2 Kings 2:24

2 Kings 2:24

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.

a. ASV: And he looked behind him and saw them, and cursed them in the name of Jehovah. And there came forth two she-bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two lads of them.

b. YLT: And he looketh behind him, and seeth them, and declareth them vile in the name of Jehovah, and two bears come out of the forest, and rend of them forty and two lads.

c. Amplified Bible Classic: And he turned around and looked at them and called a curse down on them in the name of the Lord. And two she-bears came out of the woods and ripped up forty-two of the boys.

d. Septuagint: And he turned after them, and saw them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. And, behold, there came out two bears out of the wood, and they tore forty and two children of them.

e. Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/Writings: He turned around and saw them and cursed them in the name of HASHEM. Two bears then came out of the forest and tore apart forty-two of the lads.

1. “And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD…”

a. [And he] turned [Strong: 6437 pânâh, paw-naw'; a primitive root; to turn; by implication, to face, i.e. appear, look, etc.:—appear, at (even-) tide, behold, cast out, come on, × corner, dawning, empty, go away, lie, look, mark, pass away, prepare, regard, (have) respect (to), (re-) turn (aside, away, back, face, self), × right (early).] [The KJV translates Strong's H6437 in the following manner: turn (53x), look (42x), prepare (6x), regard (4x), respect (4x), look back (4x), turn away (2x), turn back (2x), miscellaneous (16x).]

b. back [Strong: 310 ʼachar, akh-ar'; from H309; properly, the hind part; generally used as an adverb or conjunction, after (in various senses):—after (that, -ward), again, at, away from, back (from, -side), behind, beside, by, follow (after, -ing), forasmuch, from, hereafter, hinder end, + out (over) live, + persecute, posterity, pursuing, remnant, seeing, since, thence(-forth), when, with.] [The KJV translates Strong's H310 in the following manner: after (454x), follow (78x), afterward(s) (46x), behind (44x), miscellaneous (87x).

c. [and] looked [at them] [Strong: 7200 râʼâh, raw-aw'; a primitive root; to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative):—advise self, appear, approve, behold, × certainly, consider, discern, (make to) enjoy, have experience, gaze, take heed, × indeed, × joyfully, lo, look (on, one another, one on another, one upon another, out, up, upon), mark, meet, × be near, perceive, present, provide, regard, (have) respect, (fore-, cause to, let) see(-r, -m, one another), shew (self), × sight of others, (e-) spy, stare, × surely, × think, view, visions.] [The KJV translates Strong's H7200 in the following manner: see (879x), look (104x), behold (83x), shew (68x), appear (66x), consider (22x), seer (12x), spy (6x), respect (5x), perceive (5x), provide (4x), regard (4x), enjoy (4x), lo (3x), foreseeth (2x), heed (2x), miscellaneous (74x).]

d. [and] cursed [them] [Strong: 7043 qâlal, kaw-lal'; a primitive root; to be (causatively, make) light, literally (swift, small, sharp, etc.) or figuratively (easy, trifling, vile, etc.):—abate, make bright, bring into contempt, (ac-) curse, despise, (be) ease(-y, -ier), (be a, make, make somewhat, move, seem a, set) light(-en, -er, -ly, -ly afflict, -ly esteem, thing), × slight(-ly), be swift(-er), (be, be more, make, re-) vile, whet.] [The KJV translates Strong's H7043 in the following manner: curse (39x), swifter (5x), light thing (5x), vile (4x), lighter (4x), despise (3x), abated (2x), ease (2x), light (2x), lighten (2x), slightly (2x), miscellaneous (12x).]

e. [in the] name [Strong: 8034 shêm, shame; a primitive word [perhaps rather from H7760 through the idea of definite and conspicuous position; compare H8064]; an appellation, as a mark or memorial of individuality; by implication honor, authority, character:—+ base, (in-) fame(-ous), named(-d), renown, report.] [The KJV translates Strong's H8034 in the following manner: name (832x), renown (7x), fame (4x), famous (3x), named (3x), named (with H7121) (2x), famous (with H7121) (1x), infamous (with H2931) (1x), report (1x), miscellaneous (10x).]

f. [of the] LORD [Strong: 3068 Yᵉhôvâh, yeh-ho-vaw'; from H1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jeho-vah, Jewish national name of God:—Jehovah, the Lord.] [The KJV translates Strong's H3068 in the following manner: LORD (6,510x), GOD (4x), JEHOVAH (4x), variant (1x).]

2. “And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them.”

a. [And there] came forth [Strong: 3318 yâtsâʼ, yaw-tsaw'; a primitive root; to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proxim.:—× after, appear, × assuredly, bear out, × begotten, break out, bring forth (out, up), carry out, come (abroad, out, thereat, without), be condemned, depart(-ing, -ure), draw forth, in the end, escape, exact, fail, fall (out), fetch forth (out), get away (forth, hence, out), (able to, cause to, let) go abroad (forth, on, out), going out, grow, have forth (out), issue out, lay (lie) out, lead out, pluck out, proceed, pull out, put away, be risen, × scarce, send with commandment, shoot forth, spread, spring out, stand out, × still, × surely, take forth (out), at any time, × to (and fro), utter.] [The KJV translates Strong's H3318 in the following manner: ....out (518x), ....forth (411x), bring (24x), come (24x), proceed (16x), go (13x), depart (10x), miscellaneous (53x).]

b. two [Strong: 8147 shᵉnayim, shen-ah'-yim; dual of H8145; feminine שְׁתַּיִם shᵉttayim; two; also (as ordinal) twofold:—both, couple, double, second, twain, twelfth, twelve, twenty (sixscore) thousand, twice, two.] [The KJV translates Strong's H8147 in the following manner: two (533x), twelve (with H6240) (105x), both (69x), twelfth (with H6240) (21x), second (10x), twain (7x), both of them (5x), twice (5x), double (5x), miscellaneous (8x).]

c. she-bears [Strong: 1677 dôb, dobe; or (fully) דּוֹב dôwb; from H1680; the bear (as slow):—bear.] [The KJV translates Strong's H1677 in the following manner: bear (12x).]

d. out [Strong: 4480 min min or minniy {min-nee'}; or minney (constructive plural) {min-nay'}; (Isaiah 30:11); for 4482; properly, a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses (as follows):--above, after, among, at, because of, by (reason of), from (among), in, X neither, X nor, (out) of, over, since, X then, through, X whether, with.]

e. [of the] woods [Strong: 3293 yaʻar, yah'-ar; from an unused root probably meaning to thicken with verdure; a copse of bushes; hence, a forest; hence, honey in the comb (as hived in trees):—(honey-) comb, forest, wood.] [The KJV translates Strong's H3293 in the following manner: forest (37x), wood (19x), forests (1x), honeycomb (1x).]

f. [and] tare [Strong: 1234 bâqaʻ, baw-kah'; a primitive root; to cleave; generally, to rend, break, rip or open:—make a breach, break forth (into, out, in pieces, through, up), be ready to burst, cleave (asunder), cut out, divide, hatch, rend (asunder), rip up, tear, win.] [The KJV translates Strong's H1234 in the following manner: cleave (10x), ...up (9x), divide (5x), rent (4x), ... out (3x), break through (3x), rend (3x), breach (2x), asunder (2x), hatch (2x), brake (1x), burst (1x), cleft (1x), break forth (1x), pieces (1x), tare (1x), tear (1x), win (1x).]

g. forty [Strong: 705 ʼarbâʻîym, ar-baw-eem'; multiple of H702; forty:—forty.] [The KJV translates Strong's H705 in the following manner: forty (132x), fortieth (4x).]

h. [and] two [Strong: 8147 shᵉnayim, shen-ah'-yim; dual of H8145; feminine שְׁתַּיִם shᵉttayim; two; also (as ordinal) twofold:—both, couple, double, second, twain, twelfth, twelve, twenty (sixscore) thousand, twice, two.] [The KJV translates Strong's H8147 in the following manner: two (533x), twelve (with H6240) (105x), both (69x), twelfth (with H6240) (21x), second (10x), twain (7x), both of them (5x), twice (5x), double (5x), miscellaneous (8x).]

i. children [of them] [Strong: 3206 yeled, yeh'-led; from H3205; something born, i.e. a lad or offspring:—boy, child, fruit, son, young man (one).] [The KJV translates Strong's H3206 in the following manner: child (72x), young man (7x), young ones (3x), sons (3x), boy (2x), fruit (1x), variant (1x).]

1). This same Hebrew word is translated  differently in other verses much older youths,  here are some of the examples. Seven times it is translated “young man”.

a). Genesis 4:23 And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: for I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt.

b). 1 Kings 12:14 And spake to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke: my father also chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.

c). 2 Chronicles 10:8 But he forsook the counsel which the old men gave him, and took counsel with the young men that were brought up with him, that stood before him.

2). Institute Of Creation Research Daily Devotional 6/23/14 This account has occasioned much criticism by skeptics, charging Elisha with petulant cruelty in sending bears to kill the little children who were taunting him. Actually, it was God who sent the bears, not Elisha. The fact is, however, that Elisha did not curse little children at all. The Hebrew word for “children” used with the phrase “little children” can be applied to any child from infancy to adolescence. The word for the 42 “children” torn by the bears, however, is a different word commonly translated “young men.” Actually, both words are used more often for young men than for little children. The situation evidently involved a gang of young hoodlums of various ages, led by the older ones, with all of them no doubt instigated by the pagan priests and idolatrous citizens of Bethel. The bears that suddenly emerged from the woods “tare” (not necessarily fatally in all cases) 42 of the older hooligans. The jeering exhortation to “go up, thou bald head” was both a sarcastic reference to Elijah’s supposed ascension, as well as an insult to God’s prophet. This was actually a challenge to God and could not be excused. So God made good—in miniature—on a warning issued long before: “And if ye walk contrary unto me. . . . I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your children” (Leviticus 26:21, 22). It can be a dangerous thing, for young or old, to gratuitously insult the true God and His Word. HMM