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Saturday, July 5th, 2025
the Week of Proper 8 / Ordinary 13
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Bishop's Bible

2 Kings 2:24

And he turned backe, and loked on them, and cursed them in the name of the Lorde: And there came two shee beares out of the wood, and tare fourtie and two children of them.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Bear;   Beth-El;   Children;   Elisha;   Infidelity;   Thompson Chain Reference - Animals;   Bears;   Elisha;   Miracles;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Bear, the;   Children, Wicked;   Miracles Wrought through Servants of God;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Bear;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Animals;   Elisha;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Heaven;   Prophet;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Bear;   Forest;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Bear;   Bethel;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Animals;   Elisha;   Kings, 1 and 2;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Bear;   Child, Children;   Forest;   Hunting;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Bear,;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Elijah;   Elisha;   Joab;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Bear;   Forest;   Name;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Bear;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Cursing;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
He turned around, looked at them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. Then two female bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the children.
Hebrew Names Version
He looked behind him and saw them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. There came forth two she-bears out of the wood, and mauled forty-two lads of them.
King James Version
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.
English Standard Version
And he turned around, and when he saw them, 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.
New Century Version
Elisha turned around, looked at them, and put a curse on them in the name of the Lord . Then two mother bears came out of the woods and tore forty-two of the boys to pieces.
New English Translation
When he turned around and saw them, he called God's judgment down on them. Two female bears came out of the woods and ripped forty-two of the boys to pieces.
Amplified Bible
When he turned around and looked at them, he cursed them in the name of the LORD. Then two female bears came out of the woods and tore to pieces forty-two of the boys.
New American Standard Bible
When he looked behind him and saw them, he cursed them in the name of the LORD. Then two female bears came out of the woods and tore up forty-two of the boys.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And he turned backe, & looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. And two beares came out of the forest, and tare in pieces two and fourtie children of them.
Legacy Standard Bible
Then he looked behind him and saw them. And he cursed them in the name of Yahweh. Then two female bears came out of the woods and tore up forty-two lads of their number.
Contemporary English Version
Elisha turned around and stared at the boys. Then he cursed them in the name of the Lord . Right away two bears ran out of the woods and ripped to pieces forty-two of the boys.
Complete Jewish Bible
He looked behind him, saw them and put a curse on them in the name of Adonai ; whereupon two female bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys.
Darby Translation
And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of Jehovah. And there came forth two she-bears out of the wood, and tore forty-two children of them.
Easy-to-Read Version
Elisha looked back and saw them. He asked the Lord to cause bad things to happen to them. Then two bears came out of the forest and attacked the boys. There were 42 boys ripped apart by the bears.
George Lamsa Translation
And he turned back and saw them and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And there came forth two she-bears out of the forest, and tore forty-two of the boys.
Good News Translation
Elisha turned around, glared at them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord . Then two she-bears came out of the woods and tore forty-two of the boys to pieces.
Lexham English Bible
When he turned around and saw them, he cursed them in the name of Yahweh. Then two bears came out of the forest and mauled forty-two boys among them.
Literal Translation
And he turned behind him and saw them, and declared them vile in the name of Jehovah. And two bears came out of the forest and tore forty two boys of them.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And he turned him aboute. And wha he sawe them, he cursed them in the name of the LORDE. Then came there two Beeres out of the wod, and rente two and fortye of the children.
American Standard Version
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.
Bible in Basic English
And turning back, he saw them, and put a curse on them in the name of the Lord. And two she-bears came out of the wood and put forty-two of the children to death.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And he looked behind him and saw them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And there came forth two she-bears out of the wood, and tore forty and two children of them.
King James Version (1611)
And hee turned backe, and looked on them, and cursed them in the Name of the Lord: and there came foorth two shee Beares out of the wood, and tare fortie and two children of them.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
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.
English Revised Version
And he looked behind him and saw 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.
Berean Standard Bible
Then he turned around, looked at them, and called down a curse on them in the name of the LORD. Suddenly two female bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the young men.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And whanne he hadde biholde, he siy hem, and curside hem in the name of the Lord. And twey beeris yeden out of the forest, and to-rente fourti children of hem.
Young's Literal Translation
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.
Update Bible Version
And he looked behind him and saw them, and cursed them in the name of Yahweh. And there came forth two she-bears out of the forest, and tore forty and two lads of them.
Webster's Bible Translation
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 tore forty and two children of them.
World English Bible
He looked behind him and saw them, and cursed them in the name of Yahweh. There came forth two she-bears out of the wood, and mauled forty-two lads of them.
New King James Version
So he turned around and looked at them, and pronounced a curse on them in the name of the LORD. And two female bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the youths.
New Living Translation
Elisha turned around and looked at them, and he cursed them in the name of the Lord . Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of them.
New Life Bible
He looked behind him and saw them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. Then two female bears came from among the trees and tore up forty-two of the boys.
New Revised Standard
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.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, when he turned round and saw them, he cursed them, in the name of Yahweh, - and there came forth two she-bears out of the wood, and tare, of them, forty-two youths.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And looking back, he saw them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord: and there came forth two bears out of the forest, and tore of them, two and forty boys.
Revised Standard Version
And he turned around, and when he saw them, 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.
THE MESSAGE
Elisha turned, took one look at them, and cursed them in the name of God . Two bears charged out of the underbrush and knocked them about, ripping them limb from limb—forty-two children in all!
New American Standard Bible (1995)
When he looked behind him and saw them, he cursed them in the name of the LORD. Then two female bears came out of the woods and tore up forty-two lads of their number.

Contextual Overview

19 And the men of the citie saide vnto Elisa: beholde sir, the dwelling of this citie is pleasaunt, as thou thy selfe seest: but the water is naught, & the grounde barren. 20 He saide: Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein. And they brought it to him. 21 And he went vnto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in thyther, and saide, thus saith the Lord: I haue healed these waters, there shall not come hencefoorth either death or barennesse. 22 So the waters were healed vnto this day, according to the saying of Elias, which he spake. 23 And he went vp from thence vnto Bethel: And as he was going vp the way, there came litle children out of the citie, and mocked him, & saide vnto him: Go vp thou balde head, go vp thou balde head. 24 And he turned backe, and loked on them, and cursed them in the name of the Lorde: And there came two shee beares out of the wood, and tare fourtie and two children of them. 25 And he went from thence to mount Carmel, and from thence he turned againe to Samaria.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

cursed them: 2 Kings 1:10-12, Genesis 9:25, Deuteronomy 28:15-26, Judges 9:20, Judges 9:57, Jeremiah 28:16, Jeremiah 29:21-23, Lamentations 3:65, Amos 7:17, Mark 11:14, Mark 11:21, Acts 5:5, Acts 5:9, Acts 8:20, Acts 13:9-11, 2 Corinthians 10:6

she bears: 2 Samuel 17:8, Proverbs 17:12, Proverbs 28:15, Hosea 13:8

children of them: Exodus 20:5, 1 Kings 13:24, 1 Kings 19:17, 1 Kings 20:36

Reciprocal: Genesis 21:9 - mocking Genesis 37:20 - Some Genesis 37:33 - evil beast Leviticus 26:6 - rid Leviticus 26:22 - rob you 2 Kings 3:12 - The word 2 Kings 8:4 - all the great 2 Kings 17:25 - the Lord sent Daniel 7:5 - another Revelation 13:2 - and his feet

Cross-References

Genesis 2:1
The heauens also & the earth were finisshed, & all the hoast of them.
Genesis 2:2
And in the seuenth day God ended his worke whiche he had made. And the seueth day he rested from all his worke which he had made.
Genesis 2:3
And God blessed the seuenth daye, & sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his worke whiche God ordeyned to make.
Genesis 2:4
These are the generations of the heauens and of the earth when they were created, in the day when the Lord God made the earth and the heauens.
Genesis 2:6
But there went vp a miste from the earth, & watered the whole face of the grounde.
Genesis 2:7
The Lorde God also dyd shape man, [euen] dust fro of the grounde, & breathed into his nosethrylles the breath of lyfe, and man was a lyuyng soule.
Genesis 2:9
Moreouer, out of the grounde made the Lorde God to growe euery tree, that was fayre to syght, and pleasaunt to eate: The tree of lyfe in the myddest of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and euyll.
Genesis 2:10
And out of Eden there went foorth a flood to water the garden, and from thence it was deuided, and became into foure heades.
Genesis 2:11
The name of ye first is Pison, the same is it that compasseth the whole lande of Hauilah, where there is golde:
Genesis 2:12
And the golde of the lande is very good. There is also Bdellium, and the Onix stone.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And he turned back, and looked on them,.... With a stern countenance, thereby reproving them, and in order to intimidate them, and make them ashamed, and cause them to leave off, but to no purpose; they repeated their mockeries with great vehemence:

and cursed them in the name of the Lord; moved thereunto, not from passion and a spirit of revenge, but by an impulse of the Spirit of God:

and there came forth two she bears out of the wood; which are fiercest, and especially when bereaved of their whelps, as these might be; the wood seems to be near to Bethel, perhaps in the wilderness of Bethel, of which see Joshua 8:15, and Reland y thinks it is the same with the wood of Ephraim, 2 Samuel 18:6, though the Jews, to increase the miracle, say z there was no wood at all, and, if there was, that there were no bears in it; but though those creatures are mostly in northern countries, yet there were of them in Judea, see 1 Samuel 17:34

and tare forty and two children of them; it seems there were more than these; but such a number of them they tore to pieces and destroyed; which was very extraordinary, and was an awful punishment for their wickedness, which they knowingly and willingly committed, and of their parents in them, who had trained them up in such impiety, and put them upon it, and sent them out to do it.

y Palestin. Illustrat. p. 378. z T. Bab. Sotah, fol. 47. 1.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

On this occasion only do we find Elisha a minister of vengeance. Perhaps it was necessary to show, at the outset of his career as a prophet, that he too, so mild and peaceful could, like Elijah, wield the terrors of God’s judgments (1 Kings 19:19 note). The persons really punished were, not so much the children, as the wicked parents 2 Kings 2:23, whose mouth-pieces the children were, and who justly lost the gift of offspring of which they had shown themselves unworthy.


 
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