Cursing Baldness

[2 Kgs. 2:23] 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.
The two Hebrew words for little children, as many older translations term the youth. The age and accountability level of these children must take first priority. Little children is an unfortunate translation. The Hebrew expression qetanaim na’arim is best rendered young lads or young men. These were boys from thirteen to 32 years old. Elisha was around twenty-five when this incident happened and he lived nearly sixty years after this incident. Elijah’s translation was around 860 B.E. and Elisha’s death around 795 B.E.
Here is a curse upon the children of Bethel, which was effectual to destroy them; for it was not a curse causeless. At Bethel there was another school of prophets to inform them of Elijah's translation, and his succession to the same office; and to direct, and comfort, and establish them. Thither Elisha went next, in this his primary visitation, and the scholars there no doubt welcomed him with all possible respect, but the townsmen were insulting to him who affecting to disbelieve the report of his master's translation sarcastically urged him to follow in the glorious career. They were old enough to discern between good and evil and deriding both his person and ministry, and that from a propane contempt of the true religion, and a passionate love to that idolatry which they knew he opposed.
Bald Head was a term of scorn in the OT (Isa. 3:17, 24). Natural baldness was very rare in the ancient Near East. So scarce was baldness that it carried with it a suspicion of leprosy. Whether Elisha was prematurely bald or not, it is clear that the epithet was used in utter contempt, as a word of insult marking him as despicable. 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 G-d made them, the reproach reflects upon Him. The insult was aimed not so much at the prophet, but at the G-d who had sent him.
It was his character as a prophet that they designed to abuse. The honor G-d had crowned him with should have been sufficient to cover his bald head and protect him from their scoffs. But this was such a thing as scarcely deserved to be called a blemish, and would never have been turned to his reproach if they had any thing else to reproach him with.
These youth said as they were taught; they had learned of their idolatrous parents to call foul names and give bad language, especially to prophets. The attack was on G-d, not his prophet.
Elisha heard their taunts, a good while, with patience; but at length the fire of holy zeal for G-d was kindled in his breast by the continued irritation, and he turned and looked upon them, to try if a grave and severe look would put them out of tolerate and force them to retire, to see if he could discern in their faces any marks of innocence; but they were not ashamed, neither could they blush.
Elisha uses no profanity in placing a curse on these young men. He merely cited the Law of G-d, which the inhabitants of Bethel knew well. Moses had taught in Lev. 26:21-22, ‘if you remain hostile toward Me and refuse to listen to Me…I will send wild animals against you, and they will rob you of your children.’
Elisha did not abuse these young men nor did he revile them; he was content to leave the work of judging to G-d. Nor was this punishment too great for the offence, if it be considered, that their mocking proceeded from a great hatred of mind against G-d; that they mocked not only a man, that commanded reverence; and a prophet; but even G-d himself, and that glorious work of G-d, the assumption of Elijah into heaven; that they might be guilty of many other dreadful crimes, which G-d and the prophet knew; and were guilty of idolatry, which by G-d's Law deserved death; that the idolatrous parents were punished in their offspring; and that, if any of these children were more innocent, G-d 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 further education which was most likely to expose them not only to temporal, but eternal destruction.
Two she-bears (bears perhaps robbed of their whelps) came out of a neighboring wood, and presently killed forty-two children. This Hebrew word signifies not only young children, but also those who are grown up to maturity, as Genesis 32:22, 34:4, 37:30, Ruth 1:5. You were considered a child or youth until you reached the age of 33.
Beware who you call ‘nicknames’ too! Cursing one brings on judgment!