The Story of Naaman the Syrian

The life of Naaman the Syrian, commander of the Syrian armies, is examined and retold in this exceptional biography composed by John McDuff.

A tale of contrasts, we are thrust straight into the material of Naaman's life. Although a capable military tactician, who crucially was seen to possess both good fortune and favor from the divine, Naaman had been afflicted with leprosy. This illness stood to rob Naaman of his military career, until one day a servant girl informed him of healing waters located in the River Jordan.

At first, Naaman dismisses her in the assumption that such waters were mere superstition. However, his illness worsening, he eventually relents and sets off southward to the Jordan. Healed, he rejoices and listens to the God of Israel - renouncing his old God, Rimmon. Although Syria was in conflict with Israel, and thus Naaman (as a heathen) would be thought beyond help, God renders assistance as an example of his benevolence.

The two most famous sources on Naaman's life are located in the Tanakh or Hebrew Bible. A further mention occurs in the New Testament Book of Luke. The lesson of Naaman's life is simply that God's power and forgiveness can extend far and wide, so long as the individual accepts it and renounces his former creed.