Bible Strands
2 Kings 5:23
But Naaman insisted, “Please, take two talents.” And he urged Gehazi to accept them. Then he tied up two talents of silver in two bags along with two sets of clothing and gave them to two of his servants, who carried them ahead of Gehazi.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Naaman addresses Gehazi after Elisha refuses the gift, persistently pressing him to accept the bribe instead. He then orders two servants to carry silver and clothing ahead of Gehazi.
The words — The Hebrew הוֹאֵל (ho.'El) literally means “be willing” or “insist,” and וַ/יִּפְרָץ־ (va/i.yif.rotz-) translates to “he urged” or “pressed.” These verbs mark Naaman’s coercive shift from Elisha to Gehazi.
The thread — The pattern of persistent urging appears in 2 Kings 5:16 when Naaman presses Elisha, and in 2 Kings 2:17 where prophets press Elisha until he relents. The motif of a ruler demanding attention also surfaces in 1 Kings 20:7.
Why it lands — The text records Naaman’s bribery and Gehazi’s compliance without explicit moral judgment. A reader must note how persistent pressure exploits a proxy to secure what a direct offer refused.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And 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.
Cross-references
- 1 Kings 20:7 Then the king of Israel summoned all the elders of the land and said, “Please take note and see that this man is looking for trouble, for when he demanded my wives, my children, my silver, and my gold, I did not deny him.”
- 2 Kings 2:17 But when they pressed him to the point of embarrassment, he said, “Send them.” And they sent fifty men, who searched for three days but did not find Elijah.
- 2 Kings 5:16 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, he refused.
- 2 Kings 6:3 Then one of them said, “Please come with your servants.” “I will come,” he replied.
- 2 Kings 12:10 Whenever they saw that there was a large amount of money in the chest, the royal scribe and the high priest would go up, count the money brought into the house of the LORD, and tie it up in bags.
- Isaiah 30:6 This is the burden against the beasts of the Negev: Through a land of hardship and distress, of lioness and lion, of viper and flying serpent, they carry their wealth on the backs of donkeys and their treasures on the humps of camels, to a people of no profit to them.
- Luke 11:54 waiting to catch Him in something He might say.