Go now is literally a double imperative using both the verbs “come” and “go.” Since Naaman had requested permission to have dealings with the country of Israel, the Syrian king gives his authorization quite definitely. The two imperative verb forms are to be understood in this way. Some modern renderings of this are “Go ahead” (New Century Version, Contemporary English Version), “By all means, go” (New International Version), and “Certainly you may go” (Revised English Bible).

I will send a letter: The wording of Revised Standard Version might make the reader think that the letter would be sent ahead of Naaman by another person, but it becomes very clear in the following verse that Naaman himself was to be the bearer of the letter. For this reason it may be better to avoid temporary confusion by translating “I will send a letter with you” or “take this letter” (Good News Translation). New Living Translation refers to the letter as “a letter of introduction for you,” and this may be helpful in other languages.

The king of Israel is Joram (2 Kgs 3.1).

So he went: The referent of the pronoun he should be made clear. It is Naaman and not the king of Syria who sets out on the journey.

Ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold: Revised Standard Version has added the word shekels, which is implicit in the Hebrew text. For talents see the comments on 1 Kgs 9.14; for shekels see 1 Kgs 10.16. Good News Translation refers to “pieces” instead of talents and shekels (see the comments on 1 Kgs 16.24). The silver and gold here represents an enormous amount of money. In modern terms the weight of the silver would have been about 340 kilograms (750 pounds) and the gold approximately 68 kilograms (150 pounds). New Living Translation reads “750 pounds of silver, 150 pounds of gold.” At today’s prices this would approach a million U.S. dollars! While this is a very large amount today, it would have been excessively large in Old Testament times. Naaman brought this money and the clothes as a gift. It shows the lengths to which he was willing to go in order to be rid of his affliction.

Ten festal garments: While the Revised Standard Version rendering is shared by New American Bible and New Jerusalem Bible, many modern versions consider this to be a mistranslation of the meaning of the Hebrew. The Hebrew word translated festal comes from a verb that sometimes means “to change,” so this word may also mean “a set,” “an assortment,” or “an outfit.” The whole phrase has therefore been translated “ten sets of garments” (New Revised Standard Version), “ten changes of clothing” (Revised English Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), and “ten new outfits” (Contemporary English Version). This is probably the better alternative to follow. The same Hebrew term for festal is found in Gen 45.22 and Jdg 14.12, 13, 19.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .