The Meaning of 2 Kings 5:26 Explained

2 Kings 5:26

KJV: And he said unto him, Went not mine heart with thee, when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants?

YLT: And he saith unto him, 'My heart went not when the man turned from off his chariot to meet thee; is it a time to take silver, and to take garments, and olives, and vines, and flock, and herd, and men-servants, and maid-servants?

Darby: And he said to him, Did not my heart go, when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and bondmen, and bondwomen?

ASV: And he said unto him, Went not my heart with thee , when the man turned from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards and vineyards, and sheep and oxen, and men-servants and maid-servants?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And he said  unto him, Went  not mine heart  [with thee], when the man  turned  again from his chariot  to meet  thee? [Is it] a time  to receive  money,  and to receive  garments,  and oliveyards,  and vineyards,  and sheep,  and oxen,  and menservants,  and maidservants? 

What does 2 Kings 5:26 Mean?

Context Summary

2Ki 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: 2Ki 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 5:26 mean?

And he said to him not my heart did go [with you] when turned back the man from his chariot to meet you [Is it] time to receive - money and to receive clothing and olive groves and vineyards and sheep and oxen and male and maidservants
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלָיו֙ לֹא־ לִבִּ֣י הָלַ֔ךְ כַּאֲשֶׁ֧ר הָֽפַךְ־ אִ֛ישׁ מֵעַ֥ל מֶרְכַּבְתּ֖וֹ לִקְרָאתֶ֑ךָ הַעֵ֞ת לָקַ֤חַת אֶת־ הַכֶּ֙סֶף֙ וְלָקַ֣חַת בְּגָדִ֔ים וְזֵיתִ֤ים וּכְרָמִים֙ וְצֹ֣אן וּבָקָ֔ר וַעֲבָדִ֖ים ؟ וּשְׁפָחֽוֹת

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר  And  he  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֵלָיו֙  to  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
לִבִּ֣י  my  heart 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: לֵב 
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding.
הָלַ֔ךְ  did  go  [with  you] 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
הָֽפַךְ־  turned  back 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: הָפַךְ  
Sense: to turn, overthrow, overturn.
אִ֛ישׁ  the  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
מֶרְכַּבְתּ֖וֹ  his  chariot 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: מֶרְכָּבָה  
Sense: chariot.
לִקְרָאתֶ֑ךָ  to  meet  you 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, second person masculine singular
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to encounter, befall, meet.
הַעֵ֞ת  [Is  it]  time 
Parse: Article, Noun, common singular
Root: עֵת  
Sense: time.
לָקַ֤חַת  to  receive 
Parse: Preposition-l, 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.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הַכֶּ֙סֶף֙  money 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֶּסֶף  
Sense: silver, money.
וְלָקַ֣חַת  and  to  receive 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition, 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.
בְּגָדִ֔ים  clothing 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: בֶּגֶד 
Sense: treachery, deceit.
וְזֵיתִ֤ים  and  olive  groves 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural
Root: זַיִת  
Sense: olive, olive tree.
וּכְרָמִים֙  and  vineyards 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural
Root: כֶּרֶם 
Sense: vineyard.
וְצֹ֣אן  and  sheep 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, common singular
Root: צֹאן  
Sense: small cattle, sheep, sheep and goats, flock, flocks.
וּבָקָ֔ר  and  oxen 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בָּקָר  
Sense: cattle, herd, oxen, ox.
וַעֲבָדִ֖ים  and  male 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
؟ וּשְׁפָחֽוֹת  and  maidservants 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine plural
Root: שִׁפְחָה  
Sense: maid, maid-servant, slavegirl.