Why did the Prophet Elisha curse the “youths” for making fun of his baldness (2 Kings 2:23-24)?

Answer

There are several crucial points we need to grasp regarding the incident of the youths taunting Elisha. The passage states, “From there Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, some youths came out of the town and jeered at him. ‘Go on up, you baldhead!’ they said. ‘Go on up, you baldhead!’ 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 youths.” It may seem implausible that God would send two bears to attack a group of young people for mocking a bald man.

Firstly, the King James Version has misled us by translating the term as “children.” The Hebrew word can indeed mean children, but more precisely it refers to “young men.” The NIV, as quoted here, uses the term “youths.” Secondly, the fact that 42 of the youths were mauled suggests that there were more than 42 youths present. This was not merely a small group of children teasing a bald man. Instead, it was a sizable gathering of young men who had come together to ridicule a prophet of God. Thirdly, the mockery of “go on up, you baldhead,” goes beyond poking fun at baldness. The reference to Elisha’s baldness could be interpreted as: 1) natural hair loss; 2) a shaved head symbolizing his dedication to the prophetic role; or more likely, 3) a term of disdain and disrespect, with Elisha not necessarily being literally bald. The phrase “go up” likely alluded to Elijah, Elisha’s mentor, who was taken up to Heaven earlier in 2 Kings chapter 2:11-12. These youths were sarcastically provoking and insulting the Lord’s prophet by challenging him to replicate Elijah’s ascension.

In conclusion, 2 Kings 2:23-24 does not depict God attacking young children for mocking a bald man. Instead, it portrays a disrespectful demonstration against God’s prophet by a large group of young men. These young individuals, around 20 years old, gathered to insult Elisha, showing a lack of reverence for God’s chosen messenger.For older «And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in. », (the same term is used of Solomon in 1 Kings 3:7) who despised the prophet of the Lord, Elisha called upon the Lord to deal with the rebels as He saw fit. The Lord’s punishment was the mauling of 42 of them by two female bears. The penalty was clearly justified, for to ridicule Elisha was to ridicule the Lord Himself. The seriousness of the crime was indicated by the severity of the punishment. The harsh judgment was God’s warning to all who would scorn the prophets of the Lord.