Annotations Upon the Historical Books Part 2, 2 Kings · Chapter 5
CHAP. V.
Verſ. 5. GO and I will ſend a letter unto the king of Iſrael.] Which was Jehoram the ſonne of Ahab, chap. 3.1.
Verſ. 6. I have therewith ſent Naaman my ſervant to thee, that thou mayeſt recover him of his leproſie.] That is, that thou mayeſt cauſe him to be recovered of his leproſie, for what any prophet in Iſrael could do, he doubted not but that the king might command.
Verſ. 7. He rent his clothes, and ſaid, Am I a God, to kill and to make alive? &c.] His words ſhew what was the cauſe of his griefe; namely, the feare that Ben-hadad the king of Syria, the old enemy of Iſrael, ſought in this to pick a quarrell that he might invade the land; yet likely enough it is, that to cover this, he pretended the blaſphemy of requiring that of him, which was the onelyonly proper work of God, and in the meane ſeaſon never thought of what Eliſha could do.
Verſ. 8. Wherefore haſt thou rent thy clothes?] And thus Eliſha covertly taxed the king for ſo little regarding the miracles which Eliſha had wrought, that now he never entertained a thought of conſulting with him, and gave him to underſtand that even the Syrians ſhould know that there was a prophet in Iſrael, though he and his courtiers would take no notice of him: Let him come now to me, ſaith he, and he ſhall know there is a prophet in Iſrael.
Verſ. 10. And Eliſha ſent a meſſenger unto him, ſaying, Go and waſh in Jordan ſeven times, &c.] Not going out to him, Firſt, that the miracle might be the more remarkable, the prophet doing no more but ſend him a meſſage, that he ſhould go and waſh in Jordan, and he ſhould be clean: Secondly, that Naaman might the more plainly ſee, that he did it not to ingraciate himſelf with ſo great a peer of Syria, or out of a hope to get any thing from him, but onelyonly to advance the glory of the God of Iſrael: Thirdly, the better to try the faith and obedience of Naaman, which was happely alſo the reaſon why he appointed him to waſh ſeven times.
Verſ. 13. And his ſervants came near and ſpake unto him and ſaid, My father, &c.] Some conceive, that becauſe Naaman had wrought ſome great deliverance for Syria, verſ. 1. therefore he was uſually ſtiled the father of his countrey, and that hence it was that his ſervants gave him this title, My father: others think that it was in relation to the gentleneſſe of his government, in that he was to them more like a father then a lord and maſter: but I rather think that the great princes and nobles of Syria were uſually called fathers, and that thence it was that Naamans ſervants uſed this expreſſion when they ſpake to him.
Verſ. 14. And his fleſh came again like unto the fleſh of a little child.] Becauſe leproſie uſed to eat away and conſume the fleſh, therefore it is ſaid here of Naaman, that being cured his fleſh came again, and that it was like unto the fleſh of a little child; that is, full, clear and freſh▪ without any skar or mark of his former diſeaſe; …his former ſtorming at the prophets directions hindred not the cure, becauſe God intended mercy to him, and would not have the word of his prophet fail of ſucceſſe.
Verſ. 16. As the Lord liveth, before whom I ſtand, I will receive none.] Though the prophets uſed to receive preſents of thoſe that came to them; yet here Eliſha would receive none of Naaman: and that happely, firſt, that Naaman might not think that the prophet had done what he did in hope and expectation of receiving a reward: and ſecondly, that he might honour the God whom he ſerved, and the religion he profeſſed, by ſlighting and rejecting that earthly pelf, which worldly men do ſo much adore, and ſo might thereby gain Naaman to embrace the true relition together with them.
Verſ. 17. Shall there not then, I pray thee, be given to thy ſervant two mules burden of earth? &c.] Here was zeal in this new convert without knowledge: as conceiving that the God of Iſrael would be the better pleaſed with his ſacrifices, if they were offered on an altar made of Canaan mold; or at leaſt, deſiring by this outward ceremony openly to confeſſe, that he was an Iſraelite in religion though he dwelt in Syria; and that he had joyned himſelf in the unity of one faith to the people of God, he makes known theſe his thoughts to the prophet, as ſeeking his approbation herein. The mold of Canaan, more then he required, he might have taken without asking leave of Eliſha; who would have oppoſed him? but it was not ſo much the gift of the earth, as the giving of it for that uſe, (with the approbation of the prophet) which he required.
Verſ. 18. When my Master goeth into the houſe of Rimmon to worſhip there, and he leaneth on my hand, and I bow my ſelf, &c.] To wit, onelyonly that the king leaning on his ſhoulder might bow, which he could not if he ſtood upright and would not bend his body: and that it was uſuall with kings in thoſe times to lean on the ſhoulders of their nobles, is evident, Chap. 7.2. Then a lord on whoſe hand the king leaned, &c. This bowing of his, though he did it onelyonly upon this ground, his own conſcience told him was not juſtifiable, yet becauſe he could not avoid this, and yet keep his place and favour with the king, therefore herein he deſires to be excuſed: the Lord, ſaith he, pardon thy ſervant in this thing; ſo intimating, that he deſired the prophets prayers to God for him in this regard.
Verſ. 19. And he ſaid unto him, Go in peace.] Not as approving that his bowing in the houſe of Rimmon doth the prophet bid him Go in peace, for to make a ſemblance or do that which ſhould have ſhew of adoring the idol could not be lawfull, 1 Theſſ. 5.22. Abſtain from all appearance of evil, 1 Cor. 6.20. For you are bought with a price, therefore glorifie God in your body, and in your ſpirit, which are Gods: onelyonly as glad to ſee him thus farre, and rather thinking it fitting to forbear the checking of him for this reſervation in hope of Gods pardoning him, then by preſſing too much upon him in the weakneſſe of his firſt converſion, to endanger the beating him off; he onelyonly diſmiſſeth him with a civill valediction, biding him farewell, Go in peace; or at the moſt, he doth but intimate that he did indeed deſire that God would be mercifull to him, if he ſhould thorough weakneſſe of faith do ſo, or that he hoped that the Lord would direct him, ſo that he ſhould not offend God with any ſuch thing▪
Verſ. 20. Behold my maſter hath ſpared Naaman this Syrian, &c.] Thus contemptuouſly did Gehazi ſpeak of Naaman; Naaman this Syrian: to intimate the reaſon why he diſliked his maſters refuſing of Naamans gifts; namely, that being a ſtranger, and of that nation that had alwayes been enemies to the people of God, he ſhould rather ſpare him, then take that which might have done ſo much good to him and his, and generally to the colledges of the poore prophets who had need of ſome ſupport in thoſe evil times.
Verſ. 23. And Naaman ſaid, Be content, take two talents.] To wit, for each of the young men one; for Gehazi had told him of two young men of the ſonnes of the prophets that were come to his maſter, as is expreſſed in the foregoing verſe.
Verſ. 24. And when he came to the towre, he took them from their hand, &c.] This might be ſome fort ſtanding in the high way, or ſome out-houſe belonging to the place where the prophet dwelt; and here Gehazi took the ſilver and the garments from Naamans ſervants, not ſuffering them to go any nearer to the houſe, leſt Eliſha his maſter ſhould ſee them.
Verſ. 26. Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, &c.] He chargeth him with receiving olive-yards, and vine-yards, and ſheep, and oxen, &c. becauſe theſe things in his mind he had already purchaſed with his two talents of ſilver; and Eliſha would have him ſee, that his very thoughts God had revealed to him, and he preſſed withall the unſeaſonableneſſe of this fact, becauſe they had now to do with ſtrangers, and Naaman himſelf was but newly wonne to God, and Eliſha had purpoſely refuſed his gifts, to bring the more honour to God and their religion, all which Gehazi had croſſed by his baſe covetouſneſſe.