The Meaning of 2 Kings 2:24 Explained

2 Kings 2:24

KJV: 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.

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.

Darby: 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.

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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does 2 Kings 2:24 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Kings 2:13-25 - Elijah's Spirit On Elisha
We, too, may have a double portion of Elijah's spirit, but everything depends on the purity of our hearts. Only the pure in heart can see, and if we can see into the spiritual, it is proof that our hearts are pure enough to become the residence of the Holy Spirit. Had Elisha been unable to see the translation of his friend, his nature would have been shown to be gross and sensual, and how should such a one have God's supreme gift?
When we receive this power, we must begin to use it at once. Whether we feel possessed of a fresh accession of spiritual dynamic or not, is immaterial. We must reckon that we have received, and must proceed to use; and as we make the attempt, the parting water will prove not only to ourselves, but to others, the reality of our experience. The reception of spiritual power is a quiet, secret act, known only to God and the soul; but the results are manifest to all. Hear these young men talk! Has God ever been known to take up a man and then cast him away on valley or mountain? That is not His way of dealing with those whom He loves and would honor. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Kings 2

1  Elijah, taking his leave of Elisha, with his mantle divides Jordan
9  and, granting Elisha his request, is taken up by a fiery chariot into heaven
12  Elisha, dividing Jordan with Elijah's mantle, is acknowledged his successor
16  The young prophets, hardly obtaining leave to seek Elijah, cannot find him
19  Elisha with salt heals the unwholesome waters
23  Bears destroy the children that mocked Elisha

What do the individual words in 2 Kings 2:24 mean?

So he turned around and looked at them and pronounced a curse on them in the name of Yahweh And came two female bears out of the woods and mauled of forty and two the youths
וַיִּ֤פֶן אַֽחֲרָיו֙ וַיִּרְאֵ֔ם וַֽיְקַלְלֵ֖ם בְּשֵׁ֣ם יְהוָ֑ה וַתֵּצֶ֨אנָה שְׁתַּ֤יִם דֻּבִּים֙ מִן־ הַיַּ֔עַר וַתְּבַקַּ֣עְנָה מֵהֶ֔ם אַרְבָּעִ֥ים וּשְׁנֵ֖י יְלָדִֽים

וַיִּ֤פֶן  So  he  turned 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: פֹּונֶה 
Sense: to turn.
אַֽחֲרָיו֙  around 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אַחַר 
Sense: after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time).
וַיִּרְאֵ֔ם  and  looked  at  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
וַֽיְקַלְלֵ֖ם  and  pronounced  a  curse  on  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: קָלַל  
Sense: to be slight, be swift, be trifling, be of little account, be light.
בְּשֵׁ֣ם  in  the  name 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: שֵׁם  
Sense: name.
יְהוָ֑ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
וַתֵּצֶ֨אנָה  And  came 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine plural
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
שְׁתַּ֤יִם  two 
Parse: Number, fd
Root: שְׁנַיִם  
Sense: two.
דֻּבִּים֙  female  bears 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: דֹּב  
Sense: bear.
מִן־  out 
Parse: Preposition
Root: מִן 
Sense: from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than.
הַיַּ֔עַר  of  the  woods 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יַעַר 
Sense: forest, wood, thicket, wooded height.
וַתְּבַקַּ֣עְנָה  and  mauled 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine plural
Root: בָּקַע  
Sense: to split, cleave, break open, divide, break through, rip up, break up, tear.
אַרְבָּעִ֥ים  forty 
Parse: Number, common plural
Root: אַרְבָּעִים  
Sense: forty.
וּשְׁנֵ֖י  and  two 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Number, mdc
Root: שְׁנַיִם  
Sense: two.
יְלָדִֽים  the  youths 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: יֶלֶד  
Sense: child, son, boy, offspring, youth.