Who was Gehazi in the Bible?

Gehazi was the personal servant of the prophet Elisha. He is primarily known for his story of greed and deceit following the healing of Naaman the Syrian commander, which resulted in his being struck with leprosy (2 Kings 5).

What did Gehazi do wrong?

After Elisha refused any payment for healing Naaman, Gehazi secretly pursued Naaman and deceitfully asked for a gift of silver and clothing for himself. For this act of greed and dishonesty, Elisha pronounced that Naaman's leprosy would cling to Gehazi and his descendants forever (2 Kings 5:20-27).

Why is Gehazi's story significant?

Gehazi's story serves as a powerful warning against greed, deceit, and abusing a position of spiritual trust. It contrasts the prophet Elisha's integrity with the servant's corruption, showing that God's gifts are not for personal profit.

Gehazi

Old TestamentDivided MonarchyMaleServant

Gehazi, the servant of the prophet Elisha, was punished with leprosy for his greed and deceit in the matter of Naaman's healing.

Gehazi

Biography

Gehazi served as the personal attendant of the prophet Elisha and appears in several narratives in 2 Kings. He first appears in 2 Kings 4, when he helps Elisha discern the Shunammite woman's grief over her son's death and later plays a role in the aftermath of the child's resurrection. His most defining moment, however, comes in 2 Kings 5, following the miraculous healing of Naaman the Syrian commander from leprosy. When Elisha refused any payment from Naaman, Gehazi secretly pursued him, fabricated a story about unexpected guests, and accepted silver and garments. Elisha confronted him with prophetic knowledge of his deception, and Gehazi was struck with the very leprosy that had left Naaman. He appears one final time in 2 Kings 8, recounting Elisha's miracles to the king of Israel, perhaps indicating that even in his affliction he continued to serve the prophetic mission in some capacity.

Significance

Gehazi is one of Scripture's most sobering portraits of spiritual privilege squandered through greed (2 Kings 5:20-27). Positioned close to extraordinary prophetic power and witness to miraculous signs, he nonetheless succumbed to covetousness, a sin Paul would later identify as idolatry (Colossians 3:5). His punishment, inheriting Naaman's leprosy, carries sharp irony: the healing that passed freely to a Gentile through God's grace became a curse to an Israelite who sought to profit from it. Gehazi's story warns that proximity to God's work does not guarantee personal faithfulness, and it foreshadows Jesus' teaching that those who receive grace must not seek to commodify what has been freely given (Matthew 10:8).

Authority Records

Wikidata VIAF GND

Verse Appearances (12)

2Kgs

2Kgs 4:12 2Kgs 4:14 2Kgs 4:25 2Kgs 4:27 2Kgs 4:29 2Kgs 4:31 2Kgs 4:36 2Kgs 5:20 2Kgs 5:21 2Kgs 5:25 2Kgs 8:4 2Kgs 8:5

References

Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References (TIPNR). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
Wikidata contributors (n.d.) Wikidata. Available at: https://www.wikidata.org. [CC0]
Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]

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