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Naaman of Syria and Elisha

Naaman was the army commander of the king of Aram. This man was highly regarded and enjoyed the king’s favor, for the Lord had helped him lead the Aramean army to victory. But this valiant man was sick with leprosy.

One day, some Aramean soldiers raided the land of Israel and took a young girl captive, who became a servant to the wife of Naaman. She said to her mistress:

“If my master would only present himself to the prophet in Samaria, he would surely cure him of his leprosy.”

Naaman went to tell the king what the young Israelite maid had said.

The king of Aram said to him: “Go to the prophet, and I shall also send a letter to the king of Israel.”So Naaman took ten silver talents, six thousand gold pieces, and ten festal garments with him.

On his arrival, he delivered the letter to the king of Israel. It said, “I present my servant Naaman to you that you may heal him of his leprosy.

When the king read the letter, he tore his clothes to show his indignation: “I am not God to give life or death. And the king of Aram sends me this man to be healed! You see, he is just looking for an excuse for war.”

Elisha, the man of God, learned that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, so he sent this message to him: “Why have you torn your clothes? Let the man come to me, that he may know that Israel has a prophet.”

So Naaman stopped before Elisha’s house with his horses and chariots.

Elisha then sent a messenger to tell him: “Go to the river Jordan and wash seven times, and your flesh shall be as it was before, and you shall be cleansed.”

Naaman was angry, so he left. He thought: “On my arrival, he should have personally come out and then paused and called on the name of the Lord, his God. And he should have touched the infected part with his hand, and I would have been healed.

Are the rivers of Damascus, Abana, and Pharpar not better than all the rivers of the land of Israel? Could I not wash there to be healed?”

His servants approached him and said: “Father, if the prophet had ordered you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? But how much easier when he said: ‘Take a bath and you will be cleansed.’”

So Naaman went down to the Jordan, washing himself seven times as Elisha had ordered. His skin became soft like a child’s, and he was cleansed.

Then Naaman returned to the man of God with all his men. He entered and said to him, “Now I know that there is no other God anywhere in the world but in Israel. I ask you to accept these gifts from your servant.”