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Selected Verse: 2 Kings 2:23 - Strong Concordance

Verse	Translation	Text
2Ki 2:23	Strong Concordance	And he went up [05927] from thence unto Bethel [01008]: and as he was going up [05927] by the way [01870], there came forth [03318] little [06996] children [05288] out of the city [05892], and mocked [07046] him, and said [0559] unto him, Go up [05927], thou bald head [07142]; go up [05927], thou bald head [07142].
	King James	And he went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head.

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A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]
there came forth little children out of the city--that is, the idolatrous, or infidel young men of the place, who affecting to disbelieve the report of his master's translation, sarcastically urged him to follow in the glorious career. bald head--an epithet of contempt in the East, applied to a person even with a bushy head of hair. The appalling judgment that befell them was God's interference to uphold his newly invested prophet.

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]

there came forth little children out of the city--that is, the idolatrous, or infidel young men of the place, who affecting to disbelieve the report of his master's translation, sarcastically urged him to follow in the glorious career.

bald head--an epithet of contempt in the East, applied to a person even with a bushy head of hair. The appalling judgment that befell them was God's interference to uphold his newly invested prophet.

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]
As Beth-el was the older seat of the calf-worship Kg1 12:32-33; 13:1-32, a prophet of Yahweh was not unlikely to meet with insult there. By the way - i. e. "by the usual road," probably that which winds up the Wady Suweinit, under hills even now retaining some trees, and in Elisha's time covered with a dense forest, the haunt of savage animals. Compare Kg1 13:24; and for the general prevalence of beasts of prey in the country, both earlier and later than this, see Jdg 14:5; Sa1 17:31; Kg2 17:25; Amo 5:19, etc.

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]
The judgment of God upon the loose fellows at Bethel. Elisha proceeded from Jericho to Bethel, the chief seat of the idolatrous calf-worship, where there was also a school of the prophets (Kg2 2:3). On the way thither there came small boys out of the city to meet him, who ridiculed him by calling out, "Come up, bald-head, come," etc. קרח, bald-head (with a bald place at the back of the head), was used as a term of scorn (cf. Isa 3:17, Isa 3:24); but hardly from a suspicion of leprosy (Winer, Thenius). It was rather as a natural defect, for Elisha, who lived for fifty years after this (Kg2 13:14), could not have been bald from age at that time. Kg2 2:24 The prophet then turned round and cursed the scoffers in the name of the Lord, and there came two bears out of the wood, and tore forty-two boys of them in pieces. The supposed "immorality of cursing," which Thenius still adduces as a disproof of the historical truth of this miracle, even if it were established, would not affect Elisha only, but would fall back upon the Lord God, who executed the curse of His servant in such a manner upon these worthless boys. And there is no need, in order to justify the judicial miracle, to assume that there was a preconcerted plan which had been devised by the chief rulers of the city out of enmity to the prophet of the Lord, so that the children had merely been put forward (O. v. Gerlach). All that is necessary is to admit that the worthless spirit which prevailed in Bethel was openly manifested in the ridicule of the children, and that these boys knew Elisha, and in his person insulted the prophet of the Lord. If this was the case, then Elisha cursed the boys for the purpose of avenging the honour of the Lord, which had been injured in his person; and the Lord caused this curse to be fulfilled, to punish in the children the sins of the parents, and to inspire the whole city with a salutary dread of His holy majesty. (Note: Augustine, or the author of the Sermo 204 de Tempore (or Sermo 41 de Elisaeo in t. v. of the Opp. August., ed. J. P. Migne, p. 1826), which is attributed to him, gives a similar explanation. "The insolent boys," he says, "are to be supposed to have done this at the instigation of their parents; for they would not have called out if it had displeased their parents." And with regard to the object of the judicial punishment, he says it was inflicted "that the elders might receive a lesson through the smiting of the little ones, and the death of the sons might be a lesson to the parents; and that they might learn to fear the prophet, whom they would not love, notwithstanding the wonders which he performed.") Kg2 2:25 Elisha went from Bethel to Carmel (see at Kg1 18:19), probably to strengthen himself in solitude for the continuation of his master's work. He returned thence to Samaria, where, according to Kg2 6:32, he possessed a house.

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]

The judgment of God upon the loose fellows at Bethel. Elisha proceeded from Jericho to Bethel, the chief seat of the idolatrous calf-worship, where there was also a school of the prophets (Kg2 2:3). On the way thither there came small boys out of the city to meet him, who ridiculed him by calling out, "Come up, bald-head, come," etc. קרח, bald-head (with a bald place at the back of the head), was used as a term of scorn (cf. Isa 3:17, Isa 3:24); but hardly from a suspicion of leprosy (Winer, Thenius). It was rather as a natural defect, for Elisha, who lived for fifty years after this (Kg2 13:14), could not have been bald from age at that time.

Kg2 2:24

The prophet then turned round and cursed the scoffers in the name of the Lord, and there came two bears out of the wood, and tore forty-two boys of them in pieces. The supposed "immorality of cursing," which Thenius still adduces as a disproof of the historical truth of this miracle, even if it were established, would not affect Elisha only, but would fall back upon the Lord God, who executed the curse of His servant in such a manner upon these worthless boys. And there is no need, in order to justify the judicial miracle, to assume that there was a preconcerted plan which had been devised by the chief rulers of the city out of enmity to the prophet of the Lord, so that the children had merely been put forward (O. v. Gerlach). All that is necessary is to admit that the worthless spirit which prevailed in Bethel was openly manifested in the ridicule of the children, and that these boys knew Elisha, and in his person insulted the prophet of the Lord. If this was the case, then Elisha cursed the boys for the purpose of avenging the honour of the Lord, which had been injured in his person; and the Lord caused this curse to be fulfilled, to punish in the children the sins of the parents, and to inspire the whole city with a salutary dread of His holy majesty.

(Note: Augustine, or the author of the Sermo 204 de Tempore (or Sermo 41 de Elisaeo in t. v. of the Opp. August., ed. J. P. Migne, p. 1826), which is attributed to him, gives a similar explanation. "The insolent boys," he says, "are to be supposed to have done this at the instigation of their parents; for they would not have called out if it had displeased their parents." And with regard to the object of the judicial punishment, he says it was inflicted "that the elders might receive a lesson through the smiting of the little ones, and the death of the sons might be a lesson to the parents; and that they might learn to fear the prophet, whom they would not love, notwithstanding the wonders which he performed.")

Kg2 2:25

Elisha went from Bethel to Carmel (see at Kg1 18:19), probably to strengthen himself in solitude for the continuation of his master's work. He returned thence to Samaria, where, according to Kg2 6:32, he possessed a house.

Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65]
To Beth - el - To the other school of prophets, to inform them of Elijah's translation, and his succession to the same office; and to direct, and comfort, and stablish them. Children - Or, young men: as this Hebrew word often signifies. It is more than probable they were old enough to discern between good and evil. The city - Beth - el was the mother - city of idolatry, where the prophets planted themselves, that they might bear witness against it, and dissuade the people from it; though, it seems, they had but small success there. Mocked him - With great petulancy and vehemency, as the word signifies; deriding both his person and ministry, and that from a prophane contempt of the true religion, and a passionate love to that idolatry which they knew he opposed. Go up - Go up into heaven, whither thou pretendest Elijah is gone. Why didst not thou accompany thy friend and master to heaven? Bald - head - So they mock his natural infirmity, which is a great sin. The repetition shews their heartiness and earnestness, that it was no sudden slip of their tongue, but a scoff proceeding from a rooted impiety and hatred of God and his prophets. And very probably it was their usual practice, to jeer the prophets as they went along the streets, that they might expose them to contempt, and if possible drive them out of their town. Had the abuse done to Elisha been the first offence of the kind, they might not have been so severely punished. But mocking the messengers of the Lord, was one of the crying sins of Israel.

Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826
There came forth little children out of the city - These were probably the school of some celebrated teacher; but under his instruction they had learned neither piety nor good manners. Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head - עלה קרח עלה קרח aleh kereach, aleh kereach. Does not this imply the grossest insult? Ascend, thou empty skull, to heaven, as it is pretended thy master did! This was blasphemy against God; and their punishment (for they were Beth-elite idolaters) was only proportioned to their guilt. Elisha cursed them, i.e., pronounced a curse upon them, in the name of the Lord, בשם יהוה beshem Yehovah, by the name or authority of Jehovah. The spirit of their offense lies in their ridiculing a miracle of the Lord: the offense was against Him, and He punished it. It was no petulant humor of the prophet that caused him to pronounce this curse; it was God alone: had it proceeded from a wrong disposition of the prophet, no miracle would have been wrought in order to gratify it. "But was it not a cruel thing to destroy forty-two little children, who, in mere childishness, had simply called the prophet bare skull, or bald head?" I answer, Elisha did not destroy them; he had no power by which he could bring two she-bears out of the wood to destroy them. It was evidently either accidental, or a Divine judgment; and if a judgment, God must be the sole author of it. Elisha's curse must be only declaratory of what God was about to do. See on Kg2 1:10 (note). "But then, as they were little children, they could scarcely be accountable for their conduct; and consequently, it was cruelty to destroy them." If it was a judgment of God, it could neither be cruel nor unjust; and I contend, that the prophet had no power by which he could bring these she-bears to fall upon them. But were they little children? for here the strength of the objection lies. Now I suppose the objection means children from four to seven or eight years old; for so we use the word: but the original, נערים קטנים nearim ketannim, may mean young men, for קטן katon signifies to be young, in opposition to old, and is so translated in various places in our Bible; and נער naar signifies, not only a child, but a young man, a servant, or even a soldier, or one fit to go out to battle; and is so translated in a multitude of places in our common English version. I shall mention but a few, because they are sufficiently decisive: Isaac was called נער naar when twenty-eight years old, Gen 21:5-12; and Joseph was so called when he was thirty-nine, Gen 41:12. Add to these Kg1 20:14 : "And Ahab said, By whom [shall the Assyrians be delivered into my hand?] And he said, Thus saith the Lord, by the Young Men, בנערי benaarey, of the princes of the provinces." That these were soldiers, probably militia, or a selection from the militia, which served as a bodyguard to Ahab, the event sufficiently declares; and the persons that mocked Elisha were perfectly accountable for their conduct. But is it not possible that these forty-two were a set of unlucky young men, who had been employed in the wood, destroying the whelps of these same she-bears, who now pursued them, and tore them to pieces, for the injury they had done? We have already heard of the ferocity of a bear robbed of her whelps; see at the end of Sa2 17:28. The mention of She-bears gives some color to the above conjecture; and, probably, at the time when these young fellows insulted the prophet, the bears might be tracing the footsteps of the murderers of their young, and thus came upon them in the midst of their insults, God's providence ordering these occurrences so as to make this natural effect appear as a Divine cause. If the conjecture be correct, the bears were prepared by their loss to execute the curse of the prophet, and God's justice guided them to the spot to punish the iniquity that had been just committed.

Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826

There came forth little children out of the city - These were probably the school of some celebrated teacher; but under his instruction they had learned neither piety nor good manners.

Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head - עלה קרח עלה קרח aleh kereach, aleh kereach. Does not this imply the grossest insult? Ascend, thou empty skull, to heaven, as it is pretended thy master did! This was blasphemy against God; and their punishment (for they were Beth-elite idolaters) was only proportioned to their guilt. Elisha cursed them, i.e., pronounced a curse upon them, in the name of the Lord, בשם יהוה beshem Yehovah, by the name or authority of Jehovah. The spirit of their offense lies in their ridiculing a miracle of the Lord: the offense was against Him, and He punished it. It was no petulant humor of the prophet that caused him to pronounce this curse; it was God alone: had it proceeded from a wrong disposition of the prophet, no miracle would have been wrought in order to gratify it.

"But was it not a cruel thing to destroy forty-two little children, who, in mere childishness, had simply called the prophet bare skull, or bald head?" I answer, Elisha did not destroy them; he had no power by which he could bring two she-bears out of the wood to destroy them. It was evidently either accidental, or a Divine judgment; and if a judgment, God must be the sole author of it. Elisha's curse must be only declaratory of what God was about to do. See on Kg2 1:10 (note). "But then, as they were little children, they could scarcely be accountable for their conduct; and consequently, it was cruelty to destroy them." If it was a judgment of God, it could neither be cruel nor unjust; and I contend, that the prophet had no power by which he could bring these she-bears to fall upon them. But were they little children? for here the strength of the objection lies. Now I suppose the objection means children from four to seven or eight years old; for so we use the word: but the original, נערים קטנים nearim ketannim, may mean young men, for קטן katon signifies to be young, in opposition to old, and is so translated in various places in our Bible; and נער naar signifies, not only a child, but a young man, a servant, or even a soldier, or one fit to go out to battle; and is so translated in a multitude of places in our common English version. I shall mention but a few, because they are sufficiently decisive: Isaac was called נער naar when twenty-eight years old, Gen 21:5-12; and Joseph was so called when he was thirty-nine, Gen 41:12. Add to these Kg1 20:14 : "And Ahab said, By whom [shall the Assyrians be delivered into my hand?] And he said, Thus saith the Lord, by the Young Men, בנערי benaarey, of the princes of the provinces." That these were soldiers, probably militia, or a selection from the militia, which served as a bodyguard to Ahab, the event sufficiently declares; and the persons that mocked Elisha were perfectly accountable for their conduct.

But is it not possible that these forty-two were a set of unlucky young men, who had been employed in the wood, destroying the whelps of these same she-bears, who now pursued them, and tore them to pieces, for the injury they had done? We have already heard of the ferocity of a bear robbed of her whelps; see at the end of Sa2 17:28. The mention of She-bears gives some color to the above conjecture; and, probably, at the time when these young fellows insulted the prophet, the bears might be tracing the footsteps of the murderers of their young, and thus came upon them in the midst of their insults, God's providence ordering these occurrences so as to make this natural effect appear as a Divine cause. If the conjecture be correct, the bears were prepared by their loss to execute the curse of the prophet, and God's justice guided them to the spot to punish the iniquity that had been just committed.

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¹⁹ As if a man [0376] did flee [05127] from [06440] a lion [0738], and a bear [01677] met [06293] him; or went [0935] into the house [01004], and leaned [05564] his hand [03027] on the wall [07023], and a serpent [05175] bit [05391] him.

²⁵ And so it was at the beginning [08462] of their dwelling [03427] there, that they feared [03372] not the LORD [03068]: therefore the LORD [03068] sent [07971] lions [0738] among them, which slew [02026] some of them.

³¹ And when the words [01697] were heard [08085] which David [01732] spake [01696], they rehearsed [05046] them before [06440] Saul [07586]: and he sent [03947] for him.

⁵ Then went [03381] Samson [08123] down [03381], and his father [01] and his mother [0517], to Timnath [08553], and came [0935] to the vineyards [03754] of Timnath [08553]: and, behold, a young [03715] lion [0738] roared [07580] against [07125] him.

²⁴ And when he was gone [03212], a lion [0738] met [04672] him by the way [01870], and slew [04191] him: and his carcase [05038] was cast [07993] in the way [01870], and the ass [02543] stood [05975] by [0681] it, the lion [0738] also stood [05975] by the carcase [05038].

³² And Jeroboam [03379] ordained [06213] a feast [02282] in the eighth [08066] month [02320], on the fifteenth [02568] [06240] day [03117] of the month [02320], like unto the feast [02282] that is in Judah [03063], and he offered [05927] upon the altar [04196]. So did [06213] he in Bethel [01008], sacrificing [02076] unto the calves [05695] that he had made [06213]: and he placed [05975] in Bethel [01008] the priests [03548] of the high places [01116] which he had made [06213].
³³ So he offered [05927] upon the altar [04196] which he had made [06213] in Bethel [01008] the fifteenth [02568] [06240] day [03117] of the eighth [08066] month [02320], even in the month [02320] which he had devised [0908] of his own heart [03820]; and ordained [06213] a feast [02282] unto the children [01121] of Israel [03478]: and he offered [05927] upon the altar [04196], and burnt incense [06999].

³² But Elisha [0477] sat [03427] in his house [01004], and the elders [02205] sat [03427] with him; and the king sent [07971] a man [0376] from before [06440] him: but ere the messenger [04397] came [0935] to him, he said [0559] to the elders [02205], See [07200] ye how this son [01121] of a murderer [07523] hath sent [07971] to take away [05493] mine head [07218]? look [07200], when the messenger [04397] cometh [0935], shut [05462] the door [01817], and hold him fast [03905] at the door [01817]: is not the sound [06963] of his master's [0113] feet [07272] behind [0310] him?

¹⁹ Now therefore send [07971], and gather [06908] to me all Israel [03478] unto mount [02022] Carmel [03760], and the prophets [05030] of Baal [01168] four [0702] hundred [03967] and fifty [02572], and the prophets [05030] of the groves [0842] four [0702] hundred [03967], which eat [0398] at Jezebel's [0348] table [07979].

²⁵ And he went [03212] from thence to mount [02022] Carmel [03760], and from thence he returned [07725] to Samaria [08111].

²⁴ And he turned [06437] back [0310], and looked [07200] on them, and cursed [07043] them in the name [08034] of the LORD [03068]. And there came forth [03318] two [08147] she bears [01677] out of the wood [03293], and tare [01234] forty [0705] and two [08147] children [03206] of them.

¹⁴ Now Elisha [0477] was fallen sick [02470] of his sickness [02483] whereof he died [04191]. And Joash [03101] the king [04428] of Israel [03478] came down [03381] unto him, and wept [01058] over his face [06440], and said [0559], O my father [01], my father [01], the chariot [07393] of Israel [03478], and the horsemen [06571] thereof.

²⁴ And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet smell [01314] there shall be stink [04716]; and instead of a girdle [02290] a rent [05364]; and instead of well set [04639] hair [04748] baldness [07144]; and instead of a stomacher [06614] a girding [04228] of sackcloth [08242]; and burning [03587] instead of beauty [03308].

¹⁷ Therefore the Lord [0136] will smite with a scab [05596] the crown of the head [06936] of the daughters [01323] of Zion [06726], and the LORD [03068] will discover [06168] their secret parts [06596].

³ And the sons [01121] of the prophets [05030] that were at Bethel [01008] came forth [03318] to Elisha [0477], and said [0559] unto him, Knowest [03045] thou that the LORD [03068] will take away [03947] thy master [0113] from thy head [07218] to day [03117]? And he said [0559], Yea, I know [03045] it; hold ye your peace [02814].

²⁸ Brought [05066] beds [04904], and basons [05592], and earthen [03335] vessels [03627], and wheat [02406], and barley [08184], and flour [07058], and parched [07039] corn, and beans [06321], and lentiles [05742], and parched [07039] pulse,

¹⁴ And Ahab [0256] said [0559], By whom? And he said [0559], Thus saith [0559] the LORD [03068], Even by the young men [05288] of the princes [08269] of the provinces [04082]. Then he said [0559], Who shall order [0631] the battle [04421]? And he answered [0559], Thou.

¹² And there was there with us a young man [05288], an Hebrew [05680], servant [05650] to the captain [08269] of the guard [02876]; and we told [05608] him, and he interpreted [06622] to us our dreams [02472]; to each man [0376] according to his dream [02472] he did interpret [06622].

⁵ And Abraham [085] was an hundred [03967] years [08141] old [01121], when his son [01121] Isaac [03327] was born [03205] unto him.
⁶ And Sarah [08283] said [0559], God [0430] hath made [06213] me to laugh [06712], so that all that hear [08085] will laugh [06711] with me.
⁷ And she said [0559], Who would have said [04448] unto Abraham [085], that Sarah [08283] should have given children [01121] suck [03243]? for I have born [03205] him a son [01121] in his old age [02208].
⁸ And the child [03206] grew [01431], and was weaned [01580]: and Abraham [085] made [06213] a great [01419] feast [04960] the same day [03117] that Isaac [03327] was weaned [01580].
⁹ And Sarah [08283] saw [07200] the son [01121] of Hagar [01904] the Egyptian [04713], which she had born [03205] unto Abraham [085], mocking [06711].
¹⁰ Wherefore she said [0559] unto Abraham [085], Cast out [01644] this bondwoman [0519] and her son [01121]: for the son [01121] of this bondwoman [0519] shall not be heir [03423] with my son [01121], even with Isaac [03327].
¹¹ And the thing [01697] was very [03966] grievous [03415] in Abraham's [085] sight [05869] because [0182] of his son [01121].
¹² And God [0430] said [0559] unto Abraham [085], Let it not be grievous [03415] in thy sight [05869] because of the lad [05288], and because of thy bondwoman [0519]; in all that Sarah [08283] hath said [0559] unto thee, hearken [08085] unto her voice [06963]; for in Isaac [03327] shall thy seed [02233] be called [07121].

¹⁰ And Elijah [0452] answered [06030] and said [01696] to the captain [08269] of fifty [02572], If I be a man [0376] of God [0430], then let fire [0784] come down [03381] from heaven [08064], and consume [0398] thee and thy fifty [02572]. And there came down [03381] fire [0784] from heaven [08064], and consumed [0398] him and his fifty [02572].