The Meaning of 2 Kings 5:20 Explained

2 Kings 5:20

KJV: But 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.

YLT: And 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.'

Darby: And 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.

ASV: But 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

But 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. 

What does 2 Kings 5:20 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Kings 5:15-27 - The Penalty Of Greed
Naaman was so grateful that he came twenty miles out of his way to render thanks to the man of God, bringing a great sum as a gift. Notice his whole-souled desire to worship Jehovah, as shown in his fear lest his official connection with idolatry might be held to compromise him; and in his ready beneficence toward Gehazi, who, he supposed, had come in Elisha's name. All these are symptoms of a noble soul on whom the Holy Spirit had been at work. We are here reminded of Cornelius, Naaman's counterpart in the New Testament, Acts 10:1. What a comfort it is to believe that God has been influencing men like this in all the centuries, fashioning them, though they knew him not, till the hour arrived when He spoke to them through prophet or apostle.
Gehazi is the sad counterpart of Judas. Like the traitor, he revealed the hardening effect that association with pure goodness may have on the human conscience. If it does not produce life unto life, it issues in death unto death. The same sun that bleaches linen, tans the hand that exposes it to the sunlight. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Kings 5

1  Naaman, by the report of a captive maid, is sent to Samaria to be cured of leprosy
8  Elisha, sending him to Jordan cures him
15  He refusing Naaman's gifts grants him some of the earth
20  Gehazi, abusing his master's name unto Naaman, is smitten with leprosy

What do the individual words in 2 Kings 5:20 mean?

But said Gehazi the servant of Elisha the man of God Look has spared my master - Naaman Syrian this while not receiving from his hands - what he brought [as] lives Yahweh for but I will run after him and take from him something
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר גֵּיחֲזִ֗י נַעַר֮ אֱלִישָׁ֣ע אִישׁ־ הָאֱלֹהִים֒ הִנֵּ֣ה ׀ חָשַׂ֣ךְ אֲדֹנִ֗י אֶֽת־ נַעֲמָ֤ן הָֽאֲרַמִּי֙ הַזֶּ֔ה מִקַּ֥חַת מִיָּד֖וֹ אֵ֣ת אֲשֶׁר־ הֵבִ֑יא חַי־ יְהוָה֙ כִּֽי־ אִם־ רַ֣צְתִּי אַחֲרָ֔יו וְלָקַחְתִּ֥י מֵאִתּ֖וֹ מְאֽוּמָה

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר  But  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
גֵּיחֲזִ֗י  Gehazi 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: גֵּיחֲזִי  
Sense: the servant of Elisha.
נַעַר֮  the  servant 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: נַעַר  
Sense: a boy, lad, servant, youth, retainer.
אֱלִישָׁ֣ע  of  Elisha 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֱלִישָׁע  
Sense: the great prophet who succeeded Elijah.
אִישׁ־  the  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
הָאֱלֹהִים֒  of  God 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
הִנֵּ֣ה ׀  Look 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
חָשַׂ֣ךְ  has  spared 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָשַׂךְ  
Sense: to withhold, restrain, hold back, keep in check, refrain.
אֲדֹנִ֗י  my  master 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: אָדֹון  
Sense: firm, strong, lord, master.
אֶֽת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
נַעֲמָ֤ן  Naaman 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: נַעֲמָן  
Sense: son of Bela of the family of Benjamin; he was among the family of Jacob that went down to Egypt.
הָֽאֲרַמִּי֙  Syrian 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲרַמִּי 
Sense: a thing or a person from Syria or Aram.
הַזֶּ֔ה  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
מִקַּ֥חַת  while  not  receiving 
Parse: Preposition-m, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
מִיָּד֖וֹ  from  his  hands 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
אֵ֣ת  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הֵבִ֑יא  he  brought 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
חַי־  [as]  lives 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חַי 
Sense: living, alive.
יְהוָה֙  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
רַ֣צְתִּי  I  will  run 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: רוּץ 
Sense: to run.
אַחֲרָ֔יו  after  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אַחַר 
Sense: after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time).
וְלָקַחְתִּ֥י  and  take 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
מֵאִתּ֖וֹ  from  him 
Parse: Preposition-m, Direct object marker, third person masculine singular
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
מְאֽוּמָה  something 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מְאוּמָה  
Sense: anything.