26:29.) This is the second contrast we find in this story: that of the pomp of Naaman and Elishas humbleness. Maybe something's gone wrong." Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for professors, theologians, and those interested in exegetical analysis of biblical texts. And if you read the verses earlier the categories that Elisha mentioned to Gehazi are listed out as belonging to the promised land. Josua Bruyn once remarked that the large-figure paintings produced in this workshopthe Backer-like Jacobsz and the Jacobsz-like Backer paintingswere difficult to distinguish.5 One example of how closely related the works of these painters were during this period is The Tribute Money in Stockholm. God is the one who gives, not Elisha. One day, his wife's Israelite servant girl told her about the power of God moving through the prophet Elisha. 4). And the leprosy from Naaman fell on Gehazi and would remain in his descendants. And in fact, they sent a fellow back carrying a bag. When he discovered that he was stricken with leprosy, he searched for a cure -- and of course, at that time, there was no cure. Gehazi's Greed and Leprosy 15 Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God, stood before him, and declared, "Now I know for sure that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel. This is where Halbertals remarks might come in handy: if a gift is supposed to start a gift cycle, why is Elisha not willing to partake in it? 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. And in the letter it said, "I want you to heal my general of this leprosy." See Grel Cavalli-Bjrkman, Dutch and Flemish Paintings, vol. The leprosy was gone.He was so excited he headed back to the prophet's house because he was loaded down with all kinds of gifts that the king of Syria had sent. Nevertheless, the now-lost painting represents an episode that immediately precedes the one Jacobsz depicted in the Leiden Collection painting. Naaman sends a letter to the king saying that he expected the king to heal him! Jack Kilgore & Co., Inc., New York, 2006. Elisha refused to accept the gifts, but his servant, Gehazi, decided he would "run after him, and take somewhat of him." The model for the elderly man was also used for a version of The Tribute Money in Stockholm by Jacob Backer in his Leeuwarden period; see Grel Cavalli-Bjrkman, Dutch and Flemish Paintings, vol. 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. So when he came before the man of God, he had difficulty humbling himself in obedience to the Lord's instructions. An overall warm gray ground has been applied to the painting. For terms and use, please refer to our Terms and Conditions imdi bu mesaj kapatabilir veya Kullanm artlarmz ve Gizlilik Politikamz okuyabilirsiniz. As a result, the earlier work lacks the spiritual and reflective character that is so poignant in the masters later rendering of this biblical narrative. For comparable tronies of old men executed by Jacob Backer in this period, see Jacob Backer, The Head of an Apostle, ca. The suggestion that vv. How does a fan in a turbofan engine suck air in? The man standing in the door to the right is Elisha's servant Gehazi. Scripture says that we can come before the throne of grace to receive mercy and favor in our time of need. Naaman departed for Syria, but Elisha's servant Gehazi ran after him and told a lie in order to get Naaman's gift for himself. Throughout its existence the company has been honored with many awards which recognise BRILL's contribution to science, publishing and international trade. And so, he'd like a couple of changes of apparel for them and a talent of silver. He is a former scholar-in-residence at Logos Bible Software. Such may have been Elisha's feeling. Small sections of the ground have been left visible between some of the brushstrokes. . Elisha refuses. Naaman believed that There [was] no God in all the earth but in Israel (2 Kgs 5:15) and wanted to return to his homeland with holy ground. Elisha Refusing Naamans Gifts was not always attributed to Lambert Jacobsz. Vetus Testamentum 635 (as Haarlem master); see also the RKD website. Angered, Elisha curses his servant, and the servant has Naaman's leprosy for the rest of his life. 20-7 act epexegetically to Elisha's refusal to accept Naaman's gifts is plausible for three reasons. Why would God have rejected Cains offering? New York, 2020. Dirt? When he returned home, Elisha found out and punished . When he heard of the ministry of Elisha, Naaman was willing to humble his pride, leave his homeland, and travel to Israel in order to see the prophet of God. A PDF of every version of this entry is available in this Online Catalogue's Archive, and the Archive is managed by a permanent URL. 78. cat. Naaman was a great man. Articles on this page may be used in conjunction with the Gospel Doctrine course of study. However, Elisha's servant, Gehazi, followed Naaman and deceitfully asked for a gift in Elisha's name. Why would he want to? thinks the king referred to was Jehoahaz, while Schenkel ("Biblical Lexicon") suggests Jehu, but the general view is that it was Jehoram. To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers. Thanks for contributing an answer to Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange! And the prophet starts laying out the things that he had in mind to do with this money. (comp. Please sign in or register for a free Superbook account to watch full episodes, earn SuperPoints and win great prizes. An Israelite maid he had captured advised him to see the prophet Elisha. How could he engage in traditional Israelite ritual? Keep them." The baths cured Naaman. The paint layers are generally in good condition. The man standing in the door to the right is Elisha's servant Gehazi. Elisha was totally surrendered to God in every area of his life. Naaman was angry and would have left, but his servant asked him to try it and he was healed. He has a dozen years of classroom teaching experience on the college level and another ten in distance education. 212. 2 Kings 3:14 And Elisha said, As the LORD of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look toward thee, nor see thee. In this quiet and restrained scene, Lambert Jacobsz placed Naaman in the center of the composition and gave him added prominence through his slightly larger scale and the brilliant colors of his turban and kaftan. Was it a time to accept money and garments, olive orchards and vineyards, sheep and oxen, male servants and female servants?". He's going to set himself up. His refusal, strongly contrasting with the conduct of ordinary prophets, Israelite and heathen (comp. 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. Iconclass is a classification system pertaining to art and iconography, designed to describe and classify subjects, themes, and motifs represented in images. cat. The name "Naaman" means "nice guy!". You can now hide this message or find out more about cookies. What happens when someone rejects a sacrifice, a gift, an offering? Gehazi did not tell Elisha but he followed Naaman and told him a lie. Arama, l.c.). 20-7). According to Blankert, the subject had a twofold significance for the regents: first, Elishas refusal symbolized the regents own rectitude and, second, the example of Gehazi was a cautionary note for their servants that they would pay a heavy price for deception. And in certain dire situations, one is permitted to accept presents openly.) Since documents about a commission have not been preserved, it is not known for whom Lambert painted Elisha Refusing Naamans Gifts or where it was originally intended to be displayed. The leprosy that was upon Naaman is going to be upon you and your family. And when Gehazi came up, he said, "Is everything fine?" The Church News is an official publication of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. [2][3] Send him to me so he may know there is a prophet in Israel." 9 So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stood in the doorway of Elisha's house. 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. lxi.). He is unfamiliar with the Jewish tradition of the ritual bath (mikveh) as it appears in several sections of the book of Leviticus (for example, in Lev. He wanted to thank Elisha by giving him presents, but Elisha refused. He knew the request came from a sincere theological change of heart. 26:30. After Naaman departed, Gehazi ran after him and asked him for gifts. Sperkitap web sitesini kullanarak, Kullanm artlarmz ve Gizlilik Politikamz kabul etmi olursunuz. 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. Naaman was a powerful man and a warrior who was used to giving commands and having those commands obeyed. The Lord says just "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved" ( Acts 16:31 ). Elisha, instead, just tells him what God had already told Moses. 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. And this is what God said about His land, You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day. He was a great warrior and highly respected because he had given victories to Aram. But the Lord revealed to Elisha what Gehazi did and prophet rebuked him saying, the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and to your descendants forever" (verse 27). And so the king had torn his clothes and was all upset. Backer had a great reputation as a skilled painter of finely formed hands. See Hendrik Luitje Straat, Lambert Jacobsz: schilder, De Vrije Fries 28 (1928): 71, no. Finally, before embarking for Syria, Naaman makes a strange request: to load two mules with dirt to take back with him. But when they got to the gate of the city, Gehazi said, "That's great. Pieter de Grebber, Belshazzars Great Feast, 1625 (Museum Schloss Wilhelmshhe, Kassel). Entrust your prayer intentions to our network of monasteries. 5 Insights for Interpreting the Deaths of Ananias and Sapphira. Now you see, he starts to read his mind at this point, or he starts to discern what was on his heart. As he found himself cured, he praised Elishas god and wanted to thank the prophet by giving him presents. Simon Kick, Elisha Refusing Naamans Gifts, 1644 (Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Gemldegalerie); Werner Sumowski, Gemlde der Rembrandt-Schler, vol. According to the narrative, he is called a mezora (), a person affected by the skin disease tzaraath (, tzara'at). See Albert Blankert, Kunst als regeringszaak in Amsterdam in de 17e eeuw (Exh. Superbook is a registered trademark of The Christian Broadcasting Network, Inc. A nonprofit 501 (c)(3) Charitable Organization All Rights Reserved. He wanted to always remember the true God who healed him. And so he said, "Let's wait. In contrast, the figures in the background on the left side were painted on top of the brown background paint. 32; 206, no. 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. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. By doing so, Naaman received his healing. Scattered pinpoint losses are also found in the more thinly painted areas. Moreover, the figure of Elisha was thought to resemble the old man at the left in De Grebbers Conferring of the Sword on the Coat-of-Arms of Haarlem from 1630. 344, 361). Why was Hezekiah not rebuked for seeking a sign in 2 Kings 20. When the two meet, Elisha tells him rather dismissively that he needs to take a bath in the Jordan River. "I pray that you'll take this blessing.". It would be simply wrong for Elisha to accept Naamans gift, given the fact the prophet has not performed the healing himself, but God. 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. The word is transliterated in the Septuagint (Vatican) and (Lucian) , while the Alexandrian codex has ' , apparently reading . 1800 (Stockholm, 2005), 213, no. Copyright Aleteia SAS all rights reserved. She has done all the leadership work but finds no one is doing her bidding with the follow-up details. "Elisha understood this truth perfectly, but Gehazi saw a chance for personal gain slipping away and let his greed overpower his good judgment.". (The mikveh is a bath used for ritual immersion in Judaism. Somehow I would like to deserve or earn God's blessings. By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. Can we simply say no, thanks, you keep it to that uncle who has sacrificed some of his time and money to give us (again) a pack of three handkerchiefs for Christmas? Immediately after Babel, Yahweh called Abraham and the nation of Israel was created. Why must a product of symmetric random variables be symmetric? L.J (Yet another landscape with a large ruin and a river within the foreground Naaman speaking to Gehazi, the prophet Elishas servant, who came after him, and for whom a carriage waits in the distance). He couldnt stay in Israel, but he could take Israel with him. Naaman was cured of his leprosy. He was a man without many options and so God became his only hope. lx. To his amazement, Elisha's cure worked"His flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy" (verse 14). Ps. cat. Lambert Jacobszs interpretation of the story is consistent with Mennonite beliefs. The baths cured Naaman. Lambert Jacobsz, Elisha and Gehazi (Agnes Etherington Art Centre, Queens University, Kingston). Ltfen Kullanm artlarmz ve Gizlilik Politikamz dikkatlice inceleyiniz. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? The aged prophet, however, refused Naamans gifts and, placing his hand on an open Bible, explained to the commander that God, not he, had healed Naaman (2 Kings 5:116). Jacobsz also painted original compositions, of which his assistants made copies and variations. It seems unlikely that Jacobszs depiction of this Biblical story would have been suitable for the Regents Chamber in the Leprozenhuis in Leeuwarden. Have been left visible between some of the Church News is an official of! Represents an episode that immediately precedes the one who gives, not the you... 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