Gehazi (Elisha's servant)
The Greedy Servant
Gehazi was the personal servant and assistant of the prophet Elisha. He witnessed many of Elisha's miracles, but his greed led to him being struck with leprosy after lying to obtain gifts from Naaman, the Syrian army commander.
Key events
Servant to the Shunammite Woman
Gehazi suggested to Elisha that the hospitable Shunammite woman could be blessed with a son, since she was childless and had an old husband.
14"What then can be done for her?" he asked. Gehazi said, "Well, she has no son, and her husband is old."
וַיֹּ֕אמֶר וּמֶ֖ה לַעֲשׂ֣וֹת לָ֑הּ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר גֵּיחֲזִ֗י אֲבָ֛ל בֵּ֥ן אֵֽין־לָ֖הּ וְאִישָׁ֥הּ זָקֵֽן׃
15Then he said, "Call her." So he called her, and she stood in the doorway.
וַיֹּ֖אמֶר קְרָא־לָ֑הּ וַיִּקְרָא־לָ֔הּ וַֽתַּעֲמֹ֖ד בַּפָּֽתַח׃
16And Elisha said, "About this time next year you will hold a son in your arms." "No, my lord, man of God," she said, "do not deceive your servant."
וַיֹּ֗אמֶר לַמּוֹעֵ֤ד הַזֶּה֙ כָּעֵ֣ת חַיָּ֔ה *אתי **אַ֖תְּ חֹבֶ֣קֶת בֵּ֑ן וַתֹּ֗אמֶר אַל־אֲדֹנִי֙ אִ֣ישׁ הָאֱלֹהִ֔ים אַל־תְּכַזֵּ֖ב בְּשִׁפְחָתֶֽךָ׃
Attempt to Raise the Boy
When the Shunammite woman's son died, Elisha sent Gehazi with his staff to lay it on the boy's face, but this did not work.
29Elisha said to Gehazi, "Tuck your cloak into your belt, take my staff in your hand, and go. If you meet anyone, do not greet him, and if anyone greets you, do not answer. Lay my staff on the boy's face."
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר לְגֵיחֲזִ֜י חֲגֹ֣ר מָתְנֶ֗יךָ וְקַ֨ח מִשְׁעַנְתִּ֣י בְיָדְךָ֮ וָלֵךְ֒ כִּֽי־תִמְצָ֥א אִישׁ֙ לֹ֣א תְבָרְכֶ֔נּוּ וְכִֽי־יְבָרֶכְךָ֥ אִ֖ישׁ לֹ֣א תַעֲנֶ֑נּוּ וְשַׂמְתָּ֥ מִשְׁעַנְתִּ֖י עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הַנָּֽעַר׃
30But the boy's mother said, "As surely as the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." So he got up and followed her.
וַתֹּ֙אמֶר֙ אֵ֣ם הַנַּ֔עַר חַי־יְהוָ֥ה וְחֵֽי־נַפְשְׁךָ֖ אִם־אֶעֶזְבֶ֑ךָּ וַיָּ֖קָם וַיֵּ֥לֶךְ אַחֲרֶֽיהָ׃
31Gehazi went on ahead and laid the staff on the boy's face, but there was no sound, no response. So he went back to meet Elisha and told him, "The boy has not awakened."
וְגֵחֲזִ֞י עָבַ֣ר לִפְנֵיהֶ֗ם וַיָּ֤שֶׂם אֶת־הַמִּשְׁעֶ֙נֶת֙ עַל־פְּנֵ֣י הַנַּ֔עַר וְאֵ֥ין ק֖וֹל וְאֵ֣ין קָ֑שֶׁב וַיָּ֤שָׁב לִקְרָאתוֹ֙ וַיַּגֶּד־ל֣וֹ לֵאמֹ֔ר לֹ֥א הֵקִ֖יץ הַנָּֽעַר׃
Greed Toward Naaman
After Elisha healed Naaman and refused to accept gifts, Gehazi ran after him and lied to obtain silver and clothing.
20Then Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said to himself, "My master has let this Aramean Naaman off too easily by not accepting what he brought. As the LORD lives, I will run after him and get something from him."
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר גֵּיחֲזִ֗י נַעַר֮ אֱלִישָׁ֣ע אִישׁ־הָאֱלֹהִים֒ הִנֵּ֣ה ׀ חָשַׂ֣ךְ אֲדֹנִ֗י אֶֽת־נַעֲמָ֤ן הָֽאֲרַמִּי֙ הַזֶּ֔ה מִקַּ֥חַת מִיָּד֖וֹ אֵ֣ת אֲשֶׁר־הֵבִ֑יא חַי־יְהוָה֙ כִּֽי־אִם־רַ֣צְתִּי אַחֲרָ֔יו וְלָקַחְתִּ֥י מֵאִתּ֖וֹ מְאֽוּמָה׃
21So Gehazi hurried after Naaman. When Naaman saw him running toward him, he got down from his chariot to meet him and asked, "Is everything all right?"
וַיִּרְדֹּ֥ף גֵּיחֲזִ֖י אַחֲרֵ֣י נַֽעֲמָ֑ן וַיִּרְאֶ֤ה נַֽעֲמָן֙ רָ֣ץ אַחֲרָ֔יו וַיִּפֹּ֞ל מֵעַ֧ל הַמֶּרְכָּבָ֛ה לִקְרָאת֖וֹ וַיֹּ֥אמֶר הֲשָׁלֽוֹם׃
22"Everything is all right," Gehazi said. "My master sent me to say, 'Two young men from the company of the prophets have just now come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two sets of clothing.'"
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ׀ שָׁל֗וֹם אֲדֹנִי֮ שְׁלָחַ֣נִי לֵאמֹר֒ הִנֵּ֣ה עַתָּ֡ה זֶ֠ה בָּ֣אוּ אֵלַ֧י שְׁנֵֽי־נְעָרִ֛ים מֵהַ֥ר אֶפְרַ֖יִם מִבְּנֵ֣י הַנְּבִיאִ֑ים תְּנָה־נָּ֤א לָהֶם֙ כִּכַּר־כֶּ֔סֶף וּשְׁתֵּ֖י חֲלִפ֥וֹת בְּגָדִֽים׃
23"By all means, take two talents," said Naaman. He pressed Gehazi until he agreed, then tied up two talents of silver in two bags along with two sets of clothing, and gave them to two of his servants, who carried them ahead of Gehazi.
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר נַעֲמָ֔ן הוֹאֵ֖ל קַ֣ח כִּכָּרָ֑יִם וַיִּפְרָץ־בּ֗וֹ וַיָּצַר֩ כִּכְּרַ֨יִם כֶּ֜סֶף בִּשְׁנֵ֣י חֲרִטִ֗ים וּשְׁתֵּי֙ חֲלִפ֣וֹת בְּגָדִ֔ים וַיִּתֵּן֙ אֶל־שְׁנֵ֣י נְעָרָ֔יו וַיִּשְׂא֖וּ לְפָנָֽיו׃
24When Gehazi came to the hill, he took the things from the servants and stored them away in the house. Then he sent the men off, and they left.
וַיָּבֹא֙ אֶל־הָעֹ֔פֶל וַיִּקַּ֥ח מִיָּדָ֖ם וַיִּפְקֹ֣ד בַּבָּ֑יִת וַיְשַׁלַּ֥ח אֶת־הָאֲנָשִׁ֖ים וַיֵּלֵֽכוּ׃
Punished with Leprosy
When Gehazi lied to Elisha about where he had been, the prophet exposed his deceit, and Naaman's leprosy struck Gehazi and his descendants forever.
25When he went in and stood before his master, Elisha asked him, "Where have you been, Gehazi?" "Your servant went nowhere at all," he said.
וְהוּא־בָא֙ וַיַּעֲמֹ֣ד אֶל־אֲדֹנָ֔יו וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלָיו֙ אֱלִישָׁ֔ע *מאן **מֵאַ֖יִן גֵּחֲזִ֑י וַיֹּ֕אמֶר לֹֽא־הָלַ֥ךְ עַבְדְּךָ֖ אָ֥נֶה וָאָֽנָה׃
26But Elisha said to him, "Was not my spirit with you when the man got down from his chariot to meet you? Is this a time to accept silver, or to accept clothing, olive groves and vineyards, flocks and herds, male and female servants?
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלָיו֙ לֹא־לִבִּ֣י הָלַ֔ךְ כַּאֲשֶׁ֧ר הָֽפַךְ־אִ֛ישׁ מֵעַ֥ל מֶרְכַּבְתּ֖וֹ לִקְרָאתֶ֑ךָ הַעֵ֞ת לָקַ֤חַת אֶת־הַכֶּ֙סֶף֙ וְלָקַ֣חַת בְּגָדִ֔ים וְזֵיתִ֤ים וּכְרָמִים֙ וְצֹ֣אן וּבָקָ֔ר וַעֲבָדִ֖ים וּשְׁפָחֽוֹת׃
27Naaman's leprosy will cling to you and to your descendants forever." And Gehazi went out from his presence, leprous, white as snow.
וְצָרַ֤עַת נַֽעֲמָן֙ תִּֽדְבַּק־בְּךָ֔ וּֽבְזַרְעֲךָ לְעוֹלָ֑ם וַיֵּצֵ֥א מִלְּפָנָ֖יו מְצֹרָ֥ע כַּשָּֽׁלֶג׃ ס
Tells the king about Elisha's miracles
Gehazi told King Joram about all the great things Elisha had done, including raising the Shunammite woman's son.
4Now the king was speaking with Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, and said, "Tell me all the great things Elisha has done."
וְהַמֶּ֗לֶךְ מְדַבֵּר֙ אֶל־גֵּ֣חֲזִ֔י נַ֥עַר אִישׁ־הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים לֵאמֹ֑ר סַפְּרָה־נָּ֣א לִ֔י אֵ֥ת כָּל־הַגְּדֹל֖וֹת אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂ֥ה אֱלִישָֽׁע׃
5Just as Gehazi was telling the king how Elisha had restored the dead to life, the very woman whose son he had restored came in to appeal to the king for her house and her land. And Gehazi said, "My lord the king, this is the woman, and this is her son whom Elisha restored to life."
וַ֠יְהִי ה֥וּא מְסַפֵּ֣ר לַמֶּלֶךְ֮ אֵ֣ת אֲשֶׁר־הֶחֱיָ֣ה אֶת־הַמֵּת֒ וְהִנֵּ֨ה הָאִשָּׁ֜ה אֲשֶׁר־הֶחֱיָ֤ה אֶת־בְּנָהּ֙ צֹעֶ֣קֶת אֶל־הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ עַל־בֵּיתָ֖הּ וְעַל־שָׂדָ֑הּ וַיֹּ֤אמֶר גֵּֽחֲזִי֙ אֲדֹנִ֣י הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ זֹ֚את הָֽאִשָּׁ֔ה וְזֶה־בְּנָ֖הּ אֲשֶׁר־הֶחֱיָ֥ה אֱלִישָֽׁע׃
6The king questioned the woman, and she told him her story. Then the king assigned an official to her, saying, "Restore everything that belongs to her, along with all the income from her land from the day she left the country until now."
וַיִּשְׁאַ֥ל הַמֶּ֛לֶךְ לָאִשָּׁ֖ה וַתְּסַפֶּר־ל֑וֹ וַיִּתֶּן־לָ֣הּ הַמֶּלֶךְ֩ סָרִ֨יס אֶחָ֜ד לֵאמֹ֗ר הָשֵׁ֤יב אֶת־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־לָהּ֙ וְאֵת֙ כָּל־תְּבוּאֹ֣ת הַשָּׂדֶ֔ה מִיּ֛וֹם עָזְבָ֥ה אֶת־הָאָ֖רֶץ וְעַד־עָֽתָּה׃ פ