Sunday, May 06, 2007
Well, it's perfectly clear what THAT means!
There are some parts of the Bible that make sense to me immediately, and others that don't. In the latter category I would include the following passage from 2 Kings 23-34, which describes an event in the travels of the prophet Elisha:
"He went up from there to Bethel; and while he was going up on the way, some small boys came out of the city and jeered at him, saying, "Go away, baldhead! Go away, baldhead!" 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 42 of the boys."
I have several questions here:
1) Doesn't this seem like somewhat of an over-reaction to the insult of basically being called "baldy?" Elisha had acquired twice the powers of Elijah, and this seems like a strange way to use them.
2) Given that she-bears are so prominent in the Bible, why are Baylor's women's sports teams called the "Lady Bears?" I think the "Mauling Baylor She-Bears" would be much more intimidating.
3) Why are there 42 small boys wandering around in the woods in the first place?
4) Back to Baylor-- could we maybe get a new she-bear mascot in a costume with real claws, who will roam the stands and maul obnoxious fans? I think this would be great for both attendance and morale. Perhaps this is a cause Baylor sports blog Beer Mate would like to take up...
Comments:
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This verse if often open to translation. Many believe "youth" to be older than what we would consider today. Other than that, your right, its still really weird why they would maul 42 of them, regardless.
# posted by 
: 3:47 PM
: 3:47 PM
I have never taken any offense to being called baldy. Actually, I wear that moniker with a certain pride. Elisha seems a little touchy to me, and that passage is troubling for many reasons. I mean, he couldn't gotten implants, a hair weave, a rug, or even that spray paint that looks like hair. He has no imagination. She-bears, indeed!
Re: #1:
Umm, don't a lot of things in the Old Testament seem like an overreaction?
Umm, don't a lot of things in the Old Testament seem like an overreaction?
# posted by : 7:51 PM
: 7:51 PM
That is my brother Andy's favorite bible story! Which translation of the bible are you quoting? In mine, what the youths (or yutes as Professor Serr would say) actually say is "Go on up, you baldhead!"
Up, not away.
The way I understand it, and especially because of what happened just before this, it is not just about teasing, but about blasphemy. What happened right before this and what the youths are making fun of is the power of the Lord which swept up Elijah, Elisha's predecessor, to heaven.
Plus they are being very rude to Elisha right after he blessed all of Jericho!
Morals from this story:
1. Don't mess with the power of the Lord. (The Nazis at the end of Raiders learned that one too.)
2. My brother had a rough childhood.
Up, not away.
The way I understand it, and especially because of what happened just before this, it is not just about teasing, but about blasphemy. What happened right before this and what the youths are making fun of is the power of the Lord which swept up Elijah, Elisha's predecessor, to heaven.
Plus they are being very rude to Elisha right after he blessed all of Jericho!
Morals from this story:
1. Don't mess with the power of the Lord. (The Nazis at the end of Raiders learned that one too.)
2. My brother had a rough childhood.
Ginger - Yay Indiana Jones
BUT I think there is a slight difference between She bears and crazy lightning from the Ark of the Covenant that melts Nazi's faces off.
...but they had it coming. Silly Nazis.
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BUT I think there is a slight difference between She bears and crazy lightning from the Ark of the Covenant that melts Nazi's faces off.
...but they had it coming. Silly Nazis.
# posted by : 12:09 AM
: 12:09 AM << Home
