2 Kings 5:19-27 Meaning: Did Elisha Approve Compromise?
19He said to him, “Go in peace.” So he departed from him a little way.
20But Gehazi the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, “Behold, my master has spared this Naaman the Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought. As Yahweh lives, I will run after him, and take something from him.”
21So Gehazi followed after Naaman. When Naaman saw one running after him, he came down from the chariot to meet him, and said, “Is all well?”
22He said, “All is well. My master has sent me, saying, ‘Behold, even now two young men of the sons of the prophets have come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two changes of clothing.’”
23Naaman said, “Be pleased to take two talents.” He urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of clothing, and laid them on two of his servants; and they carried them before him.
24When he came to the hill, he took them from their hand, and stored them in the house. Then he let the men go, and they departed.
25But he went in, and stood before his master. Elisha said to him, “Where did you come from, Gehazi?” He said, “Your servant went nowhere.”
26He said to him, “Didn’t my heart go with you when the man turned from his chariot to meet you? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and olive groves and vineyards, and sheep and cattle, and male servants and female servants?
27Therefore the leprosy of Naaman will cling to you and to your offspring forever.” He went out from his presence a leper, as white as snow.
19And he said unto him, Go in peace. So he departed from him a little way.
20But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, Behold, my master hath spared Naaman this Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought: but, as the Lord liveth, I will run after him, and take somewhat of him.
21So Gehazi followed after Naaman. And when Naaman saw him running after him, he lighted down from the chariot to meet him, and said, Is all well?
22And he said, All is well. My master hath sent me, saying, Behold, even now there be come to me from mount Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets: give them, I pray thee, a talent of silver, and two changes of garments.
23And Naaman said, Be content, take two talents. And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of garments, and laid them upon two of his servants; and they bare them before him.
24And when he came to the tower, he took them from their hand, and bestowed them in the house: and he let the men go, and they departed.
25But he went in, and stood before his master. And Elisha said unto him, Whence comest thou, Gehazi? And he said, Thy servant went no whither.
26And he said unto him, Went not mine heart with thee, when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants?
27The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow.
19And he said unto him, Go in peace. So he departed from him a little way.
20But Gehazi the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, Behold, my master hath spared this Naaman the Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought: as Jehovah liveth, I will run after him, and take somewhat of him.
21So Gehazi followed after Naaman. And when Naaman saw one running after him, he alighted from the chariot to meet him, and said, Is all well?
22And he said, All is well. My master hath sent me, saying, Behold, even now there are come to me from the hill-country of Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets; give them, I pray thee, a talent of silver, and two changes of raiment.
23And Naaman said, Be pleased to take two talents. And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of raiment, and laid them upon two of his servants; and they bare them before him.
24And when he came to the hill, he took them from their hand, and bestowed them in the house; and he let the men go, and they departed.
25But he went in, and stood before his master. And Elisha said unto him, Whence comest thou, Gehazi? And he said, Thy servant went no whither.
26And he said unto him, Went not my heart with thee, when the man turned from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards and vineyards, and sheep and oxen, and men-servants and maid-servants?
27The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow.
19And he saith to him, `Go in peace.' And he goeth from him a kibrath of land,
20And Gehazi, servant of Elisha the man of God, saith, `Lo, my lord hath spared Naaman this Aramaean, not to receive from his hand that which he brought; Jehovah liveth; surely if I have run after him, then I have taken from him something.'
21And Gehazi pursueth after Naaman, and Naaman seeth one running after him, and alighteth from off the chariot to meet him, and saith, `Is there peace?'
22And he saith, `Peace; my lord hath sent me, saying, Lo, now, this, come unto me have two young men from the hill-country of Ephraim, of the sons of the prophets; give, I pray thee, to them, a talent of silver, and two changes of garments.'
23And Naaman saith, `Be pleased, take two talents;' and he urgeth on him, and bindeth two talents of silver in two purses, and two changes of garments, and giveth unto two of his young men, and they bear before him;
24and he cometh in unto the high place, and taketh out of their hand, and layeth up in the house, and sendeth away the men, and they go.
25And he hath come in, and doth stand by his lord, and Elisha saith unto him, `Whence--Gehazi?' and he saith, `Thy servant went not hither or thither.'
26And he saith unto him, `My heart went not when the man turned from off his chariot to meet thee; is it a time to take silver, and to take garments, and olives, and vines, and flock, and herd, and men-servants, and maid-servants?
27yea, the leprosy of Naaman doth cleave to thee, and to thy seed, --to the age;' and he goeth out from before him--leprous as snow.
19And he said to him, Go in peace. And he departed from him a little way.
20And Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, Behold, my master has spared Naaman, this Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought; but as Jehovah liveth, I will run after him and take somewhat of him.
21And Gehazi followed after Naaman. And when Naaman saw him running after him, he sprang down from the chariot to meet him, and said, Is all well?
22And he said, All is well. My master has sent me saying, Behold, even now there are come to me from mount Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets; give them, I pray thee, a talent of silver, and two changes of raiment.
23And Naaman said, Consent to take two talents. And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of raiment, and laid them upon two of his young men; and they bore them before him.
24And when he came to the hill, he took them from their hand, and stowed them in the house; and he let the men go, and they departed.
25And he entered in and stood before his master. And Elisha said to him, Whence [comest thou], Gehazi? And he said, Thy servant went no whither.
26And he said to him, Did not my heart go, when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and bondmen, and bondwomen?
27But the leprosy of Naaman shall fasten upon thee, and upon thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence leprous, as snow.
Meaning in one sentence
Does Elisha's 'Go in peace' approve Naaman bowing to Rimmon? Explore this story of grace, Gehazi's greed, and the hidden cost of secret sin.
Context
Naaman had just been healed of leprosy and declared his faith in the God of Israel. But he faced a real problem: his royal job required him to bow in the temple of Rimmon alongside his king. He asked Elisha what to do. Elisha gave a short answer: “Go in peace.” Then the story takes an unexpected turn. Gehazi, the prophet’s servant, saw a chance to get rich. He ran after Naaman, lied about a need among the prophets, and took silver and clothes. He hid the goods and then stood before Elisha as if nothing had happened. But the prophet knew. The consequence was swift and severe, the leprosy that had left Naaman now clung to Gehazi and his family.
Key Words
Three Hebrew words help us feel the weight of this passage. Shalom (“peace,” H7965) means far more than a friendly goodbye. It carries completeness, welfare, wholeness. When Elisha says “Go in peace,” he is releasing Naaman into God’s care, trusting the Lord to deal with the grey areas of Naaman’s conscience. It is not a stamp of approval, it is a recognition that God’s mercy is bigger than one man’s messy situation.
Then there is leb (“heart,” H3820). Elisha asks, “Did not my heart go with you?” The word describes the inner person, the seat of knowledge. The prophet is saying that his spirit was present at the whole transaction. Nothing was hidden from him, and by implication, nothing is hidden from God.
Finally, dabaq (“cling,” H1692) is the verb used in Genesis for a man leaving his father and mother to “cleave” to his wife. It means to stick so close that you cannot be separated. Gehazi wanted Naaman’s silver to cling to him. Instead, Naaman’s disease clung to him. The choice of word is devastating: what you reach for in secret will stick.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians across traditions have read this passage with sober agreement. The historic Protestant and Reformed commentators, Matthew Henry, Geneva Notes, Gill, and Jamieson-Fausset-Brown, all see Gehazi’s sin as a warning against covetousness dressed up as religious zeal. They note that he used the Lord’s name to swear a lie and then tried to cover it up. Catholic and Orthodox readers also emphasize the seriousness of defiling a gift offered to God’s servant. On the question of Elisha’s “Go in peace,” most commentators agree that the prophet did not approve of Naaman’s plan to bow to Rimmon. Instead, he left Naaman to God’s mercy and instruction. The moment was not for a debate about compromise; it was a gracious release. The lesson for all is the same: grace is free, but taking it for granted in order to gain for yourself is a dangerous path.
A common misunderstanding
Some readers take Elisha’s “Go in peace” as full approval of Naaman kneeling in the temple of Rimmon. They conclude that God accepts divided loyalty as long as we mean well. In fact, the context shows that Elisha refused to receive any gift from Naaman, precisely to make clear that God’s healing is not bought or compromised. The “peace” he offers is a dismissal into God’s care, not an endorsement of the act. The prophet leaves the matter in God’s hands, the very opposite of a blank check.
Living This Out
This week, most of us will face a small temptation to take something that is not ours, a little extra change, credit for someone else’s work, a chance to bend a rule for personal gain. Gehazi convinced himself that he deserved Naaman’s money because his master had refused it. He even used a holy excuse: “the sons of the prophets.” The story asks you to check your own justifications. Are you covering a greedy impulse with spiritual language? Do you assume that if no human sees, God does not see? Take one decision today, maybe a financial one, maybe something as simple as returning an overpayment, and do it with the same honesty you would use if Elisha were standing beside you.
Main takeaway: Your secret sins are done in the presence of God, and His grace is not a license to exploit His gifts for personal gain.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Gehazi wanted money so much that he told lies. God sees everything we do, even when no one else sees. It is always better to tell the truth.
For ages 9, 12
Gehazi thought he could hide his greedy actions from Elisha. But God knew everything. This story reminds us that we cannot hide anything from God. Taking what is not ours, especially when we pretend to serve God, has serious consequences. Even a “small” lie can lead to big trouble.
Questions People Ask
Did Elisha approve of Naaman bowing to Rimmon?
Most commentators say no. Elisha’s “Go in peace” was a gracious dismissal, not an endorsement. He left Naaman in God’s hands, trusting God to deal with his conscience. The focus then shifts dramatically to Gehazi’s sin, which may be the narrator’s way of redirecting attention from the grey area to the clear wrong.
Why was Gehazi punished so severely?
Gehazi’s sin was not just greed. He lied about the prophet, used the Lord’s name to swear a false oath, and tried to cover it up. He treated God’s free gift as something to be sold. The leprosy that left Naaman now clung to Gehazi, making visible what was already true inside: he had become unclean in heart.
What does “went not mine heart with thee” mean?
Elisha means that his spirit, his prophetic awareness, was present during the whole transaction. He saw Gehazi meet Naaman, take the gifts, hide them, and lie about it. It shows that no secret is hidden from God or from those whom God has gifted with spiritual perception.
Is it wrong to accept gifts offered in gratitude?
Not necessarily. Elisha himself had accepted gifts before (2 Kings 4:42). In this case, he refused Naaman’s gift to make clear that God’s healing was not for sale. Gehazi’s error was that he went against his master’s clear decision and took what had been offered to God, not to himself.
Was Elisha being unfair to Gehazi?
The text presents the punishment as a direct consequence of Gehazi’s actions, not as arbitrary. Gehazi had every opportunity to confess when Elisha asked him where he had been. Instead, he lied twice. The severity of the judgment underscores the seriousness of sin among those who serve God closely.
For pastors & researchers
Hebrew interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study