2 Kings 2:23He went up from there to Bethel. As he was going up by the way, some youths came out of the city and mocked him, and said to him, "Go up, you baldy! Go up, you baldhead!"
The setting
The road from Jericho to Bethel, ancient Israel (~850 BC). A group of young men, possibly teens or young adults, publicly mock the new prophet. 'Go up' likely refers to Elijah's recent ascension — they're telling Elisha to disappear too.
The emotion here: documenting shocking disrespect with concern
The original word
qalal (קָלַל) — to treat as worthless, despise, mock with contempt
Why it matters
Bethel was a center of false worship under Jeroboam, with golden calves — this mockery was religiously motivated
Read with care
What most readers miss in 2 Kings 2:23
Calling someone 'bald' in ancient Israel was calling them cursed by God — this wasn't playground teasing but theological attack
Common misconceptionMost people picture little children teasing an old man, but these were likely teenagers or young adults making a serious theological challenge to God's chosen prophet.
The thread continues
Verses that echo 2 Kings 2:23
Bible Genome reading
2 Kings 2:23 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
2 Kings 2:23 comes from the book of 2 Kings, written during the Divided Kingdom period. These words are attributed to youths. The dominant emotion in this verse is angry, with a comfort power of 10% and a tone that is urgent. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include disrespect for prophets, mocking authority, youth rebellion. Notable phrases: Go up, you baldy; mocked him.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same angry
“Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weak say, 'I am strong.'”
— Joel 3:10
“You blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel!”
— Matthew 23:24
“Listen to this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who tell their husba…”
— Amos 4:1
“I hate, I despise your feasts, and I can't stand your solemn assemblies.”
— Amos 5:21
“Your eyes shall not pity; life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.”
— Deuteronomy 19:21
Your reflection
What does 2 Kings 2:23 mean to you, today?
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