TRV
Translation
King James Version
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.
Complete Jewish Bible
But Elisha answered, "As ADONAI lives, before whom I stand, I will not accept it." And despite his urging him to take it, he refused.
Berean Standard Bible
But Elisha replied, “As surely as the LORD lives, before whom I stand, I will not accept it.” And although Naaman urged him to accept it, he refused.
American Standard Version
But he said, As Jehovah liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive none. And he urged him to take it; but he refused.
World English Bible Messianic
But he said, “As the LORD lives, before whom I stand, I will receive none.” He urged him to take it; but he refused.
Geneva Bible (1599)
But hee sayde, As the Lord liueth (before whom I stand) I wil not receiue it. And he would haue constrained him to receiue it, but he refused.
Young's Literal Translation
And he saith, `Jehovah liveth, before whom I have stood--if I take it ;' and he presseth on him to take, and he refuseth.
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Commentary on 2 Kings 5 verses 15–19
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.
Of the ten lepers that our Saviour cleansed, the only one that returned to give thanks was a Samaritan, Luk 17:16. This Syrian did so, and here expresses himself.
I. Convinced of the power of the God of Israel, not only that he is God, but that he is God alone, and that indeed there is no God in all the earth but in Israel (Kg2 5:15) - a noble confession, but such as intimates the misery of the Gentile world; for the nations that had many gods really had no God, but were without God in the world. He had formerly thought the gods of Syria gods indeed, but now experience had rectified his mistake, and he knew Israel's God was God alone, the sovereign Lord of all. Had he seen other lepers cleansed, perhaps the sight would not have convinced him, but the mercy of the cure affected him more than the miracle of it. Those are best able to speak of the power of divine grace who have themselves experienced it.
II. Grateful to Elisha the prophet: "Therefore, for his sake whose servant thou art, I have a present for thee, silver, and gold, and raiment, whatever thou wilt please to accept." He valued the cure, not by the easiness of it to the prophet, but the acceptableness of it to himself, and would gladly pay for it accordingly. But Elisha generously refused the fee, though urged to accept it; and, to prevent further importunity, backed his refusal with an oath: As the Lord liveth, I will receive none (Kg2 5:16), not because he did not need it, for he was poor enough, and knew what to do with it, and how to bestow it among the sons of the prophets, nor because he thought it unlawful, for he received presents from others; but he would not be beholden to this Syrian, nor should he say, I have made Elisha rich, Gen 14:23. It would be much for the honour of God to show this new convert that the servants of the God of Israel were taught to look upon the wealth of this world with a holy contempt, which would confirm him in his belief that there was no God but in Israel. See Co1 9:18; Co2 11:9.
III. Proselyted to the worship of the God of Israel. He will not only offer a sacrifice to the Lord, in thanks for his present cure, but he resolves he will never offer sacrifice to any other gods, Kg2 5:17. It was a happy cure of his leprosy which cured him of his idolatry, a more dangerous disease. But here are two instances of his weakness and infirmity in his conversion: - 1. In one instance he over-did it, that he would not only worship the God of Israel, but he would have clods of earth out of the prophet's garden, or at least of the prophet's ordering, to make an altar of, Kg2 5:17. He that awhile ago had spoken very slightly of the waters of Israel (Kg2 5:12) now is in another extreme, and over-values the earth of Israel, supposing (since God has appointed altars of earth, Exo 20:24) that an altar of that earth would be most acceptable to him, not considering that all the earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof. Or perhaps the transport of his affection and veneration for the prophet, not only upon the account of his power, but of his virtue and generosity, made him, as we say, love the very ground he went upon and desire to have some of it home with him. The modern compliment equivalent to this would be, "Pray, sir, let me have your picture." 2. In another instance he under-did it, that he reserved to himself a liberty to bow in the house of Rimmon, in complaisance to the king his master, and according to the duty of his place at court (Kg2 5:18), in this thing he must be excused. He owns he ought not to do it, but that he cannot otherwise not do it, but that he cannot otherwise keep his place, - protests that his bowing is not, nor ever shall be, as it had been, in honour to the idol, but only in honour to the king, - and therefore he hopes God will forgive him. Perhaps, all things considered, this might admit of some apology, though it was not justifiable. But, as to us, I am sure, (1.) If, in covenanting with God, we make a reservation for any known sin, which we will continue to indulge ourselves in, that reservation is a defeasance of his covenant. We must cast away all our transgressions and not except any house of Rimmon. (2.) Though we are encouraged to pray for the remission of the sins we have committed, yet, if we ask for a dispensation to go on in any sin for the future, we mock God, and deceive ourselves. (3.) Those that know not how to quit a place at court when they cannot keep it without sinning against God, and wronging their consciences, do not rightly value the divine favour. (4.) Those that truly hate evil will make conscience of abstaining from all appearances of evil. Though Naaman's dissembling his religion cannot be approved, yet because his promise to offer no sacrifice to any god but the God of Israel only was a great point gained with a Syrian, and because, by asking pardon in this matter, he showed such a degree of conviction and ingenuousness as gave hopes of improvement, the prophet took fair leave of him, and bade him Go in peace, Kg2 5:19. Young converts must be tenderly dealt with.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 15–19. Public domain.
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Ephrem the SyrianAD 373
ON THE SECOND BOOK OF KINGS 5:15
After Naaman had been persuaded by the prophet and had washed seven times in the Jordan, he eventually acknowledged his error. He was astonished, and a deep bewilderment took him when he realized that he had been delivered from his filthiness. And he thanked God for his healing and testified that the Lord of the universe, in his profound care for him, had conceded him that extraordinary power by simply using water. He also proclaimed that his healing could not have derived from the water of the river but had been caused by Elisha’s command. That is why he offered royal presents, but the prophet did not accept them and was not persuaded by the donor, even though he had pressed him many times. For that magnificently and very clearly prefigured the mystery of the healing, which is freely granted to all nations of the earth by our Lord through the intercession of the apostles. And this had been promised in advance to those masters by the prophet Isaiah, when he said, “You were sold for nothing, and you shall be redeemed without money.”Since all diseases are a sort of bondage, the prophet necessarily fixed the healing at the seventh bath, in parallel with the fact that the Law, too, orders and promises freedom for the slave at the seventh year.
Caesarius of ArlesAD 542
SERMON 129.4-5
Let us further see what blessed Elisha commanded Naaman the Syrian. “Go,” he says, “and wash seven times in the Jordan.” When Naaman heard that he was to wash seven times in the Jordan, he was indignant and did not want to comply, but accepting the advice of his friends, he consented to be washed and was cleansed. This signified that before Christ was crucified, the Gentiles did not believe in Christ when he spoke in his own person, but afterwards they devoutly came to the sacrament of baptism after the preaching of the apostles. For this reason Elisha told Naaman to wash seven times in the Jordan. See, brothers: Elisha sent Naaman to the river Jordan because Christ was to send the Gentiles to baptism. Moreover, the fact that Elisha did not touch Naaman himself or baptize him showed that Christ did not come to the Gentiles himself but through his apostles to whom he said, “Go, and baptize all nations in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Notice further that Naaman, who prefigured the Gentiles, recovered his health in the same river that later Christ consecrated by his baptism. However, when Naaman heard that he was to wash seven times in the Jordan, he became angry and said, “Are not the waters of my region better, the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharphar, that I may wash in them and be made clean?” When he had said this, his servants advised him to agree to the counsel of the prophet. Carefully notice what this means, brothers.Holy Elisha, as we said, typified our Lord and Savior, while Naaman prefigured the Gentiles. The fact that Naaman believed he would recover his health as the result of his own rivers indicates that the human race presumed on its free will and its own merits; but without the grace of Christ their own merits cannot possess health, although they can have leprosy. For this reason if the human race had not followed the example of Naaman and listened to the advice of Elisha, with humility receiving the gift of baptism through the grace of Christ, they could not be freed from the leprosy of the original and actual sins. “Wash seven times,” he said, because of the sevenfold grace of the Holy Spirit, which reposed in Christ our Lord. Moreover, when our Lord was baptized in this river, the Holy Spirit came on him in the form of a dove. When Naaman descended into the river as a figure of baptism, “his flesh became like the flesh of a little child.” Notice, beloved brothers, that this likeness was perfected in the Christian people, for you know that all who are baptized are still called infants, whether they are old or young. Those who are born old through Adam and Eve are reborn as young people to death, the second one to life. The former produces children of wrath; the latter generates them again as vessels of mercy. The apostle says, “In Adam all die; in Christ all will be made to live.” Therefore, just as Naaman, although he was an old man, became like a boy by washing seven times, so the Gentiles, although old by reason of their former sins and covered with the many spots of iniquity as with leprosy, are renewed by the grace of baptism in such a way that no leprosy of either original or actual sin remains in them. Thus, following the example of Naaman, they are renewed like little children by salutary baptism, although they have always been bent down under the weight of sins.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
In 2 Kings 5:16, the prophet Elisha unequivocally declines the substantial gifts offered by Naaman, the Syrian commander, immediately following his miraculous healing from leprosy. This pivotal refusal profoundly underscores Elisha's unwavering integrity and his singular commitment to ensuring that God alone receives all glory for the divine intervention, powerfully demonstrating that God's blessings are not commodities to be bought or sold, but rather expressions of His sovereign, unmerited grace.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: This verse is situated at a critical juncture in the narrative of Naaman's healing, following the dramatic climax of his restoration. Naaman, initially resistant to Elisha's seemingly simplistic instruction to wash seven times in the Jordan, finally obeyed and experienced a complete transformation, his flesh becoming "like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean" (2 Kings 5:14). Overwhelmed by this undeniable miracle, Naaman, accompanied by his entire retinue, returned to Elisha, not only to express profound gratitude but also to declare his newfound faith, acknowledging that "there is no God in all the earth but in Israel" (2 Kings 5:15). His subsequent offer of lavish gifts—silver, gold, and fine clothing—was a customary and deeply ingrained practice in the ancient Near East, serving as an honorarium or expression of profound respect and gratitude for such a life-altering service, especially to one perceived as a powerful intermediary with the divine. Elisha's resolute refusal, therefore, directly challenges this deeply embedded cultural expectation and Naaman's sincere, yet misdirected, gesture of appreciation, setting the stage for a profound theological statement.
Historical & Cultural Context: In the ancient world, it was a widespread custom for individuals receiving significant services, particularly from healers, diviners, or spiritual figures, to offer substantial gifts or payment. This practice was not necessarily viewed as "buying" a miracle, but rather as a respectful honorarium, a demonstration of gratitude, and a means of supporting those who served in a spiritual capacity. Prophets and priests in Israel often received sustenance through offerings and tithes, as outlined in various Old Testament laws and narratives. Naaman, a wealthy and powerful Syrian general, would have brought gifts commensurate with his high status and the immense magnitude of the miracle he had received. Elisha's refusal thus stands in stark contrast to both prevailing cultural norms and even some accepted practices within Israelite society, highlighting a distinctive aspect of his prophetic ministry. Furthermore, this act serves to sharply differentiate the God of Israel from the pagan deities of surrounding nations, whose favor often necessitated elaborate sacrifices, costly rituals, or direct payments to their priests and temples.
Key Themes: Elisha's steadfast refusal illuminates several profound themes. Primarily, it underscores the sovereignty and absolute freeness of God's grace. Naaman's healing was an unmerited act of divine power, extended even to a Gentile enemy, unequivocally demonstrating that divine blessings are neither earned nor purchased. Elisha's actions further emphasize the integrity and selfless nature of authentic prophetic ministry, asserting that God's servants are merely instruments, not proprietors, of divine power. This stands in stark opposition to the actions of false prophets or those who might exploit spiritual gifts for personal gain, a dangerous temptation warned against in other biblical accounts, such as Simon Magus's attempt to buy spiritual power in Acts 8:18-20. Moreover, Elisha's refusal serves as a powerful witness to God's exclusive glory, ensuring that Naaman's nascent faith is directed solely to the LORD, the true and unpurchasable source of healing, rather than to Elisha himself or to the material gifts. This reinforces Naaman's earlier confession in 2 Kings 5:15 that "there is no God in all the earth but in Israel."
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The passage powerfully employs Contrast to highlight Elisha's extraordinary integrity. Naaman, a powerful and wealthy general, offers lavish gifts in accordance with prevailing ancient Near Eastern custom, expecting to appropriately compensate Elisha for the profound miracle. However, Elisha's resolute and repeated refusal stands in stark opposition to this deeply ingrained cultural norm, creating a dramatic tension that powerfully underscores the divine and unpurchasable nature of the healing. The use of a solemn Oath ("As the LORD liveth, before whom I stand") lends immense weight, authority, and divine sanction to Elisha's words, elevating his personal decision to a divinely mandated principle. The Repetition of Elisha's refusal ("I will receive none... but he refused") serves to emphatically emphasize his unwavering resolve and the absolute nature of his commitment to God's honor. This narrative choice ensures that the reader fully grasps the profound theological implications of Elisha's selfless and principled act.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Elisha's unwavering refusal to accept gifts from Naaman is a profound theological statement, emphasizing that God's grace and miraculous power are utterly free, unmerited, and cannot be earned, bought, or manipulated by human effort or material offerings. This act meticulously safeguards the purity of God's glory, ensuring that Naaman's focus remains solely on the LORD as the true and exclusive source of his healing, rather than on Elisha as an intermediary or on the material transaction. It stands as a powerful testament to the integrity, selflessness, and pure motives required of those who minister on God's behalf, demonstrating that genuine service is motivated by devotion to God and love for others, rather than by personal gain or earthly reward. This principle profoundly foreshadows the New Testament understanding of salvation as a gift of grace, freely given through faith, and sets a timeless precedent for selfless spiritual leadership that prioritizes God's honor above all else.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Elisha's radical integrity in 2 Kings 5:16 offers a timeless blueprint for believers in every generation, calling us to a higher standard of selfless service in a world often driven by transactions, personal gain, and the commodification of services. His refusal challenges us to deeply examine our own motives in ministry, work, and relationships: are we seeking personal benefit, recognition, or financial reward, or are we genuinely seeking to glorify God and serve others without expectation of return? Elisha's profound trust in God's provision, rather than Naaman's immense wealth, serves as a powerful reminder to prioritize God's kingdom and righteousness, believing wholeheartedly that He will faithfully supply all our needs. When our actions are clearly and consistently motivated by pure devotion to God and not by the pursuit of earthly riches, our lives become a more authentic, compelling, and unhindered witness to the transformative power of God's grace, effectively drawing others to Him rather than to ourselves.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why did Elisha refuse the gifts when prophets sometimes accepted offerings?
Answer: Elisha's refusal was a deliberate, highly symbolic act designed to emphasize the absolute freeness of God's grace and to ensure that Naaman's focus remained solely on the LORD as the true source of his miraculous healing. While Old Testament prophets and priests often received offerings for their sustenance (e.g., Deuteronomy 18:1-5), Elisha recognized the unique and critical context here. Naaman was a Gentile commander, and accepting payment could have implied that God's power was for sale, or that Elisha was merely a mercenary healer, akin to pagan diviners. By refusing, Elisha powerfully underscored that the miracle was an act of pure, unmerited grace from the God of Israel, extended freely even to an enemy, thereby maximizing God's glory and Naaman's understanding of true divine power, which cannot be bought or sold.
What does Elisha's refusal teach us about ministry today?
Answer: Elisha's refusal teaches us profound and enduring lessons about the purity of motive essential in Christian ministry. It highlights that true service to God should be driven by genuine love, unwavering obedience, and an unyielding desire for God's glory, rather than by personal gain, fame, or material reward. It unequivocally underscores that spiritual blessings, particularly salvation, healing, and the Holy Spirit, are gifts of God's grace and can never be bought or sold. This principle calls ministers and all believers to conduct their service with utmost integrity, radical selflessness, and a clear, unwavering focus on pointing people solely to Christ. It ensures that God alone receives all praise and honor, and it encourages a deep reliance on God's provision as the ultimate source of sustenance, rather than on human generosity, as Jesus taught in Matthew 6:33.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Elisha's steadfast refusal of Naaman's gifts in 2 Kings 5:16 powerfully foreshadows the ultimate, free, and unmerited gift of salvation offered through Jesus Christ. Just as Naaman's healing was a demonstration of God's gratuitous grace, extended even to a foreign enemy, so too is the redemption of humanity a divine act of love that cannot be earned, purchased, or merited by any human effort. Elisha, as a faithful servant, refused to profit from God's miracle, thereby preserving the purity of God's glory and ensuring the focus remained on the divine giver. In an infinitely greater way, Jesus Christ, the ultimate Prophet, High Priest, and Son of God, gave Himself entirely, not for personal gain, but as the perfect and final sacrifice for sin. His entire ministry was characterized by radical self-emptying and selfless service, as He "though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich" (2 Corinthians 8:9). The "gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23), freely offered to all who believe, "without money and without price," echoing the prophetic call in Isaiah 55:1. Elisha's integrity and selfless act point to the perfect integrity of Christ, who perfectly embodied selfless service and ensured that all glory for salvation belongs to God alone, humbling Himself even to death on a cross (Philippians 2:5-8).