2 Kings 5:1-14 - Sermon Bible Commentary

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2 Kings 5:1-14

The little Hebrew maid was torn from her mother and her playmates at the age of seven or eight, and hurried amid all the alarms of war to a foreign land, robbed at once of home, of freedom, and of childhood.

Notice:

I. Her faith in God. In that land of idols and idolaters she was not ashamed to own her Lord. She had full confidence that Israel's God could cure the leper.

II. Her faithfulness. She had so much of the true faith that it filled her whole nature, and made her faithful under terrible trials. She was a lonely child in a heathen palace, which often rang with laughter at her religion. Hers was a nobler courage than the hero's on the battlefield.

III. Her fruitfulness. Seeming the meekest human being in Syria, she proved one of the mightiest. What a treasure she was in the house of Naaman! She directed her master to the waters that healed his leprosy. Through her the true religion was known and respected in Syria, and Naaman became a worshipper of the true God. The humblest people who have faith and faithfulness may hope to be fruitful in good works.

J. Wells, Bible Children,p. 119.

References: 2 Kings 5:1-14. Preacher's Lantern,vol. iv., p. 242. 2 Kings 5:1-19. Parker, vol. viii., p. 136. 2 Kings 5:1-27. Outline Sermons for Children,p. 48; Clergyman's Magazine,vol. v., p. 87. 2 Kings 5:2. T. Champness, Little Foxes,p. 19; J. W. Burgon, Ninety-one Short Sermons,No. 71. 2 Kings 5:2; 2 Kings 5:3. Homiletic Magazine,vol. xii., p. 270. 2 Kings 5:2-4. Preacher's Monthly,vol. vi., p. 107; G. B. Ryley, Christian World Pulpit,vol. v., p. 301. 2 Kings 5:4. New Manual of Sunday-school Addresses,p. 171. 2 Kings 5:5-14. G. B. Ryley, Christian World Pulpit,vol. v., p. 318. 2 Kings 5:7-14. A. Edersheim, Elisha the Prophet,p. 150. 2 Kings 5:9. J. Frere, Sermons for Sundays, Festivals, and Fasts,1st series, p. 357

Related Commentaries of 2 Kings 5:1

2 Kings 5:1-14

1 Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man witha 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 withb 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,c 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 Abanad 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.