Discovery Box2 Kings 5:5-8 
Context5:5 The king of Syria said, “Go! I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So Naaman 1 went, taking with him ten talents 2 of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, 3 and ten suits of clothes. 5:6 He brought the letter to king of Israel. It read: “This is a letter of introduction for my servant Naaman, 4 whom I have sent to be cured of his skin disease.” 5:7 When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God? Can I kill or restore life? Why does he ask me to cure a man of his skin disease? 5 Certainly you must see that he is looking for an excuse to fight me!” 6
5:8 When Elisha the prophet 7 heard that the king had torn his clothes, he sent this message to the king, “Why did you tear your clothes? Send him 8 to me so he may know there is a prophet in Israel.”
1 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Naaman) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
2 tn The Hebrew term כִּכָּר (kikkar, “circle”) refers generally to something that is round. When used of metals it can refer to a disk-shaped weight made of the metal or to a standard unit of weight, generally regarded as a talent. Since the accepted weight for a talent of metal is about 75 pounds, this would have amounted to about 750 pounds of silver (cf. NCV, NLT, CEV).
3 tn Heb “six thousand gold […].” The unit of measure is not given in the Hebrew text. A number of English versions supply “pieces” (e.g., KJV, ASV, NAB, TEV) or “shekels” (e.g., NASB, NIV, NRSV).
4 tn Heb “and now when this letter comes to you, look, I have sent to you Naaman my servant.”
5 tn Heb “Am I God, killing and restoring life, that this one sends to me to cure a man from his skin disease?” In the Hebrew text this is one lengthy rhetorical question, which has been divided up in the translation for stylistic reasons.
6 tn Heb “Indeed, know and see that he is seeking an occasion with respect to me.”
7 tn Heb “man of God” (also in vv. 15, 20).
8 tn Heb “Let him come.”
