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42 youths
2 Kings 2:24 · forty-two youths
Recorded
Masoretic narrative count in 2 Kings 2:24. Forty and two youths mauled after Elisha’s curse.
In the Masoretic text of 2 Kings 2:24, two bears maul forty-two youths. The Hebrew clause is מֵהֶם אַרְבָּעִים וּשְׁנֵי יְלָדִים, of them forty and two youths. The integer is in the verse, not an editorial chapter number.
What it supports
Exact biblical narrative 42, distinct from Numbers 33 (stages), Matthew 1:17 (authored 14×3), Revelation (42 months), and Psalm 42 (chapter seat).
What it does not
Not allegory-proof. Not a twin of Numbers 33. Not a census softener. Not Adams. Do not invent a midrashic count as primary.
ExactnessExact
Form42
Unitpersons
Strengthhard
Hung25 September 2026