2 Kings 5:3

2Ki 5:3 And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord [were] with the prophet that [is] in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy.

Ver. 3. For he would recover him of his leprosy.] Few in Israel believed thus much. {Luk 4:27} This poor girl was confident that the prophet, famous in her country for so many miracles, both could and would cure her master, if duly sought unto; and her words found credit, to the great honour of the true God.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2Ki 5:3. Would God my Lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria — In the kingdom of Samaria; or, rather, in the city of Samaria; where Elisha was when she was taken, and where he commonly resided, though he went to other places as need required. For he would recover him of his leprosy — She had heard of the wonderful things which he had done, and therefore was confident he could work this cure. Children should betimes acquaint themselves with the wondrous works of God, that wherever they go they may speak of them, to the profit of others. Yea, and servants, like this little maid, may be blessings to the families in which Providence casts their lot, by telling what they know of the glory of God, and the honour of his ministers.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Meaning, Elisha.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 3. Would God my lord] אחלי achaley, I wish; or, as the Chaldee, Syrian, and Arabic have, "Happy would it be for my master if he were with the prophet," &c.

Here the mystery of the Divine providence begins to develop itself. By the captivity of this little maid, one Syrian family at least, and that one of the most considerable in the Syrian empire, is brought to the knowledge of the true God.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(3) Would God.—O that! ’Ahalê here; in Psa_119:5, ’Ahalay. The word seems to follow the analogy of ’ashrê, “O the bliss of!” (Psa_1:1). It perhaps means “O the delight of!” the root ’ahal being assumed equivalent to the Arabic halâ, Syriac halî, “dulcis fuit.”

For he would recover him.—Then he would receive him back. (Comp. Num_12:14-15.) In Israel lepers were excluded from society. Restoration to society implied restoration to health. Hence the same verb came to be used in the sense of healing as well as of receiving back the leper. Thenius, however, argues that as the phrase “from leprosy” is wanting in Numbers 12, the real meaning is, “to take a person away from leprosy,” to which he had been, as it were, delivered up.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

3. Would God] This interjection is found only here and in Psa_119:5. There it is rendered ‘O that my ways were directed’.

the prophet that is in Samaria] Elisha had a house in the city of Samaria, as we see from verse 9, and also from 2Ki_6:32. The fame of the prophet, and the mighty cures which God wrought through him, must have been matter of much note ere they reached this little servant.

he would recover him] The verb, which commonly means ‘to assemble’ or ‘gather together’, is very expressive in the mouth of the Israelitish maiden, for the leper in Israel must keep himself apart, and never be gathered with the rest of the people. The passive is used (Num_11:14-15) when Miriam was cured of her leprosy, ‘she was received in again’, i.e. joined in the company of the rest of the people.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And she said unto her mistress,.... As she was waiting upon her at a certain time, and perhaps her mistress was lamenting the case of her husband as desperate and incurable:

would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria; meaning Elisha, who, though sometimes in one place, and sometimes in another, yet often at Samaria, and it seems was there when this girl was taken captive:

for he would recover him of his leprosy; the maid had heard of the miracles wrought by Elisha, and doubted not that at the request of her lord he would be willing, as she believed he was able, to cure him of this disease.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

In Samaria; either, first, In the kingdom of Samaria. Or, secondly, In the city of Samaria; where he was when she was taken; or where he commonly resided, though he went to other places, as need required.

He would recover him of his leprosy; or, take him away (as this Hebrew verb is used, Gen 30:23; Zep 1:2) from his leprosy, i.e. take away his leprosy from him.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

3. Recover him of his leprosy — Literally, he would gather him from his leprosy. The expression is an allusion to the Israelitish custom of shutting lepers out of the camp, and gathering them in again after their leprosy was healed. The same expression is used of Miriam’s reception into the camp after her exclusion of seven days. Num_12:14.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! literally, Oh that my lord were before the prophet who is in Samaria! Elisha had a house in Samaria, (2Ki_6:32) where he resided occasionally. For he would recover him of his leprosy. The "little maid" concludes from her small experience that, if her master and the great miracle-working prophet of her own land could be brought together, the result would be his cure. She has, in her servile condition, contracted an affection both for her master and her mistress, and her sympathies are strongly with them. Perhaps she had no serious purpose in speaking as she did. The words burst from her as a mere expression of goodwill. She did not contemplate any action resulting from them. "Oh that things could be otherwise than as they are! Had I my dear master in my own country, it would be easy to accomplish his cure. The prophet is so powerful and so kind. He both could and would recover him." Any notion of her vague wish being carried out, being made the ground of a serious embassy, was probably far from the girl"s thought. But the "bread cast upon the waters returns after many days." There is no kind wish or kind utterance that may not have a result far beyond anything that the wisher or utterer contemplated. Good wishes are seeds that ofttimes take root, and grow, and blossom, and bear fruit beyond the uttermost conception of those who sow them.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The girl said to her mistress

The girl from Israel, who had been captured by the Aramean soldiers, spoke to Naaman's wife.

my master

Here "my master" refers to Naaman.

translationWords

prophet

Samaria

cure

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

“My master should plead [for curing his illness] before the prophet.” An expression [similar to], “and Moshe prayed [וַיְחַל].” The supplications of all those who pray for him, will be that the miracle shall come before the prophet.

Plead. Soheidement, in O.F., i.e., this is the supplication that he needs.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.