A Cruel Punishment?

2 Kings 2:23-24 

In 2 Kings 2:23-24 we read of an exchange between the prophet Elisha and “some youths” according to the New King James Version.  The prophet was on his way to Bethel when he encountered a group of at least forty-two “youths” who shouted at him, “Go up, you baldhead!”  Elisha’s responses was to turn and pronounce a curse upon them.  It is then that two female bears came out of the woods and mauled the youths.  Many readers have a hard time understanding how Elisha could react so cruelly to a little name calling.

The problem here lies mainly in the description of the name-callers as “youths” or, as the King James Version has it, “little children.”  Such phrases conjure up images of toddlers laughing innocently at a cantankerous old man.  Here, as in many other places, the Hebrew language uses a word that has more than one meaning.  In such cases it is necessary to allow the context to suggest the meaning.

If that is done here then the Hebrew word that has been translated as “little children” or “youths” is better understood as “young men.”  There is plenty of Biblical support for this translation.  The same word is used to describe Isaac at his sacrifice, when he was most likely in his early twenties (Genesis 22:12) and Joseph when he was seventeen-years old (Genesis 37:2).  There is general agreement today that these “youths” were anywhere from twelve to thirty years old.

Now, what about the harmless insult?  Some would argue that no matter what age the young men were Elisha’s reaction was over the top.  But a closer examination of the passage shows that it was not Elisha who sent the bears but God.  The prophet only pronounced a curse, which, by the way, was taken right from the Law (Lev. 26:21-22).

This is justifiable because the young men were not mocking Elisha, they were mocking God!  Their words, “Go up,” were spoken in reference to Elijah’s recent departure of which they had no doubt heard.  They were essentially saying to Elisha, “Go on, get out of here, and leave us alone.  We have no use for the word of God.”  It was after hearing their rejection of God that Elisha pronounced the curse and left the judgment to God, who did just what He said he would do.

There is a lesson here for us today.  Can we expect to casually disregard God’s message, even part of it, and still partake of His blessings?  No.  We know assuredly that all who reject the gospel will face a punishment much worse than these young men (Mark 16:15-16).

In Christian Love,

Thomas Sneed

Pond Church of Christ