How do Jehovah's Witnesses explain Elisha and the she bears?

Question

I've read other Christians explain this story, and I'm interested in how JWs understand this. Is there anything on the Watchtower website about it?


I was reminded of the account because it happens right after Elijah goes up in the windstorm.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070508210019AAouTld

Answer 1

For some reason, the account of Elisha and the she-bears seems to trouble some bible readers, perhaps because they feel it is natural for small children to notice and tease any physical irregularity. But is that what is described at 2 Kings 2:19-24? No.

This account is among Elisha's first appearances while wearing Elijah's official garments. It was now plain to the community that Elisha was now commissioned to perform bold prophesying as Elijah had done previously, and that Elisha had holy spirit.

(2 Kings 2:14-15) [Elisha] took the official garment of Elijah that had fallen off him... When the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho saw him some way off, they began to say: “The spirit of Elijah has settled down upon Elisha.”


Just minutes or hours before the incident with the she-bears, Elisha proved the action of the holy spirit when he performed a miracle purifying the city's water supply. Ironically, the previously polluted water was widely acknowledged to have caused miscarriages, prematurely ending the lives of unborn children and others.

(2 Kings 2:19-21) In time the men of the city said to Elisha: “Here, now, the situation of the city is good, just as my master is seeing; but the water is bad, and the land is causing miscarriages.” 20 At that he said: “Fetch me a small new bowl and put salt in it.” So they fetched it for him. 21 Then he went on out to the source of the water and threw salt in it and said: “This is what Jehovah has said, ‘I do make this water healthful. No more will death or any causing of miscarriages result from it.’”


So there was every reason for the community to accept the action of the holy spirit with respect to Elisha. The "sons of the prophets" acknowledged Elisha's position (vs 15). The miracle demonstrated Jehovah's spirit and blessings upon the work of Elisha (vs 21). Elisha had a long career alongside Elijah, and Elisha even wore the official garments of Jehovah's prophet so that he could be easily identified (vs 14).

Indeed, Elisha was easily identified. This was not a handful of teasing five-year-olds Elisha came upon. The bible account says that this was a mob of nearly fifty hooligans which actively pursued Elisha, possibly organized by their parents but certainly reflecting their parents' overheard disrespect for God's prophet. Essentially, they worked to find him just to tell him to 'get lost'!

(2 Kings 2:23,24) [Elisha] proceeded to go up from there to Bethel. As he was going up on the way, there were small boys that came out from the city and began to jeer him and that kept saying to him: “Go up, you...! Go up, you...!” Finally he turned behind him and saw them


Clearly, this mob intentionally targeted Elisha. Despite the overwhelming evidence that Elisha was uniquely involved with the holy spirit, the action of the holy spirit was apparently denied by many in the community. Elisha's umbrage was not vanity about his appearance, but boldness in condemning what may well have been blasphemy against the holy spirit.

(2 Chronicles 36:16) But they were continually making jest at the messengers of the true God and despising his words and mocking at his prophets, until the rage of Jehovah came up against his people, until there was no healing.

(1 Thessalonians 4:8) So, then, the man that shows disregard is disregarding, not man, but God


Jesus himself taught what constitutes "the unforgivable sin"; it seems to involve the intentional misrepresenting of the plain action of the holy spirit.

(Matthew 12:31,32) The blasphemy against the spirit will not be forgiven. For example, whoever speaks a word against the Son of man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the holy spirit, it will not be forgiven him, no, not in this system of things nor in that to come.


Fully in context, here is the bible account of Elisha and the she-bears. The immediate next account clearly demonstrates why Jehovah must enforce respect for his prophets and for the plain action of the holy spirit.

(2 Kings 2:8-3:12) Elijah took his official garment and wrapped it up... 9 ...Elijah himself said to E·li′sha: “Ask what I should do for you before I am taken from you.” To this Elisha said: “Please, that two parts in your spirit may come to me.” 10... 11...and Elijah went ascending in the windstorm to the heavens. 12... 13 After that [Elisha] picked up the official garment of Elijah... 15 When the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho saw him some way off, they began to say: “The spirit of Elijah has settled down upon Elisha.” Accordingly they came to meet him and bowed down to him to the earth. 16 ...19 In time the men of the city said to Elisha: “Here, now, the situation of the city is good, just as my master is seeing; but the water is bad, and the land is causing miscarriages.” 20 At that he said: “Fetch me a small new bowl and put salt in it.” So they fetched it for him. 21 Then he went on out to the source of the water and threw salt in it and said: “This is what Jehovah has said, ‘I do make this water healthful. No more will death or any causing of miscarriages result from it.’” 22 And the water continues healed down to this day, according to Elisha’s word that he spoke. 23 And he proceeded to go up from there to Bethel. As he was going up on the way, there were small boys that came out from the city and began to jeer him and that kept saying to him: “Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!” 24 Finally he turned behind him and saw them and 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. [Chapter 3, Verse] 11 At that Jehoshaphat [king of Judah] said: “Is there not here a prophet of Jehovah? Then let us inquire of Jehovah through him.” So one of the servants of the king of Israel answered and said: “There is here Elisha the son of Shaphat, who poured out water upon the hands of Elijah.” 12 Then Jehoshaphat said: “The word of Jehovah exists with him.” Accordingly the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to [Elisha].


Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/20020301/article_01.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/19880415/article_01.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20000622/article_01.htm

Answer 2

Elisha And The She Bears

Answer 3

An interesting side point:

Elisha is rewarded for his faithfulness by seeing a fiery war chariot and fiery horses and Elijah ascending in a windstorm to the heavens. Elisha takes up Elijah’s official garment that had fallen off him, and “two parts” (like a firstborn son’s portion) in Elijah’s spirit, a spirit of courage and of being “absolutely jealous for Jehovah the God of armies,” come on him.—2Ki 2:1-13; 1Ki 19:10, 14; compare De 21:17.

Elijah does not die at this time, nor does he go into the invisible spirit realm, but he is transferred to another prophetic assignment. (Joh 3:13) This is shown by the fact that Elisha does not hold any period of mourning for his master. A number of years after his ascension in the windstorm Elijah is still alive and active as a prophet, this time to the king of Judah. Because of the wicked course taken by King Jehoram of Judah, Elijah writes him a letter expressing Jehovah’s condemnation, which is fulfilled shortly thereafter.—2Ch 21:12-15

Answer 4

Elijah did NOT go up in a windstorm. The whirlwind separated Elijah from Elisha. If you actually read the account you will have credibility. I clicked on the link also. It stated Elijah "died and went to heaven" ?? Where did that come from? The JW's will have something different to say about it because they actually read the Bible. And if you read the Bible you will know the truth.

Answer 5

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? 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. 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 6

thank you for asking us this question. confident, this account is meant to tutor us a lesson. in short, the lesson is: Jehovah God tolerates no disrespect for his genuine servants. in accordance to three Bible study, the main significant reason for this mocking of Elisha seems to be that a bald guy became into donning Elijah’s genuine garment. the youngsters recognised Elisha as Jehovah’s consultant and easily did not choose him around. They advised him to "flow up," this is, save going as much as Bethel or be taken up as Elijah were. the youngsters of course contemplated the adversarial physique of concepts of their father and mom. How needed that fogeys tutor their infants to appreciate God’s representatives.'* ''to respond to the toddler's undertaking of his being Elijah’s successor and to tutor those young ones and their father and mom suitable appreciate for Jehovah’s prophet, Elisha referred to as down evil upon the jeering mob interior the call of the God of Elijah. It became right into a attempt of his prophetship. Jehovah manifested his approval of Elisha via inflicting 2 she-bears to return out of the close by woods and to rip to products 40 two of them.'* I understand the place you're coming from, however the certainty that Jehovah God despatched 2 she-bears to consume the disrespectful infants would not tutor he's a merciless and unloving God. i can declare that with certainty because of the fact of what Deuteronomy 32:4 tells us, that's: "The Rock (or God), proper is his interest, For all his strategies are justice. A God of faithfulness, with whom there's no injustice; Righteous and upright is he." So on condition that each thing God does is purely and upright, we are in a position to be constructive that His act in the direction of the undesirable infants became into purely and upright. So for extra be conscious, whenever you examine a scripture that seems to depict God as merciless and unloving, bear in concepts the words of Deuteronomy 32:4.

Answer 7

This occurred as God’s prophet Elisha was walking from Jericho to Bethel. The account states: “As he was going up on the way, there were small boys that came out from the city and began to jeer him and that kept saying to him: ‘Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!’ Finally he turned behind him and saw them and 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.” (2 Kings 2:23, 24) Exactly what Elisha said when he spoke that malediction by calling down evil upon those jeering children is not revealed. Nevertheless, that verbal pronouncement got results because it was spoken in the name of Jehovah by a prophet of God acting in harmony with the divine will.

The main reason for the jeering seems to have been that Elisha was wearing Elijah’s familiar official garment, and the children did not want any successor of that prophet around. (2 Kings 2:13) To answer the 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 Elijah’s God. Jehovah manifested his approval of Elisha as his prophet by causing the two she-bears to come out of the woods and tear to pieces 42 of those mockers. Jehovah dealt decisively because of their blatant lack of respect for the channel of communication that he was using on earth at that time.

Answer 8

I think those kids got what they asked for-a sign.-Want one?