Naaman

the general healed in the Jordan

Who was Naaman?

He was the commander of the army of the king of Aram: brave and rich, but sick with leprosy. 2 Kings 5:1
At Elisha’s word, he washed seven times in the Jordan and was made clean. 2 Kings 5:10, 14
Jesus recalled him in Nazareth: of the many lepers in Israel, only Naaman the Syrian was healed. Luke 4:27

From: From Aram (Syria) 2 Kings 5:1
Occupation: Commander of the army of the king of Aram 2 Kings 5:1

What the Bible says

2 Kings 5:1

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 rich, but a leper.

2 Kings 5:10, 14

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

Luke 4:27

And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet: and none of them was cleansed but Naaman the Syrian.

Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner revision), public domain.

The path of Naaman

Before Jesus. Naaman was the army commander of the king of Aram. He was brave and rich, but he had leprosy. 2 Kings 5:1
Before Jesus. A young girl from Israel served in his house. She told her mistress that the prophet in Samaria would cure Naaman. 2 Kings 5:2-3
Before Jesus. The king of Aram sent Naaman with a letter and with gifts to the king of Israel. 2 Kings 5:5-6
Before Jesus. The king of Israel read the letter and tore his garments. He said he was not God, that he could cure leprosy. Elisha sent word to the king to send Naaman to him. 2 Kings 5:7-8
With Jesus. Elisha, the prophet, sent a messenger to tell him to wash seven times in the Jordan. 2 Kings 5:8-10
With Jesus. Naaman became angry, because he expected Elisha to come out, call on God and touch him. 2 Kings 5:11
With Jesus. Naaman said the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, were better than all the waters of Israel. And he went away angry. 2 Kings 5:12
With Jesus. His servants persuaded him. Naaman washed seven times, and his skin became like the skin of a little child. 2 Kings 5:13-14
Afterward. Naaman went back to Elisha and said there is no God in all the earth except the God of Israel. 2 Kings 5:15
Afterward. Elisha would not accept his gifts. Naaman promised to offer sacrifice to the Lord alone. 2 Kings 5:16-17
Afterward. Gehazi, Elisha’s servant, ran after Naaman and secretly asked him for silver and clothing. Naaman got down from his chariot and gave him twice as much. 2 Kings 5:20-23

Words of Naaman

“I thought he would have come out to me, and standing would have called on the name of the Lord his God, and touched with his hand the place of the leprosy, and healed me.” 2 Kings 5:11

In anger, when Elisha only sent word to him to wash in the Jordan.

“Are 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?” 2 Kings 5:12

In the same moment, before his servants persuaded him.

“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.” 2 Kings 5:15

Once he was healed, standing before Elisha.

“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

When Elisha would not accept his gifts.

What they were like

Brave and rich. 2 Kings 5:1
Highly esteemed by his master, the king of Aram. 2 Kings 5:1
He was quick to anger, but he listened to his servants. 2 Kings 5:11-14

The greatest thing they did

He obeyed Elisha and was made clean in the Jordan. 2 Kings 5:14
Though a foreigner, he acknowledged that there is no God but the God of Israel. 2 Kings 5:15

Not to be confused with

Jesus healed ten lepers, and one Samaritan came back to thank him. Naaman lived many centuries earlier. Luke 17:15-16; 2 Kings 5:14
This is another Naaman: one of the sons of Benjamin, in the time of Jacob. Genesis 46:21

What people ask

What was leprosy in the Bible?

A skin disease. The Law required the sick person to live apart, outside the camp. Leviticus 13:45-46

Why seven times?

The Bible does not explain. It says Naaman washed seven times, as Elisha had told him to. 2 Kings 5:10, 14

Why did Elisha not come out to meet him?

The Bible does not say. Elisha wanted Naaman to learn that there was a prophet in Israel. 2 Kings 5:8

Why did Jesus speak about Naaman?

In Nazareth, Jesus said that no prophet is accepted in his own native place. He recalled that Elisha healed a foreigner. Luke 4:24, 27

Why did he take soil from Israel?

So he could offer sacrifice to the Lord in Aram, on the soil of Israel. That is how a NAB note explains it. 2 Kings 5:17; NAB note on 2 Re 5, 17

What happened to Gehazi?

Gehazi told Elisha he had not gone anywhere. Elisha answered that Naaman’s leprosy would cling to him, and Gehazi left with leprosy. 2 Kings 5:25-27

Who was Elisha?

A prophet of Israel. The prophet Elijah called him by throwing his cloak over him, and later the spirit of Elijah rested on Elisha. 1 Kings 19:19; 2 Kings 2:15

His anger He nearly left without being healed: he got angry because the remedy seemed too small a thing. 2 Kings 5:11-12 Little known The Bible says that through Naaman…

The rest of this page (daily life, failings, little-known facts, for you…) is part of the subscription.

See the map

Who Naaman is connected to

Elisha · healed him in the Jordan
Jesus · the foreigner who was healed

More people

All the people of the Bible · The Twelve Apostles · Women of the Bible

See Naaman on the map