Why God murdered those children just because they just kidding called "bald-head" to Elicha??

Question

2 Kings 2:22-25
So the waters were healed unto this day, according to the saying of Elisha which he spake. And he 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.

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.

And he went from thence to mount Carmel, and from thence he returned to Samaria.

Answer 1

Here's another one for you.

"The ark of God was placed on a new cart and taken away from the house of Abinadab on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab guided the cart, with Ahio walking before it, while David and all the Israelites made merry before the Lord with all their strength, with singing and with citharas, harps, tambourines, sistrums, and cymbals.

"When they came to the threshing floor of Nodan, Uzzah reached out his hand to the ark of God to steady it, for the oxen were making it tip. But the Lord was angry with Uzzah; God struck him on that spot, and he died there before God. (2 Samuel 6:3-7 NAB)"

Answer 2

People don't understand that he was a prophet and those kids were full of disrespect, something that would get anybody killed in ancient times. Look up what the Assyrians and the Babylonians did to those that acted in such a way, made the idea of a bear attack or even stoning look like an act of love. People don't understand because there is so little respect today for others. As for you, join the hair club!

Answer 3

I'm not at home, so I don't have all the research handy that I did on the subject. I'll come back to the question later, when I get home, and expand on what I type now.

I went back to the original Hebrew, and what I found interesting was that the word that was translated as "little children" is normally used to describe youths, or young men. I looked up dozens of examples, and cross-referenced them. On the other hand, the word that was translated as "children" in other passages is NOT the one that was used in 2 Kings.

Therefore, I concluded thus:
1. They were not children, but at least sixteen years of age.
2. The two bears mauled forty-two of them, which implies that there were MORE than forty-two. We're not talking about a small group of children. We're talking about a MOB of young adults.
Come on, wouldn't YOU feel threatened in a situation like that?

I have a LOT more to say on this. Like I said, give me a couple hours. I'll come back.

Edit: I don't know if the thumbs-down came from you, or for someone else, but here we go anyway.

The word used in 2 Kings to describe the so-called "little children" was "na'ar" which means "youths" (which is used in Proverbs 7:7 and Isaiah 40:30, for example) and is also used to describe young men in Genesis 18:7, Genesis 41:12 and Exodus 33:11.

All that this story proves is that KJV is not an infallible translation. I don't know why they translated na'ar as "little children" in that ONE passage, when it was always translated as young man/men or youths in every other passage it appears in.

The Hebrew word for "children" is bên. This word occurs nowhere in 2 Kings.

Answer 4

I agree with The Cricket. This was a gang of teen aged thugs.

But of course, you could have done your homework and found the same thing.

It weakens your entire campaign to make small, weak cases against Christianity that can be so easily refuted.

Answer 5

Just kidding? I suppose the Romans who crucified Jesus were 'just kidding' too, huh? Mockery is sinful. And those monsters had nothing worth saving within them. Apparently, God decided to get rid of them sooner rather than later, as a lesson to everyone else.

Maybe you'd better sit up and pay attention.

Answer 6

Because of their disrespect and unbelief. Ever hear the phrase touch not mine anointed...Psalms 105:15.

Answer 7

Two bears came out of Goldilock's cottage and tore those kids to shreds. But God in his mercy spared some of them so that they only suffered severed limbs but were not killed.

Answer 8

It goes to show that bald people have feelings too, and we shouldn't make fun of them.

That was back before Rogaine and hair transplant surgeries were invented, so Elijah couldn't help being bald.

Answer 9

YOUR.... " Pseudo Question ".... and Your MOCKING OF GOD.... and the BIBLE.... simply shows.... Your TOTAL IGNORANCE.... of the Subject!

YOU speak as though those.... children were Innocent? IF.... you really .... APPLIED THE CORRECT TECHNIQUE in the "Interpretation of the TEXT"... and the HEBREW TEXT THEN YOU.... MAY..... Know!

They WERE TEENAGERS...!

They WERE the HEATHEN CHILDREN.... of Idolaters....

THE ENEMIES.... OF The Nation ISRAEL... and of GOD!

Thanks, RR

Answer 10

I do agree with you totally