BIBLE VERSE STUDY
2 Kings 5:14 — Naaman's Healing in the Jordan
Naaman obeys Elisha's word, dips seven times in the Jordan, and his flesh is restored like a child's, making him clean.
Scripture
14Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
What this passage means
Verse 14 narrates the moment Naaman complies with the prophet's instruction: he goes down to the Jordan and dips himself seven times 'according to the saying of the man of God.' The phrase 'seven times' is not incidental arithmetic; it matches the exact wording Elisha gave in verse 10, and the repetition shows that the cure is tied to obeying the word as spoken, not to any property of the water itself.
The result is described in two stages: his flesh 'came again like unto the flesh of a little child,' and 'he was clean.' The childlike flesh evokes a kind of renewal or rebirth — not merely the removal of disease but a restoration to an original, unblemished state. 'Clean' (Hebrew root idea, though no Strong's data is supplied here) is the ritual term used for the leper who is pronounced fit to rejoin the community, so the verse carries both physical and ceremonial significance.
Crucially, the healing happens only when Naaman acts on the prophet's word. His earlier objection (vv. 11–12) was that the Jordan was inferior to the rivers of Damascus, and only after his servants' persuasion in verse 13 does he go. The verse therefore reads as a paradigm of salvation by obedient trust: the man himself does nothing spectacular — he simply goes, water, and the word is honored.
Context
Chapter 5 sets the stage for verse 14 by establishing Naaman's identity: a Syrian military commander honored by his king but afflicted with leprosy (v. 1). The cleansing comes about through a chain of unlikely witnesses — an Israelite captive girl (v. 2), a letter from the Syrian king to Israel (vv. 5–6), and Elisha the man of God (vv. 8–10) — placing a Syrian general under the word of Israel's prophet.
Immediately before verse 14, Naaman resists the simple command. He expects Elisha to come out, call on God, and wave his hand (v. 11); he prefers the rivers of Damascus (v. 12). His servants then urge him: if a hard task had been asked, he would have done it, so why refuse an easy one (v. 13)? Verse 14 is the answer to that persuasion — the obedient act that produces the cure. Verses 15–17 then show Naaman's confession that 'there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel' and his request to take Israelite soil so he can worship only Jehovah.
Common questions
Why did Naaman have to dip seven times?
According to the chapter, Elisha's specific instruction was to wash in the Jordan seven times (v. 10). The number is simply the exact word the prophet spoke, and the text presents the healing as tied to obeying that word as given, not to any quality of the water.
What does 'his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child' mean?
The verse describes the physical restoration of Naaman's skin after leprosy, comparing it to the unblemished skin of a child. It emphasizes a thorough renewal beyond mere recovery — and is then paired with 'he was clean,' the ritual term for one declared fit to rejoin the community.
Why did Naaman finally obey in verse 14 after refusing in verses 11–12?
The chapter attributes his change of mind to his servants' argument in verse 13: if a difficult command had been given he would have done it, so refusing a simple one made no sense. Verse 14 is the obedient response to that persuasion, showing that his cure comes through yielding to the prophet's word rather than imposing his own conditions.