2 Kings 2:23-24
Authorized (King James) Version
23 And he went up from thence unto Beth-el: 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. 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.
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2 Kings 2:23-24
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
23 He went up from there to Bethel, and while he was going up on the way, some small boys came out of the city and jeered at him, saying, “Go away, baldhead! Go away, baldhead!” 24 When he turned around and saw them, he cursed them in the name of the Lord. Then two she-bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys.(A)
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2 Kings 2:23-24
English Standard Version
23 He went up from there to Bethel, and while he was going up on the way, some small boys came out of the city and jeered at him, saying, “Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!” 24 And he turned around, and when he saw them, (A)he cursed them in the name of the Lord. And two she-bears came out of the woods and tore forty-two of the boys.
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2 Kings 2:23-24
New American Standard Bible
23 Now he went up from there to Bethel; and as he was going up by the road, some young boys came out from the city and (A)ridiculed him and said to him, “Go up, you baldhead; go up, you baldhead!” 24 When he looked behind him and saw them, he (B)cursed them in the name of the Lord. Then two female bears came out of the woods and tore up forty-two [a]of the boys.
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- 2 Kings 2:24 Lit boys from them
2 Kings 2:23-24
New English Translation
23 He went up from there to Bethel. As he was traveling up the road, some young boys[a] came out of the city and made fun of him, saying, “Go on up, baldy! Go on up, baldy!” 24 When he turned around and saw them, he called God’s judgment down on them.[b] Two female bears came out of the woods and ripped forty-two of the boys to pieces.
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- 2 Kings 2:23 tn The word נַעַר (naʿar), here translated “boy,” can refer to a broad age range, including infants as well as young men. But the qualifying term “young” (or “small”) suggests these youths were relatively young. The phrase in question (“young boy”) occurs elsewhere in 1 Sam 20:35; 1 Kgs 3:7 (used by Solomon in an hyperbolic manner); 11:17; 2 Kgs 5:14; and Isa 11:6.
- 2 Kings 2:24 tn Heb “he cursed them in the name of the Lord.” A curse was a formal appeal to a higher authority (here the Lord) to vindicate one’s cause through judgment. As in chapter one, this account makes it clear that disrespect for the Lord’s designated spokesmen can be deadly, for it is ultimately rejection of the Lord’s authority.
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