We've got better rivers up in Damascus." In De Grebbers painting, the patrons assume the roles of Naaman and three of his servants. The king of Israel suspects in this to him impossible request a pretext of Syria for later starting a war against him, and tears his clothes. He focused particularly on Naaman's gaze as he quietly reflects upon the prophet's reasons for refusing to accept his gifts of appreciationthe moment of revelation when Naaman came to understand that "there is no God in all the world except in Israel." Discover God's love and plan for you, This was a demonstration of humility. 1800 (Stockholm 2005), 59, no. R. vii. The present format appears to be at, or near, the original dimensions. The man was also a valiant warrior, but he was a leper. (2 Ne. Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience. The suggestion that vv. Elisha is one of the most powerful prophets in the Old Testament. Finally, before embarking for Syria, Naaman makes a strange request: to load two mules with dirt to take back with him. Naaman (Hebrew: Namn, "pleasantness") the Aramean was a commander of the armies of Ben-Hadad II, the king of Aram-Damascus, in the time of Joram, king of Israel. During the same period, Jacobsz painted two other large-figure paintings depicting Elisha rebuking Gehazi in the Agnes Etherington Art Centre, Queens University, Kingston (fig 3) and in the Landesmuseum Hannover (fig 4).7 In both the Kingston and Hannover paintings, the artist focused on the interactions of the two protagonists, with the elderly prophet admonishing his chastened servant by wagging his finger. Please sign in or register for a free Superbook account to watch full episodes, earn SuperPoints and win great prizes. 344, 361). Naaman then takes his bath in the Jordan river (as a mikveh) and is healed. Elisha's refusal of Naaman's gift in our passage, and that this expla-nation should be sought in the prophet's judicial deliberations over his servant, Gehazi, incurred after the latter had acquired Naaman's gift (vv. Does Cast a Spell make you a spellcaster? God is the one who gives, not Elisha. 6 (ascribed to Pieter de Grebber by Fred Meijer). In which circumstances are we allowed to reject a gift? When the painting first appeared on the market in 2005, it was given to Pieter de Grebber.8 As Albert Blankert rightly recognized, however, this attribution is not tenable for stylistic reasons, despite the fact that Jacobsz knew De Grebbers work.9 Blankert also pointed out that the way in which the old Elisha and young Naaman face each other is comparable to the confrontation between Elisha and Gehazi in the Hannover painting.10 Other arguments reinforce the attribution of the Leiden Collection painting to Lambert Jacobsz. Previous commentary: Next commentary: About this commentary: are made available by the generosity of . First and foremost, Naaman's healing is not Elisha's gift: it is a gift freely bestowed by the grace of God, and Elisha is well aware of that. A1A16. This also shows the place where the king and the people were at spiritually because the king doesn't think to call Elisha there to heal Naaman. But he said, As the LORD lives, before whom I stand, I will receive none. 5, S. Paulus met sijn sweert groot L. Jacobs selffs [added later] off J[acob] A[riens Backer]. Gehazi's acceptance was unacceptable in the frame of Elisha's refusal. Naaman was a powerful man and a warrior who was used to giving commands and having those commands obeyed. Gehazi's heart should have been uplifted with praise for . Why do we kill some animals but not others? However, Elisha's servant, Gehazi, followed Naaman and deceitfully asked for a gift in Elisha's name. 2,Dutch Paintings c. 1600c. Vetus Testamentum is a leading journal covering all aspects of Old Testament study. Why should Elisha receive a gift for him? I want to do some great thing for God. Albert Blankert in a letter to Jack Kilgore, 5 October 2006, at The Leiden Collection, New York. As a result, Israel was holy ground; the territory of every other nation was not. Gehazi was Elisha's helper. And when Gehazi came up, he said, "Is everything fine?" Gehazi told Naaman that Elisha had changed his mind and now Elisha wanted the gifts. Elisha's servant, Gehazi, was not happy. Perhaps, as he walked back, he was thinking about what he could do with such a large sum: he could buy olive orchards and vineyards, sheep and oxen, and have servants rather than being a servant. Elisha's refusal of Naaman's gift in our passage, and that this expla-nation should be sought in the prophet's judicial deliberations over his servant, Gehazi, incurred after the latter had acquired Naaman's gift (vv. Around 1627, after finishing his training, Backer moved to Leeuwarden to assist his former neighbor with the production of paintings, especially large-figure history pieces.4 The collaboration between Jacobsz and Backer, his main assistant, must have been harmonious. In 2 Kings 2:9 what does it mean for Elisha to want "a double portion" from Elijah? Did not my heart go when the man turned from his chariot to meet you? 2 Kings 5:4. This seems to be, to a certain extent, self-evident. And the prophet starts laying out the things that he had in mind to do with this money. See Piet Bakker, De Friese schilderkunst in de Gouden Eeuw (Zwolle, 2008), 140, fig. If Elisha had accepted those gifts, he would be accepting the glory that God should get. Now I told you that a fellow that would have this kind of a gift would have problems. After Naaman departed, Gehazi ran after him and asked him for gifts. Why did Elisha refuse Naaman's gift? As a means of thanks, Naaman tries to give Elisha a gift. To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers. We would all of us like to do some great wonderful thing for the Lord. 635 (as Haarlem master); see also the RKD website. Just to receive from God the simplicity with which God gives to me. So Elisha catalogs the types of gifts that he refused in order to emphasize his role as a mere channel of the divinity as opposed to miracle-worker. Naaman then traveled to Samaria to see Elisha, but the prophet never received him: he just sent a messenger to meet Naaman and his entourage by the door. He did not want money, wealth, power, or prestige to interfere with the call of God that was on his life. He thought Elisha should have accepted all of the gifts. Discover God's love and plan for you, Naaman was returning to a place where false gods were worshiped everywhere. The guy is just looking for trouble. Who Are Gog and Magogand Whats So Evil about the North? The name "Naaman" means "nice guy!". Subscribe for free and get daily or weekly updates straight to your inbox, The three things you need to know everyday, Highlights from the last week to keep you informed. An Israelite maid he had captured advised him to see the prophet Elisha. It seems unlikely that Jacobszs depiction of this Biblical story would have been suitable for the Regents Chamber in the Leprozenhuis in Leeuwarden. The baths cured Naaman. See Grel Cavalli-Bjrkman, Dutch and Flemish Paintings, vol. Elisha understood Naaman's request and granted it without hesitation. For comparable tronies of old men executed by Jacob Backer in this period, see Jacob Backer, The Head of an Apostle, ca. 2, Dutch Paintings c. 1600c. ; Arama, "'Aedat Yia," ch. I can only receive by grace the goodness of God. 3, B. Keil J. He is miraculously healed by the simple act. Only a few Dutch paintings depicting this biblical narrative have survived, most of them by artists working in Amsterdam and Haarlem in the first half of the 1600s. The rest of the Old Testament is the story of Gods intention to reclaim every nation on earth. Christian theology depicts Naaman as an example for the will of God to save people who are considered by men as less than pious and unworthy of salvation. But also, Elishas rejection seems to suggest God is more of a giver than of a taker, and his gifts do not aim to setting an economical cycle of gift-giving and exchange with anyone: he freely gives his Grace (in fact, this is what the word Grace strictly means: gratuity, something freely given beyond ones obligation), which always exceeds measure or merit. And he started thinking of what he could do with some of that reward that Naaman was offering.And so he went chasing after Naaman. So when he came before the man of God, he had difficulty humbling himself in obedience to the Lord's instructions. Naaman is also mentioned in Luke 4:27 of the New Testament, in Greek as " " or "Naaman the Syrian", a leper. Naaman comes to Elisha, the text tells us, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold and ten sets of clothing. Elisha, instead, had barely an instruction to give, and one that was not even his own: the good old go take a ritual bath in the Jordan. Too proud to follow the prophets all-too-simple instruction, Naaman almost goes back home still a leper! Why must a product of symmetric random variables be symmetric? Elisha Refusing Naamans Gifts was not always attributed to Lambert Jacobsz. He was a good commander and was held in favor because of the victory that God brought him. After this, Naaman and his retinue returned to Elisha and offered a giftten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, ten sets of clothingElisha could take whatever he wanted. And in certain dire situations, one is permitted to accept presents openly.) ( 2 Kings 5:16; see verses 15 through 22 for the whole story.) Sign up for our Premium service. Explain that Naaman was healed by Heavenly Father through the power of the priesthood and that priesthood holders cannot use the priesthood to gain recognition or wealth. We would all of us like to do some great wonderful thing for the Lord. 10 million Ukrainians without power because of Russia. Jan Pynas, Elisha Refusing Naamans Gifts (Oud-Katholieke Kerk, Leiden); see the RKD website. How does a fan in a turbofan engine suck air in? 122. And he said, Did not my spirit go with thee, [when you received] when you went out to their chariot and stopped them and you received the money, and you received the garments, and the oliveyards, and the vineyards, and the sheep, and the oxen, and menservants, and maidservants? Naaman tells his lord this and he is sent to Israel with a letter to the king. 34). People become very excited when they see God work. Oh how simple it is. Elisha the prophet healed Naaman of his leprosy by the power of the Lord (verse 14), and Naaman praised God and offered Elisha a gift, which Elisha refused to accept (verse 16). UFOs and Christianity: What Hath Roswell to Do with Jerusalem? And they said, "Hey, it looks like the servant of the prophet's coming." (Amsterdam, 2012), 4447. Those were the things which Elisha refused. The display of power, so transparently without sacrifice or incantation, awakens Naaman to the fact that Yahweh of Israel is the true God. (The mikveh is a bath used for ritual immersion in Judaism. First and foremost, Naamans healing is not Elishas gift: it is a gift freely bestowed by the grace of God, and Elisha is well aware of that. One day, his wife's Israelite servant girl told her about the power of God moving through the prophet Elisha. Naaman was the captain of the army of the king of Aram (Syria). The Lord says just "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved" ( Acts 16:31 ). Now Naaman, captain of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man with his master, and highly respected, because by him the LORD had given victory to Aram. To demonstrate his gratitude, Naaman, wearing a richly decorated turban and pale turquoise kaftan, came before the prophet to offer Elisha precious gifts, including the purple cloak on which he rests his left hand. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. Simon Kick, Elisha Refusing Naamans Gifts, 1644 (Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Gemldegalerie); Werner Sumowski, Gemlde der Rembrandt-Schler, vol. Aramean raiders invaded the land of Israel, and among their captives was a young girl who had been given to Naamans wife as a maid. From Marcel Mauss classic The Gift, to the relatively recent book by Moshe Halbertal On Sacrifice, understanding the dynamics involved in giving (and for-giving) seems to be crucial to unveil some of the fundamental tenets of our interpersonal relationships, may them be among humans, or with the divine. At times, these slivers of warm gray act as a transitional midtone, as in the lower contour of Elishas sleeve where it overlaps with the white page of his book. According to the narrative, he is called a mezora (), a person affected by the skin disease tzaraath (, tzara'at). However, it cannot be entirely ruled out that Jacob Backer also contributed to the painting. Just to accept the fact that God loves me and to receive His gifts gracefully. He then praised the lord of Israel as the only true god. The two works of this subject by Abraham van Dijck (1635/680) and Ferdinand Bol (161680) date from much later. 2847; see also the RKD website. The Church News is an official publication of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Why does the king blame Elisha for the siege and famine of Samaria in 2 Kings 6:31? But he was a leper. I speculate that God seeing a true turning of Naaman to Himself did not want Naaman to say that he contributed toward his conversion, especially not with material and perishable things Share Improve this answer Naaman traveled to Samaria, where Elisha told him to take seven dips in the river Jordan. His refusal, strongly contrasting with the conduct of ordinary prophets, Israelite and heathen (comp. 10:8. Superbook DVD Club members have access to watch full-length Superbook episodes online or within the Free Superbook Bible App. Naaman was a man with significant duties in his home country. And so it was told to Naaman and he told the king that there was a prophet in Israel that could cure him of his leprosy. When the two meet, Elisha tells him rather dismissively that he needs to take a bath in the Jordan River. He then praised the lord of Israel as the only true god. How do I fit an e-hub motor axle that is too big? 20-7 act epexegetically to Elisha's refusal to accept Naaman's gifts is plausible for three reasons. He said, "That guy didn't even have the graciousness to come out and meet me himself. 26:29.) 212. Naaman's wife had a servant girl from Israel who said that a prophet there would be able to heal him. Learn more at. Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. 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