2 Kings 5 10

2 Kings 5:10 kjv

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.

2 Kings 5:10 nkjv

And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, "Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean."

2 Kings 5:10 niv

Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, "Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed."

2 Kings 5:10 esv

And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, "Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean."

2 Kings 5:10 nlt

But Elisha sent a messenger out to him with this message: "Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan River. Then your skin will be restored, and you will be healed of your leprosy."

2 Kings 5 verses

2 Kings 5 10 Meaning

2 Kings 5:10 conveys a divine command through Elisha's messenger to Naaman, the Aramean commander afflicted with leprosy. It instructs Naaman to perform a simple, ritualistic action: "Go and wash in the Jordan seven times." This instruction comes with a direct promise: "and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean." The verse highlights the Lord's power to heal not through a display of grandeur or Naaman's expected methods, but through an act of humble obedience to a seemingly ordinary command. It challenges Naaman's preconceived notions about how a man of God, or God Himself, would operate, setting the stage for a lesson in divine sovereignty and human submission.

2 Kings 5 10 Context

The fifth chapter of 2 Kings introduces Naaman, a powerful and highly respected commander of the Aramean army, but one afflicted with a severe and incurable skin disease, likely leprosy. A young Israelite slave girl in Naaman's household testifies to Elisha's ability to heal, prompting Naaman to journey to Israel with a lavish retinue and gifts, expecting a grand, demonstrative cure. This verse (5:10) is the pivotal moment where Elisha, rather than meeting Naaman directly or performing an elaborate ritual, sends a messenger with a surprisingly simple and seemingly unimpressive instruction. Historically, during Elisha's ministry in the Northern Kingdom of Israel (9th century BC), prophetic figures held significant influence, yet God often chose to act in ways that confounded human expectations, emphasizing His transcendence and sovereign power over the deities and magic practices of surrounding nations like Aram. Naaman's visit underscores the political tensions and religious realities of the time, where even foreign powers acknowledged, albeit reluctantly, the God of Israel.

2 Kings 5 10 Word analysis

• Elisha sent a messenger (וַיִּשְׁלַח אֱלִישָׁע מַלְאָךְ - wayyišlaḥ ’Ělîšāʿ mal’āḵ):

  • Elisha (אֱלִישָׁע - ’Ělîšāʿ): Meaning "My God is salvation." As Elijah's successor, he embodies God's saving power. His decision not to meet Naaman personally but to send a messenger is significant. It implies a deliberate humbling of Naaman, challenging his status and expectations. God often chooses to work through His designated agents, yet also reserves the right to simplify the means, shifting focus from the messenger to the source of power.
  • sent (וַיִּשְׁלַח - wayyišlaḥ): From the root שׁלח (š-l-ḥ), "to send." The act of sending a messenger, rather than engaging directly, underlines the perceived slight to Naaman's honor but serves a divine purpose.
  • messenger (מַלְאָךְ - mal’āḵ): Can mean "messenger" or "angel." Here, it signifies a human emissary, highlighting the ordinary channel through which an extraordinary divine command is relayed. It also creates a barrier, demanding faith in the message rather than in a visible performance by the prophet.

• to him (אֵלָיו - ’ēlāyw): Referring to Naaman, the powerful but humble-seeking Aramean general. The contrast between Naaman's eminence and the prophet's remote instruction highlights a profound theological principle: God does not respect persons, and His ways are not contingent on human status.

• saying (לֵאמֹר - lēʾmōr): Introduces the direct command, emphasizing the authoritative nature of the message.

• Go and wash (לֵךְ וְרָחַצְתָּ - lēḵ wəraḥaṣtā):

  • Go (לֵךְ - lēḵ): A simple, immediate imperative, demanding an action on Naaman's part, a step of faith.
  • wash (וְרָחַצְתָּ - wəraḥaṣtā): From the root רחץ (r-ḥ-ṣ), "to wash oneself." A mundane, common activity, stripping away any sense of magical ritual or elaborate ceremony that Naaman might have expected from a great prophet. This emphasizes the accessibility of God's command.

• in the Jordan (בַּיַּרְדֵּן - bayyardēn):

  • Jordan (יַרְדֵּן - yardēn): The major river of Israel, historically significant as a crossing point into the Promised Land and a site of miracles. It was not renowned for its purity compared to other rivers. Its ordinariness (in contrast to the "cleaner" rivers of Damascus mentioned later in v.12) accentuates the test of faith and the fact that the power lies in God's command, not the intrinsic quality of the water or the river itself.

• seven times (שֶׁבַע פְּעָמִים - ševaʿ pəʿāmîm):

  • seven (שֶׁבַע - ševaʿ): A highly symbolic number in the Bible, representing completeness, perfection, divine activity, and covenant. Its use in ritual purification contexts (Lev 14) underscores a spiritual dimension to Naaman's physical cleansing. It also implies a process of persistent obedience, not a one-time dip.

• and your flesh shall be restored to you (וְשָׁב בְּשַׂרְךָ לָךְ - wəšāv bəśarkā lāḵ):

  • flesh (בְּשַׂרְךָ - bəśarkā): "Your flesh." Emphasizes the physical restoration. Leprosy wastes the flesh; this promise signifies a complete renewal.
  • shall be restored (וְשָׁב - wəšāv): From שׁוב (š-u-v), "to return, be restored." Implies a return to a former, healthy state. A miraculous and supernatural transformation.

• and you shall be clean (וּטְהָרְתָּ - ûṭəhāretā):

  • clean (וּטְהָרְתָּ - ûṭəhāretā): From טָהֵר (ṭāhēr), "to be pure, clean, ceremonially pure." This is not just about physical health but also ceremonial purity. In Israelite law, a leper was ceremonially unclean and separated from the community (Lev 13-14). This healing transcends a mere physical cure; it signifies an embrace into God's provision and ultimately a spiritual cleansing that makes one fit to approach God.

2 Kings 5 10 Bonus section

The seemingly curt response from Elisha to Naaman, via a messenger rather than a personal appearance, highlights a deliberate divine strategy to expose and humble Naaman's pride. Naaman, coming from a powerful position and laden with gifts, likely expected a demonstration of power proportionate to his status. Elisha’s method serves as a polemic against the popular magical practices of the ancient Near East, which often involved elaborate incantations, specific gestures, and impressive performances. The true God works through His word and requires humble faith, not human-conceived spectacles or manipulation. The comparison of the Jordan to the "better" rivers of Damascus (Abana and Pharpar) in Naaman's initial reaction (2 Kings 5:12) underscores the cultural clash and the depth of Naaman's internal struggle to obey such an "unimpressive" command. His eventual obedience is a profound testimony to his conversion from a man relying on worldly might and expectation to one who humbles himself before the power of the true God of Israel. This story serves as an object lesson in true spiritual cleansing, which begins with humility and surrender to God's simple, powerful Word, demonstrating that God can transform even the greatest of men through the simplest of means.

2 Kings 5 10 Commentary

2 Kings 5:10 encapsulates a profound lesson in God's ways versus human expectations. Naaman, accustomed to military grandeur and elaborate rituals for healing (or even magical incantations from pagan priests), anticipated a public spectacle involving the prophet himself. Elisha, however, through a humble messenger, prescribed a remarkably simple and outwardly undignified action: bathing seven times in the common Jordan River. This instruction was a direct challenge to Naaman's pride and worldly understanding of power and healing. It stripped away his status and forced him into an act of complete humility and trust in the prophet's, and thus God's, word alone.

The simplicity of the command – "Go and wash" – juxtaposed with the severity of Naaman's disease, highlights that God's power does not require complex human rituals but operates through radical obedience. The chosen location, the Jordan, a river ordinary by Naaman's standards, further underlines that the efficacy lay not in the water's properties, but in God's sovereign command. The number seven emphasizes divine completeness and a call to full compliance. Naaman's cleansing, both physical and ceremonial, underscores the comprehensive nature of God's healing, impacting both body and spirit. This narrative serves as a timeless reminder that God often uses simple means to accomplish profound results, requiring us to humble ourselves, let go of our preconceived notions, and trust Him implicitly.

Practical Usage:

• When faced with complex problems, sometimes the divine solution is remarkably simple but demands obedience.
• God often asks us to step out of our comfort zone or discard our pride to receive His blessings.
• True faith often means trusting God's methods, even when they seem counterintuitive or illogical to human reasoning.