TRV
Translation
King James Version
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.
KJV (with Strong's)
And the king H4428 of Syria H758 said H559, Go to H3212, go H935, and I will send H7971 a letter H5612 unto the king H4428 of Israel H3478. And he departed H3212, and took H3947 with him H3027 ten H6235 talents H3603 of silver H3701, and six H8337 thousand H505 pieces of gold H2091, and ten H6235 changes H2487 of raiment H899.
Complete Jewish Bible
The king of Aram said, "Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Isra'el." He set out, taking with him 660 pounds of silver, 6,000 pieces of gold and ten changes of clothes.
Berean Standard Bible
“Go now,” said the king of Aram, “and I will send you with a letter to the king of Israel.” So Naaman departed, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten sets of clothing.
American Standard Version
And the king of Syria said, Go now, 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.
World English Bible Messianic
The king of Syria said, “Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” He departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of clothing.
Geneva Bible (1599)
And the King of Aram sayde, Goe thy way thither, and I will send a letter vnto the King of Israel. And he departed, and tooke with him ten talents of siluer, and sixe thousand pieces of golde, and ten change of rayments,
Young's Literal Translation
And the king of Aram saith, `Go thou, enter, and I send a letter unto the king of Israel;' and he goeth and taketh in his hand ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of garments.
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Commentary on 2 Kings 5 verses 1–8
1 ¶ Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with 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 with 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.
Our saviour's miracles were intended for the lost sheep of the house of Israel, yet one, like a crumb, fell from the table to a woman of Canaan; so this one miracle Elisha wrought for Naaman, a Syrian; for God does good to all, and will have all men to be saved. Here is,
I. The great affliction Naaman was under, in the midst of all his honours, Kg2 5:1. He was a great man, in a great place; not only rich and raised, but particularly happy for two things: - 1. That he had been very serviceable to his country. God made him so: By him the Lord had often given deliverance to Syria, success in their wars even with Israel. The preservation and prosperity even of those that do not know God and serve him must be ascribed to him, for he is the Saviour of all men, but especially of those that believe. Let Israel know that when the Syrians prevailed it was from the Lord. 2. That he was very acceptable to his prince, was his favourite, and prime-minister of state; so great was he, so high, so honourable, and a mighty man of valour; but he was a leper, was under that loathsome disease, which made him a burden to himself. Note, (1.) No man's greatness, or honour, or interest, or valour, or victory, can set him out of the reach of the sorest calamities of human life; there is many a sickly crazy body under rich and gay clothing. (2.) Every man has some but or other in his character, something that blemishes and diminishes him, some allay to his grandeur, some damp to his joy; he may be very happy, very good, yet, in something or other, not so good as he should be nor so happy as he would be. Naaman was a great as the world could make him, and yet (as bishop Hall expresses it) the basest slave in Syria would not change skins with him.
II. The notice that was given him of Elisha's power, by a little maid that waited on his lady, Kg2 5:2, Kg2 5:3. This maid was, by birth, an Israelite, providentially carried captive into Syria, and there preferred into Naaman's family, where she published Elisha's fame to the honour of Israel and Israel's God. The unhappy dispersing of the people of God has sometimes proved the happy occasion of the diffusion of the knowledge of God, Act 8:4. This little maid, 1. As became a true-born Israelite, consulted the honour of her country, and could give an account, though but a girl, of the famous prophet they had among them. Children should betimes acquaint themselves with the wondrous works of God, that, wherever they go, they may have them to talk of. See Psa 8:2. 2. As became a good servant, she desired the health and welfare of her master, though she was a captive, a servant by force; much more should servants of choice seek their masters' good. The Jews in Babylon were to seek the peace of the land of their captivity. Jer 29:7. Elisha had not cleansed any leper in Israel (Luk 4:27), yet this little maid, from the other miracles he had wrought, inferred that he could cure her master, and from his common beneficence inferred that he would do it, though he was a Syrian. Servants may be blessings to the families where they are, by telling what they know of the glory of God and the honour of his prophets.
III. The application which the king of Syria hereupon made to the king of Israel on Naaman's behalf. Naaman took notice of the intelligence, though given by a simple maid, and did not despise it for the sake of her meanness, when it tended to his bodily health. he did not say, "The girl talks like a fool; how can any prophet of Israel do that for me which all the physicians of Syria have attempted in vain?" Though he neither loved nor honoured the Jewish nation, yet, if one of that nation can but cure him of his leprosy, he will thankfully acknowledge the obligation. O that those who are spiritually diseased would hearken thus readily to the tidings brought them of the great Physician! See what Naaman did upon this little hint. 1. He would not send for the prophet to come to him, but such honour would he pay to one that had so much of a divine power with him as to be able to cure diseases that he would go to him himself, though he himself was sickly, unfit for society, the journey long, and the country an enemy's; princes, he thinks, must stoop to prophets when they need them. 2. He would not go incognito - in disguise, though his errand proclaimed his loathsome disease, but went in state, and with a great retinue, to do the more honour to the prophet. 3. He would not go empty-handed, but took with him gold, silver, and raiment, to present to his physician. Those that have wealth, and want health show which they reckon the more valuable blessing; what will they not give for ease, and strength, and soundness of body? 4. He would not go without a letter to the king of Israel from the king his master, who did himself earnestly desire his recovery. He knows not where in Samaria to find this wonder-working prophet, but takes it for granted the king knows where to find him; and, to engage the prophet to do his utmost for Naaman, he will go to him supported with the interest of two kings. If the king of Syria must entreat his help, he hopes the king of Israel, being his liege-lord, may command it. The gifts of the subject must all be (he thinks) for the service and honour of the prince, and therefore he desires the king that he would recover the leper (Kg2 5:6), taking it for granted that there was a greater intimacy between the king and the prophet than really there was.
IV. The alarm this gave to the king of Israel, Kg2 5:7. He apprehended there was in this letter, 1. A great affront upon God, and therefore he rent his clothes, according to the custom of the Jews when they heard or read that which they thought blasphemous; and what less could it be than to attribute to him a divine power? "Am I a God, to kill whom I will, and make alive whom I will? No, I pretend not to such an authority." Nebuchadnezzar did, as we find, Dan 5:19. "Am I a God, to kill with a word, and make alive with a word? No, I pretend not to such a power;" thus this great man, this bad man, is made to own that he is but a man. Why did he not, with this consideration, correct himself for his idolatry, and reason thus: - Shall I worship those as gods that can neither kill nor make alive, can do neither good nor evil? 2. A bad design upon himself. He appeals to those about him for this: "See how he seeketh a quarrel against me; he requires me to recover the leper, and if I do not, though I cannot, he will make that a pretence to wage war with me," which he suspects the rather because Naaman is his general. had he rightly understood the meaning of the letter, that when the king wrote to him to recover the leper he meant that he would take care he might be recovered, he would not have been in this fright. Note, We often create a great deal of uneasiness to ourselves by misinterpreting the words and actions of others that are well intended: it is charity to ourselves to think no evil. If he had bethought himself of Elisha, and his power, he would easily have understood the letter, and have known what he had to do; but he is put into this confusion by making himself a stranger to the prophet: the captive maid had him more in her thoughts than the king had.
V. The proffer which Elisha made of his services. He was willing to do any thing to make his prince easy, though he was neglected and his former good services were forgotten by him. Hearing on which occasion the king had rent his clothes, he sent to him to let him know that if his patient would come to him he should not lose his labour (Kg2 5:8): He shall know that there is a prophet in Israel (and it were sad with Israel if there were not), that there is a prophet in Israel who can do that which the king of Israel dares not attempt, which the prophets of Syria cannot pretend to. It was not for his own honour, but for the honour of God, that he coveted to make them all know that there was a prophet in Israel, though obscure and overlooked.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 1–8. Public domain.
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SUMMARY
Second Kings 5:5 describes the immediate and lavish response of the king of Syria to the news that a prophet in Israel could heal Naaman, his esteemed commander, of leprosy. Naaman departs with a formal letter to the king of Israel and an immense sum of silver, gold, and ceremonial garments, reflecting the ancient Near Eastern custom of presenting significant offerings when seeking a powerful favor or divine intervention, thereby underscoring the perceived magnitude of his affliction and the immense value placed on his recovery by the Syrian kingdom.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The verse employs several potent literary devices that contribute to its profound theological message. Symbolism is prominent, as the vast wealth Naaman carries symbolizes the human tendency to control, purchase, or earn divine favor and healing through material means. It represents the world's way of solving problems through power, status, and abundant resources, setting up a stark contrast with God's simple, grace-based solution that will unfold. Foreshadowing is also powerfully at play; the king of Syria's formal letter and Naaman's lavish gifts immediately foreshadow the king of Israel's misinterpretation and despair, as he assumes the request is a political trap rather than a genuine plea for a miracle. This sets up the profound irony that the earthly king, despite his power and the immense offering, is helpless and panics, while the true power to heal resides with God's humble prophet, Elisha. The detailed enumeration of the gifts also functions as hyperbole, emphasizing the extraordinary nature of the offering and the perceived impossibility of Naaman's condition being cured apart from an intervention of immense magnitude, further highlighting the human misconception of divine power.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
The immense wealth Naaman carries in 2 Kings 5:5 serves as a powerful theological statement about the futility of human resources and worldly power in the face of divine power and grace. It underscores the pervasive human tendency to believe that the most significant problems—especially those of a spiritual or miraculous nature—can be solved through the greatest material or political means. However, the subsequent narrative will demonstrate that God's healing and salvation are not commodities to be bought, earned, or negotiated through human systems of transaction, but are gifts freely bestowed upon those who humble themselves and obey His simple, often counter-intuitive, commands. This sets up a profound contrast between the world's economy of quid pro quo and God's economy of unmerited grace, highlighting that true deliverance comes not from what we can offer, but solely from what God sovereignly provides.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Naaman's journey, beginning with such an impressive display of wealth and worldly influence, offers a profound mirror for our own lives and spiritual approaches. We often confront our deepest needs, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual, with a similar mindset, attempting to leverage our resources, achievements, good deeds, or even our perceived piety to earn God's favor, manipulate circumstances, or solve our problems. This verse challenges us to examine what "talents of silver and gold" we might be carrying, metaphorically speaking, as we seek healing, peace, or salvation. It reminds us that God's ways are often counter-intuitive to human logic, requiring humility and simple obedience rather than grand gestures, impressive offerings, or self-sufficient efforts. True transformation, whether physical or spiritual, cannot be purchased; it is a gift received through faith and surrender to God's unconventional methods. This narrative invites us to lay down our self-sufficiency, our attempts to control or earn, and embrace the humbling truth that God's greatest blessings are freely given, requiring only our humble reception.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
How much wealth did Naaman actually take with him, and why was it so much?
Answer: Naaman took an astronomical sum: "ten talents of silver, and six thousand [pieces] of gold, and ten changes of raiment." To put this into perspective, a talent of silver was approximately 75 pounds (34 kg), so ten talents amounted to about 750 pounds (340 kg) of silver. Six thousand pieces of gold, likely referring to shekels, would be roughly 150 pounds (68 kg) of gold. The "changes of raiment" were not ordinary clothes but expensive, ceremonial, or royal garments, highly valued in ancient cultures. This collective sum represented an immense fortune, far exceeding what any individual could possess. It was so much because it was a diplomatic offering from a powerful king for his esteemed general, intended to impress, obligate, and ensure the success of a mission of national importance. It reflected the ancient Near Eastern custom of presenting lavish gifts when seeking a significant favor from a ruler or divine intervention, underscoring the gravity of Naaman's condition and the high value placed on his recovery. It was, in their estimation, a kingly sum for a kingly problem.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
The narrative of Naaman's journey, initiated by the immense wealth he carried in 2 Kings 5:5, powerfully foreshadows the ultimate inability of human effort, status, or material riches to secure true healing and salvation, which can only be found in Christ. Naaman's attempt to "buy" a miracle with silver, gold, and fine garments stands in stark contrast to the New Testament's declaration that salvation is "not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy" (Titus 3:5). The vast sum he brought highlights the world's bankrupt approach to spiritual need, where humanity often seeks to earn or purchase God's favor and forgiveness. However, Christ, the true Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, offers healing and eternal life "without money and without price" (Isaiah 55:1), freely given through His atoning sacrifice on the cross. Naaman's eventual cleansing, not through his wealth but through humble obedience to Elisha's simple command to wash in the Jordan, points to the profound truth that our spiritual cleansing and redemption are found not in our own efforts or resources, but solely in the humble submission to Christ's finished work, a gift of pure grace (Ephesians 2:8-9). He is the one who truly takes away our spiritual leprosy—the stain of sin—a cleansing that no amount of silver or gold could ever procure.