Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version He turned around, looked at them and called down a curse on them in the name of the LORD. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys. New Living Translation Elisha turned around and looked at them, and he cursed them in the name of the LORD. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of them. English Standard Version And he turned around, and when he saw them, he cursed them in the name of the LORD. And two she-bears came out of the woods and tore forty-two of the boys. Berean Standard Bible Then he turned around, looked at them, and called down a curse on them in the name of the LORD. Suddenly two female bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys. King James Bible And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them. New King James Version So he turned around and looked at them, and pronounced a curse on them in the name of the LORD. And two female bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the youths. New American Standard Bible When he looked behind him and saw them, he cursed them in the name of the LORD. Then two female bears came out of the woods and tore up forty-two of the boys. NASB 1995 When he looked behind him and saw them, he cursed them in the name of the LORD. Then two female bears came out of the woods and tore up forty-two lads of their number. NASB 1977 When he looked behind him and saw them, he cursed them in the name of the LORD. Then two female bears came out of the woods and tore up forty-two lads of their number. Legacy Standard Bible Then he looked behind him and saw them. And he cursed them in the name of Yahweh. Then two female bears came out of the woods and tore up forty-two lads of their number. Amplified Bible When he turned around and looked at them, he cursed them in the name of the LORD. Then two female bears came out of the woods and tore to pieces forty-two of the boys. Christian Standard Bible He turned around, looked at them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. Then two female bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the children. Holman Christian Standard Bible He turned around, looked at them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. Then two female bears came out of the woods and mauled 42 of the children. American Standard Version And he looked behind him and saw them, and cursed them in the name of Jehovah. And there came forth two she-bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two lads of them. Contemporary English Version Elisha turned around and stared at the boys. Then he cursed them in the name of the LORD. At once two bears ran out of the woods and ripped to pieces 42 of the boys. English Revised Version And he looked behind him and saw them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And there came forth two she-bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them. GOD'S WORD® Translation Looking back, he saw them and cursed them in the LORD's name. Two bears came out of the woods and tore 42 of these youths apart. Good News Translation Elisha turned around, glared at them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. Then two she-bears came out of the woods and tore forty-two of the boys to pieces. International Standard Version He looked behind him, took note of the young men, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. Suddenly two female bears emerged from the woods and mauled 42 of the young men. Majority Standard Bible Then he turned around, looked at them, and called down a curse on them in the name of the LORD. Suddenly two female bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys. NET Bible When he turned around and saw them, he called God's judgment down on them. Two female bears came out of the woods and ripped forty-two of the boys to pieces. New Heart English Bible He looked behind him and saw them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. Two female bears came out of the woods, and mauled forty-two of those youths. Webster's Bible Translation And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tore forty and two children of them. World English Bible He looked behind him and saw them, and cursed them in Yahweh’s name. Then two female bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of those youths. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionAnd he looks behind him, and sees them, and declares them vile in the Name of YHWH, and two bears come out of the forest and ripped apart forty-two of the boys. Young's Literal Translation And he looketh behind him, and seeth them, and declareth them vile in the name of Jehovah, and two bears come out of the forest, and rend of them forty and two lads. Smith's Literal Translation And he will turn behind him and see them, and he will curse them in the name of Jehovah. And, two she-bears will come forth from the forest and will rend of them forty and two children. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleAnd looking back, he saw them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord: and there came forth two bears out of the forest, and tore of them two and forty boys. Catholic Public Domain Version And when he had looked back, he saw them, and he cursed them in the name of the Lord. And two bears went out from the forest, and they wounded forty-two boys among them. New American Bible The prophet turned and saw them, and he cursed them in the name of the LORD. Then two she-bears came out of the woods and tore forty-two of the children to pieces. New Revised Standard Version When he turned around and saw them, he cursed them in the name of the LORD. Then two she-bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleAnd he turned back and saw them and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And there came forth two she-bears out of the forest, and tore forty-two of the boys. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated And he turned back and he saw them, and he cursed them in the name of LORD JEHOVAH. And two she bears went out from the forest and lacerated fortytwo boys of them. OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917And he looked behind him and saw them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And there came forth two she-bears out of the wood, and tore forty and two children of them. Brenton Septuagint Translation And he turned after them, and saw them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. And, behold, there came out two bears out of the wood, and they tore forty and two children of them. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Elisha Mocked23From there, Elisha went up to Bethel, and as he was walking up the road, a group of boys came out of the city and jeered at him, chanting, “Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!” 24Then he turned around, looked at them, and called down a curse on them in the name of the LORD. Suddenly two female bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys. 25And Elisha went on to Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.… Cross References Leviticus 26:21-22 If you walk in hostility toward Me and refuse to obey Me, I will multiply your plagues seven times, according to your sins. / I will send wild animals against you to rob you of your children, destroy your livestock, and reduce your numbers, until your roads lie desolate. Deuteronomy 32:23-25 I will heap disasters upon them; I will spend My arrows against them. / They will be wasted from hunger and ravaged by pestilence and bitter plague; I will send the fangs of wild beasts against them, with the venom of vipers that slither in the dust. / Outside, the sword will take their children, and inside, terror will strike the young man and the young woman, the infant and the gray-haired man. Hosea 13:8 Like a bear robbed of her cubs I will attack them, and I will tear open their chests. There I will devour them like a lion, like a wild beast tearing them apart. 1 Samuel 12:3-5 Here I am. Bear witness against me before the LORD and before His anointed: Whose ox or donkey have I taken? Whom have I cheated or oppressed? From whose hand have I accepted a bribe and closed my eyes? Tell me, and I will restore it to you.” / “You have not cheated us or oppressed us,” they replied, “nor have you taken anything from the hand of man.” / Samuel said to them, “The LORD is a witness against you, and His anointed is a witness today, that you have not found anything in my hand.” “He is a witness,” they replied. 2 Chronicles 36:16 But they mocked the messengers of God, despising His words and scoffing at His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD against His people was stirred up beyond remedy. Isaiah 3:5 The people will oppress one another, man against man, neighbor against neighbor; the young will rise up against the old, and the base against the honorable. Ezekiel 5:17 I will send famine and wild beasts against you, and they will leave you childless. Plague and bloodshed will sweep through you, and I will bring a sword against you. I, the LORD, have spoken.” Amos 5:10 There are those who hate the one who reproves in the gate and despise him who speaks with integrity. Matthew 10:14-15 And if anyone will not welcome you or heed your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. / Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. Matthew 18:6 But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. Mark 6:11 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that place, as a testimony against them.” Luke 10:10-12 But if you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go into the streets and declare, / ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off as a testimony against you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God is near.’ / I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town. Luke 17:2 It would be better for him to have a millstone hung around his neck and to be thrown into the sea than to cause one of these little ones to stumble. Acts 13:10-11 and said, “O child of the devil and enemy of all righteousness, you are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery! Will you never stop perverting the straight ways of the Lord? / Now look, the hand of the Lord is against you, and for a time you will be blind and unable to see the light of the sun.” Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand. Romans 12:19 Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.” Treasury of Scripture And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them. cursed them 2 Kings 1:10-12 And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty… Genesis 9:25 And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren. Deuteronomy 28:15-26 But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee: … she bears 2 Samuel 17:8 For, said Hushai, thou knowest thy father and his men, that they be mighty men, and they be chafed in their minds, as a bear robbed of her whelps in the field: and thy father is a man of war, and will not lodge with the people. Proverbs 17:12 Let a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man, rather than a fool in his folly. Proverbs 28:15 As a roaring lion, and a ranging bear; so is a wicked ruler over the poor people. children of them Exodus 20:5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; 1 Kings 13:24 And when he was gone, a lion met him by the way, and slew him: and his carcase was cast in the way, and the ass stood by it, the lion also stood by the carcase. 1 Kings 19:17 And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay. Jump to Previous Bears Children Cursed Declareth Female Forest Forth Forty Forty-Two Lads Mauled Rend Tare Tore Turned Turning Vile Wood Woods YouthsJump to Next Bears Children Cursed Declareth Female Forest Forth Forty Forty-Two Lads Mauled Rend Tare Tore Turned Turning Vile Wood Woods Youths2 Kings 2 1. Elijah, taking his leave of Elisha, with his mantle divides Jordan9. and, granting Elisha his request, is taken up by a fiery chariot into heaven 12. Elisha, dividing Jordan with Elijah's mantle, is acknowledged his successor 16. The young prophets, hardly obtaining leave to seek Elijah, cannot find him. 19. Elisha with salt heals the unwholesome waters 23. Bears destroy the children that mocked Elisha Then he turned around This phrase indicates a decisive action by Elisha. The Hebrew root for "turned around" is "panah," which often signifies a change in direction or focus. In this context, it underscores Elisha's authority and readiness to address the disrespect shown to him. Historically, prophets were revered figures, and turning to confront the mockers highlights the seriousness of their offense. looked at them and called down a curse on them in the name of the LORD So two female bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys Cursed them.--"To avenge the honour of Jehovah, violated in his person" (Keil). (Comp. Exodus 16:8; Acts 5:4.) And there came forth.--Whether at once, and in the presence of Elisha, or not, is uncertain. Thenius supposes that on some occasion or other a terrible calamity had fallen on some person or persons after such a mockery of Elisha, or of some other prophet (!); and that in the desire to magnify the divinely maintained inviolability of the prophetic office, the author of the above narrative has overlooked the immoral character of cursing, especially in the case of wanton children. He then contrasts the behaviour of the "historical" David (2Samuel 16:10). But (1) the curse of a prophet was an inspired prediction of punitive disaster; (2) Beth-el was a chief seat of idolatry (1Kings 12:29, seq.; Amos 4:4; Amos 5:5; Amos 7:10), and the mobbing of the new prophetic leader may have been premeditated; (3) at all events, the narrative is too brief to enable us to judge of the merits of the case; and (4) what is related belongs to that dispensation in which judgment was made more prominent than mercy, and directly fulfils the menace of Leviticus 26:21, seq. . . . Verse 24. - And he turned back, and looked on them; rather, and he looked behind him, and saw them, as in the Revised Version. The boys, after the manner of boys, were following him, hanging upon him, not daring to draw too near, hooting him from behind, as ill-bred and ill-intentioned youths are apt to do. And cursed them in the name of the Lord. The action cannot be defended from a Christian point of view - Christians have no right to curse any one. But we can well understand that, under the old covenant, a prophet newly installed in office, and commencing his ministry, might deem it right to vindicate the honor of his office by visiting such conduct as that of these misguided youths with a malediction. Under the Law God's ministers were required to curse the disobedient (Deuteronomy 27:14-26). Elisha could not tell what would be the effect of his curse. It could have no effect at all excepting through the will and by the action of God. And there came forth two she-bears out of the wood; or, the forest; i.e. the forest, which, as all knew, lay within a short distance of Bethel, and was the haunt of wild beasts (see 1 Kings 3:24). And tare forty and two children of them. It is not said how far the lads were injured, whether fatally or not. But the punishment, whatever its severity, came from God, not from the prophet, and we may be sure was just. For "shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" A severe example may have been needed under the circumstances of the time, when a new generation was growing up in contempt of God and of religion; and the sin of the lads was not a small one, but indicated that determined bent of the will against good, and preference of evil, which is often developed early, and generally goes on from bad to worse.Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew Then he turnedוַיִּ֤פֶן (way·yi·p̄en) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 6437: To turn, to face, appear, look around, אַֽחֲרָיו֙ (’a·ḥă·rāw) Preposition | third person masculine singular Strong's 310: The hind or following part looked at them, וַיִּרְאֵ֔ם (way·yir·’êm) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine plural Strong's 7200: To see and called down a curse on them וַֽיְקַלְלֵ֖ם (way·qal·lêm) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine plural Strong's 7043: To be slight, swift or trifling in the name בְּשֵׁ֣ם (bə·šêm) Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct Strong's 8034: A name of the LORD. יְהוָ֑ה (Yah·weh) Noun - proper - masculine singular Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel Suddenly two שְׁתַּ֤יִם (šə·ta·yim) Number - fd Strong's 8147: Two (a cardinal number) female bears דֻּבִּים֙ (dub·bîm) Noun - feminine plural Strong's 1677: The bear came out וַתֵּצֶ֨אנָה (wat·tê·ṣe·nāh) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine plural Strong's 3318: To go, bring, out, direct and proxim of מִן־ (min-) Preposition Strong's 4480: A part of, from, out of the woods הַיַּ֔עַר (hay·ya·‘ar) Article | Noun - masculine singular Strong's 3293: A copse of bushes, a forest, honey in the comb and mauled וַתְּבַקַּ֣עְנָה (wat·tə·ḇaq·qa‘·nāh) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine plural Strong's 1234: To cleave, to rend, break, rip, open forty-two אַרְבָּעִ֥ים (’ar·bā·‘îm) Number - common plural Strong's 705: Forty of the young men. יְלָדִֽים׃ (yə·lā·ḏîm) Noun - masculine plural Strong's 3206: Something born, a lad, offspring Links 2 Kings 2:24 NIV2 Kings 2:24 NLT 2 Kings 2:24 ESV 2 Kings 2:24 NASB 2 Kings 2:24 KJV 2 Kings 2:24 BibleApps.com 2 Kings 2:24 Biblia Paralela 2 Kings 2:24 Chinese Bible 2 Kings 2:24 French Bible 2 Kings 2:24 Catholic Bible OT History: 2 Kings 2:24 He looked behind him and saw them (2Ki iiKi ii ki 2 kg 2kg) |
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