KJV ORIGINAL
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.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
From there he went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, some young people came out of the city and made fun of him, saying, 'Go away, you bald man! Go away, you bald man!'
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
This verse shows young people from Bethel mocking the prophet Elisha by calling him names and telling him to leave their city.
📚 Historical Context
This occurs shortly after Elisha received Elijah's prophetic mantle and performed his first miracle by parting the Jordan River. Bethel was a center of false worship where King Jeroboam had set up golden calves, creating spiritual corruption. The mockery likely reflected the city's rejection of God's prophets and true worship.
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