What do you think about Elisha and the Two Bears?
Do you think this is a metaphorical story with the obvious moral lesson being to respect your elders?
Or, do you view this as a literal historical event where God sent two bears to kill 42 children for making fun of a bald man?
If we don’t like a story we can make it metaphorical or we can learn something about what God thinks about people who disrespect his prophets. I would suspect he suddenly got respected.
God sending two bears that killed 42 “children” because they were making fun of a prophet’s bald head (2 Kgs. 2:23-24)
Elisha was headed for Bethel to minister to the people there. The place had turned to idolatry and all sorts of wickedness. It was from here that these “children” came. The word used is “naar” which actually refers to young men. The same word was used of servants, soldiers and even of Abraham’s son, Isaac when he was 28. This was basically a gang of 42 wicked young men against one man, mocking him and belittling his ministry.
Baldness in that culture was regarded as a disgrace, because it was often associated with leprosy, mental retardation, and was used as a vicious epithet. Elisha recognized their unresponsiveness to the message he had just taken to their city (he was in the process of leaving and going to Mt. Carmel). He cursed them and went on his way…relinquishing them into the hands of God. They had heard the message and not only failed to accept it, but mocked it and threatened the messenger of God.
Why would anyone think this is not literal. Jonah was swallowed by a great fish. Jesus cast demons into a herd of swine and they ran off a cliff. God can really do anything He wants and He is able
Was not 42 children, was young men who were harassing and threatening an old man. Imagine your in your 60s and 40 plus young follows surround you and start harassing you..
2 Kings 2:23–24 NIV
From there Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, some boys came out of the town and jeeredb at him. “Get out of here, baldy!” they said. “Get out of here, baldy!” 24 He turned around, looked at them and called down a cursec on them in the named of the Lord. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys.”
“Boys” Not “Men”
It seems that other than us No one else used metaphors and god forbid god does
I believe it. Because it goes along with his story. There might be more to the story, if we were there to see it, who knows. I believe the Bible.
Its literal and most of the Bible is.
Really jo the bible just like us use literal sense intended meanings more than wooden literal ones
I once heard an older Christian man say “what is literal is literal, what is practical is practical” Jo Kothenbeutel and Harold Goldman
Well tell the old man to take a class in gramma
That was a gang. Nobody said “children” always meant “kids.” There’s 42 of them, outside the city, no parents, elisha is alone.
And it doesn’t say the bears killed them. It says the bears mauled them. Which would mean “ripped to pieces”, like Dicaprio in Revenant. ?
It is an interesting read. Remember, Proverbs 18 :21 says: death and life are in the power of the tongue, and however enjoys it will eat its fruit. In other word, you get what you speak. Isn’t it interesting how we as men always go to death first. I believe God would rather have us speak life. Blessings
It is LITERAL…Anything to the contrary is demonically inspired.
Literal and they were young men not children
Why would anyone think that it’s a metaphor.. the scripture repeats itself.. such as “touch not my anointed”.. Elisha was a man of God.. what about the 50 soldiers that were sent twice to bring Elijah Back To The King.. and Elijah called down fire and consume them both times. “touch not my anointed”
Everything God does in the Old Testament is for the ultimate goal of bringing the Christ Child into the world. Anyone or anything that threatened the existence and faith of the Davidic lineage, tribe of Judah, and nation of Jacob had to be stopped by any means necessary. Prophets were individuals God raised up when his people threatened to go astray, and so they had to be protected until their mission had been fulfilled, whether from an enemy nation or a mob of unruly youths in Elisha’s case.
The odd incident recorded in verses 23–24 occurred near Bethel. Bethel was notable as one of the two centers for idolatrous worship in the Northern Kingdom. Israel’s first king, Jeroboam, had instituted idolatrous worship as a political maneuver to keep his citizens from visiting Jerusalem. Jeroboam set up golden calves at Dan and Bethel
The test doesn’t say they were killed, it says they were mauled. I think it was a warning to them.
Literal. Don’t mess with God or mock his design. Still true today and those who don’t listen still perish.
I believe it as it is. It’s true history.
Ava Reyes we meet again. Why do you ask questions of the Bible which you have no knowledge or interest in? You have dodged more important questions from me and others regarding your beliefs and why you believe as you do. It is not appropriate and actually very dishonest to question with no intention of actually listening or even trying to comprehend the word of God.
there’s no doubt the event happened. The laws had already been established and given to all the people of Israel. They knew the standards the sovereign Lord required. There was no need to give “metaphorical” illustration. Unless otherwise indicated, the word of God is always to be taken literally. People who try to allegorize Scripture always create more problems than they’re attempting to solve. Their efforts remind me of a line out of Shakespeare. Most of you are probably familiar with it: oh what a tangled we web we weave when first we practice to deceive.”
Ava Reyes What are your thoughts on Elisha and the Two Bears scene?
The bears did not kill. These were not children but young men. Real and literal
If she keeps this up have her blocked.
Years ago ..I was studying. I came across this scripture.
The Holy Ghost laugh. Surprised I started laughing
Psalm 105:15
Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.
They weren’t little children they were young men. Go into the strongs the word used is also for young men. This is an obvious case of the Masonic King James being manipulated to make God look bad.
“‘How can you say, “We are wise, for we have the law of the LORD,” when actually the lying pen of the scribes has handled it falsely?
Jeremiah 8:8
Definitely happened, they were simultaneously making fun of the prophet, casting doubt on his account of Elijah’s ascension, and telling him to go die. Have to admit they were pretty efficient with their insults.
It’s written as a literal historical event.
Why do you consistantly and redundantly answer your question in your question?
It’s a literal historic event
Well the word used wasn’t child in hebrew, but yeah interesting story for certain. I’d say literal. You don’t mess with his anointed
Well, calling a prophet bald is to say he betrayed his vow to God. Many of these prophets had the Nazarite vow that they could not ever cut their hair, not touch a dead body, not eat grapes, or drink Grape juice or grape wine.
When one had his long hair and was called Bald, this was about the worst disrespect for the office of that prophet.
In essence, they were yelling, “Beati, vow breaker, Beat it, Vow Breaker!”
Alterrnatively view is that they were calling him a plague of Leprosy (Leviticus 13)
“Beat it, leper, Beat it Leper”
In the end, it does NOT say that the prophet called the bears, but it seems that God did it. god is Holy and his prophets need to be treated with the utmost respect.
It’s amazing to me, how Christians can justify killing people for just about any reason, when your God does it.
I’m looking at the comments and I see that you Ava Reyes are not a Christian and so your post was probably designed to poke holes more then ask a genuine question. But honestly, I think that’s perfectly okay and healthy. As long as it’s done in a respectful way, it stimulates discussion, isn’t making logical fallacies, and you would be okay answering similar questions about your worldview if asked. So, I think you’re totally fine! I apologise on behalf of my Christian siblings who seem angered by your question.
Though perhaps the comment from 3 minutes ago was a bit much?
Yesterday a new member joined the group and used this account as one of his points in an argument that was essentially “these things are fake and immoral, so how can you believe something is fake and immoral”. Needless to say the intent of that poster was clear to see, one in where they were not interested in actual discussion. My hope would be that this is a different situation.
It’s already been addressed by Roberta Jackson. But there a couple of issues with your rendering of the account in 2 Kings 2. The first is the age of these children, when we apply the language used in the verses that speak of their age it suggests that they were in fact youths which in Jewish culture would’ve been somewhere between 8-14 as Jewish males became adults at the age of 14. The second issue is around the baldness, as Roberta has already highlighted this, but their mockery around Elisha’s baldness appears to be a means of mocking a man by accusing him of being a leper. When you look at the context of the passage it appears to be the case that this was a gang of youths who were aiming to kill Elisha.
That understanding is important as whenever one raises an objection about the Bible it is vital that they read the account they are objecting to and do their due diligence in researching what is included in the account they raise.
However, to give a simple answer to the question. Yes I think this is a historical account. The way this account is written in 2 Kings would lead to the conclusion that the author’s intent was to convey that this was something that actually happened.
Ava Reyes you know I’m looking at your comments and I’m starting to get the impression that you aren’t really interested in people actually replying to your question. Can you explain what it is you hope to achieve by this posting this?
The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah… not alien, not an angel, not animals did it.
You purely don’t have a point.
This was a violent gang like the drug gangs who control certain west side and south side neighborhoods of Chicago.
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