2 Kings 5 — Hebrew and Greek compared
Each card keeps the independently rendered source readings above their shared comparison and reception notes. The badge records the source’s governing classification; disparate readings are marked in red. Each reading retains its original reference.
Chapter 5
Naaman receives cleansing; Gehazi seeks payment
Verse 5:1 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
5:1 Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man before his master and highly regarded, for through him YHWH had given victory to Aram. The man was a mighty warrior, but leprous.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
5:1 Naaman, commander of Syria's army, was a great man before his master and admired in his presence, for through him the Lord had given deliverance to Syria. The man was powerful in strength, but afflicted with leprosy.
Classification & Notes
Similar
Text: Both expressly credit the divine Lord with Aram/Syria's deliverance through Naaman. Hebrew names the king's army and uses a warrior formula; Greek gives Syria's army and strength. Leprosy follows project terminology, without equating the ancient category with a modern diagnosis.
Verse 5:2 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
5:2 Aramean raiding bands had gone out and taken captive a young girl from the land of Israel. She served Naaman's wife.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
5:2 Lightly equipped Syrians had gone out and taken captive a young girl from the land of Israel. She attended Naaman's wife.
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Hebrew calls the forces raiding bands; Greek μονόζωνοι describes lightly equipped men. Both retain the girl's captivity and household service.
Verse 5:3 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
5:3 She said to her mistress, ‘If only my master were before the prophet who is in Samaria! Then he would rid him of his leprosy.’
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
5:3 She said to her mistress, ‘If only my master were before the prophet of God who is in Samaria! Then he would free him from his leprosy.’
Classification & Notes
Similar
Text: Greek explicitly identifies the prophet as ‘of God’; Hebrew says ‘the prophet.’ Both retain the captive girl's wish and expected healing. Saints: Ambrose, On the Mysteries III.18 [P1], reads the captive girl as a figure of the Church gathered from the nations. This is later ecclesial typology, not her historical identity in the translation.
Verse 5:4 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
5:4 He went in and told his master, saying, ‘Thus and thus the girl from the land of Israel has spoken.’
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
5:4 She went in and reported to her own master, saying, ‘Thus and thus the girl from the land of Israel has spoken.’
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Hebrew's subject and possessive are masculine. Greek's feminine ἑαυτῆς marks a woman's master, so the reporting subject is rendered ‘she’; the woman is not named here.
Verse 5:5 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
5:5 The king of Aram said, ‘Go on, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.’ He went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand of gold, and ten changes of clothes.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
5:5 The king of Syria said to Naaman, ‘Come, go in, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.’ He went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand gold coins, and ten changes of robes.
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Both retain ten talents and ten clothing changes. Hebrew gives ‘six thousand of gold’ without an expressed unit; Greek χρυσοῦς denotes gold coins. No shekel or stater denomination is silently supplied.
Verse 5:6 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
5:6 He brought the letter to the king of Israel. It said, ‘Now, when this letter reaches you, look, I have sent you Naaman my servant, so that you may rid him of his leprosy.’
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
5:6 He brought the letter to the king of Israel. It said, ‘Now, when this letter reaches you, look, I have sent you Naaman my slave, and you shall free him from his leprosy.’
Classification & Notes
Same
Text: Both entrust Naaman to Israel's king for healing. Servant/slave reflects the royal subordinate term in each source, not an added account of Naaman's legal status.
Verse 5:7 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
5:7 When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, ‘Am I God, to put to death and make alive, that this man sends to me to rid a man of his leprosy? Please consider and see: he is seeking a quarrel with me.’
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
5:7 When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his garments and said, ‘Am I God, to put to death and bring to life, that this man sends to me to free a man from his leprosy? Please understand and see: this man is looking for a pretext against me.’
Classification & Notes
Same
Text: Both retain the divine life-and-death prerogative, torn clothing, and suspicion that the request is a pretext for conflict.
Verse 5:8 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
5:8 When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent word to the king, saying, ‘Why have you torn your clothes? Please let him come to me, and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.’
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
5:8 When Elisha heard that the king of Israel had torn his garments, he sent word to the king of Israel, saying, ‘Why have you torn your garments? Please let Naaman come to me, and let him know that there is a prophet in Israel.’
Classification & Notes
Similar
Text: Hebrew gives Elisha's title and a prediction ‘he will know’; Greek names Naaman and uses the imperative ‘let him know.’ Both direct him to the prophet.
Verse 5:9 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
5:9 Naaman came with his horses and his chariot and stood at the doorway of Elisha's house.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
5:9 Naaman came with a horse and chariot and stood at the doors of Elisha's house.
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Hebrew has plural horses and a singular doorway; Greek has singular horse and plural doors.
Verse 5:10 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
5:10 Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, ‘Go and wash seven times in the Jordan. Your flesh will be restored to you, and be clean.’
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
5:10 Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, ‘Go and bathe seven times in the Jordan. Your flesh will be restored to you, and you will be cleansed.’
Classification & Notes
Similar
Text: Both prescribe seven washings in the Jordan. Hebrew closes with an imperative ‘be clean’; Greek uses a passive future ‘you will be cleansed.’
Verse 5:11 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
5:11 Naaman became angry and went away, saying, ‘Look, I thought: He will surely come out to me, stand, call on the name of YHWH his God, wave his hand over the place, and remove the leprous condition.’
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
5:11 Naaman became angry and went away, saying, ‘Look, I thought that he would come out to me, stand, call on the name of his God, place his hand on the place, and remove the leprous condition.’
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Hebrew explicitly names YHWH and anticipates waving a hand; Greek has simply ‘his God’ and placing the hand on the affected place.
Verse 5:12 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
5:12 ‘Are not Abanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?’ He turned and went away in a rage.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
5:12 ‘Are not Abanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than the Jordan and all the waters of Israel? Could I not go and bathe in them and be cleansed?’ He turned aside and went away in anger.
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Greek explicitly names the Jordan in the comparison and adds going to bathe. Hebrew's displayed river name is Abanah; no unshown alternate written/read form is claimed.
Verse 5:13 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
5:13 His servants approached and spoke to him, saying, ‘My father, if the prophet had told you some great thing, would you not do it? How much more when he says to you, Wash and be clean!’
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
5:13 His attendants approached and spoke to him: ‘The prophet has told you a great thing; will you not do it? And he has said to you, Bathe and be cleansed.’
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Hebrew includes ‘my father’ and argues from a greater hypothetical demand to a lesser one. Greek has a direct assertion about a ‘great thing’ and no ‘my father.’ The Greek argument is not rewritten into the Hebrew conditional.
Verse 5:14 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
5:14 He went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, according to the word of the man of God. His flesh was restored like the flesh of a small boy, and he was clean.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
5:14 Naaman went down and immersed himself in the Jordan seven times, according to Elisha's word. His flesh was restored like the flesh of a small child, and he was cleansed.
Classification & Notes
Same
Text: Both retain seven immersions, restored childlike flesh, and cleansing. Greek names Naaman and Elisha; Hebrew uses the subject pronoun and prophetic title. Saints: Ambrose, On the Mysteries III.16–17 and IV.21 [P1], applies Naaman’s washing to baptism, emphasizing divine grace rather than water alone. His Christian sacramental application does not replace the narrative’s seven immersions.
Biblical connection — Gospel reception: Luke 4:27. Jesus names Naaman's cleansing in his Nazareth discourse, placing this episode within his account of prophetic ministry beyond Israel.
Verse 5:15 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
5:15 He returned to the man of God, he and all his company. He came and stood before him and said, ‘Look, now I know that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel. Now please accept a blessing from your servant.’
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
5:15 He returned to Elisha, he and all his company. He came and stood and said, ‘Look, now I know that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel. Now accept the blessing from your slave.’
Classification & Notes
Same
Text: Both preserve the confession and offered ‘blessing,’ contextually a gift. The confession is Naaman's speech; neither column expands it into later doctrinal terminology.
Verse 5:16 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
5:16 He said, ‘As YHWH lives, before whom I stand, I will not accept it.’ He urged him to accept, but he refused.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
5:16 Elisha said, ‘As the Lord lives, before whom I stand, I will not accept it.’ He pressed him to accept, but he would not comply.
Classification & Notes
Same
Text: Both preserve the oath and persistent refusal of the gift.
Verse 5:17 Divergent
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
5:17 Naaman said, ‘If not, please let your servant be given a pair of mules' load of earth, for your servant will no longer offer burnt offering or sacrifice to other gods, but only to YHWH.’
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
5:17 Naaman said, ‘If not, please let your slave be given a pair of mules' load, and you shall give me some of the red earth, for your slave will no longer offer whole burnt offering or sacrifice to other gods, but to the Lord alone.’
Classification & Notes
Divergent
Text: Greek expands the request with ‘you shall give me’ and specifies ‘red earth’; Hebrew has earth without a color. Both pledge exclusive sacrifice to the divine Lord.
Verse 5:18 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
5:18 ‘In this matter may YHWH forgive your servant: when my master enters the house of Rimmon to bow there, leaning on my arm, and I bow in the house of Rimmon—when I bow in the house of Rimmon, may YHWH please forgive your servant in this matter.’
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
5:18 ‘The Lord will be propitious to your slave when my master enters the house of Remman to bow to him and leans on my arm, and I bow in the house of Remman when he bows in the house of Remman. The Lord will indeed be propitious to your slave in this matter.’
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Hebrew repeats Naaman's own bowing and uses pardon language; Greek's latter clause has ‘when he bows’ and ἱλάσεται, ‘will be propitious.’ The Hebrew petition and Greek future construction are displayed without claiming that the narrator endorses cultic participation.
Verse 5:19 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
5:19 He said to him, ‘Go in peace.’ He went away from him some distance across the land.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
5:19 Elisha said to Naaman, ‘Go in peace.’ He went away from him a debratha of the land.
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Greek transliterates δεβραθα, corresponding to the Hebrew distance expression כִּבְרַת־אָרֶץ. Its precise measure is not established; no modern length is supplied.
Verse 5:20 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
5:20 Gehazi, attendant of Elisha the man of God, said, ‘Look, my master has spared this Naaman the Aramean by not accepting from his hand what he brought. As YHWH lives, I will run after him and take something from him.’
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
5:20 Gehazi, Elisha's attendant, said, ‘Look, my master has spared this Naaman the Syrian by not taking from his hand what he brought. As the Lord lives, I will run after him and take something from him.’
Classification & Notes
Same
Text: Both preserve Gehazi's mercenary reasoning and oath. Hebrew repeats Elisha's title ‘man of God.’
Verse 5:21 Divergent
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
5:21 Gehazi pursued Naaman. When Naaman saw him running after him, he sprang down from the chariot to meet him and said, ‘Is there peace?’
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
5:21 Gehazi pursued Naaman. Naaman saw him running after him and turned back from the chariot to meet him.
Classification & Notes
Divergent
Text: Hebrew includes Naaman's question ‘Is there peace?’; Greek lacks it. Hebrew describes descent from the chariot; Greek says he turned back from it.
Verse 5:22 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
5:22 He said, ‘Peace. My master sent me, saying: Look, just now two young men from 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 clothes.’
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
5:22 He said, ‘Peace. My master sent me, saying: Look, two young men from the sons of the prophets have now come to me from Mount Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two changes of robes.’
Classification & Notes
Same
Text: Both retain Gehazi's invented message, two visitors, Ephraim, one talent, and two clothing changes. The narrative does not validate his claim that Elisha sent him.
Verse 5:23 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
5:23 Naaman said, ‘Please, take two talents.’ He pressed him and tied two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of clothes. He gave them to two of his attendants, who carried them ahead of him.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
5:23 Naaman said, ‘Take two talents of silver.’ He took them in two bags, with two changes of robes, and placed them on two of his attendants, who carried them ahead of him.
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Both retain two talents, two bags, two clothing changes, and two bearers. Hebrew narrates urging and tying; Greek has taking in bags without the urging clause. The subject of the Greek taking is not newly named.
Verse 5:24 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
5:24 When he came to the mound, he took the goods from their hands and deposited them in the house. He sent the men away, and they went.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
5:24 They came to the dark place. He took the goods from their hands and set them in a house, then sent the men away.
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Hebrew says ‘he came’ to הָעֹפֶל, the mound; Greek says ‘they came’ to τὸ σκοτεινόν, the dark place. Greek lacks the explicit final departure clause.
Verse 5:25 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
5:25 He came in and stood before his master. Elisha said to him, ‘Where have you come from, Gehazi?’ He said, ‘Your servant has not gone anywhere.’
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
5:25 He went in and stood beside his master. Elisha said to him, ‘From where, Gehazi?’ Gehazi said, ‘Your slave has not gone here or there.’
Classification & Notes
Same
Text: Both preserve the question and Gehazi's denial; Greek's ‘here or there’ retains the underlying paired-location idiom.
Verse 5:26 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
5:26 He said to him, ‘Did not my heart go when the man turned from his chariot to meet you? Is this a time to take silver and take clothes, olive groves and vineyards, sheep and cattle, male slaves and female slaves?’
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
5:26 Elisha said to him, ‘Did not my heart go with you when the man turned from the chariot to meet you? Now you have taken the silver and now you have taken the garments, and with it you will acquire gardens and olive groves and vineyards and sheep and cattle and male servants and female servants.’
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Greek adds ‘with you,’ gardens, and explicit past taking followed by future acquisition. Hebrew asks whether this is the time to take such goods. The Greek list also names servants with παῖδες/παιδίσκαι; the property context makes servile acquisition clear.
Verse 5:27 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
5:27 ‘Naaman's leprosy will cling to you and to your descendants forever.’ He went out from his presence leprous, like snow.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
5:27 ‘Naaman's leprosy will cling to you and to your offspring forever.’ He went out from his presence afflicted with leprosy, like snow.
Classification & Notes
Same
Text: Both extend the pronouncement to Gehazi's descendants and narrate a snowlike leprous condition on departure. No extra statement about a modern diagnosis is added.