2 Kings 5 11

2 Kings 5:11 kjv

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.

2 Kings 5:11 nkjv

But Naaman became furious, and went away and said, "Indeed, I said to myself, 'He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.'

2 Kings 5:11 niv

But Naaman went away angry and said, "I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy.

2 Kings 5:11 esv

But Naaman was angry and went away, saying, "Behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call upon the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper.

2 Kings 5:11 nlt

But Naaman became angry and stalked away. "I thought he would certainly come out to meet me!" he said. "I expected him to wave his hand over the leprosy and call on the name of the LORD his God and heal me!

2 Kings 5 verses

2 Kings 5 11 Meaning

2 Kings 5:11 portrays Naaman's deep indignation and offense at the prophet Elisha's unconventional and seemingly dismissive instruction to wash in the Jordan River. His outburst reveals his proud preconceptions regarding how a powerful prophet of God, especially one healing such a prominent general, should act. Naaman expected a dramatic personal appearance, a grand invocation, a ritualistic waving of hands, and an elaborate show of divine power suitable for his esteemed status, rather than a simple command delivered by a messenger. His anger stemmed from his perceived slight and the perceived inadequacy of Elisha’s method compared to his preconceived elaborate display, leading him to reject the simple path to healing.

2 Kings 5 11 Context

2 Kings chapter 5 introduces Naaman, commander of the army of Aram, a man of great prestige and valor, yet afflicted with leprosy. Through an Israelite servant girl in his household, he learns of a prophet in Samaria who can heal him. With royal letters and lavish gifts, he travels to Israel, presenting himself first to the king, who feels helpless. Elisha the prophet intervenes, sending a message for Naaman to come to his house. Verse 11 captures Naaman’s immediate and indignant reaction when Elisha, instead of personally greeting the esteemed general, sends a messenger with a simple, unexpected instruction: "Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh will be restored to you and you will be clean" (2 Ki 5:10). Naaman, with his powerful standing and pride, feels insulted by the casual nature of the instruction and the perceived disrespect from the prophet, whom he likely expected to perform a public, grand miracle. His expectations, born of his cultural and personal stature, clash sharply with the simple, humbling, and indirect command of the man of God.

2 Kings 5 11 Word analysis

• But Naaman (וַיִּקְצֹף נַעֲמָן - wayyiqṣōp Na‘amān): The opening "But" introduces a strong contrast to Naaman's earlier anticipation and eagerness (2 Ki 5:5-7). Naaman's name signifies "pleasantness" or "agreeableness," yet here he displays the opposite.
• was furious (וַיִּקְצֹף - wayyiqṣōp): From the root קָצַף (qatsap), meaning "to be enraged, be wroth, be displeased." This is not mild irritation but a passionate, intense anger, stemming from a deeply wounded sense of honor and frustrated expectations.
• and went away (וַיֵּלֶךְ - wayyēlek): Denotes immediate action, a defiant departure. He turns his back, literally and figuratively, on Elisha’s dwelling, rejecting the offer of healing due to his offense.
• and said, “Behold, I thought…” (וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֵּה אָמַרְתִּי - wayyōʾmer hinnēh ʾāmartî): This is Naaman’s self-justification and indignant outburst.
  • Behold (הִנֵּה - hinnēh): An emphatic interjection, equivalent to "Lo!" or "Look!" expressing surprise, exasperation, and emphasis on his inner monologue. It underscores his internal certainty about how things should have happened.
  • I thought (אָמַרְתִּי - ʾāmartî): Literally, "I said (to myself)." This reveals Naaman’s preconceived notions and unstated assumptions, demonstrating that his expectations were self-generated and projected onto God’s prophet.
• ‘He will surely come out to me’ (יָצוֹא יֵצֵא אֵלַי - yāṣôʾ yēṣēʾ ʾēlāy): A forceful double infinitive, meaning "he will certainly come out" or "he must come out." Naaman expected a personal, honorific appearance fitting his high rank, a deferential reception from the prophet, contrasting sharply with Elisha sending a mere servant.
• ‘and stand’ (וְעָמַד - wĕʿāmaḏ): Suggests a formal, respectful posture befitting a public demonstration, perhaps as part of a ritual.
• ‘and call on the name of the Lord his God’ (וְקָרָא בְּשֵׁם יְהוָה אֱלֹהָיו - wĕqārāʾ bĕšēm YHVH ʾělōhāw): Naaman expected a solemn, public invocation of God's power, perhaps lengthy and loud. He foresaw a specific type of performance.
• ‘and wave his hand over the place’ (וְהֵנִיף יָדוֹ אֶל־הַמָּקוֹם - wĕhēnîp yāḏô ʾel-hammaqôm):
  • wave his hand (וְהֵנִיף יָדוֹ - wĕhēnîp yāḏô): The verb נִיף (nîp) implies a "swinging" or "waving" motion, often used in ritual contexts for an offering or a blessing. Naaman likely imagined a theatrical, even magical, gesture over the diseased spot (the leprosy), signifying the direct transfer of power.
  • over the place (אֶל־הַמָּקוֹם - ʾel-hammaqôm): Refers specifically to the diseased area on his body, showing he expected a direct, focused intervention.
• ‘and cure the leper’ (וְאָסַף אֶת־הַמְּצֹרָע - wĕʾāsap ʾet-hamməṣōrāʿ): This phrase indicates the expected immediate and complete removal of the leprosy, presented as a direct outcome of the elaborate display. The "leper" refers to himself, from the Hebrew word for a person afflicted with ṣāraʿat (often leprosy).

2 Kings 5 11 Bonus section

This incident highlights a universal human tendency to prefer the complex or grand over the simple when it comes to spiritual matters or divine intervention. We often dictate how God "should" work based on our own preconceptions, societal standing, or preferred aesthetic. Naaman’s expected performance parallels religious rituals designed by humans that emphasize outward show rather than inward transformation and humble obedience. The perceived "foulness" or "insignificance" of the Jordan compared to his magnificent Abana and Pharpar rivers further demonstrates the issue: we often undervalue God's chosen instruments if they do not conform to our standards of perceived purity or grandeur. This story also serves as a polemic against the magical thinking common in the ancient Near East, where impressive rituals and incantations were believed to compel the gods. Elisha's method emphasized faith and obedience, not human performance or dramatic display, ultimately teaching Naaman about God's power operating independently of human ego or elaborate ceremony.

2 Kings 5 11 Commentary

Naaman’s response in 2 Kings 5:11 is a potent illustration of human pride clashing with divine simplicity. As a celebrated military general, he was accustomed to power, ceremony, and direct deference. His expectations for Elisha's miraculous healing ritual were precisely mapped out in his mind: a dramatic, public display befitting his status and the magnitude of his illness. He presumed God's power would manifest in a way that resonated with his own worldly understanding of authority and might.

The prophet Elisha, however, subverted these expectations. He neither emerged to greet Naaman nor performed any grand incantations or impressive gestures. Instead, he sent a messenger with a seemingly trivial instruction to wash in a common, perhaps even contemptible, river—the Jordan—seven times. This simplicity, combined with the lack of personal interaction from Elisha, profoundly offended Naaman. He felt disrespected, the cure too mundane, and the method beneath his dignity. His "fury" reveals not just anger but deep indignation and humiliation; he likely believed himself superior to Elisha, or at least equal, and felt slighted by the lack of direct honor shown to him. This verse powerfully conveys Naaman's inner world, dominated by human pride and a refusal to acknowledge that God's ways are not contingent on human expectations or grand spectacles. He desired a demonstration of God's power on his terms, rather than humbly submitting to God's chosen, simple means. This resistance to God's simple path is a recurrent theme throughout scripture, highlighting that faith often demands surrender of human logic and pride.