Naaman (Syrian army commander)
The Healed Gentile
Naaman was the commander of the Syrian king's army and a mighty warrior, but he suffered from leprosy. Through the testimony of an Israelite slave girl and the ministry of the prophet Elisha, he was healed and came to believe in the God of Israel. His story is an early example of God's grace toward Gentile nations.
Key events
The Testimony of the Israelite Slave Girl
A young Israelite girl who served Naaman's wife told about the prophet in Samaria who could heal leprosy. This set Naaman on his journey toward healing.
1Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man in his master's eyes and highly regarded, because through him the LORD had given victory to Aram. He was a mighty warrior, but he had leprosy.
וְ֠נַעֲמָן שַׂר־צְבָ֨א מֶֽלֶךְ־אֲרָ֜ם הָיָ֣ה אִישׁ֩ גָּד֨וֹל לִפְנֵ֤י אֲדֹנָיו֙ וּנְשֻׂ֣א פָנִ֔ים כִּֽי־ב֛וֹ נָֽתַן־יְהוָ֥ה תְּשׁוּעָ֖ה לַאֲרָ֑ם וְהָאִ֗ישׁ הָיָ֛ה גִּבּ֥וֹר חַ֖יִל מְצֹרָֽע׃
2Now raiding parties had gone out from Aram, and they had carried off a young girl from the land of Israel, and she waited on Naaman's wife.
וַאֲרָם֙ יָצְא֣וּ גְדוּדִ֔ים וַיִּשְׁבּ֛וּ מֵאֶ֥רֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל נַעֲרָ֣ה קְטַנָּ֑ה וַתְּהִ֕י לִפְנֵ֖י אֵ֥שֶׁת נַעֲמָֽן׃
3She said to her mistress, "If only my master would go to the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy."
וַתֹּ֙אמֶר֙ אֶל־גְּבִרְתָּ֔הּ אַחֲלֵ֣י אֲדֹנִ֔י לִפְנֵ֥י הַנָּבִ֖יא אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּשֹׁמְר֑וֹן אָ֛ז יֶאֱסֹ֥ף אֹת֖וֹ מִצָּרַעְתּֽוֹ׃
Naaman Comes to Elisha
Naaman traveled to Israel with gifts and a letter from the king of Syria. Elisha sent word that he should wash seven times in the Jordan River.
9So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha's house.
וַיָּבֹ֥א נַעֲמָ֖ן *בסוסו **בְּסוּסָ֣יו וּבְרִכְבּ֑וֹ וַיַּעֲמֹ֥ד פֶּֽתַח־הַבַּ֖יִת לֶאֱלִישָֽׁע׃
10Elisha sent a messenger out to him with this word: "Go and wash seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be clean."
וַיִּשְׁלַ֥ח אֵלָ֛יו אֱלִישָׁ֖ע מַלְאָ֣ךְ לֵאמֹ֑ר הָל֗וֹךְ וְרָחַצְתָּ֤ שֶֽׁבַע־פְּעָמִים֙ בַּיַּרְדֵּ֔ן וְיָשֹׁ֧ב בְּשָׂרְךָ֛ לְךָ֖ וּטְהָֽר׃
11But Naaman went away angry. "I thought," he said, "that he would surely come out to me and stand there and call on the name of the LORD his God, that he would wave his hand over the place and cure the leprosy.
וַיִּקְצֹ֥ף נַעֲמָ֖ן וַיֵּלַ֑ךְ וַיֹּאמֶר֩ הִנֵּ֨ה אָמַ֜רְתִּי אֵלַ֣י ׀ יֵצֵ֣א יָצ֗וֹא וְעָמַד֙ וְקָרָא֙ בְּשֵׁם־יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהָ֔יו וְהֵנִ֥יף יָד֛וֹ אֶל־הַמָּק֖וֹם וְאָסַ֥ף הַמְּצֹרָֽע׃
12Are not the Abana and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?" So he turned and went off in a rage.
הֲלֹ֡א טוֹב֩ *אבנה **אֲמָנָ֨ה וּפַרְפַּ֜ר נַהֲר֣וֹת דַּמֶּ֗שֶׂק מִכֹּל֙ מֵימֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל הֲלֹֽא־אֶרְחַ֥ץ בָּהֶ֖ם וְטָהָ֑רְתִּי וַיִּ֖פֶן וַיֵּ֥לֶךְ בְּחֵמָֽה׃
Naaman's Anger and Humility
At first, Naaman was angry at Elisha's simple instruction, but his servants persuaded him to obey. He washed in the Jordan and was completely healed.
13But his servants came up to him and said, "My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he simply says to you, 'Wash and be clean'?"
וַיִּגְּשׁ֣וּ עֲבָדָיו֮ וַיְדַבְּר֣וּ אֵלָיו֒ וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ אָבִי֙ דָּבָ֣ר גָּד֗וֹל הַנָּבִ֛יא דִּבֶּ֥ר אֵלֶ֖יךָ הֲל֣וֹא תַעֲשֶׂ֑ה וְאַ֛ף כִּֽי־אָמַ֥ר אֵלֶ֖יךָ רְחַ֥ץ וּטְהָֽר׃
14So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, as the man of God had said, and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a young boy, and he was clean.
וַיֵּ֗רֶד וַיִּטְבֹּ֤ל בַּיַּרְדֵּן֙ שֶׁ֣בַע פְּעָמִ֔ים כִּדְבַ֖ר אִ֣ישׁ הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים וַיָּ֣שָׁב בְּשָׂר֗וֹ כִּבְשַׂ֛ר נַ֥עַר קָטֹ֖ן וַיִּטְהָֽר׃
The Confession of Faith in the God of Israel
After being healed, Naaman returned to Elisha and confessed that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. He asked to take some soil from Israel with him.
15Then he returned to the man of God with his whole company. He came and stood before him and said, "Now I know that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel. So please accept a gift from your servant."
וַיָּשָׁב֩ אֶל־אִ֨ישׁ הָאֱלֹהִ֜ים ה֣וּא וְכָֽל־מַחֲנֵ֗הוּ וַיָּבֹא֮ וַיַּעֲמֹ֣ד לְפָנָיו֒ וַיֹּ֗אמֶר הִנֵּה־נָ֤א יָדַ֙עְתִּי֙ כִּ֣י אֵ֤ין אֱלֹהִים֙ בְּכָל־הָאָ֔רֶץ כִּ֖י אִם־בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְעַתָּ֛ה קַח־נָ֥א בְרָכָ֖ה מֵאֵ֥ת עַבְדֶּֽךָ׃
16But Elisha answered, "As the LORD lives, whom I serve, I will accept nothing." And though Naaman pressed him to take it, he refused.
וַיֹּ֕אמֶר חַי־יְהוָ֛ה אֲשֶׁר־עָמַ֥דְתִּי לְפָנָ֖יו אִם־אֶקָּ֑ח וַיִּפְצַר־בּ֥וֹ לָקַ֖חַת וַיְמָאֵֽן׃
17"If you will not," said Naaman, "then please let your servant be given as much earth as a pair of mules can carry, for your servant will never again offer burnt offering or sacrifice to any other god but the LORD.
וַיֹּאמֶר֮ נַעֲמָן֒ וָלֹ֕א יֻתַּן־נָ֣א לְעַבְדְּךָ֔ מַשָּׂ֥א צֶֽמֶד־פְּרָדִ֖ים אֲדָמָ֑ה כִּ֡י לֽוֹא־יַעֲשֶׂה֩ ע֨וֹד עַבְדְּךָ֜ עֹלָ֤ה וָזֶ֙בַח֙ לֵאלֹהִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֔ים כִּ֖י אִם־לַיהוָֽה׃
Elisha Refuses Gifts
Naaman offered rich gifts to Elisha, but the prophet refused to accept anything. This showed that God's grace cannot be bought.
15Then he returned to the man of God with his whole company. He came and stood before him and said, "Now I know that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel. So please accept a gift from your servant."
וַיָּשָׁב֩ אֶל־אִ֨ישׁ הָאֱלֹהִ֜ים ה֣וּא וְכָֽל־מַחֲנֵ֗הוּ וַיָּבֹא֮ וַיַּעֲמֹ֣ד לְפָנָיו֒ וַיֹּ֗אמֶר הִנֵּה־נָ֤א יָדַ֙עְתִּי֙ כִּ֣י אֵ֤ין אֱלֹהִים֙ בְּכָל־הָאָ֔רֶץ כִּ֖י אִם־בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְעַתָּ֛ה קַח־נָ֥א בְרָכָ֖ה מֵאֵ֥ת עַבְדֶּֽךָ׃
16But Elisha answered, "As the LORD lives, whom I serve, I will accept nothing." And though Naaman pressed him to take it, he refused.
וַיֹּ֕אמֶר חַי־יְהוָ֛ה אֲשֶׁר־עָמַ֥דְתִּי לְפָנָ֖יו אִם־אֶקָּ֑ח וַיִּפְצַר־בּ֥וֹ לָקַ֖חַת וַיְמָאֵֽן׃
Jesus Uses Naaman as an Example
In the synagogue at Nazareth, Jesus mentioned Naaman as an example of how God showed grace to Gentiles when Israel rejected the prophets.
27And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian."
καὶ πολλοὶ λεπροὶ ἦσαν ⸂ἐν τῷ Ἰσραὴλ ἐπὶ Ἐλισαίου τοῦ προφήτου⸃, καὶ οὐδεὶς αὐτῶν ἐκαθαρίσθη, εἰ μὴ Ναιμὰν ὁ Σύρος.