But Naaman was furious and went away, and he said, “Behold, I thought, ‘He will certainly come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the site and cure the leprosy.’
Parallel translations
- WEB But Naaman was angry, and went away, and said, “Behold, I thought, ‘He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of Yahweh his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leper.’
- KJV But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.
- BSB But Naaman went away angry, saying, “I thought that he would surely come out, stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the spot to cure my leprosy.
- NKJV But Naaman became furious, and went away and said, “Indeed, I said to myself, ‘He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.’
- NLT But Naaman became angry and stalked away. “I thought he would certainly come out to meet me!” he said. “I expected him to wave his hand over the leprosy and call on the name of the Lord his God and heal me!
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Naaman is angry, expecting a dramatic ritual and personal attention from the prophet. His pride nearly causes him to miss God's gracious cure.
Overview
Naaman had imagined a grand ceremony with the prophet calling on God and waving his hand. The humble command offends his sense of importance. His reaction exposes the pride that resists God's simple way of grace. It warns that human expectations of how God should work can stand in the way of receiving His mercy.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- Heb 12:25See that you don’t refuse him who speaks. For if they didn’t escape when they refused him who warned on the earth, how much more will we not escape who turn away from him who warns from heaven,
- Prov 1:32For the backsliding of the simple will kill them. The careless ease of fools will destroy them.
- Prov 13:10Pride only breeds quarrels, but with ones who take advice is wisdom.
- Matt 15:27But she said, “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.”
- John 6:66–69At this, many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
- Isa 55:8–9“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways,” says Yahweh.
- Matt 8:8The centurion answered, “Lord, I’m not worthy for you to come under my roof. Just say the word, and my servant will be healed.
- 1 Cor 1:21–25For seeing that in the wisdom of God, the world through its wisdom didn’t know God, it was God’s good pleasure through the foolishness of the preaching to save those who believe.
- 1 Cor 3:18–20Let no one deceive himself. If anyone thinks that he is wise among you in this world, let him become a fool, that he may become wise.
- 1 Cor 2:14–16Now the natural man doesn’t receive the things of God’s Spirit, for they are foolishness to him, and he can’t know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
- John 4:48Jesus therefore said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders, you will in no way believe.”
- Luke 14:11For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
- Prov 3:7Don’t be wise in your own eyes. Fear Yahweh, and depart from evil.
- John 13:20Most certainly I tell you, he who receives whomever I send, receives me; and he who receives me, receives him who sent me.”
- Matt 19:22But when the young man heard the saying, he went away sad, for he was one who had great possessions.
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Christ at the center
Amid the long decline toward exile, the promise to David's house refuses to die; the flickering lamp kept burning anticipates the coming King who will not fail or be cut off.
How 2 Kings 5:11 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.