2 Kings 5 26

2 Kings 5:26 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?

2 Kings 5:26 nkjv

Then he said to him, "Did not my heart go with you when the man turned back from his chariot to meet you? Is it time to receive money and to receive clothing, olive groves and vineyards, sheep and oxen, male and female servants?

2 Kings 5:26 niv

But Elisha said to him, "Was not my spirit with you when the man got down from his chariot to meet you? Is this the time to take money or to accept clothes?or olive groves and vineyards, or flocks and herds, or male and female slaves?

2 Kings 5:26 esv

But he said to him, "Did not my heart go when the man turned from his chariot to meet you? Was it a time to accept money and garments, olive orchards and vineyards, sheep and oxen, male servants and female servants?

2 Kings 5:26 nlt

But Elisha asked him, "Don't you realize that I was there in spirit when Naaman stepped down from his chariot to meet you? Is this the time to receive money and clothing, olive groves and vineyards, sheep and cattle, and male and female servants?

2 Kings 5 verses

2 Kings 5 26 Meaning

Elisha confronts his servant Gehazi, revealing a profound supernatural awareness of Gehazi's deceitful pursuit of personal gain from Naaman, who had just been healed. The verse signifies Elisha's indignation at Gehazi's actions, condemning them as utterly inappropriate and defiling, particularly in light of God's free miraculous intervention. It emphasizes that divine grace and prophetic ministry are not to be commercialized or corrupted by covetousness.

2 Kings 5 26 Context

The overarching narrative in 2 Kings 5 revolves around Naaman, the commander of the Syrian army, who is afflicted with leprosy. Through a young Israelite slave girl, he hears of Elisha, the prophet in Samaria, who can heal him. Despite initial skepticism and offense at Elisha's simple instructions to wash seven times in the Jordan, Naaman eventually obeys and is miraculously cleansed. Overwhelmed with gratitude, Naaman offers Elisha lavish gifts of silver, gold, and garments. Elisha, maintaining the purity of God's free grace and power, adamantly refuses any reward, stating, "As the LORD lives, before whom I stand, I will receive none." Naaman leaves, convinced of the one true God.

Immediately after this display of humility and spiritual integrity by Elisha, his servant Gehazi, consumed by greed, stealthily pursues Naaman, lies to him about a fabricated need from Elisha, and obtains a significant portion of the gifts (two talents of silver and two sets of garments). This verse, 2 Kings 5:26, is Elisha's direct, divinely informed confrontation with Gehazi, exposing his hidden sin and highlighting its grave offense against the nature of God's work. Historically, this incident takes place during the Divided Kingdom, showcasing God's continued prophetic ministry to Israel even amidst their spiritual decline, and importantly, revealing His grace even to Gentiles like Naaman, contrasting with the corruption even among His own people. It carries an implicit polemic against pagan practices where priests and healers often demanded payment for their services, distinguishing Yahweh's free healing from such commercialized spirituality.

2 Kings 5 26 Word analysis

• Then he said to him, "Was it not my spirit

  • he: Refers to Elisha.
  • said to him: The direct confrontation of Elisha to Gehazi.
  • Was it not my spirit (Hebrew: הֲלֹא לִבִּי הָלַךְ עִמָּךְ - ha-lo libbi halakh immakh): Literally "Was not my heart gone with you?" or "Did not my heart go with you?". The word לִבִּי (libbi) means "my heart," but in Hebrew thought, the "heart" often encompassed the mind, will, and emotions, representing the inner person, perception, or spiritual discernment. In this context, it refers to Elisha's prophetic perception, divine knowledge, or spiritual presence/insight, indicating he knew by supernatural revelation. It emphasizes God's omnipresence and omniscience, known through His prophet.

• that went with you

  • This phrase emphasizes a spiritual omnipresence, not physical accompaniment. Elisha's "spirit" or "heart" was supernaturally present and privy to Gehazi's secret actions, highlighting that no sin is hidden from God or His discerning servants.

• when the man turned from his chariot to meet you?

  • the man: Refers to Naaman.
  • turned from his chariot to meet you?: This details the precise, surreptitious moment Gehazi acted, signifying Elisha's exact, divinely granted knowledge of the event. Gehazi stopped Naaman, interrupting his journey home.

• Is this a time (Hebrew: הַעֵת - ha-`et): A rhetorical question indicating the absolute impropriety and unsuitability of Gehazi's actions. The word et means "time" or "season." Elisha's point is that this sacred moment of God's manifest grace and healing should have been characterized by spiritual integrity and a pure offering of gratitude to God, not by mercenary greed. It was a time for glorifying God, not for personal enrichment.

• to accept (Hebrew: לָקַחַת - laqachat): To take, receive, acquire. This word encapsulates Gehazi's covetous act of obtaining the very things Elisha had publicly and adamantly refused.

• money and garments, olive groves and vineyards, flocks and herds, male servants and female servants?

  • This is a comprehensive and escalating list of material possessions, clearly obtained for profit and status. It exposes the breadth and depth of Gehazi's covetousness, ranging from portable wealth (money, garments) to fixed assets (land, livestock) and human labor (servants).
  • money (כֶּסֶף - keseph): Silver, a standard medium of exchange and indicator of wealth.
  • garments (בְּגָדִים - begadim): Clothes, particularly fine or ceremonial ones, were valuable possessions and symbols of status in the ancient world, often exchanged as gifts.
  • olive groves and vineyards (זֵיתִים וּכְרָמִים - zeytim u'k'ramim): Agricultural lands, representing significant, long-term wealth and sustenance. Owning such lands implied economic security and social standing.
  • flocks and herds (צֹאן וּבָקָר - tzon u'baqar): Sheep and cattle, fundamental indicators of ancient prosperity and sources of livelihood (food, wool, labor).
  • male servants and female servants (עֲבָדִים וּשְׁפָחוֹת - avadim u'shfachot): Human labor, indicative of great wealth and the ability to maintain large households or agricultural enterprises. This list paints a picture of one seeking to accumulate vast material empire, utterly contrasting with the spiritual and sacrificial nature of Elisha's ministry.

2 Kings 5 26 Bonus Section

The contrast between Elisha and Gehazi parallels that of a true servant of God (focused on divine will) and one driven by personal ambition. Gehazi's actions inadvertently placed a price tag on a miracle freely given by God, cheapening divine grace in the eyes of others. The transfer of Naaman's leprosy to Gehazi highlights a divine irony and judgment: Naaman, a Gentile, received cleansing by humble obedience, while Gehazi, an Israelite serving a prophet of God, received the very affliction from which Naaman was cleansed, due to his pride and greed. This powerfully illustrates that external association with spiritual things is not enough; inner heart condition before God is paramount. The incident serves as a profound warning that genuine spiritual authority is marked by detachment from worldly gain, upholding the principle that "God's gifts are not for sale" (cf. Acts 8:20, Peter's rebuke to Simon Magus).

2 Kings 5 26 Commentary

This verse serves as a piercing rebuke, exposing Gehazi's audacious sin and revealing Elisha's supernatural discernment, an attribute of God Himself. Gehazi's actions were not merely a private deception; they compromised the integrity of the prophetic office and stained the testimony of God's free grace manifested in Naaman's healing. The rhetorical question, "Is this a time...?", powerfully condemns Gehazi's pursuit of worldly gain at a moment that should have been dedicated to pure spiritual principle. God's healing for Naaman was freely given, highlighting His benevolence; for Gehazi to capitalize on it for personal enrichment betrayed this divine character and trivialized the sacred. The detailed list of covetous desires (money, garments, land, livestock, servants) underscores the extent of Gehazi's greed, revealing a heart focused on earthly riches rather than spiritual purity. His sin demonstrated a stark contrast between God's boundless, unearned grace and the human inclination toward self-serving accumulation. The immediate, public consequence that followed, leprosy, served as a stark judgment on the abuse of spiritual authority and a strong warning against covetousness within God's ministry.