Useful Bible Studies > 2 Kings Commentary > chapter 5
As a poor farmer, Elisha’s most valuable possessions had been his plough and his two oxen (strong farm animals). When he then became Elijah’s servant, Elisha gave up those possessions. Elisha joyfully chose to use them to make one last meal to share with his friends and relatives (1 Kings 19:19-21).
From that time on, Elisha depended on God for all that he needed. As Elijah’s servant, God provided for both of them. Whatever God gave to Elijah, he would share with Elisha.
Now that Elisha was himself a prophet (holy man), he too had a servant, Gehazi. God provided for them both sometimes in an astonishing manner (4:38-44). Gehazi probably received just his clothes and his food. Elisha was content with what God provided – but Gehazi was not.
Naaman had brought very great possessions with him, to pay the prophet (5:5), This was much greater wealth than Gehazi, as a poor servant, could even imagine. Gehazi probably thought that he was asking Naaman to pay a great price. A talent of silver weighed 75 pounds or 34 kilograms. It was probably as much as Gehazi could comfortably carry back. He requested silver, not gold, because poor people paid their daily expenses in silver. One talent was about 3000 silver shekels; when prices were cheap, it was possible to buy a large quantity of flour for a shekel (7:1).
Naaman could hardly believe that the prophet had asked for so little. He agreed to pay double Gehazi’s price, and sent two servants to carry the silver and the clothes for Gehazi.
Next part: Elisha shows that Gehazi acted wrongly (2 Kings 5:24-25)
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