Backer had a great reputation as a skilled painter of finely formed hands. thinks the king referred to was Jehoahaz, while Schenkel ("Biblical Lexicon") suggests Jehu, but the general view is that it was Jehoram. Why should Elisha receive a gift for him? Naaman believed that There [was] no God in all the earth but in Israel (2 Kgs 5:15) and wanted to return to his homeland with holy ground. Since documents about a commission have not been preserved, it is not known for whom Lambert painted Elisha Refusing Naamans Gifts or where it was originally intended to be displayed. It appears that Naaman was acknowledging the God of Heaven, Israels God as the one true God. And the fact that He gives to me so freely and in such a simple way that I can't get any credit for it. Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for professors, theologians, and those interested in exegetical analysis of biblical texts. Browse other questions tagged, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site. Amsterdam, Museum Het Rembrandthuis; Aachen, Suermondt-Ludwig-Museum) (Zwolle, 2008), 32. And came whistling in. 26:30. Now, Naaman is not an Israelite. For Parents Only: CBN Animation Club & DVDs, login to access full-length Superbook episodes, FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE SUPERBOOK DVD CLUB. And Naaman urged him to take it; but he refused ( 2 Kings 5:16 ). 6 (ascribed to Pieter de Grebber by Fred Meijer). He focused particularly on Naamans gaze as he quietly reflects upon the prophets reasons for refusing to accept his gifts of appreciationthe moment of revelation when Naaman came to understand that there is no God in all the world except in Israel.. The king was distraught because he knew that he couldn't heal him. See Hendrik Luitje Straat, Lambert Jacobsz: schilder, De Vrije Fries 28 (1928): 71, no. 8), which the Rabbis regard as an allusion to Naaman's bathing in the Jordan; the appellation "Moab" is a play on the word "abi" (= "my father"), by which Naaman was addressed by his servants in II Kings v. 13 (Num. This painting was long believed to have been painted by Lambert Jacobsz, but recently has been attributed to Jacob Backer.6. 26:29.) When we come before the Lord in our time of prayer, it's important for us to humble ourselves like Naaman did to receive favor from God. Among them are paintings by Lambert Jacobszs teacher Jan Pynas (1581/21631), who depicted the subject in a 1627 painting, now in the Old Catholic Church in Leiden, and one by Pieter de Grebber (ca. lx. ( 2 Kings 5:16; see verses 15 through 22 for the whole story.) This biblical passage is full of stark contrasts. When a joyful Naaman stood before Gehazi and Elisha, with skin clean and pure, Naaman pleaded, "Take a blessing [gift] of thy servant.". Why did Elisha refuse Naaman's gifts? And so Gehazi went out from his presence a leper ( 2 Kings 5:27 ). You must be logged in to use this feature. After Naaman departed, Gehazi ran after him and asked him for gifts. The Lord healed Naaman. The regents of the Leprozenhuizen in Haarlem and Amsterdam seem to have used Naamans story to show their integrity, as city councils often fall back on stories from classical history. ), "It is, after all, by divine power that men are able to perform priesthood miracles," states the manual. After Naaman was cured of leprosy, he offered Elisha gifts for his use of priesthood powers. Pieter de Grebber, Belshazzars Great Feast, 1625 (Museum Schloss Wilhelmshhe, Kassel). I am grateful to Jasper Hillegers for alerting me to these similarities. But the Lord revealed to Elisha what Gehazi did and prophet rebuked him saying, the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and to your descendants forever" (verse 27). Because of Jacobszs paintings devotional content, it is tempting to assume that it was intended for the Mennonite Church (Vermaning) he cofounded, and where he delivered the first sermon on 7 August 1631; see the biography of Lambert Jacobsz in this catalogue. According to the narrative, he is called a mezora (), a person affected by the skin disease tzaraath (, tzara'at). 18 (The rule is that, in general, we are forbidden, but there are certain situations where we can accept gifts, albeit discreetly. Naamans unusual request stems from the ancientand biblicalconception that the earth is the locale for a cosmic turf war. 6, Nachtrge, Ortsregister, Ikonographisches Register, Bibliographie, Knstlerverzeichnis (Landau, 1983), no. Elisha refused the gift and sent the Syrian commander away in peace. By doing so, Naaman received his healing. 34) who mortally wounded Ahab seems to have been adopted by Josephus ("Ant." Atelierpraktijk in Leeuwarden omstreeks 1630, De Vrije Fries 89 (2009): 6792. Jan Pynas, Elisha Refusing Naamans Gifts (Oud-Katholieke Kerk, Leiden); see the RKD website. The Mekilta (Yitro, 'Amale, 1), however, places Naaman's conversion above Jethro's. BRILL's mainly English language publications include book series, individual monographs and encyclopaedias as well as journals. Naaman was happy to give Gehazi the gifts and then he continued on his journey. Jacobszs interpretation of this episode focuses on faith and not questions of civic virtues. So Elisha catalogs the types of gifts that he refused in order to emphasize his role as a mere channel of the divinity as opposed to miracle-worker. The paint layers are generally in good condition. When Naaman left Elisha's house to return home to Syria, Gehazi was filled with greed. In this quiet and restrained scene, Lambert Jacobsz placed Naaman in the center of the composition and gave him added prominence through his slightly larger scale and the brilliant colors of his turban and kaftan. Josua Bruyn once remarked that the large-figure paintings produced in this workshopthe Backer-like Jacobsz and the Jacobsz-like Backer paintingswere difficult to distinguish.5 One example of how closely related the works of these painters were during this period is The Tribute Money in Stockholm. The leprosy that was upon Naaman is going to be upon you and your family. Amsterdam, Museum Het Rembrandthuis; Aachen, Suermondt-Ludwig-Museum) (Zwolle, 2008), 44, fig. What's it going to hurt?" In The Leiden Collection Catalogue, 3rd ed. To report dead links, typos, or html errors or suggestions about making these resources more useful use the convenient. He wanted to thank Elisha by giving him presents, but Elisha refused. Naaman then traveled to Samaria to see Elisha, but the prophet never received him: he just sent a messenger to meet Naaman and his entourage by the door. Where Are Giants in the Bible Other Than Goliath? 78. Since Jacobsz did not execute large figure pieces after Backers departure, Elisha Refusing Naamans Gifts must have been painted between 1628, shortly after Backer arrived in Leeuwarden, and 1633, when he returned to Amsterdam. . The two works of this subject by Abraham van Dijck (1635/680) and Ferdinand Bol (161680) date from much later. https://theleidencollection.com/iconclass. We are like Naaman that we don't always recognize that our lives are held together by God's power and grace. Nothing new under the sun there. Elisha refused to accept the gifts, but his servant, Gehazi, decided he would "run after him, and take somewhat of him." Elisha Refusing Naamans Gifts (2020). See Hendrik Luitje Straat, Lambert Jacobsz, schilder, De Vrije Fries 28 (1928): 74. 344, 361). But he listened to the advice of his captains, humbled himself, and obeyed the word of the Lord -- and thus received his healing. The "money and garments" is clear, but why did Elisha mention the other 3 pairs of things? Sperkitap web sitesini kullanarak, Kullanm artlarmz ve Gizlilik Politikamz kabul etmi olursunuz. Help us continue to bring the Gospel to people everywhere through uplifting and transformative Catholic news, stories, spirituality, and more. He was going to buy some oxen, and then he's going to buy some sheep. The original support has been lined and its tacking margins have been removed. And in certain dire situations, one is permitted to accept presents openly.) The Lord says just "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved" ( Acts 16:31 ). For example, mentioned in Jacobszs stock inventory is a Naomi and Ruth by De Grebber, which would have been sent to the artist in Leeuwarden from Haarlem, or from Amsterdam via Hendrick Uylenburgh. God is the one who gives, not Elisha. Why was Hezekiah not rebuked for seeking a sign in 2 Kings 20. In fact, he almost lost out on his healing because he did not want to follow the instructions of Elisha to bathe in the Jordan River. But he said, As the Lord liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive none. 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 the prophet healed Naaman of his leprosy by the power of the Lord (verse 14), and Naaman praised God and offered Elisha a gift, which Elisha refused to accept (verse 16). Jacobsz also painted original compositions, of which his assistants made copies and variations. Where our treasure is, there will heart be also. 3, B. Keil J. Klostermann ("Die Bcher Samuelis und der Knige"), while supplying, with the Alexandrian codex, the word , connects this passage with Naaman's departure with the loads of earth, and renders the passage as "and he carried away from him about a cor of the earth of Israel."[5]. 212. . Issues contain fascinating articles in English, French and German, a detailed book review section as well as extensive review articles. Naaman wanted dirt from Israel because Israel was Yahwehs territory. One day, his wife's Israelite servant girl told her about the power of God moving through the prophet Elisha. However, Elisha's servant, Gehazi, followed Naaman and deceitfully asked for a gift in Elisha's name. [5], The request of Naaman to be permitted to carry away two mules' burden of Israelitish earth for the purpose of erecting upon it an altar on which to offer sacrifices to Yhwh, reflects the belief of those days that the god of each land could be worshiped only on his own soil. Elisha is one of the most powerful prophets in the Old Testament. And unfortunately, some people who have had a ministry of healing or whatever have been guilty of using that to enrich themselves. He came to the door to tell Naaman that he should take a dip in the Jordan River seven times. The model for the elderly man was also used for a version of The Tribute Money in Stockholm by Jacob Backer in his Leeuwarden period; see Grel Cavalli-Bjrkman, Dutch and Flemish Paintings, vol. I think Elisha was rebuking not only the actions of Gehazi, but also the attitude of his heart. He said, "That guy didn't even have the graciousness to come out and meet me himself. Why Did Elisha Refuse Gifts from Naaman? Naaman then takes his bath in the Jordan river (as a mikveh) and is healed. Why do we kill some animals but not others? The baths cured Naaman. cat. When the painting first appeared on the market in 2005, it was given to Pieter de Grebber.8 As Albert Blankert rightly recognized, however, this attribution is not tenable for stylistic reasons, despite the fact that Jacobsz knew De Grebbers work.9 Blankert also pointed out that the way in which the old Elisha and young Naaman face each other is comparable to the confrontation between Elisha and Gehazi in the Hannover painting.10 Other arguments reinforce the attribution of the Leiden Collection painting to Lambert Jacobsz. Arama, l.c.). The Bible calls him "the servant of Elisha, the man of God. The rest of the Old Testament is the story of Gods intention to reclaim every nation on earth. But his slaves suggest to him that he really has nothing to lose by giving it a try: Elishas instructions are actually quite easy to follow. And the prophet starts laying out the things that he had in mind to do with this money. 1800 (Stockholm 2005), 59, no. In 2 Kings 5:1519, the elated Naaman returns to Elisha and begs him to take payment for healing him. 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. The man standing in the door to the right is Elisha's servant Gehazi. Now the Arameans went out in bands and captured from the land of Israel a young girl, who ministered to Naaman's wife. Now Naaman, captain of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man with his master, and highly respected, because by him the LORD had given victory to Aram. He has a dozen years of classroom teaching experience on the college level and another ten in distance education. Just mad. He does, however, ask for sacrificial altar soil to be given him to take back home and that the God of Israel pardon him when he enters the temple of Rimmon as part of his obligations to the king of Syria. 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