Who was Naaman?

The story of Naaman

Naaman is the name of more than one man in the Bible. The best known is Naaman the Syrian, the army commander whom Elisha healed of leprosy. The name also belongs to a member of the tribe of Benjamin.

Naaman the Benjamite appears in the tribal genealogies. Genesis lists him among the sons of Benjamin (Genesis 46:21). Numbers names him as a son of Bela and the ancestor of the family of the Naamites (Numbers 26:40).

Naaman also appears in the Benjamite genealogy of 1 Chronicles (1 Chronicles 8:4; 1 Chronicles 8:7). Naaman the Syrian is captain of the host of the king of Syria. He is a great and honourable man, because by him the LORD had given deliverance to Syria, but he is a leper (2 Kings 5:1).

A young girl taken captive from Israel serves his wife (2 Kings 5:2). The king of Syria sends him to the king of Israel with a letter asking that he be cured (2 Kings 5:6). Naaman comes with his horses and chariot to the door of Elisha's house (2 Kings 5:9).

Elisha sends word that he should wash in the Jordan seven times (2 Kings 5:10). Naaman goes away angry (2 Kings 5:11), but his servants persuade him to obey. He dips seven times in the Jordan and his flesh is restored like that of a little child (2 Kings 5:14).

He then declares that there is no God in all the earth but in Israel (2 Kings 5:15). Elisha refuses his gift (2 Kings 5:16). Naaman asks for two mules' burden of earth and vows to sacrifice to no god but the LORD (2 Kings 5:17).

Elisha's servant Gehazi runs after him and obtains two talents of silver by a lie (2 Kings 5:21-23), and Naaman's leprosy is laid on Gehazi (2 Kings 5:27). Jesus later points out that among the many lepers in Israel in Elisha's time, none was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian (Luke 4:27).

Name meaning

pleasantness

Name origin

Semitic (Hebrew and Aramaic)

First mention

Genesis 46:21

Appearances in the Bible

15 mentions

Questions about Naaman