2 Kings 2:24 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

Cursed them; nor was this punishment too great for the offence, if it be considered that these children were grown up to some maturity; (See Poole on "2 Kings 2:23";) that their mocking proceeded from a great malignity of mind against God; that they mocked not only a man, and an ancient man, whose very age commanded reverence, and a prophet; but even God himself, and that most admirable and glorious work of God, the assumption of Elijah into heaven, which makes it in some degree resemble the sin against the Holy Ghost; that they might be guilty of many other heinous crimes, which God and the prophet knew; and were guilty of idolatry, which by God's law deserved death; that the idolatrous parents were punished in their children; and that if any of these children were more innocent and ignorant of what they said, God might have mercy upon their souls, and then this death was not a misery, but a real blessing to them, that they were taken away from that wicked and idolatrous education, which was most likely to expose them not only to temporal, but to an eternal destruction. In the name of the Lord; not from any carnal or revengeful passion, but by the motion of God's Spirit, and by God's command and commission, as appears by God's concurrence with him; which God did, partly for the terror and caution of all other idolaters and profane persons, who abounded in that place; partly to vindicate the honour and maintain the authority of his prophets, and particularly of Elisha, now especially in the beginning of his sacred ministry. And this did beget such a confidence in Elisha, that he durst venture to go into Beth-el after this was done; and such a terror in the Beth-elites, that they durst not avenge themselves of him. Two she-bears; possibly robbed of their whelps, and therefore more fierce, Proverbs 17:12 Hosea 13:8; but certainly acted by an extraordinary fury, which God raised in them for this purpose. Forty and two children: this Hebrew word signifies not only young children, but those also who are grown up to maturity, as Genesis 32:22, Genesis 34:4 37:30 Ruth 1:5.