2 Kings 5:26

_AND HE SAID UNTO HIM, WENT NOT MINE HEART WITH THEE, WHEN THE MAN TURNED AGAIN FROM HIS CHARIOT TO MEET THEE? IS IT A TIME TO RECEIVE MONEY, AND TO RECEIVE GARMENTS, AND OLIVEYARDS, AND VINEYARDS, AND SHEEP, AND OXEN, AND MENSERVANTS, AND MAIDSERVANTS?_ Is it a time to receive money ... [The Septuagint renders, You have now received money and garments, and may obtain oliveyards and vineyards, etc., yet the leprosy of Naaman (notwithstanding all your wealth) will cleave to you, etc.] 'Nor,' says Poole, 'was this punishment too severe for Gehazi's wickedness, which was great and various; horrid covetousness, which is idolatry; the profanation of God's name by a wicked oath; downright theft; deliberate and impudent lying, and that to a prophet, which was in a manner a lying to the Holy Ghost (Acts 5:3); a desperate contempt of God's omniscience, justice, and holiness; a horrible repro

20-27 Naaman, a Syrian, a courtier, a soldier, had many servants, and we read how wise and good they were. Elisha, a holy prophet, a man of God, has but one servant, and he proves a base liar. The love of money, that root of all evil, was at the bottom of Gehazi's sin. He thought to impose upon the prophet, but soon found that the Spirit of prophecy could not be deceived, and that it was in vain to lie to the Holy Ghost. It is folly to presume upon sin, in hopes of secrecy. When thou goest aside into any by-path, does not thy own conscience go with thee? Does not the eye of God go with thee? He that covers his sin, shall not prosper; particularly, a lying tongue is but for a moment. All the foolish hopes and contrivances of carnal worldlings are open before God. It is not a time to increase our wealth, when we can only do it in such ways as are dishonourable to God and religion, or inju...

Verse 2 Kings 5:26. _WENT NOT MINE HEART_ WITH THEE] The _Chaldee_ gives this a good turn: _By the prophetic spirit it was shown unto me, when_ _the man returned from his chariot to meet thee_. Is it _A TIME TO RECEIVE MONEY_] He gave him farther proof of this all-discerning prophetic spirit in telling him what he designed to do with the money; he intended to set up a splendid establishment, to have men-servants and maid-servants, to have oliveyards and vineyards, and sheep and oxen, This, as the Chaldee says, _he had_ _thought in his heart to do_....

WENT NOT MINE HEART WITH THEE? - i. e. “Was I not with thee in spirit - did I not see the whole transaction, as if I had been present at it?” He uses the verb “went,” because Gehazi has just denied his “going.” IS IT A TIME ... - i. e. “Was this a proper occasion to indulge greed, when a Gentile was to be favorably impressed, and made to feel that the faith of the Israelites was the only true religion? Was it not, on the contrary, an occasion for the exhibition of the greatest unselfishness, that so a pagan might be won to the truth?” AND OLIVEYARDS AND VINEYARDS ... - Gehazi’s thoughts had probably run on to the disposition which he would make of his wealth, and the prophet here follows them, enumerating his servant’s intended purchases....

EXPOSITION 2 KINGS 5:1 THE CURE OF NAAMAN'S LEPROSY. HIS GRATITUDE; AND THE SIN OF GEHAZI, The historian continues his narrative of Elisha's miracles, commenced in 2 Kings 2:1; and gives in the present chapter a very graphic and complete account of two which were especially remarkable, and which stood in a peculiar relation the one towards the other. One was the removal of leprosy; the other, its infliction. One was wrought on a foreigner and a man of eminence; the other, on a Hebrew and a servant. The second was altogether consequential upon the first, without which the

AND HE SAID UNTO HIM, WENT NOT MINE HEART WITH THEE?.... Did my heart or knowledge go from me, that what thou hast done should be hid from me? so Ben Gersom and others; or my heart did not go with thee, it was contrary to my mind and will what thou didst; so Abendana; or rather, as the Targum, by a spirit of prophecy it was shown unto me, c. I knew full well what thou wentest for, and hast done and so Maimonides y; was not I employed in my thoughts? or, did I not think that so it was as thou hast done? I did: WHEN THE MAN TURNED AGAIN FROM CHARIOT TO MEET THEE? meaning Naaman the Syrian: IS IT A TIME TO RECEIVE MONEY, AND TO RECEIVE GARMENTS: as Gehazi had now done: AND OLIVEYARDS, AND VINEYARDS, AND SHEEP AND OXEN, AND MENSERVANTS, AND MAIDSERVANTS? that is, to purchase those with the two talents of silver he had received, as he thought in his heart, or intended to do, as the Targum;...

4. NAAMAN AND HIS HEALING CHAPTER 5 _ 1. Naaman, the leper (2 Kings 5:1)_ 2. The testimony of the maid of Israel (2 Kings 5:2) 3. The message to the king of Israel (2 Kings 5:5) 4. Naaman and Elisha (2 Kings 5:9) 5. Gehazi; His sin and punishment (2 Kings 5:20) The story of this chapter is peculiarly rich in its spiritual and dispensational meaning. Naaman, captain of Ben-hadad, the King of Syria, was a Gentile. He was no common man. In all his greatness and might, with all the honors heaped upon him and wealth

NAAMAN HEALED OF HIS LEPROSY. This story, familiar to all, presupposes a time of peace between Israel and Syria. As in 1 Kings 20, the king of Syria addresses the king of Israel (unnamed here) as his vassal (2 Kings 5:6 ff.). Elisha was living in Samaria, apparently in his own house. Naaman, on being healed, returned to Elisha, who refused to take any present, using Elijah's formula (1 Kings 17:1 *). Naaman thereupon declared himself a worshipper of Yahweh (it is remarkable that 2 Kings 5:1 ascribes his victories to Yahweh), asking pardon if in his official capacity he bows himself before Rimmon (Ramman, the thunder-god of the Assyrians). Readers of _Tom Brown's Schooldays_ will remember the not unnatural discussion amongst th

WENT NOT... ? Figure of speech _Erotesis._. Did not my heart beat?...

_Went not mine heart_with thee] The Hebrew has nothing to represent the last two words, as will be seen from the italics both of A.V. and R.V. But the rendering is that of the LXX., and is probably correct. The verb takes up that which Gehazi had used, -Thy servant _went_no whither". On a former occasion Elisha in Gehazi's presence (2 Kings 4:27) had said of some event -the Lord hath not told me", but now he finds that in spirit his master had been with him, and was aware of all that had occurred. Is it _a time to receive money_ The opportunity of Naaman's visit had been used by Elisha to direct the thoughts of the heathen officer to Jehovah alone as the healer of his disease. Hence he had never shewn himself to Naaman till the cure was complete, and had steadily refused any present lest it should be thought that he deemed himself in any way instrumental in the recovery. Such c