Naaman

Naaman
Elisha refusing the gifts of Naaman, by Pieter de Grebber
Naaman is also the name of one of the Minor characters in the Book of Kings

Naaman (נַעֲמָן "pleasantness") was a commander of the armies of Ben-Hadad II in the time of Joram, king of Israel. He is mentioned in 2 Kings 5 of the Tanakh. According to the narrative, he was afflicted with tzaraath.[1] When the Hebrew slave-girl who waits on his wife tells her of a prophet in Samaria who can cure her master, he obtains a letter from Benhadad to Joram in which the former asks Joram to arrange for the healing of his subject Naaman. Naaman proceeds with the letter to Joram. The king of Israel suspects in this — to him — impossible request a pretext of Syria for later starting a war against him, and tears his clothes. When the prophet Elisha hears about this, he sends for Naaman. But rather than personally receiving Naaman when the latter arrives at Elisha's house, Elisha merely sends a messenger to the door who tells Naaman to cure his Leprosy by dipping himself seven times in the Jordan River. Naaman, who had expected the prophet himself to come out to him and perform some kind of impressive ritual magic, angrily refuses, and prepares to go home unhealed. Only after Naaman's slaves suggest to their master that he has nothing to lose by at least giving it a try, he does as told and finds himself healed. Naaman returns to Elisha with lavish gifts, which Elisha flatly refuses to accept. Naaman also renounces his former god Rimmon after being cured by Elisha and accepts the God of Israel.[2]

Naaman is also mentioned in Luke 4:27 of the New Testament as an example for the will of God to save people who are considered by men as less than pious and unworthy of salvation. As the Septuagint, the Greek Old Testament, uses the word baptizein for the dipping that heals the heathen Naaman, which also takes place in the Jordan River where Jesus Christ himself was baptized many centuries later, Christians have often interpreted the Naaman story as prefiguring the Christian baptism of the heathen nations.

See also

References

  1. ^ Often translated as leprosy, this illness or affliction, was not today's leprosy. Leprosy as known today did not come to Ancient Israel until Alexander came back from a trip to India in the mid 300s BC.
  2. ^ God Loves Naaman Word Journey, August 29, 2008. Retrieved September 7, 2008.

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  • NAAMAN — (Heb. נַלֲמָן, pleasant ; the name occurs in Ugaritic and is an epithet of heroes in Ugaritic epics), Syrian commander, healed of leprosy by the prophet elisha . According to II Kings 5, Naaman, a valorous man, held by his king in great esteem… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • Naaman — heißen folgende Biblische Personen: Naaman (Sohn Benjamins) Naaman (Sohn Belas) Naaman der Syrer, ein syrischer Hauptmann während der Regierungszeit des israelischen Königs Joram. Personen: Nicolas Naaman (1911 1982), syrischer Erzbischof Orte in …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Naaman — (hébreu : נַעֲמָן «agréable»), lieutenant de Ben Hadad II, roi d Aram, fut guéri de la lèpre après s’être baigné sept fois dans le Jourdain sur le conseil du prophète Élisée. On peut lire son histoire dans la Bible, Deuxième livre des Rois,… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Naaman — (Abdallah) (né en 1947) essayiste et poète libanais d expression française et arabe. Après un recueil de poèmes (Printemps perdu, 1973), il publie des essais: le Français au Liban (1979), la Mort et Camus (1980), les Levantins (1984), les… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Naaman — Naaman, feltherre hos syrerkongen Benhadad, om hvem det, 2. kong. 5, fortælles, at han af profeten Elisa blev helbredt for spedalskhed …   Danske encyklopædi

  • Naaman — masc. proper name, biblical name of Aramean general cured of leprosy by Elisha, from Heb. Na aman, lit. pleasantness, from stem of na em was pleasant or lovely. Cf. NAOMI (Cf. Naomi) …   Etymology dictionary

  • Naaman — Eliseo rechazando los obsequios de Naaman, por Pieter de Grebber. Naamán (נַעֲמָן Agradable ) El Sirio, es un personaje del Antiguo Testamento bíblico, mencionado en el Segundo libro de los Reyes. De acuerdo al relato era el General de los… …   Wikipedia Español

  • Naaman — An army officer under Benhadad of Syria who had contracted leprosy and heard from an Israelite slave girl about the miraculous powers of the prophet Elisha. Naaman was sent by his king to Samaria with a letter to the king of Israel (apparently… …   Dictionary of the Bible

  • NAAMAN — I. NAAMAN filius Beniamin, Gen. c. 46. v. 21. qui 1. Paral. c. 8. v. 2. dicitur Naaha. II. NAAMAN princeps militiae regis Syriae, qui cum leprosus esset, a rege in Iudaeam missus, ab Elisaeo propheta sanatus est, 2. Reg. c. 5. v. 1. Fil. item… …   Hofmann J. Lexicon universale

  • Naaman —    Pleasantness, a Syrian, the commander of the armies of Benhadad II. in the time of Joram, king of Israel. He was afflicted with leprosy; and when the little Hebrew slave girl that waited on his wife told her of a prophet in Samaria who could… …   Easton's Bible Dictionary

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