyards ... - Gehazi’s thoughts had probably run on to the disposition which he would make of his wealth, and the prophet here follows them, enumerating his servant’s intended purchases.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֤אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֵלָיו֙ | ʾelav | to him | H413 → | 5510 times |
| לֹא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| לִבִּ֣י | libi | heart my | H3820 → | 595 times |
| הָלַ֔ךְ | halakh | did it go? | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| כַּאֲשֶׁ֧ר | kaasher | just when | H834 → | 5497 times |
| הָֽפַךְ־ | hafakh- | he turned | H2015 → | 94 times |
| אִ֛ישׁ | ʾish | a man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| מֵעַ֥ל | meal | from on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| מֶרְכַּבְתּ֖וֹ | merkavto | chariot his | H4818 → | 44 times |
| לִקְרָאתֶ֑ךָ | likratecha | to meet you | H7122 → | 139 times |
| הַעֵ֞ת | haet | ¿ a time | H6256 → | 296 times |
| לָקַ֤חַת | lakachat | to accept | H3947 → | 966 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַכֶּ֙סֶף֙ | hakesef | <the> silver | H3701 → | 403 times |
| וְלָקַ֣חַת | velakachat | and to accept | H3947 → | 966 times |
| בְּגָדִ֔ים | begadim | clothes | H899 → | 217 times |
| וְזֵיתִ֤ים | vezeitim | and olive trees | H2132 → | |
| וּכְרָמִים֙ | ukheramim | and vineyards | H3754 → | 92 times |
| וְצֹ֣אן | vetzon | and sheep | H6629 → | |
| וּבָקָ֔ר | uvakar | and cattle | H1241 → | |
| וַעֲבָדִ֖ים | vaavadim | and male servants | H5650 → | 799 times |
| וּשְׁפָחֽוֹת׃ | ushefachot | and maidservants | H8198 → | 63 times |
וַיֹּ֤אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
אֵלָיו֙to him
ʾelavH413 →5510 times
לֹא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
לִבִּ֣יheart my
libiH3820 →595 times
הָלַ֔ךְdid it go?
halakhH1980 →1546 times
כַּאֲשֶׁ֧רjust when
kaasherH834 →5497 times
הָֽפַךְ־he turned
hafakh-H2015 →94 times
אִ֛ישׁa man
ʾishH376 →1663 times
מֵעַ֥לfrom on
mealH5921 →5755 times
מֶרְכַּבְתּ֖וֹchariot his
merkavtoH4818 →44 times
לִקְרָאתֶ֑ךָto meet you
likratechaH7122 →139 times
הַעֵ֞ת¿ a time
haetH6256 →296 times
לָקַ֤חַתto accept
lakachatH3947 →966 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַכֶּ֙סֶף֙<the> silver
hakesefH3701 →403 times
וְלָקַ֣חַתand to accept
velakachatH3947 →966 times
בְּגָדִ֔יםclothes
begadimH899 →217 times
וְזֵיתִ֤יםand olive trees
vezeitimH2132 →
וּכְרָמִים֙and vineyards
ukheramimH3754 →92 times
וְצֹ֣אןand sheep
vetzonH6629 →
וּבָקָ֔רand cattle
uvakarH1241 →
וַעֲבָדִ֖יםand male servants
vaavadimH5650 →799 times
וּשְׁפָחֽוֹת׃and maidservants
ushefachotH8198 →63 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
Acts 20:35In everything, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus Himself: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
it leads to
- Hebrews 13:16
And do not neglect to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
- Proverbs 19:17
Kindness to the poor is a loan to the LORD, and He will repay the lender.
- 2 Corinthians 9:6–12
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.
- Luke 14:12–14
Then Jesus said to the man who had invited Him, “When you host a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or brothers or relatives or rich neighbors. Otherwise, they may invite…
- Matthew 10:8
Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.
- Hebrews 13:16
Through
Matthew 10:8Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.
it leads to
- Acts 3:6
But Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!”
- Luke 10:9
Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God is near you.’
- Acts 4:30
as You stretch out Your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.”
- Acts 3:6
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 2 Kings
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); Ephrem the Syrian, ON THE SECOND BOOK OF KINGS 5:27; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil, The Books of the Kings and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.