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Verse 13
Theosis · English Bible
4 Kingdoms (2 Kings)

4 Kingdoms (2 Kings) 5

Old TestamentTheosis · English Bible

1Now Naiman, the captain of the host of Syria, was a great man before his master, and highly respected, because by him the Lord had given deliverance to Syria, and the man was mighty in strength, but a leper. 2And the Syrians went forth in small bands, and took captive out of the land of Israel a little maid: and she waited on Naiman's wife. 3And she said to her mistress, O that my lord were before the prophet of God in Samaria; then he would recover him from his leprosy. 4And she went in and told her lord, and said, Thus and thus spoke the maid from the land of Israel. 5And the king of Syria said to Naiman, Go to, go, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel. And he went, and took in his hand ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment. 6And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, Now then, as soon as this letter shall reach thee, behold, I have sent to thee my servant Naiman, and thou shalt recover him from his leprosy. 7And it came to pass, when the king of Israel read the letter, that he rent his garments, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends to me to recover a man of his leprosy? consider, however, I pray you, and see that this man seeks an occasion against me. 8And it came to pass, when Elisaie heard that the king of Israel had rent his garments, that he sent to the king of Israel, saying, Wherefore hast thou rent thy garments? Let Naiman, I pray thee, come to me, and let him know that there is a prophet in Israel. 9So Naiman came with horse and chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisaie. 10And Elisaie sent a messenger to him, saying, Go and wash seven times in Jordan, and thy flesh shall return to thee, and thou shalt be cleansed. 11And Naiman was angry, and departed, and said, Behold, I said, He will by all means come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of his God, and lay his hand upon the place, and recover the leper. 12Are not Abana and Pharphar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not go and wash in them, and be cleansed? and he turned and went away in a rage. 13And his servants came near and said to him, Suppose the prophet had spoken a great thing to thee, wouldest thou not perform it? yet he has but said to thee, Wash, and be cleansed. 14So Naiman went down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the word of Elisaie: and his flesh returned to him as the flesh of a little child, and he was cleansed. 15And he and all his company returned to Elisaie, and he came and stood before him, and said, Behold, I know that there is no God in all the earth, save only in Israel: and now receive a blessing of thy servant. 16And Elisaie said, As the Lord lives, before whom I stand, I will not take one. And he pressed him to take one: but he would not. 17And Naiman said, Well then, if not, let there be given to thy servant, I pray thee, the load of a yoke of mules; and thou shalt give me of the red earth: for henceforth thy servant will not offer whole-burnt-offering or sacrifice to other gods, but only to the Lord by reason of this thing. 18And let the Lord be propitious to thy servant when my master goes into the house of Remman to worship there, and he shall lean on my hand, and I shall bow down in the house of Remman when he bows down in the house of Remman; even let the Lord, I pray, be merciful to thy servant in this matter. 19And Elisaie said to Naiman, Go in peace. And he departed from him a little way. 20And Giezi the servant of Elisaie said, Behold, my Lord has spared this Syrian Naiman, so as not to take of his hand what he has brought: as the Lord lives, I will surely run after him, and take somewhat of him. 21So Giezi followed after Naiman: and Naiman saw him running after him, and turned back from his chariot to meet him. 22And Giezi said, All is well: my master has sent me, saying, Behold, now are there come to me two young men of the sons of the prophets from mount Ephraim; give them, I pray thee, a talent of silver, and two changes of raiment. 23And Naiman said, Take two talents of silver. And he took two talents of silver in two bags, and two changes of raiment, and put them upon two of his servants, and they bore them before him. 24And he came to a secret place, and took them from their hands, and laid them up in the house, and dismissed the men. 25And he went in himself and stood before his master; and Elisaie said to him, 26Whence comest thou, Giezi? and Giezi said, Thy servant has not been hither or thither. And Elisaie said to him, Went not my heart with thee, when the man returned from his chariot to meet thee? and now thou hast received silver, and now thou hast received raiment, and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants. 27The leprosy also of Naiman shall cleave to thee, and to thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence leprous, like snow.

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4 Kingdoms (2 Kings) 5:13

Caesarius of Arles

Caesarius of Arles6th century

Let us examine the instructions given by Elisha to Naaman the Syrian. "Go," he told him, "immerse yourself seven times in the Jordan." Upon hearing this command, Naaman felt anger and was initially resistant to comply. However, persuaded by the counsel of his companions, he eventually consented to wash and was cleansed. This signifies that prior to Christ's sacrificial death, the Gentiles did not acknowledge Him while He walked among them, but later they humbly accepted the Sacrament of Baptism through the preaching of the apostles. Elisha's directive for Naaman to bathe seven times in the Jordan symbolizes how Christ would direct the Gentiles towards baptism.

Moreover, the fact that Elisha did not personally touch or cleanse Naaman indicates that Christ did not approach the Gentiles directly, but rather through the apostles, whom He instructed: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19). It is significant that Naaman, representing the Gentiles, was healed in the same river that Christ later consecrated through His own baptism. However, Naaman, upon learning he must immerse himself seven times in the Jordan, expressed his frustration, questioning whether the rivers Abana and Pharpar of Damascus were not superior to all the waters of Israel and if he could not find cleansing in them. Yet, his servants urged him to heed the prophet's guidance.

Pay attention, dear friends, to the implications of this. St. Elisha symbolizes our Lord and Savior, while Naaman represents the Gentiles. Naaman's desire to be healed in his native rivers reflects humanity's tendency to rely on free will and personal merit; yet without Christ's grace, such merits cannot bring healing and may lead to spiritual affliction. If humanity had not followed Naaman's example by humbly accepting the gift of baptism offered through Christ's grace, it could have never been liberated from the leprosy of both original and actual sin.

Elisha commanded him to immerse seven times, embodying the sevenfold grace of the Holy Spirit bestowed upon Christ our Lord. As our Lord was baptized in that river, the Holy Spirit descended upon Him like a dove. And as Naaman descended into the water, it served as a representation of baptism, transforming his body to that of a youthful child. Beloved brethren, this imagery is likewise fulfilled in Christians, as all who are baptized are referred to as children, regardless of their age. Those born into the world through Adam and Eve are reborn through Christ and His Church. The first birth leads to death, while the second brings forth life; the first results in children of wrath, while the second regenerates vessels of mercy. The apostle declares, "As in Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be made alive" (1 Cor. 15:22).

Thus, just as Naaman, despite his age, became as a child through his seven washings, so too are the Gentiles—laden with the weight of sins and marked by the afflictions of wickedness—regenerated through the grace of baptism, leaving no trace of original or personal sin upon them. By following Naaman’s example, they are renewed as innocent children through the redemptive power of baptism, even as they have been burdened by their transgressions.