2 Kings – Chapter 5

Old Testament27 Verses

Chapter Summary

2 Kings 5 opens with the words: "Naaman, general of the army, of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable: for by him the Lord gave deliverance to…" The chapter centers on Naaman and Elisha. Across its 27 verses, two threads run through the text: healing and God's kingdom and kingship. Read slowly, this chapter rewards the kind of prayerful attention the Church calls lectio divina.

1Naaman, general of the army, of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable: for by him the Lord gave deliverance to Syria: and he was a valiant man, and rich, but a leper.

2Now there had gone out robbers from Syria, and had led away captive out of the land of Israel, a little maid, and she waited upon Naaman's wife.

3And she said to her mistress: I wish my master had been with the prophet that is in Samaria: he would certainly have healed him of the leprosy which he hath.

4Then Naaman went in to his lord, and told him, saying: Thus and thus said the girl from the land of Israel.

5And the king of Syria said to him: Go; and I will send a letter to 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;

6And brought the letter to the king of Israel, in these words: When thou shalt receive this letter, know that I have sent to thee Naaman, my servant, that thou mayst heal him of his leprosy.

7And when the king of Israel had read the letter, he rent his garments, and said: Am I God, to be able to kill and give life, that this man hath sent to me to heal a man of his leprosy? mark, and see how he seeketh occasions against me.

8And when Eliseus, the man of God, had heard this, to wit, that the king of Israel had rent his garments, he sent to him, saying: Why hast thou rent thy garments? let him come to me, and let him know that there is a prophet in Israel.

9So Naaman came with his horses and chariots, and stood at the door of the house of Eliseus:

10And Eliseus sent a messenger to him, saying: Go, and wash seven times in the Jordan, and thy flesh shall recover health, and thou shalt be clean.

11Naaman was angry, and went away, saying: I thought he would have come out to me, and standing, would have invoked the name of the Lord his God, and touched with his hand the place of the leprosy, and healed me.

12Are not the Abana, and the Pharphar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel, that I may wash in them, and be made clean? So as he turned, and was going away with indignation,

13His servants came to him, and said to him: Father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, surely thou shouldst have done it: how much rather what he now hath said to thee: Wash, and thou shalt be clean?

14Then he went down, and washed in the Jordan seven times, according to the word of the man of God; and his flesh was restored, like the flesh of a little child: and he was made clean.

15And returning to the man of God, with all his train, he came, and stood before him, and said: In truth, I know there is no other God, in all the earth, but only in Israel: I beseech thee, therefore, take a blessing of thy servant.

16But he answered: As the Lord liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive none. And when he pressed him, he still refused.

17And Naaman said: As thou wilt: but I beseech thee, grant to me, thy servant, to take from hence two mules' burden of earth: for thy servant will not henceforth offer holocaust, or victim, to other gods, but to the Lord.

18But there is only this, for which thou shalt entreat the Lord for thy servant; when my master goeth into the temple of Remmon, to worship there, and he leaneth on my hand: if I bow down in the temple of Remmon, when he boweth down in the same place, that the Lord pardon me, thy servant, for this thing.

19And he said to him: Go in peace. So he departed from him, in the spring time of the earth.

20But Giezi, the servant of the man of God, said: My master hath spared Naaman this Syrian, in not receiving of him that which he brought: as the Lord liveth, I will run after him, and take something of him.

21And Giezi followed after Naaman: and when he saw him running after him, he leapt down from his chariot to meet him, and said: Is all well?

22And he said: Well: my master hath sent me to thee, saying: Just now there are come to me from mount Ephraim, two young men of the sons of the prophets: give them a talent of silver, and two changes of garments.

23And Naaman said: It is better that thou take two talents. And he forced him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, and two changes of garments, and laid them upon two of his servants, and they carried them before him.

24And when he was come, and now it was the evening, he took them from their hands, and laid them up in the house, and sent the men away, and they departed.

25But he went in, and stood before his master. And Eliseus said: Whence comest thou, Giezi? He answered: Thy servant went no whither.

26But he said: Was not my heart present, when the man turned back, from his chariot, to meet thee? So now thou hast received money, and received garments, to buy oliveyards and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and men-servants, and maid-servants.

27But the leprosy of Naaman, shall also stick to thee, and to thy seed for ever. And he went out from him a leper, as white as snow.

Important Verses in 2 Kings 5

Naaman, general of the army, of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable: for by him the Lord gave deliverance to Syria: and he was a valiant man, and rich, but a leper.

2 Kings 5:1

Naaman was angry, and went away, saying: I thought he would have come out to me, and standing, would have invoked the name of the Lord his God, and touched with his hand the place of the leprosy, and healed me.

2 Kings 5:11

And Naaman said: As thou wilt: but I beseech thee, grant to me, thy servant, to take from hence two mules' burden of earth: for thy servant will not henceforth offer holocaust, or victim, to other gods, but to the Lord.

2 Kings 5:17

But Giezi, the servant of the man of God, said: My master hath spared Naaman this Syrian, in not receiving of him that which he brought: as the Lord liveth, I will run after him, and take something of him.

2 Kings 5:20

Historical Context

2 Kings belongs to the Old Testament and was composed for the exiles in Babylon, called to repentance and hope. Chapter 5 of 25 belongs to the early movement of the book, where the narrative or argument is still unfolding. It is a legal and cultic instruction given to Israel regarding worship, holiness, and daily life with 27 verses in the Douay-Rheims translation. Naaman and Elisha appear at the center of the events recorded here. The passage starts with these words: "Naaman, general of the army, of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable: for by him the Lord…" It concludes: "But the leprosy of Naaman, shall also stick to thee, and to thy seed for ever. And he went out from him a leper, as…" The wider setting of 2 Kings is this: Second Kings continues from Elijah's fiery departure and Elisha's ministry to the destruction of both kingdoms: Israel fell to Assyria in 722 BC and Judah to Babylon in 587 BC, when the Temple was burned. Scholarly and ecclesial tradition places the composition of 2 Kings around Events from about 850 to 560 BC; final form during the Babylonian exile.

Who Wrote It

Unknown; compiled by prophetic circles, traditionally linked to Jeremiah

When It Was Written

Events from about 850 to 560 BC; final form during the Babylonian exile

Catholic Commentary

This chapter presents divine statutes and cultic norms that shaped Israel's worship and moral life. A pivotal line is verse 1: "Naaman, general of the army, of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable: for by him the Lord gave deliverance to Syria: and he was a…" The passage repeatedly touches on healing and restoration.

Catholic exegesis reads 2 Kings 5 within the unity of Scripture and Tradition. the prophets prepared for Christ and called Israel to repentance (CIC 64, 522). St. Basil the Great and other Fathers of the Church saw in texts like this a preparation for or reflection of Christ, the center of revelation (CIC 2772).

Applied to the life of faith, the passage supports the Church's conviction that God sends prophets to call His people back. Whether read privately or heard in the liturgy, 2 Kings 5 calls for a response of faith, repentance, and charity.

Main Teachings

  • Christ is the Divine Physician who heals both body and soul.
  • God's kingdom is not of this world; every earthly throne stands under His eternal reign.
  • 'Be holy, for I am holy': God calls His people to be set apart for Him in every area of life.

People in This Chapter

Naaman11 mentionsElisha4 mentions

Reflection for Today

Sacred Scripture presents 2 Kings Chapter 5 as a unique stage in salvation history, not merely as background to other books.

St. Leo the Great and other Fathers of the Church meditated on texts like this one, seeing in them instruction for the spiritual life. the prophets prepared for Christ and called Israel to repentance (CIC 64, 522). The passage calls believers to grasp that God sends prophets to call His people back.

Let 2 Kings Chapter 5 deepen your love for the Eucharist, where the Word made flesh continues to feed His people. The same Christ who speaks in Scripture offers Himself sacramentally on the altar.

💡Catholic Reflection • Church Teachings

Frequently Asked Questions

What is 2 Kings Chapter 5 about?

2 Kings 5 contains 27 verses. It opens with "Naaman, general of the army, of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable: for by him the Lord…" and closes with "But the leprosy of Naaman, shall also stick to thee, and to thy seed for ever. And he went out from him a leper, as…". The book as a whole is historical narrative with prophetic accounts.

What is a key verse in 2 Kings 5?

One of the most significant verses is verse 1: "Naaman, general of the army, of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable: for by him the Lord gave deliverance to Syria: and he was a valiant man, and…" It is often cited in Catholic teaching and preaching.

Who appears in 2 Kings Chapter 5?

This chapter mentions Naaman, Elisha.

Who wrote 2 Kings and when?

Unknown; compiled by prophetic circles, traditionally linked to Jeremiah. Events from about 850 to 560 BC; final form during the Babylonian exile.

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