Question and Answer Session with ChatGPT
Q: Elisha said before letting Nathan's epilepsy cling to gehazy, "Is this the time to take money...? What did Elisha mean by this? Did he mean the time when an evil ling ruled or the time when idol worship was rampant among the israelites?
A: Elisha’s Rebuke to Gehazi (2 Kings 5:26) – Context and Interpretation
Historical and Biblical Context
In 2 Kings 5 we find the story of Naaman, a Syrian army commander who was miraculously healed of leprosy by the prophet Elisha. After his healing, Naaman offered Elisha lavish gifts in gratitude, but Elisha firmly declined any reward (2 Kings 5:15–16). This took place in the 9th century BC in the Northern Kingdom of Israel, during a spiritually dark time. The reigning king (likely Joram son of Ahab) had removed some Baal worship but still upheld the idolatrous practices introduced by Jeroboam. Prophets like Elijah and Elisha were engaged in turning Israel back to Yahweh, often in conflict with a culture of evil leadership, idolatry, and false prophets. It is against this backdrop that Elisha’s servant Gehazi secretly pursued Naaman, lied, and accepted the very gifts Elisha refused. Gehazi hid the silver and garments he took, but when he stood before Elisha, the prophet confronted him. Elisha uttered the sharp rebuke, “Is this the time to take money or to accept clothes…?”, before pronouncing that Naaman’s leprosy would cling to Gehazi as punishment (2 Kings 5:26–27).
Lambert Jacobsz’s 17th-century painting "Elisha Refusing Naaman’s Gifts" depicts Elisha (right) declining the offer of treasures from Naaman (center) while Gehazi (far right) looks on. This scene sets the stage for Gehazi’s later greedy act. Naaman’s visit came during a period of religious compromise in Israel, so Elisha’s refusal of payment was a powerful statement about God’s grace.
“Is This the Time to Take Money…?” – Meaning of Elisha’s Statement
Elisha’s rhetorical question, “Is this the time to take money or accept clothes…?”, emphasized how inappropriate Gehazi’s actions were in that moment. Elisha had just demonstrated God’s power and mercy freely, with no strings attached, to show Naaman that Israel’s God is not like pagan gods who require payment. By asking if this was “the time” to accept gifts, Elisha implied that this occasion – immediately after a divine miracle – was absolutely not the proper occasion to indulge greed. Accepting a reward would have distorted the message of the miracle, making it seem as if God’s grace could be bought. In fact, one commentator notes that it would have endangered “the honor of the prophet, the credit of religion, and the good of [Naaman] as a new proselyte”. Gehazi’s secret acceptance of Naaman’s money risked convincing Naaman that Elisha’s initial refusal was insincere or done for show, thereby undermining Naaman’s new faith in the God of Israel. Elisha’s pointed question exposed this error: God’s blessings are not commodities for profit, and a servant of God must not behave like those who peddle religion for gain.
Importantly, the phrase “this time” can also be understood in light of Israel’s broader spiritual climate. Elisha was ministering in an era of rampant idolatry and prophetic corruption in Israel. False prophets and priests motivated by selfishness and avarice were common under Israel’s evil kings, bringing the true faith into disrepute. Elisha’s question carries this nuance: “Is this the time… to take money…?”, meaning “Is this the kind of era or situation in which we should be seeking personal gain?”. As Keil and Delitzsch explain, *“Was this the time, when so many hypocrites pretend to be prophets from selfishness and avarice, and bring the prophetic office into contempt with unbelievers, for a servant of the true God to take money and goods from a non-Israelite… that he might acquire property and luxury for himself?”*. In other words, given the spiritual crisis in the nation, it was utterly inappropriate for Elisha’s servant to grasp at wealth. Elisha knew that any hint of greed would not only tarnish his own prophetic integrity but also confirm the cynical expectations of onlookers in Israel and among the nations. The true prophet had to stand apart from the mercenary “prophets” of the day, especially in dealing with a Gentile like Naaman who needed to see that the God of Israel freely gives grace. Thus, by “this time” Elisha meant both the immediate moment of God’s gracious act and the wider spiritual context of Israel’s apostasy – neither of which was a time to seek personal gain or worldly rewards.
Prophetic Judgment and Israel’s Spiritual Condition
Elisha’s response to Gehazi was not just a personal scolding but a prophetic act of judgment. After exposing Gehazi’s deed, Elisha declared that Naaman’s leprosy would afflict Gehazi and his descendants. Gehazi instantly became leprous (2 Kings 5:27), a punishment that fit the crime – he inherited the very curse from which Naaman had been freed. This judgment had an individual dimension (disciplining Gehazi’s sin of greed and deceit) and also served as a broader spiritual lesson. The contrast between Naaman and Gehazi is striking and was not lost on biblical theologians: Naaman, a pagan foreigner, had demonstrated humble faith and received cleansing, while Gehazi, an Israelite with intimate knowledge of God’s power, acted faithlessly and ended up cursed with uncleanness. Some interpreters see in this a reflection of Israel’s spiritual condition at the time. Notably, Jesus Himself later referred to Naaman’s healing to highlight Israel’s lack of faith: “There were many lepers in Israel in Elisha’s time… yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian” (Luke 4:27). Bible commentator Matthew Henry connects this story to Israel’s broader story, suggesting that Naaman’s cleansing foreshadows God’s grace to the Gentiles, while Gehazi’s punishment foreshadows judgment on Israel. Henry writes that if Naaman’s cure is *“typical of the calling of the Gentiles… Gehazi’s stroke may be looked upon as typical of the blinding and rejecting of the Jews, who envied God’s grace to the Gentiles, as Gehazi envied Elisha’s favor to Naaman”*. In this view, Gehazi represents those in Israel who, during that era of unbelief, miss out on God’s blessing and incur judgment through greed or jealousy, whereas repentant outsiders find grace. Elisha’s stern response, therefore, delivers a message not only to one servant but to the nation: when God is extending mercy and calling people to true faith, greed and unfaithfulness among God’s people are especially grievous and will be judged. It reflects the prophetic concern that Israel’s internal corruption (embodied by Gehazi) was making them spiritually “leprous,” even as God’s grace was reaching beyond Israel to those who would honor Him.
Symbolism and Lessons from Gehazi’s Incident
Beyond its immediate context, the incident of Gehazi and Elisha carries enduring symbolism and moral lessons. Theological interpreters and Bible teachers often draw the following lessons from 2 Kings 5:20–27:
God’s grace is free and sacred: Elisha’s refusal of Naaman’s gift showed that divine healing and salvation are unmerited gifts, not services for sale. Gehazi’s attempt to profit from a miracle “destroyed grace by demanding payment,” corrupting the message that “there is no God in all the world except in Israel” which Naaman had just professed. This warns us that treating God’s work as a means for personal enrichment violates the sanctity of God’s grace.
Greed corrupts spiritual service: Gehazi’s downfall highlights the danger of covetousness, especially for those serving God. The love of money led him to lie, cheat, and ultimately inherit a curse. Elisha’s question “Is this the time…?” also implies that no time is right for gaining wealth by dishonoring God or exploiting holy things. The story thus reinforces the biblical principle that one cannot serve both God and money. Ministers or believers must maintain integrity and trust God for provision, rather than compromise for material gain. Gehazi’s leprosy vividly symbolizes the spiritual decay that greed and hypocrisy bring – a “stain” that separates a person from the community of faith and the blessings of God.
A warning to Israel (and God’s people): In Gehazi’s punishment and Naaman’s healing, we see a contrast between unbelief and faith. Israel was meant to be a light to the nations, but an Israelite’s faithlessness nearly marred that testimony to a Gentile. The transfer of leprosy from Naaman to Gehazi can be seen as a cautionary symbol: if God’s own people lapse into idolatry, corruption, and envy, they risk losing their covenant blessings and bearing the very judgments from which God would otherwise deliver them. This incident taught Israel (and teaches the Church today) that spiritual privilege can be forfeited. Just as Gehazi’s name became a byword for greed, Israel’s calling could be undermined by the greed and unbelief of its leaders and servants. God’s prophets, therefore, had to exemplify righteousness and selflessness, especially in times of national apostasy, so that the truth would shine clearly to those whom God was drawing to Himself.
Conclusion
Elisha’s rebuke, “Is this the time to take money…?”, must be understood as both a situational and a spiritual indictment. In the immediate sense, “this time” referred to the sacred moment of God’s free miracle and the need to confirm Naaman’s fledgling faith without muddying it with greed. In the broader sense, “this time” pointed to the era of Israel’s corruption and idolatry, a crisis in which God’s representatives needed to stand apart from covetousness and falsehood. The consensus of theologians and commentators is that Elisha’s words carry a prophetic weight: they underscore a principle that resounds through Israel’s history and scripture – that serving God is incompatible with exploiting His gifts for personal gain. Elisha’s response thus functions both as a direct judgment on Gehazi’s sin and as a broader message about the spiritual condition of God’s people. In a time of moral and religious compromise, Elisha upheld the holiness of God’s work, teaching all generations that the work of God is holy, the grace of God is free, and those who minister in God’s name must do so with integrity, not for profit. The story of Gehazi stands as a sobering reminder that greed and deceit lead to spiritual ruin, while faith and obedience keep us in the stream of God’s blessing.
Sources:
Holy Bible, 2 Kings 5:15–27 (historical narrative of Naaman, Elisha, and Gehazi)
Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament – Commentary on 2 Kings 5:26 (on the era of idolatry and Elisha’s rebuke)
Ellicott’s Commentary and Barnes’ Notes – 2 Kings 5:26 (explanation of why accepting gifts was inappropriate in Naaman’s case)
Gill’s Exposition of the Bible – 2 Kings 5:26 (on Gehazi’s actions endangering the honor of the prophet and faith of the convert)
Matthew Henry’s Commentary (Whole Bible) – 2 Kings 5 (theological insights on Naaman’s cleansing prefiguring grace to Gentiles and Gehazi’s leprosy as judgment)
GotQuestions Ministries – “Who was Gehazi in the Bible?” (theological Q&A summarizing lessons from Gehazi’s greed)
