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•NAAMAN pleasantness, a Syrian, the commander of the armies of Benhadad II. in the time of Joram, king of Israel. He was afflicted with leprosy; and when the little Hebrew slave-girl that waited on his wife told her of a prophet in Samaria who could cure her master, he obtained a letter from Benhadad and proceeded with it to Joram. The king of Israel suspected in this some evil design against him, and rent his clothes. Elisha the prophet hearing of this, sent for Naaman, and the strange interview which took place is recorded in 2 Kings 5. The narrative contains all that is known of the Syrian commander. He was cured of his leprosy by dipping himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of Elisha. His cure is alluded to by our Lord (Luke 4:27).
•NAAMATHITE the designation of Zophar, one of Job’s three friends (Job 2:11; 11:1), so called from some place in Arabia, called Naamah probably.
•NAARAH a girl, the second of Ashur’s two wives, of the tribe of Judah (1 Chronicles 4:5, 6).
•NAARAI youthful, a military chief in David’s army (1 Chronicles 11:37), called also Paarai (2 Samuel 23:35).
•NAARAN boyish, juvenile, a town in Ephraim between Bethel and Jericho (1 Chronicles 7:28).
•NAARATH girl, a town on the boundary between Ephraim and Benjamin (Joshua 16:7), not far probably from Jericho, to the north (1 Chronicles 7:28).
•NABAL foolish, a descendant of Caleb who dwelt at Maon (1 Samuel 25), the modern Main, 7 miles south-east of Hebron. He was “very great, and he had 3,000 sheep and 1,000 goats...but the man was churlish and evil in his doings.” During his wanderings David came into that district, and hearing that Nabal was about to shear his sheep, he sent ten of his young men to ask “whatsoever cometh unto thy hand for thy servants.” Nabal insultingly resented the demand, saying, “Who is David, and who is the son of Jesse?” (1 Samuel 25:10, 11). One of the shepherds that stood by and saw the reception David’s messengers had met with, informed Abigail, Nabal’s wife, who at once realized the danger that threatened her household. She forthwith proceeded to the camp of David, bringing with her ample stores of provisions (25:18). She so courteously and persuasively pled her cause that David’s anger was appeased, and he said