Gehazi
Who he was
Gehazi was the servant of the prophet Elisha, as recorded in 2Kings 4-5 and 8. He first appears in the story of the Shunammite woman, where he is sent by Elisha to lay the prophet's staff on the face of the woman's dead son (2 Kings 4:29–31). Later, when Naaman, a Syrian commander, comes to Elisha to be healed of his leprosy, Gehazi witnesses the miracle and Naaman's offer of a reward, which Elisha refuses (2 Kings 5:15–16). However, Gehazi, driven by greed, pursues Naaman and deceitfully asks for a talent of silver and two changes of clothing, claiming that Elisha had sent him (2 Kings 5:20–24). When confronted by Elisha, Gehazi lies about his actions (2 Kings 5:25). As a consequence of his greed and deceit, Elisha declares that Naaman's leprosy will cling to Gehazi and his descendants forever (2 Kings 5:26–27). In 2 Kings 8:4–5, Gehazi is seen recounting Elisha's great deeds to the king of Israel, suggesting that he may have later repented and served as a witness to Elisha's ministry, despite his past failings.
Every mention
2 Kings 12 mentions
What the dictionary says
Valley of vision, Elisha’s trusted servant (2 Kings 4:31; 5:25; 8:4, 5).
Sources
- STEPBible TIPNR · Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References · CC BY 4.0 · github.com/STEPBible/STEPBible-Data
- Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary (1869) · Public domain