2 Kings 2:23–24· Biblical Hebrew
Forty-two yeladim The Hebrew does not use one word for the crowd. Verse 23 has נְעָרִים קְטַנִּים . Verse 24 has יְלָדִים . Forty-two is a count in the sentence, not a cipher placed on top of it.
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2 Kings 2:23 וַיַּ֥עַל מִשָּׁ֖ם בֵּֽית־אֵ֑ל וְה֣וּא ׀ עֹלֶ֣ה בַדֶּ֗רֶךְ וּנְעָרִ֤ים קְטַנִּים֙ יָצְא֣וּ מִן־הָעִ֔יר וַיִּתְקַלְּסוּ־בוֹ֙ וַיֹּ֣אמְרוּ ל֔וֹ עֲלֵ֥ה קֵרֵ֖חַ עֲלֵ֥ה קֵרֵֽחַ׃
2 Kings 2:24 וַיִּ֤פֶן אַֽחֲרָיו֙ וַיִּרְאֵ֔ם וַֽיְקַלְלֵ֖ם בְּשֵׁ֣ם יְהוָ֑ה וַתֵּצֶ֨אנָה שְׁתַּ֤יִם דֻּבִּים֙ מִן־הַיַּ֔עַר וַתְּבַקַּ֣עְנָה מֵהֶ֔ם אַרְבָּעִ֥ים וּשְׁנֵ֖י יְלָדִֽים׃
Evidence layer · 17 01 Source text 02 Transliteration 03 Morphology 04 Lexeme 05 Grammar 06 Semantic range 07 Immediate context 08 Other occurrences 09 Textual variants 10 Translations 11 Historical setting 12 Literary structure 13 Scholarly interpretations 14 Later reception 15 Numerical layer 16 Constellation 17 Next questions
01 Source text 02 Transliteration 03 Morphology 04 Lexeme 05 Grammar 06 Semantic range 07 Immediate context 08 Other occurrences 09 Textual variants 10 Translations 11 Historical setting 12 Literary structure 13 Scholarly interpretations 14 Later reception 15 Numerical layer 16 Constellation 17 Next questions Two shores
Verse 23
נְעָרִים קְטַנִּים
naʿarim qetannim
The crowd as they come out: youths, lads, servants, qualified as small, young, or lesser.
Verse 24
יְלָדִים
yeladim
The crowd as they are numbered: offspring, children, youths. Forty-two of them. A different noun.