Why did Elisha hate children?

Question

I thought baby Jesus and God loved little children.


2nd Kings

2:23 And [Elisha] 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.

2:24 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.

Answer 1

Elisha was a cantankerous old fart who was sensitive about his lack of hair.

Apparently he could control bears too. Now I know why Stephen Colbert hates them

Answer 2

Back then, there were more trees than now, even forests where wild animals roamed. We see this from an incident that happened when Elisha had become God’s main prophet. Elisha was traveling up from Jericho toward Bethel, so he was in this area, some ten miles south of Shiloh. What reception would he receive from the people of Bethel, which had become a center for the worship of a golden calf? (1 Kings 12:27-33; 2 Kings 10:29) Evidently the adults were antagonistic toward Jehovah’s prophet, and their attitude seems to have rubbed off on their offspring.

Second Kings 2:23, 24 tells us that a band of youths jeered God’s prophet: “Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!” In response, Elisha “called down evil upon them in the name of Jehovah. Then two she-bears came out from the woods and went tearing to pieces forty-two children of their number.” Such Syrian brown bears could be ferocious when surprised or when their cubs seemed threatened. (2 Samuel 17:8;) God used them to execute divine justice against those who grossly despised his representative and thus despised Jehovah himself.

Jehovah tolerates no disrespect for his official servants. When the delinquents mocked Elisha as the prophet of Jehovah, He brought swift recompense.

The primary reason for their jeers seems to have been not that Elisha was bald but that they saw a bald man wearing Elijah’s familiar official garment. They did not want any successor of Elijah around.

To answer this challenge of his being Elijah’s successor and to teach these young people and their parents proper respect for Jehovah’s prophet, Elisha called down evil upon the jeering mob in the name of the God of Elijah. It was a test of his prophetship. Jehovah manifested his approval of Elisha by causing two she-bears to come out of the nearby woods and to tear to pieces 42 of them.

Answer 3

Good question.

That may seem severe treatment for calling someone a baldhead, but more than disrespect was involved. It was the taunt “Go up” that called for divine vengeance. It was telling Elisha to go up as he reported Elijah did. (2 Ki. 2:11) It showed disbelief in Jehovah’s miracle in Elijah’s case, and was a taunt for Elisha to prove it by duplicating it. It could also indicate that Elisha should go up as did Elijah and in that way the community would be rid of him. It suggested that his presence was unwanted and for him to clear out of the territory. It is likely that adults were responsible for this delinquency, the childish taunting being a reflection of the adult attitude if it was not directly instigated by religiously opposed adults. At any rate, the children were punished for their blasphemy. As Proverbs 20:11 states: “Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.” Youthfulness alone does not save delinquents who blaspheme.

Hope this helps.

Answer 4

Elisha didn't conjure up the bears; it was good ol' Joe Hova.

Contrary to what they taught you in Sunday school, Jesus DOESN'T love the little children....

Answer 5

The text does not indicate that he hated ALL children; it just shows a reaction to those taunting him then. Even though I would consider myself a Christian, I would not say all atheist are 'bad people' even though there probably are some, ,just as there are some 'bad Christians' (using the term 'Christian' rather loosely for the moment).

Answer 6

I was told that it didn't happen that it was just to point out his personality. I don't know, I wasn't there. It IS a good question though.

Answer 7

read the beginning of the book up to that point and you will see.