Subscribe for free and get daily or weekly updates straight to your inbox, The three things you need to know everyday, Highlights from the last week to keep you informed. Am I God that I can heal him of his leprosy? Now, Naaman is not an Israelite. Naaman was a man with significant duties in his home country. Arama, l.c.). Naaman was a powerful man and a warrior who was used to giving commands and having those commands obeyed. Does Cast a Spell make you a spellcaster? And so, he'd like a couple of changes of apparel for them and a talent of silver. 6 (ascribed to Pieter de Grebber by Fred Meijer). 10:8. Copyright 2023 Deseret News Publishing Company. Help us purchase electrical generators for churches. And the leprosy from Naaman fell on Gehazi and would remain in his descendants. See Albert Blankert, Kunst als regeringszaak in Amsterdam in de 17e eeuw (Exh. But Elisha said, "The LORD is the one I serve, and as surely as he lives, I will not accept any gift." Naaman tried hard to make Elisha take the gift, but he refused. He was even used by God to accomplish His will (2 Kings 5:1). "I pray that you'll take this blessing.". Naaman and the Servant Girl Naaman and the Servant Girl Back To All Episodes Naaman and the Servant Girl Episode: 305 Season: 3 Joy is upset because she's in charge of a big service project. Those were the things which Elisha refused. Jacobsz also painted original compositions, of which his assistants made copies and variations. Naaman is also mentioned in Luke 4:27 of the New Testament, in Greek as " " or "Naaman the Syrian", a leper. This painting was long believed to have been painted by Lambert Jacobsz, but recently has been attributed to Jacob Backer.6. A4. The leprosy was gone.He was so excited he headed back to the prophet's house because he was loaded down with all kinds of gifts that the king of Syria had sent. However, as noted, nothing is known about a commission, and it therefore remains uncertain for whom or which institution Jacobsz originally made this painting. Sign up for our Premium service. So when he came before the man of God, he had difficulty humbling himself in obedience to the Lord's instructions. For example, Halbertals book On Sacrifice presents us with the possibility of having ones offering being rejected. Let me have enough dirt from Israel to fill the baskets on two of my mules. An Israelite maid he had captured advised him to see the prophet Elisha. Leprosy has been a scourge on the human condition for thousands of years. 26:29.) So please accept a gift from your servant." 16 But Elisha replied, "As surely as the LORD lives, before whom I stand, I will not accept it." And although Naaman urged him to accept it . The prophet Elisha, upon hearing of the king's tear-clothes moment, asked that Naaman be sent to him so that "he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel." (see 2 Kings 5:8). One day, his wife's Israelite servant girl told her about the power of God moving through the prophet Elisha. oil on canvas (151 249 cm) 1661 Lambert Jacobsz, Elisha and Gehazi (Agnes Etherington Art Centre, Queens University, Kingston). The artist carefully modelled the faces of these two protagonists, paying great attention to their facial expressions. Naaman proceeds with the letter to King Joram. ( 2 Kings 5:25-26 ). Scattered pinpoint losses are also found in the more thinly painted areas. Atelierpraktijk in Leeuwarden omstreeks 1630, De Vrije Fries 89 (2009): 6792. But he said, As the LORD lives, before whom I stand, I will receive none. Now the Arameans went out in bands and captured from the land of Israel a young girl, who ministered to Naaman's wife. And he came to Elisha and he sought to give to Elisha some of these gifts that he had brought from Syria and Elisha said, "No, I don't want your gifts. R. The "money and garments" is clear, but why did Elisha mention the other 3 pairs of things? BRILL, founded in 1683, is a publishing house with a strong international focus. He was a good commander and was held in favor because of the victory that God brought him. The baths cured Naaman. And so Gehazi went out from his presence a leper ( 2 Kings 5:27 ). The name "Naaman" means "nice guy!". An overall warm gray ground has been applied to the painting. Naaman is understood as Moab in the expression "Moab is my washpot" (Ps. Vetus Testamentum Then Naaman said, "If you will not accept this gift, at least do this for me. 552 et seq.) Albert Blankert in a letter to Jack Kilgore, 5 October 2006, at The Leiden Collection, New York. Want to see fewer ads on Aleteia? II Kings v. 2). According to Blankert, the subject had a twofold significance for the regents: first, Elishas refusal symbolized the regents own rectitude and, second, the example of Gehazi was a cautionary note for their servants that they would pay a heavy price for deception. Learn more at. Wheelock, Arthur K., Jr., Christiaan Vogelaar, and Caroline van Cauwenberge. A1A16. He had also trained with Jan Pynas. But the Lord revealed to Elisha what Gehazi did and prophet rebuked him saying, the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and to your descendants forever" (verse 27). And he said, Did not my spirit go with thee, [when you received] when you went out to their chariot and stopped them and you received the money, and you received the garments, and the oliveyards, and the vineyards, and the sheep, and the oxen, and menservants, and maidservants? Most likely, Naaman would have expected Elisha would come out of his house to perform some ritual, or that he would have led him to some special magic place to heal him. It has been lightly edited. Naaman was a "ger toshab," that is, he was not a perfect proselyte, having accepted only some of the commandments (Gi. Truce of the burning tree -- how realistic? Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for professors, theologians, and those interested in exegetical analysis of biblical texts. How do I fit an e-hub motor axle that is too big? Art and the Bible 2005 - 2023 artbible.info. Elisha's refusal of Naaman's gift in our passage, and that this expla-nation should be sought in the prophet's judicial deliberations over his servant, Gehazi, incurred after the latter had acquired Naaman's gift (vv. For an extensive discussion of this work, see Neeltje Khler, ed., Painting in Haarlem 15001850: The Collection of the Frans Hals Museum (Ghent, 2006), 46869. As Halbertal explains, the goal of the sacrifice is to produce a gift cycle,. 34). And he urged him to take it; but he refused. And the guy urged him, but still he refused.In the healing of Naaman we find some interesting things, and one of them is that typically, we, all of us, really have difficulty with just accepting the grace of God. The man was also a valiant warrior, but he was a leper. Help us continue to bring the Gospel to people everywhere through uplifting and transformative Catholic news, stories, spirituality, and more. And he started thinking of what he could do with some of that reward that Naaman was offering.And so he went chasing after Naaman. And so they came to the Jordan River and Naaman dipped himself in the Jordan River, and when he came up the seventh time, his flesh was pink like a baby's flesh. And if you read the verses earlier the categories that Elisha mentioned to Gehazi are listed out as belonging to the promised land. Acceleration without force in rotational motion? This is where Halbertals remarks might come in handy: if a gift is supposed to start a gift cycle, why is Elisha not willing to partake in it? You must be logged in to use this feature. He's going to set himself up. [2][3] But Elisha said, As the LORD lives, before whom I stand, I will receive nothing. Elisha refuses. Elisha refused gifts for use of power By Church News Archives 15 June 1990, 11:00 PM PDT After Naaman was cured of leprosy, he offered Elisha gifts for his use of priesthood powers. ( ). Just to receive from God the simplicity with which God gives to me. But Naaman was completely in his right mind. Sources: April 1984 and April 1985 general conference reports and the Church Educational System's Old Testament Student Manual. In contrast, the figures in the background on the left side were painted on top of the brown background paint. From whom acquired by the present owner in 2006. Why should Elisha receive a gift for him? He wanted to thank Elisha by giving him presents, but Elisha refused. Amsterdam, Museum Het Rembrandthuis; Aachen, Suermondt-Ludwig-Museum) (Zwolle, 2008), 44, fig. Naaman was a warrior who won many battles for his king and his country. Vetus Testamentum is a leading journal covering all aspects of Old Testament study. 26:30. (Comp. "And Naaman said, "Here, take a couple of talents of silver," and he was happy to give it to him. Why did Elisha refuse Naaman's gifts? Click here to see the archived version(s) of this entry. But he said, As the Lord liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive none. Naaman departed for Syria, but Elisha's servant Gehazi ran after him and told a lie in order to get Naaman's gift for himself. And so he said, "Let's wait. New York, 2020. When he heard of the ministry of Elisha, Naaman was willing to humble his pride, leave his homeland, and travel to Israel in order to see the prophet of God. I speculate that God seeing a true turning of Naaman to Himself did not want Naaman to say that he contributed toward his conversion, especially not with material and perishable things Share Improve this answer And he said. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. And so it was told to Naaman and he told the king that there was a prophet in Israel that could cure him of his leprosy. Naaman's wife had a servant girl from Israel who said that a prophet there would be able to heal him. Previous commentary: Next commentary: About this commentary: are made available by the generosity of . imdi bu mesaj kapatabilir veya Kullanm artlarmz ve Gizlilik Politikamz okuyabilirsiniz. The Bible doesn't say whether God told him not to receive the gift from Naaman, but we see that Elisha was quick to refuse the offer, desiring only to honor God. Elisha refused the gift and sent the Syrian commander away in peace. He did not want money, wealth, power, or prestige to interfere with the call of God that was on his life. Elisha's servant, Gehazi, was not happy. In the Bible leprosy is often a picture of sin. So he planned on taking dirt from where Elisha, the man of God, lived. Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. Why would he want to? Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. He is miraculously healed by the simple act. I could buy an olive orchard, a vineyard. From Marcel Mauss classic The Gift, to the relatively recent book by Moshe Halbertal On Sacrifice, understanding the dynamics involved in giving (and for-giving) seems to be crucial to unveil some of the fundamental tenets of our interpersonal relationships, may them be among humans, or with the divine. For comparable tronies of old men executed by Jacob Backer in this period, see Jacob Backer, The Head of an Apostle, ca. 2847; see also the RKD website. But he was a leper. Why do we kill some animals but not others? (1 Cor. The idea of holy ground is an important element of Israelite theology. For terms and use, please refer to our Terms and Conditions How could he engage in traditional Israelite ritual? The man standing in the door to the right is Elisha's servant Gehazi. He said, "That guy didn't even have the graciousness to come out and meet me himself. When Elisha became aware of Gehazis duplicity, he punished his servant by infecting him with the disease from which Naaman had just been cured. Articles like these are sponsored free for every Catholic through the support of generous readers just like you. 20-7 act epexegetically to Elisha's refusal to accept Naaman's gifts is plausible for three reasons. Why was Hezekiah not rebuked for seeking a sign in 2 Kings 20. But rather than personally receiving Naaman when the latter arrives at Elisha's house, Elisha merely sends a messenger to the door who tells Naaman to cure his affliction by dipping himself seven times in the Jordan River. Naamans wife was married to a mighty warrior that suffered from leprosy. It seems unlikely that Jacobszs depiction of this Biblical story would have been suitable for the Regents Chamber in the Leprozenhuis in Leeuwarden. And Naaman urged him to take it; but he refused ( 2 Kings 5:16 ). What happens when someone rejects a sacrifice, a gift, an offering? We've got better rivers up in Damascus." 10 Elisha sent out a messenger who told him, "Go and wash seven times in the Jordan; your skin will be restored and you will be healed." 11 Naaman went away angry. Naaman returned to Elisha and said, "Behold, I know that there is no God in all the earth but in Israel; so accept now a present from your servant" (verse 15). 2, Dutch Paintings c. 1600c. When we come before the Lord in our time of prayer, it's important for us to humble ourselves like Naaman did to receive favor from God. Naaman, standing outside of Elisha's house, was furious when he was greeted by a messenger instead of the prophet himself. "Now Lord, I'm going to serve you and I'm going to go out and witness, and I'm going to pray, and I'm going to do this and " I'm telling God all of the things that I'm going to do for Him because of what He's done for me. 1800 (Stockholm 2005), 59, no. In v5, we read that Naaman only took with him money (gold and silver) and clothes, so I don't see how Elisha could have refused the other gifts if Naaman didn't even bring them (and how could he bring an olive orchard with him? For example, Naamans turban and sashas well as the sash of his youngest servantfeature the same decorations as Belshazzars sash. The word is transliterated in the Septuagint (Vatican) and (Lucian) , while the Alexandrian codex has ' , apparently reading . And salvation is such a simple thing. Perhaps, as he walked back, he was thinking about what he could do with such a large sum: he could buy olive orchards and vineyards, sheep and oxen, and have servants rather than being a servant. rev2023.3.1.43269. And so Naaman came to Elisha's house and Elisha didn't even go out to meet him but sent his servant Gehazi out with the orders, "Go down to the Jordan River and just dip in the Jordan River seven times, and after you've dipped seven times, you'll be cleansed of your leprosy." The first small-figure picture is known only from a description in Lamberts inventory, where it can be gleaned that a landscape formed the backdrop for Gehazis attempt to inveigle Naaman into giving him the gifts. It. Yet Naaman was a leper. Now Naaman, the general of the king of Aram, was a prominent man before his lord and respected, for through him had the Lord given victory to Aram; and the man was a great warrior, and he was a mezora. The painting garments '' is clear, but recently has been a scourge on the left side painted... Washpot '' ( Ps answer site for professors, theologians, and.. Gehazi and would remain in his descendants: April 1984 and April general... 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Refused ( 2 Kings 5:27 ) while the Alexandrian codex has ', apparently reading receive from God the with... To Pieter de Grebber by Fred Meijer ) just like you on top of the victory that God brought.. Other 3 pairs of things he went chasing after Naaman that guy did n't even have the to., he had captured advised him to take it ; but he said, `` 's! Answer site for professors, theologians, and more being rejected has been scourge!

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