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 Lord had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper.
2 And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman's wife.
3 And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy.
4 And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel.
5 And the king of Syria said, Go to, go, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment.
6 And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, Now when this letter is come unto thee, behold, I have therewith sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy.
7 And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy? wherefore consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me.
8 And it was so, when Elisha the man of God had heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.
9 So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha.
10 And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.
11 But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.
12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.
13 And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?
14 Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
15 And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him: and he said, Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant.
16 But he said, As the Lord liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive none. And he urged him to take it; but he refused.
17 And Naaman said, Shall there not then, I pray thee, be given to thy servant two mules' burden of earth? for thy servant will henceforth offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice unto other gods, but unto the Lord.
18 In this thing the Lord pardon thy servant, that when my master goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leaneth on my hand, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon: when I bow down myself in the house of Rimmon, the Lord pardon thy servant in this thing.
19 And he said unto him, Go in peace. So he departed from him a little way.
20 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.
21 So Gehazi followed after Naaman. And when Naaman saw him running after him, he lighted down from the chariot to meet him, and said, Is all well?
22 And he said, All is well. My master hath sent me, saying, Behold, even now there be come to me from mount Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets: give them, I pray thee, a talent of silver, and two changes of garments.
23 And Naaman said, Be content, take two talents. And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of garments, and laid them upon two of his servants; and they bare them before him.
24 And when he came to the tower, he took them from their hand, and bestowed them in the house: and he let the men go, and they departed.
25 But he went in, and stood before his master. And Elisha said unto him, Whence comest thou, Gehazi? And he said, Thy servant went no whither.
26 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?
27 The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow.
<html><b>Na’amon the general.</b> He goes on and lists the miracles that were performed through Elisha. <b>Victory to Arom.</b> He drew back his bow innocently and killed Achov.1<i class=“footnote”>See I Melochim 22:34 and Rashi there.</i></html>
<html><b>Bands of marauders [from Arom] went out.</b> When they go [in groups of] one hundred or two hundred by themselves, to plunder whatever they find, that is called a גְּדוּד [=band]. <b>A little girl.</b> A young girl from the city of נַעֲרוֹן.2<i class=“footnote”>Two apparently contradictory words, נַעֲרָה [=a twelve year old girl] and קְטַנָה [=a young child] describe the girl. Rashi therefore explains that נַעֲרָה does not mean girl, but one who comes from the city of נַעֲרוֹן, which is mentioned in I Divrei Hayomim 7:28. Alternatively, נַעֲרָה can mean a girl of any age, and when modified by קְטַנָה, it means “a small girl.”—Ralbag</i> <b>She became [a servant] to [Na’amon’s wife].</b> [Targum Yonoson renders,] “and she served Na’amon’s wife.</html>
<html><b>“My master should plead</b> [for curing his illness] before the prophet.” An expression [similar to], “and Moshe prayed [וַיְחַל].”3<i class=“footnote”>Shemos 32:11. See also Tehillim 119:5.</i> The supplications of all those who pray for him, will be that the miracle shall come before the prophet. <b>Plead.</b> <i>Soheidement</i>, in O.F., i.e., this is the supplication that he needs.</html>
<html><b>He came.</b> Na’amon. <b>And told his master.</b> The king of Arom.</html>
<html><b>And took in his hand.</b> A present for the prophet. <b>Six thousand gold [pieces].</b> Gold pieces.</html>
<html><b>Saying, “Now when this letter reaches, etc.”</b> The letter said to him, “And now, when this letter reaches, etc.” <b>Arrange to cure him of this <i>tzora’as</i>.</b> ‘אֲסֵפָה’ [=gathering], pertaining to a metzora, is an expression of his cure, because when he is cured, he is [once again] gathered in among people, but during his illness, everyone stays away from him.4<i class=“footnote”>The Torah forbids a <i>metzora</i> to dwell within the camp of Yisroel. See Vayikra 13:46. However, even among the other nations a <i>metzora</i> is excluded from the general community until he is cured.</i></html>
<html><b>“Am I God?”</b> The [first] ‘ה’ is voweled with a ‘פתח’ to indicate that it is a question. <b>He is looking for an excuse.</b> He is looking for a pretext to attack me.5<i class=“footnote”>Because he was so involved in his evil ways, it did not occur to Yehorom to seek help from Elisha the prophet.—Metzudas Dovid</i> He is looking for an excuse. <b>[מִתְאַנֶּה is] an expression of</b> “false accusation [=עֲלִילוֹת דְּבָרִים].”6<i class=“footnote”>Devarim 22:14.</i></html>
<html><b>“Behold, I thought.”</b> I thought the prophet would come out and speak with me, and see the ailment. <b>And wave his hand toward the spot.</b> Of the <i>tzora’as</i>.7<i class=“footnote”>Alternatively, אֶל הַמָּקוֹם refers “to the place where he worships God, i.e., towards the Beis Hamikdosh.—Ralbag</i></html>
<html><b>“My father [master].”</b> אָבִי [lit., my father, means] the same as אֲדוֹנִי [=my master].8<i class=“footnote”>We find instances where אָב is a title that is used for prominent people. See Bereishis 45:8.</i> <b>Would you not do it?</b> Wouldn’t you do it, even if he told you to do something requiring exertion? <b>Certainly since.</b> By a fortiori conclusion, for he said to you [to do] an easy thing, “immerse yourself and become clean.”</html>
<html><b>A blessing [a gift].</b> A gift of peace, upon greeting, [e.g.,] when a student or a servant greets [his] master,9<i class=“footnote”>See Bereishis 33:11.</i> <i>salud</i>, in O.F.10<i class=“footnote”>Na’amon lived as a righteous gentile, keeping the seven commandments that God gave to Noach and his descendants. However, he did not convert to Judaism. See Maseches Gittin 57b.</i></html>
<html><b>I will not accept.</b> Because monies pertaining to idols are included in it.</html>
<html><b>“Please.”</b> An expression of a request, an expression of הַלְוַאי [=were it only so].11<i class=“footnote”>Na’amon would not even take a small amount of earth with asking permission. Radak</i>. <b>“May there be given.”</b> From this soil of Eretz Yisroel, which is holy, a load [of earth] carried by a team of mules, and I will carry it off to my city, and I will make it [into] an altar.</html>
<html><b>The house of Rimon.</b> The name of a pagan deity. <b>To bow down there.</b> Against my will, when my master bows, because he leans on my hand.</html>
<html><b>A distance.</b> כִּבְרַת אֶרֶץ is the name of a land measure,12<i class=“footnote”>The distance of a mile.—Radak</i> as in, “portions [צִמְדֵי] of vineyard,”13<i class=“footnote”>Yeshayahu 5:10.</i> <i>arpent</i>, in O.F.</html>
<html><b>Something.</b> The ‘א’ is missing,14<i class=“footnote”>The word “מְאוּמָה” is written “מוּמָה,” without the ‘א.’ מוּם means a flaw. As a result of this taking, he was stricken with Na’amon’s flaw, that of <i>tzora’as</i>.</i> because this taking was [responsible for his being stricken with] a flaw [=[מום.</html>
<html><b>And he jumped off.</b> [Targum Yonoson renders,] “and he leaned over.”15<i class=“footnote”>This expression is similar to the one in Bereishis 24:64 pertaining to Rivkah.</i></html>
<html><b>“Please.”</b> Swear that he sent you.16<i class=“footnote”>Na’amon asked him to swear because he did not believe that Elisha changed his mind. Alternatively, הוֹאֵל means “agree.”—Metzudas Tzion</i> <b>In two bags.</b> Types of garments and kerchiefs, as in, “and the kerchiefs and the pouches [=חֲרִיטִים].”17<i class=“footnote”>Yeshayahu 3:22.</i> Menachem classified it thus. But [Targum] Yonoson rendered this as “פַּלְדָּסִין [=sheets],” and the one [חֲרִיטִים] in the Book of Yeshayahu, [he rendered] as “מְחַכַּיָּא [=a plate covering the genitals].” The exegetes say that “בִּשְׁנֵי חֲרִיטֵי,” means “in two long pockets,” <i>brides</i>, in O.F. <b>His two servants.</b> Na’amon’s. <b>And they carried them before him.</b> Before Geichazi.</html>
<html><b>And he came to a concealed place.</b> [Targum] Yonoson rendered, “to a hidden place.”18<i class=“footnote”>Alternatively, עֹפֶל means “a stronghold,” a secure place.—Radak </i> <b>And took from their hands.</b> From the hands of Na’amon’s two servants. <b>And he dismissed the men</b> so that Elisha would not see them.</html>
<html><b>Was that the time to take silver.</b> To become wealthy, and to buy with it clothing and olive [trees], etc.</html>