2 Kings 5:7

And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy? wherefore consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me.

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Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
king	מֶֽלֶךְ Me.lekh-	H4428	a king · noun, common masculine singular construct
Israel	יִשְׂרָאֵ֨ל Yis.ra.'El	H3478	Jisrael · proper noun, a place name
read	כִּקְרֹא֩ kik.Ro'	H7121	to call out to (i.e. properly · preposition + verb, qal infinitive construct
letter	הַסֵּ֜פֶר ha.Se.fer	H5612	properly · definite article + noun, common masculine singular absolute
rent	וַיִּקְרַ֣ע vai.yik.Ra'	H7167	to rend · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
clothes	בְּגָדָ֗יו be.ga.Dav	H899	a covering · noun, common masculine plural construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
said	וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ vai.Yo.mer	H559	to say (used with great latitude) · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
God	הַאֱלֹהִ֥ים ha.'E.lo.Him	H430	gods in the ordinary sense · interrogative particle + noun, common masculine plural absolute
kill	לְהָמִ֣ית le.ha.Mit	H4191	to die (literally or figuratively) · preposition + verb, hiphil infinitive construct
alive	וּֽלְהַחֲי֔וֹת u.le.ha.cha.Yot	H2421	to live · conjunction + preposition + verb, hiphil infinitive construct
man	זֶה֙ zeh	H2088	the masculine demonstrative pronoun · demonstrative particle
send	שֹׁלֵ֣חַ sho.Le.ach	H7971	to send away · verb, qal active participle, masculine singular absolute
recover	לֶאֱסֹ֥ף le.'e.Sof	H622	to gather for any purpose · preposition + verb, qal infinitive construct
man	אִ֖ישׁ 'ish	H376	a man as an individual or a male person · noun, common masculine singular absolute
leprosy	מִצָּֽרַעְתּ֑וֹ mi.tza.ra'.To	H6883	leprosy · preposition + noun, common feminine singular construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
wherefore	אַךְ 'akh-	H389	a particle of affirmation · adverb
consider	דְּעֽוּ de.'u-	H3045	to know (properly · verb, qal imperative, 2nd person masculine plural
see	וּרְא֔וּ u.re.'U	H7200	to see · conjunction + verb, qal imperative, 2nd person masculine plural
quarrel	מִתְאַנֶּ֥ה mit.'a.Neh	H579	to approach · verb, hithpael active participle, masculine singular absolute

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

1 Samuel 2:6 The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up.
Genesis 30:2 And Jacob’s anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said, Am I in God’s stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb?
1 Kings 20:7 Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land, and said, Mark, I pray you, and see how this man seeketh mischief: for he sent un…
Deuteronomy 32:39 See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can del…
Daniel 2:11 And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can shew it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is…
Hosea 6:1 Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.
Luke 11:54 Laying wait for him, and seeking to catch something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him.
Numbers 14:6 And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes:

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 2 Kings 5:1-8

Our saviour's miracles were intended for the lost sheep of the house of Israel, yet one, like a crumb, fell from the table to a woman of Canaan; so this one miracle Elisha wrought for Naaman, a Syrian; for God does good to all, and will have all men to be saved. Here is, I. The great affliction Naaman was under, in the midst of all his honours, Kg2 5:1. He was a great man, in a great place; not only rich and raised, but particularly happy for two things: - 1. That he had been very serviceable to his country. God made him so: By him the Lord had often given deliverance to Syria, success in their wars even with Israel. The preservation and prosperity even of those that do not know God and serv…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 2 Kings 5:7

when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes--According to an ancient practice among the Eastern people, the main object only was stated in the letter that was carried by the party concerned, while other circumstances were left to be explained at the interview. This explains Jehoram's burst of emotion--not horror at supposed blasphemy, but alarm and suspicion that this was merely made an occasion for a quarrel. Such a prince as he was would not readily think of Elisha, or, perhaps, have heard of his miraculous deeds.

Adam Clarke on 2 Kings 5:7

Am I God, to kill and to make alive - He spoke thus under the conviction that God alone could cure the leprosy; which, indeed, was universally acknowledged: and must have been as much a maxim among the Syrians as among the Israelites, for the disorder was equally prevalent in both countries; and in both equally incurable. See the notes on Leviticus 13 (note) and Leviticus 14 (note). And it was this that led the king of Israel to infer that the Syrian king sought a quarrel with him, in desiring him to do a work which God only could do; and then declaring war upon him because he did not do it.

John Gill on 2 Kings 5:7

And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes,.... As one in great distress, being thrown into perplexity of mind by it, not knowing what to do; or, as some think, at the blasphemy he supposed to be in it, requiring that of him which only God could do: and said, am I God, to kill and to make alive; or have the power of life and death, which only belongs to the Supreme Being: that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy; for a leper was reckoned as one dead, his disease incurable, his flesh upon him being mortified by it, see Numbers 12:12 and therefore not supposed to be in the power of man, only of God, to cure; and therefore…

Dictionary and topics

Dress — (1.) Materials used. The earliest and simplest an apron of fig-leaves sewed together (Gen. 3:7); then skins of animals (3:21). Elijah’s dress was probably the skin of a sheep (2 Kings 1:8). The…
Elisha — God his salvation, the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah, who became the attendant and disciple of Elijah (1 Kings 19:16-19). His name first occurs in the command given to Elijah to anoint him as his…
Gift — (1.) An gratuity (Prov. 19:6) to secure favour (18:16; 21:14), a thank-offering (Num. 18:11), or a dowry (Gen. 34:12). (2.) An oblation or proppitatory gift (2Sa 8:2, 6; 1Ch 18:2, 6; 2Ch 26:8; Ps.…
Leprosy — (Heb. tsara’ath, a “smiting,” a “stroke,” because the disease was regarded as a direct providential infliction). This name is from the Greek lepra, by which the Greek physicians designated the…
Naaman — Pleasantness, a Syrian, the commander of the armies of Benhadad II. in the time of Joram, king of Israel. He was afflicted with leprosy; and when the little Hebrew slave-girl that waited on his wife…
Elisha · .Heals Naaman the leper — .Heals Naaman the leper
Intercession · .The king of Syria for Naaman — .The king of Syria for Naaman
Joram · his leprosy — his leprosy
Leprosy · An incurable disease — An incurable disease
Motive · by Naaman — by Naaman
Naaman · 4. A Syrian general, healed of leprosy by Elisha — 4. A Syrian general, healed of leprosy by Elisha
Prophets · Extraordinary: Often endued with miraculous power

2 Kings 5:7

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 2 Kings 5:1-8

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 2 Kings 5:7

Adam Clarke on 2 Kings 5:7

John Gill on 2 Kings 5:7

Dictionary and topics

2 Kings 5:7

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 2 Kings 5:1-8

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 2 Kings 5:7

Adam Clarke on 2 Kings 5:7

John Gill on 2 Kings 5:7

Dictionary and topics

Keil & Delitzsch on 2 Kings 5:1-19

Tyndale Open Study Notes on 2 Kings 5:7

Rashi on 2 Kings 5:7