Being bald is no laughing matter

I am pretty sure that the prophet Elisha has the dubious distinction of being the only bald person named in the Bible. (If there are more – can you please let me know through the comments section at the end of this post)

Without naming names….I think we can all recall meeting two types of men; a) the ones who go bald gracefully and b) those who try and trick us into thinking they are not going bald!

Baldness is almost always associated with mourning in the OT and according to Leviticus 21:5, Priests were not allowed to shave their heads (or shave off the edges of their beards?....go figure!)

"Another time, Elisha was on his way to Bethel and some little kids came out from the town and taunted him, "What's up, old baldhead! Out of our way, skinhead!

Elisha turned, took one look at them, and cursed them in the name of God. Two bears charged out of the underbrush and knocked them about, ripping them limb from limb—forty-two children in all!" [1]

I struggled with this passage but good old Matthew Henry helped me…..

"It is a wicked thing to reproach persons for their natural infirmities or deformities; it is adding affliction to the afflicted; and, if they are as God made them, the reproach reflects upon him……

The prophet must be justified, for he did it by divine impulse. Had the curse come from any bad principle God would not have said Amen to it." [2]

I still think it is funny though – maybe Elisha was sensitive about his baldness and God was having a bad day and agreed with him.
Can we learn anything from this story…

1: Don’t mess with bald prophets
2: It is probably good policy to ‘touch not the Lord’s annointed’
3: Baldness is not funny – according the Matthew Henry it is a deformity (LOL!!!)
4: God does have a sense of humour (or humor if you live in the USA


[1] 2 Kings 2:23-24 – The Message…Thank you Eugene Peterson!
[2] http://www.ccel.org/