Biblical Reference:
The term "she-bears" is most notably referenced in the Old Testament, specifically in the book of 2 Kings. The account is found in 2 Kings 2:23-25, where the prophet Elisha encounters a group of youths in Bethel.

Scriptural Account:
In 2 Kings 2:23-25 , the narrative unfolds as follows: "From there, Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, some boys came out of the city and mocked him, saying, 'Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!' Then he turned around, looked at them, and called down a curse on them in the name of the LORD. Suddenly two she-bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys. And Elisha went on to Mount Carmel and from there returned to Samaria."

Context and Interpretation:
This passage occurs shortly after Elisha has succeeded Elijah as the leading prophet in Israel. The incident takes place in Bethel, a city known for its idolatrous practices, which may have contributed to the disrespectful behavior of the youths. The mocking of Elisha, particularly the phrase "Go up, you baldhead," is interpreted as a derisive challenge to Elisha's prophetic authority and possibly a reference to Elijah's recent ascension to heaven.

The invocation of a curse by Elisha and the subsequent attack by the she-bears is seen as a divine act of judgment. In the cultural and historical context of ancient Israel, prophets were regarded as God's representatives, and any affront to them was considered an affront to God Himself. The severity of the punishment underscores the seriousness with which God viewed the disrespect shown to His prophet.

Symbolism and Theological Significance:
The she-bears serve as instruments of divine retribution, emphasizing the holiness and authority of God's messengers. This event highlights the theme of divine justice and the protection of God's anointed. It also serves as a warning against mocking or undermining God's appointed leaders.

From a theological perspective, the account of the she-bears illustrates the principle that God defends His honor and the honor of those He has chosen to carry out His work. It reflects the broader biblical theme of God's sovereignty and the consequences of rebellion against His established order.

Cultural and Historical Insights:
In the ancient Near East, bears were known to inhabit the forests and mountainous regions, and encounters with them were not uncommon. The use of she-bears in this narrative may also carry symbolic weight, as female bears are often perceived as particularly fierce when protecting their young, paralleling the protective nature of God over His prophets.

The account of the she-bears in 2 Kings serves as a vivid reminder of the respect and reverence due to God's representatives and the seriousness with which God regards His covenant relationship with His people.

How the Soul Amidst These Interior Anguishes Knows not the Love ...
... CHAPTER XII. HOW THE SOUL AMIDST THESE INTERIOR ANGUISHES KNOWS NOT THE LOVE
SHE BEARS TO GOD: AND OF THE MOST LOVE-FULL DEATH OF THE WILL. ...
/.../francis/treatise on the love of god/chapter xii how the soul.htm

The Testimony of the Church
... is the pleasure of the Papists, who constitute "the authority of the Church" the
commencement and the termination of our certainty, when she bears witness to ...
/.../arminius/the works of james arminius vol 1/8 the testimony of the.htm

St. Ambrose Explains that He is not Speaking against Marriage...
... which awaits virgins. Though the noble woman boasts of her abundant offspring,
yet the more she bears the more she endures. Let her ...
/.../ambrose/works and letters of st ambrose/chapter vi st ambrose explains.htm

Those who Give Themselves up to Soothsayers or to those who are ...
... And to this [penalty] they also should be subjected who carry about [377] she-bears
or animals of the kind for the diversion and injury of the simple; as well ...
/.../schaff/the seven ecumenical councils/canon lxi those who give.htm

I Will Lay Hold Upon Thee and Bring Thee into My Mother's House ...
... thither only where she can go: she bears Him into the bosom of her Father,
which is her mother's house, that is the place of her birth. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/guyon/song of songs of solomon/2 i will lay hold.htm

Of the Loving Fear of Spouses; a Continuation of the Same Subject.
... sweetnesses, pleasures, virtues, consolations, lest she might be diverted, be it
ever so little, from her only love, which is the love she bears to her beloved ...
/.../francis/treatise on the love of god/chapter xvi of the loving.htm

A Continuation of the Discourse Touching the Various Degrees of ...
... At other times she hears the beloved speak, but she cannot speak to him, because
the delight she has to hear him, or the reverence she bears him, keeps her in ...
/.../francis/treatise on the love of god/chapter xi a continuation of.htm

'Tis Patience must Support You. --Heb. x. 35-37.
... Contented patience stayeth On God's decree all-wise; Although His grace delayeth,
Scarce feels fatigue arise; With trust she bears her load, And joyfully ...
/.../gerhardt/paul gerhardts spiritual songs/tis patience must support you heb.htm

That the Love which is in Hope is Very Good, Though Imperfect.
... no: for the soul which should only love God for the love of herself, placing the
end of the love which she bears to God in her own interest, would, alas! ...
/.../francis/treatise on the love of god/chapter xvii that the love.htm

The Phoenix
... bearing pole. She gathers these; with these the bird is nourished in the
midst of odours, until she bears a natural form. But when ...
/.../lactantius/of the manner in which the persecutors died/the phoenix.htm

She-bears (1 Occurrence)
She-bears. She-bear, She-bears. Sheber . Multi-Version Concordance
She-bears (1 Occurrence). 2 Kings 2:24 And he looked ...
/s/she-bears.htm - 6k

Bears (62 Occurrences)
... Exodus 21:4 If his master gives him a wife and shebears him sons or daughters,
the wife and her children shall be her master's, and he shall go out by himself ...
/b/bears.htm - 24k

Lads (20 Occurrences)
... of Jehovah. And there came forth two she-bears out of the wood, and tare
forty and two lads of them. (ASV YLT NAS). 2 Chronicles ...
/l/lads.htm - 12k

Weeks (17 Occurrences)
... Leviticus 12:5 But if shebears a female child, then she shall be unclean two weeks,
as in her period; and she shall continue in the blood of purification sixty ...
/w/weeks.htm - 16k

Tare (4 Occurrences)
... in the name of the LORD. And there came forth two shebears out of the
wood, and tare forty and two children of them. (KJV ASV). ...
/t/tare.htm - 8k

Menstruation (3 Occurrences)
... Leviticus 12:5 But if shebears a female child, then she shall be unclean two weeks,
as in her period; and she shall continue in the blood of purification sixty ...
/m/menstruation.htm - 7k

Bleeding (9 Occurrences)
... Leviticus 12:5 But if shebears a female child, then she shall be unclean two weeks,
as in her period; and she shall continue in the blood of purification sixty ...
/b/bleeding.htm - 9k

Blotted (15 Occurrences)
... Deuteronomy 25:6 It shall be, that the firstborn whom shebears shall succeed in
the name of his brother who is dead, that his name not be blotted out of Israel ...
/b/blotted.htm - 11k

Bear (425 Occurrences)
... In 2 Kings 2:24 it is related that two shebears came out of the wood and
tore forty-two of the children who had been mocking Elisha. ...
/b/bear.htm - 44k

Assume (2 Occurrences)
... Deuteronomy 25:6 It shall be, that the firstborn whom shebears shall succeed in
the name of his brother who is dead, that his name not be blotted out of Israel ...
/a/assume.htm - 7k

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