Question about Amazing Rando's user title

[Tfbandie]

23 From there Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, some youths came out of the town and jeered at him. "Go on up, you baldhead!" they said. "Go on up, you baldhead!" 24 He turned around, looked at them and called down a curse on them in the name of the LORD. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the youths. 25 And he went on to Mount Carmel and from there returned to Samaria.

What's going on? Why did he curse them and have them mauled by bears?

I guess more seriously what about don't return evil for evil?

[Zxcv Bnm]

Why did he curse them and have them mauled by bears?

I guess more seriously what about don't return evil for evil?We know from the text that Elisha cursed them in the name of the LORD. I don't see any reason to suppose that it was Elisha that had them mauled by bears. I think the bears was God's idea.

It seems clear to me that the youths saw Elijah taken up, and thus their words, "Go on up". It also seems clear that their hearts were against God and His prophet, so I suspect that the bear attack was judgement.

Just speculating here: since this is the very start of Elisha replacing Elijah, God may have wanted to make clear that the work of Elisha was to be taken seriously, rather than as a joke.

[Amazing Rando]

23 From there Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, some youths came out of the town and jeered at him. "Go on up, you baldhead!" they said. "Go on up, you baldhead!" 24 He turned around, looked at them and called down a curse on them in the name of the LORD. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the youths. 25 And he went on to Mount Carmel and from there returned to Samaria.

What's going on? Why did he curse them and have them mauled by bears?



When pulled out of context as I did, I think "Go on up, you baldhead!" is a pretty darn funny insult! :hehe:

But, you do ask a good question. Elisha's just walking along, minding his own business when these "youths" come along and start to mock him. :haha: My guess as to what "go on up, you baldhead!" means is that they were aware of the event that had just transpired, namely Elisha's witnessing Elijah being taken up into heaven by the chariot of fire. They were taunting him to go on up to heaven with Elijah.

The "baldhead" part is a bit trickier. I've read somewhere that genetic baldness was pretty uncommon for the Hebrew people, and was pretty shameful. Either Elisha was genetically bald, or he had shaven his head as an act of mourning over the fact that his mentor had just been taken away from him. Either way, the mocking really bothered Elisha, as you can tell by his reaction. The youths had just mocked a holy prophet of the God of Israel, and Elisha's reaction was an act of divine retribution. Seems pretty wierd, eh?

I guess more seriously what about don't return evil for evil?

My answer to that is simply that this event happened about 800 years before Jesus was born. These were still the wild and wooly days of "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth," as in Exodus 21:24, Leviticus 24:20, and Deuteronomy 19:21. The idea of loving your enemy wasn't yet on the Hebrew people's collective consciousness, so this sort of reaction to jeering a prophet of God was almost to be expected. Jesus, as you might guess, changed all this. Under the Lordship of Christ, insults are not to repaid in kind (Romans 12:17, 1 Peter 3:9).

My guess would be that followers of Jesus shouldn't call down bears to maul those who mock them, but maybe that's just me. :teeth:

[Darth Executor]

Under the Lordship of Christ, insults are not to repaid in kind (Romans 12:17, 1 Peter 3:9).

I don't think Romans 12:17 refers to simple insults but rather to "evil" insults that are meant to wound somebody else (the insult against Elisha would fit here but since Elisha didn't maul the youth I don't even see how this applies). Same with Peter 3:9.

[Amazing Rando]

I don't think Romans 12:17 refers to simple insults but rather to "evil" insults that are meant to wound somebody else (the insult against Elisha would fit here but since Elisha didn't maul the youth I don't even see how this applies). Same with Peter 3:9.

I'd imagine you'd think that because you seem to enjoy insulting people. :eek:

Just kiddin ya mate. :wink:

I just see it as two different times. Elisha was still living under law and in the "an eye for an eye" era. Jesus put a stop to that as far as I'm concerned.

[Tfbandie]

I don't think Romans 12:17 refers to simple insults but rather to "evil" insults that are meant to wound somebody else (the insult against Elisha would fit here but since Elisha didn't maul the youth I don't even see how this applies). Same with Peter 3:9.

Aren't all insults 'evil' then since they are meant to wound someone. The only exception is when you're joking around with friends and thus not truly insults.

Also, whether Elisha did the mauling or not I personally dont think matters much. He called down a curse on them. So that means if someone insults me I can call a curse and wish evil upon them. I think this notion is refuted in 1 John 3:15.

I must side with Rando and say that it is an example of the changes brought about by Jesus coming to earth and fulfilling the law

[Darth Executor]

I'd imagine you'd think that because you seem to enjoy insulting people. :eek:

Just kiddin ya mate. :wink:

Well, that too. :rasberry:

Seriously though, if you disagree you'd have a hard time explaining why Jesus called pharisees vipers and whitewashed tombs. The church fathers themselves were even "worse".

I just see it as two different times. Elisha was still living under law and in the "an eye for an eye" era. Jesus put a stop to that as far as I'm concerned.

Were the youth under the law? The eye for an eye law was a government law. I highly doubt God ordered the jews to have vigilantes running around in either covenant.

[Darth Executor]

Aren't all insults 'evil' then since they are meant to wound someone. The only exception is when you're joking around with friends and thus not truly insults.

Jesus didn't seem to think so.

Also, whether Elisha did the mauling or not I personally dont think matters much. He called down a curse on them. So that means if someone insults me I can call a curse and wish evil upon them. I think this notion is refuted in 1 John 3:15.

"Brother" in 1 John 3:15 refers to fellow Christians. Not that it matters because Elisha was a prophet and most people can't call on God to summon bears and maul their enemies.