Elisha's Curse Against The Youths Who Taunted Him

[Donald Baker]

I've had conversations with critics of God and the Bible who like to point out the episode in  2 Kings 2:23–24 where a group of youths start taunting the Prophet Elisha about his bald head and for him to "go up" as if to follow his mentor Elijah to heaven.  Elisha promptly curses them and two she-bears descend onto the youths and maul them. 

I've had difficulty explaining this seemingly petty act of cruelty, to someone who has already made up their minds that God is cruel and not as loving as Christians proclaim.  I've even found myself questioning this story trying to reconcile with what I know to be true about God.  Well after reading this guy's blog article I feel I can better explain it and understand what the actual context of the situation was.

I forgot that 42 youths were mauled, which means there probably were more than that assembled against the Prophet of God.  Elisha was actually in a bit of danger it appears.  It was not that he was being taunted by a bunch of young boys (some of warrior age btw) that prompted him to curse them, it was the fact that they were assembling in a large number and becoming a dangerous threat to his life.  Elisha called upon the power of God to disperse this mob and teach them a lesson about mocking God and His servant at the same time.  These were not a bunch of unruly school children, but adolescents and older, who were moving against him.  If you look at it in this context, it no longer appears so petty and cruel.  I am not sure this will be enough to convince a Bible critic to see it any differently, but it is enough for me to no longer question it.  I'm glad I ran across Jason Staples and his blog.

[Phidippides]

I didn't even recall that episode from the Bible, but it was interesting to hear the context.