Right Words

To begin, let’s read 2 Kings 2:23-24 togther:

And he went up from thence to Bethel: and as we was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head.

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.

This passage is controversial because of the severity of the judgment on the children. The children receive capital punishment for their crime (if a she bear tears a child, it’s lethal, folks, since “tare” indicates pieces; cf. 2 Sam. 13:31), again underscoring its severity.

Now, a pack of kids poking fun at an elder’s baldness is certainly disrespectful, which the Bible solemnly discourages (Lev. 19:32; Eph. 6:3-4), but I don’t think either of these items applies. Since Elisha ministers for many years after this — Jehoram (3:1) to Joash (13:14ff.) is over 50 years –, he’s likely still a young man at this point and not likely bald. So this isn’t a carnal mockery, which he likely would’ve overlooked, even if he was physically bald, coming from essentially heathen children (Bethel was the sight of one of Jeroboam’s idols; cf. 1 Kings 12:29).

No, this is spiritual mockery and an assault on “the name of the LORD” (v. 24), since that is what Elisha curses them in. God didn’t let this insult pass for that reason and to make a point: While Elijah had left Elisha and the latter was now “bald” in that sense, Elisha was not altogether forsaken, as the children insinuated, and God demonstrates this by his judgment on them. Elisha’s parting of the waters with Elijah’s mantle also demonstrated this earlier, Elisha even asking the LORD to confirm his presence in v. 14 (“Where is the LORD God of Elijah?“)

So this passage is not about a young man’s baldness, which is unlikely, but about God’s authority continuing to Elisha from Elijah. The wicked children seized the opportunity to mock God’s man for his loss (of someone he loved and served; cf. 3:11) and infer that he was powerless now, and the LORD seizes the opportunity to prove them wrong and solemnly assure Israel that his power is now on Elisha (2:15).