Difference between revisions of "Gehazi"

<p> <strong> [[Gehazi]] </strong> . Of the antecedents of Gehazi, and of his call to be the attendant of Elisha, the sacred historian gives us no information. He appears to stand in the same intimate relation to his master that [[Elisha]] had done to Elijah, and was probably regarded as the successor of the former. Through lack of moral fibre he fell, and his heritage in the prophetic order passed into other hands. Gehazi is first introduced to us in connexion with the episode of the [[Shunammite]] woman. The prophet consults familiarly with him, in regard to some substantial way of showing their appreciation of the kindness of their hostess. Gebazi bears Elisha’s message to her: ‘Behold, thou hast been careful for us with all this care; what is to be done for thee? Wouldst thou be spoken for to the king, or to the captain of the host?’ On her refusal to be a candidate for such honours, Gehazi reminds his master that the woman is childless. Taking up his attendant’s suggestion, Elisha promises a son to their benefactress (&nbsp; 2 Kings 4:8 ff.). According to prediction, the child is born; but after he has grown to be a lad, he suffers from sunstroke and death ensues. The mother immediately betakes herself to the prophet, who sends Gehazi with his own staff to work a miracle. To the servant’s prayer there is neither voice nor hearing; but where he falls, the prophet succeeds (&nbsp; 2 Kings 4:17-37 ). Gehazi, like his master, had access to the court, for we read of him narrating to the king the story of the prophet’s dealings with the Shunammite (&nbsp; 2 Kings 8:4-5 ). In contrast with the spirit of the other characters, his covetousness and lying stand out in black hideousness in the story of [[Naaman]] (wh. see). The prophet’s refusal to receive any payment from the [[Syrian]] general for the cure which had been effected, does not meet with the approval of Gehazi. He follows the cavalcade of Naaman, and, fabricating a message from his master, begs a talent of silver and two changes of raiment for two young men of the sons of the prophets, who are supposed to be on a visit to Elisha. Having received and hidden his ill-gotten possessions, he stands before his master to do his bidding as if nothing had occurred, quite unaware that Elisha with prophetic eye has watched him on his foul mission of deception. Dumbfounded he must have been to hear his punishment from the lips of the prophet: ‘The leprosy, therefore, of Naaman shall cleave unto thee and unto thy seed for ever’ (&nbsp; 2 Kings 5:20 ff.). With this dread sentence, Gehazi is ushered off the stage of sacred history, never to reappear. </p> <p> James A. Kelso. </p>

<p> Elisha's servant. His messenger to the Shunammite woman (2 Kings 4); suggested the obtaining of a son from the Lord for her, as a meet reward for her kindness to the prophet. [[Trusted]] by Elisha with his staff to lay on the face of the lifeless youth. But reanimation was not effected until Elisha himself came: typifying that Moses the messenger, with his rod and the law, could not quicken dead souls, that is reserved for Jesus with His gospel. Gehazi proved himself lying and greedy of filthy lucre, and with his great spiritual privileges a sad contrast to Naaman's servants, who had none (2 Kings 5). </p> <p> They by wise counsel induced their master to subdue pride, and humbly to wash in the Jordan, according to the prophet's word. Gehazi presumptuously stifled conscience with the plea that a "Syrian" pagan ought not to have been" spared," as his master had "spared this Naaman," and even dared to invoke Jehovah's name, as though his obtaining money by false pretenses from him would be a meritorious act: "as the Lord liveth, I will take somewhat of him." In his master's name, under pretense of charity (!), as if wanting presents for "two sons of the prophets from mount Ephraim," he obtained from Naaman two talents of silver and two changes of raiment. Coveting, lying, taking, and hiding, followed in the order of sin's normal and awful development; as in Adam's and Achan's cases (Genesis 3; Joshua 7). </p> <p> Then God's detection: Elisha said, "Whence comest thou?" The liar was at no loss for a reply: "Thy servant went no where." Elisha sternly answered, "Went not mine heart with thee, when the man turned again, (compare Psalm 139)? Is it a time to receive money," etc.? Compare as to our times &nbsp;1 Peter 4:3. Naaman from being a leper became newborn as "a little child" by believing obedience; Gehazi from being clean, by unbelieving disobedience, became a leper: if he must have Naaman's lucre, he must have Naaman's leprosy: "the leprosy of Naaman shall cleave unto thee for ever." </p> <p> Still in &nbsp;2 Kings 8:4 Gehazi appears as "servant of the man of God," narrating to king [[Joram]] the great acts of Elisha and the restoration to life of the Shunammite's son, when lo! she herself appeared. [[Doubtless]] affliction brought Gehazi to sincere repentance, and repentance brought removal of the leprosy, which otherwise would have been "for ever." Compare Hezekiah's divinely foretold death averted by penitent prayer (&nbsp;2 Kings 20:1-5). This seems a more likely solution than supposing that this incident occurred before Gehazi's leprosy and has been transposed. </p>

<p> A confidential attendant of Elisha. He appears in the story of the Shunammite woman, &nbsp;2 Kings 4:14-37 , and in that of Naaman the Syrian, form whom he fraudulently obtained a portion of the present his master had refused. His covetousness and falsehoods were punished by a perpetual leprosy, &nbsp;2 Kings 5:20-27 , B. C. 894. We afterwards find him recounting to king [[Jehoram]] the wonderful deeds of Elisha, at the moment when the providence of god brought the woman of [[Shunem]] before the king, to claim the restoration of her lands, &nbsp;2 Kings 8:1-6 . </p>

<p> [[Gehazi]] (''Ge-Hâ'Zî'' ), ''Valley Of Vision.'' The servant of Elisha. He was the prophet's messenger to the good Shunammite, &nbsp;2 Kings 4:1-44 (b.c. 889-887); accepted money and garments from Naaman; was smitten with leprosy, and was dismissed from the prophet's service, &nbsp;2 Kings 5:1-27. Later he related to king Joram all the things which Elisha had done. &nbsp;2 Kings 8:4-5. </p>

&nbsp;2 Kings 4:12&nbsp;2 Kings 4:27&nbsp;2 Kings 4:31&nbsp;2 Kings 5:20-25&nbsp;2 Kings 8:1-6Elisha

<p> (Heb. Geychazi', גֵּיחֲזַי, as if for: חֶזְיוֹן גֵּיְא, ''Valley Of Vision;'' but, according to First, ''Denier,'' from an obsol. גָּחִז; occasionally contracted ''Gechazi', גֵּחֲזַי'' , &nbsp;2 Kings 4:31; &nbsp;2 Kings 5:25; &nbsp;2 Kings 8:4-5; Sept. Γιεζί ), the servant of Elisha, whose entire confidence he at first enjoyed. He personally appears first in reminding his master of the best mode of rewarding the kindness of the Shunammitess (&nbsp;2 Kings 4:14). B.C. 889. He was present at the interview in which the Shunammitess made known to the prophet that her son was dead, and was sent forward to lay Elisha's staff on the child's face, which he did without effect (&nbsp;2 Kings 4:31). B.C. cir. 887. The most remarkable incident in his career is that which caused his ruin. When Elisha, with a noble disinterestedness, declined the rich gifts pressed upon him by the illustrious leper whom he had healed, Gehazi felt distressed that so favorable an opportunity of profiting by the gratitude of Naaman had been so wilfully thrown away. He therefore ran after the retiring chariots, and requested, in his master's name, a portion of the gifts which had before been refused, on the ground that visitors had just arrived for whom he was unable to provide. He asked a talent of silver and two dresses; and the grateful Syrian made himt take two talents instead of one. Having deposited this spoil in a place of safety, he again appeared before Elisha, whose honor he had so seriously compromised. His master asked him where he had been, and on his answering, "Thy servant went no whither," the prophet put on the severities of a judge, and, having denounced his crime, passed upon, him the terrible doom that the leprosy of which Naaman had been cured should cleave to him and his forever. "And he went forth from his presence a leper as white as snow" (&nbsp;2 Kings 5:20-27). B.C. cir. 885. The case is somewhat parallel with that of [[Ananias]] (q.v.) and [[Sapphira]] (Acts 5). The rebuke inflicted on Gehazi, though severe, cannot justly be reckoned too hard for the occasion. He ought to have understood, from the determined rejection of Naaman's offers by Elisha, that there were important principles involved in the matter, which he should have been careful on no account, or by any movement on his part, to bring into suspicion. There was a great complication of wickedness in his conduct. He first arrogated to himself a superior discernment to that of the Lord's prophet; then he falsely employed the name of that prophet for a purpose which the prophet himself had expressly and most emphatically repudiated; further, as an excuse for aiming at such a purpose, he invented a plea of charity, which had no existence but in his own imagination; and, finally, on being interrogated by Elisha after his return whither he had gone, he endeavored to disguise his procedure by a lie, which was no sooner uttered than it was detected by the prophet. Such accumulated guilt obviously deserved some palpable token of the divine displeasure; the more so, as it tended to give a covetous aspect to the Lord's servant at a time when the very foundations were out of course, and when the true worshippers of God were called to sit loose to all earthly possessions. This, indeed, is the thought that is most distinctly brought out in the prophet's denunciation of Gehazi's conduct (&nbsp;2 Kings 5:26) — the false impression it was fitted to give of Elisha's position and character. (See Naaman). </p> <p> We afterwards find Gehazi recounting to king Joram the great deeds of Elisha, and, in the providence of God, it so happened that when he was relating the restoration to life of the Shunammitess's son, the very woman with her son appeared before the king to claim her house and lands, which had beer usurped while she had been absent abroad during the recent famine. [[Struck]] by the coincidence, the king immediately granted her application (&nbsp;2 Kings 8:1-6). B.C. 876. Lepers were compelled to live apart outside the towns, and were not allowed to come too near to uninfected persons. (See [[Leprosy]]). Hence some difficulty has arisen with respect to Gehazi's interview with the king. Several answers occur. The interview may have taken place outside the town, in a garden or garden- house; and the king may have kept Gehazi at a distance, with the usual precautions which custom dictated. Some even suppose that the incident is misplaced, and actually occurred before Gehazi was smitten with leprosy. Others hasten to the opposite conclusion, and allege the probability that the leper had then repented of his crime, and had been restored to health by his master, a view which is somewhat corroborated by the fact that he is there still called "the servant of the man of God," from which it is supposed that the relationship between him and Elisha continumed to subsist, or had in some unexplained manner been renewed. (See Elisha). </p>

<p> Ge´hazi (vision valley), a servant of Elisha, whose entire confidence he enjoyed. His history is involved in that of his master [ELISHA]. He personally appears in reminding his master of the best mode of rewarding the kindness of the Shunamite . He was present at the interview in which the Shunamite made known to the prophet that her son was dead, and was sent forward to lay Elisha's staff on the child's face, which he did without effect . The most remarkable incident in his career is that which caused his ruin. When Elisha, with a noble disinterestedness, declined the rich gifts pressed upon him by the illustrious leper whom he had healed, Gehazi felt distressed that so favorable an opportunity of profiting by the gratitude of Naaman had been so willfully thrown away. He therefore ran after the retiring chariots, and requested, in his master's name, a portion of the gifts which had before been refused, on the ground that visitors had just arrived for whom he was unable to provide. He asked a talent of silver and two dresses; and the grateful Syrian made him take two talents instead of one. Having deposited this spoil in a place of safety, he again appeared before Elisha, whose honor he had so seriously compromised. His master asked him where he had been? and on his answering, 'Thy servant went no whither' the prophet put on the severities of a judge, and having denounced his crime, passed upon him the terrible doom, that the leprosy of which Naaman had been cured, should cleave to him and his forever. 'And he went forth from his presence a leper as white as snow' . B.C. 894. </p> <p> We afterwards find Gehazi recounting to king Joram the great deeds of Elisha. and, in the providence of God, it so happened that when he was relating the restoration to life of the Shunamite's son, the very woman with her son appeared before the king to claim her house and lands, which had been usurped while she had been absent abroad during the recent famine. Struck by the coincidence, the king immediately granted her application . </p>