The Meaning of 2 Kings 5:1 Explained

2 Kings 5:1

KJV: Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him the LORD had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper.

YLT: And Naaman, head of the host of the king of Aram, was a great man before his lord, and accepted of face, for by him had Jehovah given salvation to Aram, and the man was mighty in valour -- leprous.

Darby: And Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man before his master, and honourable, for by him Jehovah had given deliverance to Syria; and he was a mighty man of valour, but a leper.

ASV: Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honorable, because by him Jehovah had given victory unto Syria: he was also a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Now Naaman,  captain  of the host  of the king  of Syria,  was a great  man  with  his master,  and honourable,  because by him the LORD  had given  deliverance  unto Syria:  he was also a mighty  man  in valour,  [but he was] a leper. 

What does 2 Kings 5:1 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Kings 5:1-14 - The Cure For Leprosy
From Assyrian monuments we learn that at this period Syria regained her independence from under the yoke of Assyria, and probably it was during this struggle that Naaman gained his great victories. Note the suggestiveness of the phrase, "The Lord had given," which teaches that the hand of God was guiding heathen as well as Hebrew history. The realm of God's providence is as long as time, and as broad as the earth.
The destruction of this poor child's home and her captivity must, at the time, have seemed to be an unexplainable disaster from which there could be no relief; and yet it enabled her to bring about a great deliverance, which has shone on the page of Scripture, giving inspiration to tens of thousands. She rose above her sorrows, and by faith wrought victory out of defeat. By preferring his own way to God's, Naaman came dangerously near returning home unhealed. We must adopt God's method of salvation, however humbling to our pride. "I thought," will wreck us; "To thee, O Lamb of God, I come," will save us. Note the combination of warrior's strength with the flesh of a little child-strength married to purity and simplicity. [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 5:1 mean?

Now Naaman commander of the army of the king of Syria was a man great in the eyes of his master and honorable because by him had given Yahweh victory to Syria And a man of He was mighty valor [but] a leper
וְ֠נַעֲמָן שַׂר־ צְבָ֨א מֶֽלֶךְ־ אֲרָ֜ם הָיָ֣ה אִישׁ֩ גָּד֨וֹל לִפְנֵ֤י אֲדֹנָיו֙ וּנְשֻׂ֣א פָנִ֔ים כִּֽי־ ב֛וֹ נָֽתַן־ יְהוָ֥ה תְּשׁוּעָ֖ה לַאֲרָ֑ם וְהָאִ֗ישׁ הָיָ֛ה גִּבּ֥וֹר חַ֖יִל מְצֹרָֽע

וְ֠נַעֲמָן  Now  Naaman 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, 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.
שַׂר־  commander 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: סָרַר 
Sense: prince, ruler, leader, chief, chieftain, official, captain.
צְבָ֨א  of  the  army 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct
Root: צָבָא 
Sense: that which goes forth, army, war, warfare, host.
מֶֽלֶךְ־  of  the  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
אֲרָ֜ם  of  Syria 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֲרָם 
Sense: Aram or Syria the nation.
אִישׁ֩  a  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
גָּד֨וֹל  great 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: גָּבֹול 
Sense: great.
לִפְנֵ֤י  in  the  eyes 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
אֲדֹנָיו֙  of  his  master 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אָדֹון  
Sense: firm, strong, lord, master.
פָנִ֔ים  honorable 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
כִּֽי־  because 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
ב֛וֹ  by  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
נָֽתַן־  had  given 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
יְהוָ֥ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
תְּשׁוּעָ֖ה  victory 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: תְּשׁוּעָה  
Sense: salvation, deliverance.
לַאֲרָ֑ם  to  Syria 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֲרָם 
Sense: Aram or Syria the nation.
וְהָאִ֗ישׁ  And  a  man 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
הָיָ֛ה  of  He  was 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
גִּבּ֥וֹר  mighty 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular construct
Root: גִּבֹּור  
Sense: strong, mighty.
חַ֖יִל  valor 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חַיִל 
Sense: strength, might, efficiency, wealth, army.
מְצֹרָֽע  [but]  a  leper 
Parse: Verb, Pual, Participle, masculine singular
Root: צָרַע  
Sense: to be diseased of skin, be leprous.