When Naaman offered Elisha money and clothes, why did Elisha refuse? How does a fan in a turbofan engine suck air in? Iconclass is a classification system pertaining to art and iconography, designed to describe and classify subjects, themes, and motifs represented in images. 34) who mortally wounded Ahab seems to have been adopted by Josephus ("Ant." For an extensive discussion of this work, see Neeltje Khler, ed., Painting in Haarlem 15001850: The Collection of the Frans Hals Museum (Ghent, 2006), 46869. "I know that," he said. The king of Israel didn't know what to do, yet Elisha (Eliseus) sent a message to the King, advising that the King tell Naaman to come to see him. Maybe something's gone wrong." But he listened to the advice of his captains, humbled himself, and obeyed the word of the Lord -- and thus received his healing. And the guy urged him, but still he refused. 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. Naaman was a man with significant duties in his home country. 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. (Amsterdam, 2012), 4447. Why did Elisha refuse Naaman's gift? Although opinion varies as to how much a talent weighed (maybe 25-35kg), it was certainly a lot of money. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? Elishas hands are exceptionally beautifully shaped and contrast strongly with the usually somewhat clumsy hands painted on other original work by Lambert Jacobsz. Then Naaman said, "If you will not accept this gift, at least do this for me. 4). Somehow I would like to deserve or earn God's blessings. Am I God that I can heal him of his leprosy? And so he said, "Let's wait. These are the things he thought he would buy with the money: the oliveyards and vineyards, he's going to have servants of his own. I can only receive by grace the goodness of God. Now the Arameans went out in bands and captured from the land of Israel a young girl, who ministered to Naaman's wife. ; but as the interval between the death of Ahab and the curing of Naaman's leprosy is not known, it is impossible to identify the King of Israel to whom Naaman was sent with a letter. When the prophet Elisha hears about this, he sends for general Naaman. Much has been written, in the fields of anthropology, ethnography, ethics, and religious studies about gift-giving, sacrificing, and offering since the last century. Noch een ander landschap met een groote ruine ende een rivire daer op de voorgront staet Naomi [Naaman] sprekende met Gehasij des propheten Elisei knecht die hem naegelopen compt ende carosse int verschiet hem verwachtende. 9:18.) And so Naaman came to Elisha's house and Elisha didn't even go out to meet him but sent his servant Gehazi out with the orders, "Go down to the Jordan River and just dip in the Jordan River seven times, and after you've dipped seven times, you'll be cleansed of your leprosy." For example, Halbertals book On Sacrifice presents us with the possibility of having ones offering being rejected. The guy is just looking for trouble. By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. A person is not born a Mennonite, but only becomes one when mature enough to decide based on personal belief to follow the Christian faith, much like Naaman, who came to that revelation through the actions and words of Elisha. The present format appears to be at, or near, the original dimensions. One day his wife's Israeli servant girl told her about the power of God moving through the prophet Elisha. 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. Elisha Refusing Naamans Gifts (2020). The prophet Elisha, upon hearing of the king's tear-clothes moment, asked that Naaman be sent to him so that "he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel." (see 2 Kings 5:8). Originating around the same time are versions of the subject by Jacob I de Wet (161075) and Simon Kick (160352). This was Gods land. According to the Bible, Naaman was a commander of the army of Syria. Amsterdam, Museum Het Rembrandthuis; Aachen, Suermondt-Ludwig-Museum) (Zwolle, 2008), 32. Gehazi's heart should have been uplifted with praise for . It is wise to learn to listen to those around you, no matter what their station in life, knowing that sometimes God uses the weak and the seemingly insignificant to speak to us and keep us humble. 1631 (Private collection, United States); Peter van den Brink, Jacob Backer (1608/91651) (Exh. Jointly published by the Deseret News and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, its content supports the doctrines, principles and practices of the Church. Does Cast a Spell make you a spellcaster? Yet Naaman was a leper. Pieter de Grebber, Belshazzars Great Feast, 1625 (Museum Schloss Wilhelmshhe, Kassel). 5, Nachtrge, Ortsregister, Ikonographisches Register, Bibliographie (Landau, 1994), nos. Get a roundup of new Word by Word articles in your inbox each Friday. There are some old damages to the canvas support with associated paint losses, as in the two figures immediately to the left of Naaman. It seems unlikely that Jacobszs depiction of this Biblical story would have been suitable for the Regents Chamber in the Leprozenhuis in Leeuwarden. . Compare translations, take notes and highlight, consult devotionals and commentaries, look up Greek and Hebrew words, and much moreall with the help of intuitive, interactive tools. Vetus Testamentum is a leading journal covering all aspects of Old Testament study. Discover God's love and plan for you, This was a demonstration of humility. His painting does not focus on Naamans recovery from leprosy or on Elishas refusal to be rewarded, but rather on Naamans conversion to the true faith.13. The Mekilta (Yitro, 'Amale, 1), however, places Naaman's conversion above Jethro's. R. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. For terms and use, please refer to our Terms and Conditions Naaman is understood as Moab in the expression "Moab is my washpot" (Ps. This painting was first attributed to Lambert Jacobsz (and dated around 1630) by Jasper Hillegers; see Jasper Hillegers, Lambert Jacobsz (15981636) en zijn werkplaats: Atelierpraktijk in Leeuwarden omstreeks 1630, De Vrije Fries 89 (2009): 6792. The Septuagint, the Greek Old Testament, uses the word baptizein for the dipping that heals the heathen Naaman from the skin disease called tzaraath. 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. Although the story of Naaman and Elisha was infrequently depicted by other artists, Jacobsz painted episodes from this story at least six times in the late 1620s and 1630s, including three scenes with small-scale figures and three with large-scale figures.2 One of Jacobszs early portrayals of this subject, which is known only from a black-and-white photograph (fig 2), has compositional elements similar to those seen in Elisha Refusing Naamans Gifts, such as the interaction between Naaman and Elisha. In which circumstances are we allowed to reject a gift? By doing so, Naaman received his healing. Man, I could be set up if I just had a little bit of that loot." (2 Ne. Elisha was totally surrendered to God in every area of his life. When the two meet, Elisha tells him rather dismissively that he needs to take a bath in the Jordan River. According to the narrative, he is called a mezora (), a person affected by the skin disease tzaraath (, tzara'at). Naaman was a powerful man and a warrior who was used to giving commands and having those commands obeyed. 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. Elisha then told Naaman to go bathe in the Jordan seven times and he would be clean. And so, he'd like a couple of changes of apparel for them and a talent of silver. https://theleidencollection.com/iconclass. Angered, Elisha curses his servant, and the servant has Naaman's leprosy for the rest of his life. The rabbinical tradition that Naaman was the archer (I Kings xxii. Lepers were shunned and disgraced. 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 display of power, so transparently without sacrifice or incantation, awakens Naaman to the fact that Yahweh of Israel is the true God. For Bruyns remark, see Jasper Hillegers, Lambert Jacobsz (15981636) en zijn werkplaats: Atelierpraktijk in Leeuwarden omstreeks 1630, De Vrije Fries 89 (2009): 78, which refers to Josua Bruyn, Boekbespreking Werner Sumowski, Gemlde der Rembrandt-Schler, VI, Oud Holland 110 (1996), 167. And he urged him to take it; but he refused. 34). 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. Now the servant Gehazi, when he saw Elisha turning down these gifts, he began to think, "Wow, what I could do with just a little bit of that loot. Jasper Hillegers, Lambert Jacobsz (15981636) en zijn werkplaats. To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers. Ltfen Kullanm artlarmz ve Gizlilik Politikamz dikkatlice inceleyiniz. This seems to be, to a certain extent, self-evident. The man standing in the door to the right is Elisha's servant Gehazi. [4], According to Rabbinic teaching, Naaman was the archer who drew his bow at a venture and mortally wounded Ahab, King of Israel (I Kings xxii. Sent a servant out to me and then tells me to duck in that Jordan River. He did not want sin to come between him and the Lord or to hinder the Lord's work through his life because of his greed. cat. Now Naaman, the general of the king of Aram, was a prominent man before his lord and respected, for through him had the Lord given victory to Aram; and the man was a great warrior, and he was a mezora. This is the second contrast we find in this story: that of the pomp of Naaman and Elishas humbleness. Nephi taught, " . viii. He's trying to start a fight. The balding and aged prophet, in contrast, is dressed soberly in a brown habit. Ovens (Landau, 1983), 1630, no. New versions are added only when a substantive change to the narrative occurs. Backer A. van Dijck (Landau, 1983), 669, no. He was a powerful general, highly respected, and wealthy. He wanted to always remember the true God who healed him. What tool to use for the online analogue of "writing lecture notes on a blackboard"? Now, Naaman is not an Israelite. And as they were going along, one of his servants said to him, "You know, had that prophet told you to do some great deed, you know, go out and slay the dragon and get the seven golden apples, had he given you some great deed to do, you would be glad to do it. 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. 20-7 act epexegetically to Elisha's refusal to accept Naaman's gifts is plausible for three reasons. men preach and set themselves up for a light unto the world, that they may get gain and praise of the world; but they seek not the welfare of Zion." Atelierpraktijk in Leeuwarden omstreeks 1630, De Vrije Fries 89 (2009): 7485; and Peter van den Brink, Jacob Backer (1608/91651) (Exh. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. Can we say the same thing about Elishas rejection of Naamans gift? 57b; Deut. Amsterdam, Royal Palace) (Lochem, 1975), 4146. He knew the request came from a sincere theological change of heart. Not only is Elishas gesture of refusal reminiscent of that in the Leiden Collection painting, but Gehazi similarly stands behind the prophet in both works. 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. Elisha refused the gifts Naaman offered for his use of God's power, but Gehazi did not. The Bible doesn't say whether God told him not to receive the gift from Naaman, but we see that Elisha was quick to refuse the offer, desiring only to honor God. Amsterdam, Hermitage Amsterdam, Rembrandt and his Contemporaries: History Paintings from The Leiden Collection, 4 February27 August 2023, no. Copyright Aleteia SAS all rights reserved. But he said, As the LORD lives, before whom I stand, I will receive none. Naaman doesnt take this well and prepares to go home. And so they came to the Jordan River and Naaman dipped himself in the Jordan River, and when he came up the seventh time, his flesh was pink like a baby's flesh. 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