The Meaning of 2 Kings 5:10 Explained

2 Kings 5:10

KJV: And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.

YLT: and Elisha sendeth unto him a messenger, saying, 'Go, and thou hast washed seven times in Jordan, and thy flesh doth turn back to thee -- and be thou clean.

Darby: And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.

ASV: And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Elisha  sent  a messenger  unto him, saying,  Go  and wash  in Jordan  seven  times,  and thy flesh  shall come again  to thee, and thou shalt be clean. 

What does 2 Kings 5:10 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 5:10 mean?

And sent to him Elisha a messenger saying go and wash seven times in the Jordan and shall be restored your flesh to you and [you shall] be clean
וַיִּשְׁלַ֥ח אֵלָ֛יו אֱלִישָׁ֖ע מַלְאָ֣ךְ לֵאמֹ֑ר הָל֗וֹךְ וְרָחַצְתָּ֤ שֶֽׁבַע־ פְּעָמִים֙ בַּיַּרְדֵּ֔ן וְיָשֹׁ֧ב בְּשָׂרְךָ֛ לְךָ֖ וּטְהָֽר

וַיִּשְׁלַ֥ח  And  sent 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
אֵלָ֛יו  to  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
אֱלִישָׁ֖ע  Elisha 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֱלִישָׁע  
Sense: the great prophet who succeeded Elijah.
מַלְאָ֣ךְ  a  messenger 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מַלְאָךְ  
Sense: messenger, representative.
לֵאמֹ֑ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
הָל֗וֹךְ  go 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive absolute
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
וְרָחַצְתָּ֤  and  wash 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: רָחַץ  
Sense: to wash, wash off, wash away, bathe.
שֶֽׁבַע־  seven 
Parse: Number, feminine singular
Root: שֶׁבַע  
Sense: seven (cardinal number).
פְּעָמִים֙  times 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: פַּעַם  
Sense: stroke, beat, foot, step, anvil, occurrence.
בַּיַּרְדֵּ֔ן  in  the  Jordan 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יַרְדֵּן  
Sense: the river of Palestine running from the roots of Anti-Lebanon to the Dead Sea a distance of approx 200 miles (320 km).
וְיָשֹׁ֧ב  and  shall  be  restored 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect Jussive, third person masculine singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
בְּשָׂרְךָ֛  your  flesh 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: בָּשָׂר  
Sense: flesh.
לְךָ֖  to  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
וּטְהָֽר  and  [you  shall]  be  clean 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: טָהֵר  
Sense: to be clean, be pure.