Lexical Summary
Gechazi: Gehazi
Original Word:גֵּיחֲזִי
Part of Speech:Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration:Geychaziy
Pronunciation:geh-khah-ZEE
Phonetic Spelling:(gay-khah-zee')
KJV: Gehazi
NASB:Gehazi
Word Origin:[apparently fromH1516 (גַּיא גַּי - valley) andH2372 (חָזָה - see)]
1. valley of a visionary
2. Gechazi, the servant of Elisha
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Gehazi
Or Gechaziy {gay-khah-zee'}; apparently fromgay' andchazah; valley of a visionary; Gechazi, the servant of Elisha -- Gehazi.
see HEBREWgay'
see HEBREWchazah
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originperhaps from
gay and
chazahDefinitionperhaps "valley of vision," servant of Elisha
NASB TranslationGehazi (12).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
, (
valley of vision?) servant of Elisha,
2 Kings 4:12,14,25,27,29,36;
2 Kings 5:20,21;
2 Kings 4:31;
2 Kings 5:25;
2 Kings 8:4,5.
(√ of following; meaning dubious; ? compare Asgâdu, bind, fetter, JägerBAS i. 589f.)
Topical Lexicon
Identity and Narrative SettingGehazi appears exclusively in the Elisha narratives of 2 Kings, serving as the prophet’s personal attendant. His twelve occurrences span2 Kings 4–8, placing him at the heart of pivotal miracles in the Northern Kingdom during the reigns of Jehoram and Ben-hadad II.
Service to Elisha and Early Promise
As Elisha’s “servant” (2 Kings 4:12), Gehazi occupies the trusted position once held by Elisha under Elijah (1 Kings 19:21). He acts as intermediary between Elisha and others, especially the wealthy Shunammite woman who provided the prophet lodging (2 Kings 4:12,14,25–27). His participation includes carrying Elisha’s staff to the dead boy’s body (4:29–31). Though the mission fails until Elisha arrives, Gehazi is portrayed as obedient and industrious, suggesting a potential heir to prophetic ministry.
Foreshadowings of Spiritual Defect
Even in chapter 4 subtle clues expose spiritual dullness. When the distraught Shunammite approaches, “Gehazi came near to push her away” (2 Kings 4:27). His insensitivity contrasts with Elisha’s discernment and compassion, hinting at a heart not formed by the character of the God he serves.
The Naaman Incident: Greed and Deceit Unveiled
Naaman’s healing (2 Kings 5) becomes the watershed. Elisha refuses payment so that the Aramean commander may know “there is no God in all the earth except in Israel” (5:15). Gehazi, unable to value grace over gain, pursues Naaman, fabricates a account about visiting prophets, and secures silver and garments (5:20–24). When confronted, he adds lying to covetousness: “Your servant went nowhere” (5:25). Elisha’s prophetic insight exposes the deed and pronounces judgment: “The leprosy of Naaman will cling to you and to your descendants forever” (5:27). Gehazi departs “white as snow,” physically marked by the very disease from which he had witnessed miraculous deliverance.
Judgment and Theological Significance
Gehazi’s leprosy signifies more than medical affliction; it is covenantal curse (Leviticus 13–14) and public testimony against profiteering from God’s gifts (cf.Acts 8:18–23). His punishment is immediate, proportional, and permanent, reinforcing Yahweh’s holiness and the integrity required of His servants.
Later Appearance before the King
Despite exclusion from Elisha’s inner circle, Gehazi resurfaces in2 Kings 8:4–5 recounting Elisha’s miracles to King Joram. The text does not specify whether he still bears leprosy within the royal courts, but the timing underscores divine providence: while Gehazi narrates the resurrection of the Shunammite’s son, the woman herself enters to petition for her land, and the king restores her property. Gehazi thus becomes an unwitting witness to God’s faithfulness, even as his own life embodies warning.
Spiritual Themes and Pastoral Lessons
1. Stewardship versus Self-Enrichment: Ministry positions offer opportunities to serve or to exploit. Gehazi’s fall mirrors Judas Iscariot’s later betrayal (John 12:6; 13:29).
2. Grace Cannot Be Monetized: Gehazi’s greed sought to commercialize a miracle that proclaimed free salvation. The Gospel is compromised whenever personal gain supplants divine glory.
3. Hidden Sin Revealed: Elisha’s prophetic knowledge (2 Kings 5:26) anticipates New Testament teaching that “there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed” (Luke 8:17).
4. Transgenerational Consequences: The leprosy “to your descendants” (5:27) illustrates how sin’s effects ripple through families and communities unless interrupted by repentance and redemption.
Typological and Prophetic Implications
Gehazi stands as a foil to faithful servants—Elijah, Elisha, even the Shunammite woman—highlighting the necessity of inward transformation, not merely external association with holy things. His account foreshadows church-age warnings against false teachers “who in their greed… exploit you with fabricated words” (2 Peter 2:3).
Legacy in Jewish and Christian Tradition
Rabbinic literature sometimes identifies Gehazi among those who forfeited the world to come, emphasizing hardness of heart. Early Christian commentators (e.g., Jerome, Chrysostom) applied Gehazi’s leprosy to clerical avarice. In preaching history he functions as a cautionary emblem, urging ministers to guard motives and laity to discern true from mercenary leadership.
Conclusion
Gehazi’s narrative arc traces a tragic descent from promising servant to leprous outcast. Interwoven with miracles of life and restoration, his account dramatizes the peril of unrepentant greed and deceit, underscoring that proximity to divine power is no substitute for personal holiness and humble faith.
Forms and Transliterations
גֵּ֣חֲזִ֔י גֵּֽחֲזִי֙ גֵּֽיחֲזִ֜י גֵּחֲזִ֑י גֵּחֲזִ֣י גֵּיחֲזִ֖י גֵּיחֲזִ֗י גֵּיחֲזִ֣י גחזי גיחזי וְגֵחֲזִ֞י וגחזי לְגֵיחֲזִ֜י לגיחזי gê·ḥă·zî gechaZi gêḥăzî geichaZi lə·ḡê·ḥă·zî ləḡêḥăzî legeichaZi vegechaZi wə·ḡê·ḥă·zî wəḡêḥăzî
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