2 Kings 2:23

KJV1611 – Modern English

And he went up from there to Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said to him, Go up, you baldhead; go up, you baldhead.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וַיַּ֥עַל מִשָּׁ֖ם בֵּֽית־אֵ֑ל וְה֣וּא ׀ עֹלֶ֣ה בַדֶּ֗רֶךְ וּנְעָרִ֤ים קְטַנִּים֙ יָצְא֣וּ מִן־הָעִ֔יר וַיִּתְקַלְּסוּ־בוֹ֙ וַיֹּ֣אמְרוּ ל֔וֹ עֲלֵ֥ה קֵרֵ֖חַ עֲלֵ֥ה קֵרֵֽחַ׃

Transliteration

And wayya'al from-there [to] bêt-'ēl; and-he 'ōleh in-the-derek, and-nə'ārîm qəṭannîm yāṣə'û from-the-'îr, and wayyitqalləsû-at-him and wayyō'mərû to-him, go-up qērēaḥ, go-up qērēaḥ.

Grammar Details

• *wayya'al*: waw-consecutive + qal imperfect 3rd masculine singular of *'ālâ* - and he went up
• *'ōleh*: qal participle masculine singular of *'ālâ* - going up
• *derek*: masculine singular noun - way/road
• *nə'ārîm*: masculine plural noun - youths/boys
• *qəṭannîm*: masculine plural adjective - small/young
• *yāṣə'û*: qal perfect 3rd masculine plural of *yāṣā'* - they came out
• *'îr*: feminine singular noun - city
• *wayyitqalləsû*: waw-consecutive + hithpael imperfect 3rd masculine plural of *qālas* - and they mocked
• *wayyō'mərû*: waw-consecutive + qal imperfect 3rd masculine plural of *'āmar* - and they said
• *qērēaḥ*: masculine singular adjective - bald

Word Meanings

• *'ōleh* in-the-*derek*: going up on the road/ascending on the way
• *nə'ārîm* *qəṭannîm*: small boys/young lads/little children
• *wayyitqalləsû*-at-him: they mocked him/they made fun of him
• *'ălēh* *qērēaḥ*: go up, bald head/come up, baldhead

Other Translations

• Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

  From there Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, some boys came out of the town and mocked him. 'Get out of here, baldy!' they said. 'Get out of here, baldy!'

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  And he went up from thence unto Beth-el: and as he 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.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  And he went up{H5927} from thence unto Beth-el;{H1008} and as he was going up{H5927} by the way,{H1870} there came forth{H3318} young{H6996} lads{H5288} out of the city,{H5892} and mocked{H7046} him, and said{H559} unto him, Go up,{H5927} thou baldhead;{H7142} go up,{H5927} thou baldhead.{H7142}

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  And he went up{H5927}{(H8799)} from thence unto Bethel{H1008}: and as he was going up{H5927}{(H8802)} by the way{H1870}, there came forth{H3318}{(H8804)} little{H6996} children{H5288} out of the city{H5892}, and mocked{H7046}{(H8691)} him, and said{H559}{(H8799)} unto him, Go up{H5927}{(H8798)}, thou bald head{H7142}; go up{H5927}{(H8798)}, thou bald head{H7142}.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  And he wete vp towarde Bethel. And as he was goynge vp by the waye, there came litle boyes out of the cite, and mocked him, & sayde: Come vp here thou balde heade, come vp here thou balde heade.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  And he went vp from thence vnto Beth-el; as he was going vp the way, litle children came out of the citie, and mocked him, and saide vnto him, Come vp, thou balde head, come vp, thou balde head.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  And he went vp from thence vnto Bethel: And as he was going vp the way, there came litle children out of the citie, and mocked him, & saide vnto him: Go vp thou balde head, go vp thou balde head.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  And he went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he 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.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  He went up from there to Bethel; and as he was going up by the way, there came forth young lads out of the city, and mocked him, and said to him, Go up, you baldy; go up, you baldhead.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  And he goeth up thence to Beth-El, and he is going up in the way, and little youths have come out from the city, and scoff at him, and say to him, `Go up, bald-head! go up, bald-head!'

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And he went up from thence unto Beth-el; and as he was going up by the way, there came forth young lads out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou baldhead; go up, thou baldhead.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And he went up from thence unto Beth-el; and as he was going up by the way, there came forth young lads out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou baldhead; go up, thou baldhead.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  Then from there he went up to Beth-el; and on his way, some little boys came out from the town and made sport of him, crying, Go up, old no-hair! go up, old no-hair!

• World English Bible (2000)

  He 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!"

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  He went up from there to Bethel. As he was traveling up the road, some young boys came out of the city and made fun of him, saying,“Go on up, baldy! Go on up, baldy!”

Referenced Verses

• 2 Chr 36:16 : 16 But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, until there was no remedy.
• Job 30:1 : 1 But now those who are younger than I have me in derision, whose fathers I would have disdained to set with the dogs of my flock.
• Job 19:18 : 18 Yes, young children despised me; I arose, and they spoke against me.
• Gen 21:9 : 9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, mocking.
• 1 Kgs 12:28-32 : 28 Therefore the king took counsel and made two calves of gold, and said to them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem; behold your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. 29 And he set one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan. 30 And this thing became a sin, for the people went to worship before one, even as far as Dan. 31 And he made a house of high places and made priests from all sorts of people, who were not of the sons of Levi. 32 And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like the feast that is in Judah, and he offered upon the altar. So he did in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he had made, and he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made.
• Job 30:8-9 : 8 They were children of fools, yes, children of base men: they were viler than the earth. 9 And now I am their song, yes, I am their byword. 10 They abhor me, they flee far from me, and do not hesitate to spit in my face. 11 Because He has loosed my cord, and afflicted me, they have also let loose the bridle before me. 12 Upon my right hand rise the youth; they push away my feet, and they raise up against me the ways of their destruction. 13 They mar my path, they advance my calamity, they have no helper. 14 They came upon me as a wide breaking in of waters: in the desolation they rolled themselves upon me. 15 Terrors are turned upon me: they pursue my soul as the wind, and my welfare passes away like a cloud. 16 And now my soul is poured out within me; the days of affliction have seized me. 17 My bones are pierced in me at night, and my sinews find no rest. 18 By the great force of my disease my garment is changed: it binds me about like the collar of my coat. 19 He has cast me into the mire, and I have become like dust and ashes. 20 I cry to You, and You do not hear me: I stand up, and You regard me not. 21 You have become cruel to me: with Your strong hand You oppose Yourself against me. 22 You lift me up to the wind; You cause me to ride upon it, and dissolve my substance. 23 For I know that You will bring me to death, and to the house appointed for all living. 24 However, He will not stretch out His hand to the grave, though they cry out in their destruction. 25 Did I not weep for those in trouble? Was not my soul grieved for the poor? 26 When I looked for good, then evil came to me; and when I waited for light, darkness came. 27 My insides boiled and did not rest: the days of affliction confronted me. 28 I went mourning without the sun: I stood up, and I cried in the congregation. 29 I am a brother to jackals, and a companion to owls. 30 My skin is black upon me, and my bones are burned with heat. 31 My harp is also turned to mourning, and my flute to the voice of those who weep.
• Ps 31:18 : 18 Let the lying lips be put to silence; which speak grievous things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous.
• Ps 35:15 : 15 But in my adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together; yes, the abjects gathered themselves together against me, and I knew it not; they tore me, and did not cease:
• Prov 20:11 : 11 Even a child is known by his deeds, whether his work is pure and right.
• Prov 22:6 : 6 Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
• Prov 22:15 : 15 Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child, but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.
• Eccl 11:10 : 10 Therefore remove sorrow from your heart, and put away evil from your flesh, for childhood and youth are vanity.
• Isa 1:4 : 4 Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children who are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel to anger, they have gone away backward.
• Isa 3:5 : 5 And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbor; the child shall act proudly against the elder, and the vile against the honorable.
• Isa 57:3-4 : 3 But draw near here, you sons of the sorceress, the offspring of the adulterer and the whore. 4 Against whom do you sport yourselves? Against whom do you make a wide mouth and stick out the tongue? Are you not children of transgression, a seed of falsehood,
• Jer 7:18 : 18 The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings to other gods, that they may provoke me to anger.
• Hos 4:15 : 15 Though you, Israel, play the harlot, do not let Judah offend; do not come to Gilgal, nor go up to Bethaven, nor swear, 'As the LORD lives.'
• Hos 10:5 : 5 The inhabitants of Samaria shall fear because of the calves of Beth-aven: for its people shall mourn over it, and its priests who rejoiced on it, for its glory, because it has departed from it.
• Hos 10:15 : 15 Thus shall Bethel do to you because of your great wickedness: in the morning shall the king of Israel utterly be cut off.
• Amos 3:14 : 14 That in the day I visit the transgressions of Israel upon him, I will also visit the altars of Bethel; and the horns of the altar shall be cut off and fall to the ground.
• Amos 4:4 : 4 Come to Bethel, and transgress; at Gilgal multiply transgressions; bring your sacrifices every morning, and your tithes every three years:
• Amos 5:5 : 5 But do not seek Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal, and do not pass to Beersheba: for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to nothing.
• Amos 7:13 : 13 But do not prophesy again anymore at Bethel: for it is the king's sanctuary, and it is the royal house.
• Matt 27:29-31 : 29 And when they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand. And they bowed the knee before him and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! 30 And they spit upon him, and took the reed and hit him on the head. 31 And after they had mocked him, they took the robe off him, and put his own clothes on him, and led him away to crucify him.
• Matt 27:40-43 : 40 And saying, You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself. If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross. 41 Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, 42 He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he is the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. 43 He trusted in God; let him deliver him now if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.
• Gal 4:29 : 29 But, as he who was born according to the flesh then persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, even so it is now.
• Heb 11:36 : 36 Still others had trials of cruel mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment.
• 2 Kgs 2:11 : 11 And it happened, as they still went on and talked, that behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both apart; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.