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Doctrine Little Children Eatten by Bears?

Little Children Eatten by Bears?

 2 Kings 2:23-24

In these verses we learn of some little children who came out of the city and mocked Elisha (well at least we know that Elisha was a bald head man from them making fun of him) and Elisha turned around and cursed them in the name of the Lord. Later some she bears ate these children, forty-two of them!

Isn't this a bit harsh? What about forgiveness or ignoring? Afterall, they are little children right?

Bears Eatten Children Doctrine

I guess this was before the Savior commanded us to love one another and forgive one another.  During the time of the mosaic law everything was harsh.  I figure they were children of the very wicked people of the city, they are better off to die as children that can be reprimanded and easier to teach, maybe, in the spirit world than wicked men and women still living and condemned after their adult death.  Maybe Elisha was doing them a favor.

Doctrine Little Children Eatten by Bears? Studies Doctrine Mormon

Oh gosh I have never thought about this one. Although it's not strange since everytime I read the Old Testament you will find 'violence' in some way, did you all notice that? but everything changes after JesusChrist is born.

Bears Eatten Children Doctrine

I just read that scripture today and the footnote on that says they were not children they were youth.  I guess teenagers.  That still doesn't make it any less gory.

Bears Eatten Children Doctrine

I am reading this book that a sister in the Church who I visit teach gave me: It's called 'The Orientalisms of the Bible' by Bishop K. C. Pillai. This is not a LDS book nor the author is LDS but he gave his personal view on this same subject:

"The 'little children' were not babies. They are not even juveniles. The term was applied to any younger than the speaker.  The 'little children' in this text are grown people is evident from the fact that youngsters would not have been allowed in the woods away from the protective eyes of their parents or guardians.  So if these little children had been young children they would not even have known the meaning of the word 'mock'. It was not in their vocabulary. Then the scripture says that Elisha cursed them in the name of the Lord. The word can be translated as 'curse' but it is not a correct translation. Just as in english, the Hebrew words have several meanings. And the meaning of the word is often dictated by the context in which it is used. The world should be challenged. Elisha challenged these people in the name of the Lord.
We read also that two she bears...tare forty and two children of them. And it seems from the fact that the number of the people is given, Elisha must have gotten some great joy out of the slaughter since he took time to count them.
Let me assure you that nothing of the kind is true. I come from a land of tigers and bears, and I can tell you from personal knowledg that she bears do not eat human flesh or drink human blood.
The word 'tare' is also a mistranslation. It should be 'scared' forty two of them. Of course if you take the connotation of the world 'tare' rather than its definition, then they certainly were 'torn' up. They were frightened out their wits."

Doctrine Little Children Eatten by Bears?

Very interesting view point LDS. From my studies in the institute manuals it merely says that they were not 'children' but young men. I have heard others mention that they were most likely very disobedient, but the explanation about scaring them is food for thought.

Doctrine Children Eatten Bears

Bishop K. C. Pillai's explanation seems accurate for his analysis of that verse of scripture. The Old Testament is one of the most symbolic and localized books you can ever dive into.

Doctrine Children Eatten Bears Mormon Doctrine Studies

There is another possibility for the account referred to.
The cursing placed upon these 'little children', or as we have discussed 'young men', may not have been the reason for the appearance of the 'she bears', it may not be justified that Elisha directed them.
Here is another way of interpreting this scriptural account, (straight out of church manuals).

Is it not possible that these 'forty-two' were a set of unlucky young men, who had been employed in the 'wood', destroying the 'whelps' of these same 'she-bears', who now pursued them, and tore them to pieces, for the injury they had done? We have already heard of the ferocity of a bear robbed of her whelps; see at the end of [2 Samuel chapter 17]. The mention of 'she-bears' gives some colour to the above conjecture; and, probably, at the time when these young fellows insulted the prophet, the bears might be tracing the footsteps of the murderers of their young, and thus came upon them in the midst of their  insults, God's providence ordering these occurences so as to make this natural effect appear as a Divine cause. If the conjecture be correct,the bears were prepared by their loss to execute the curse of the prophet, and God's justice guided them to the spot to punish the iniquity that had been just committed.