Topical Bible: The Bear: Cunning

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Topical Encyclopedia

In the Bible, the bear is often depicted as a symbol of strength and ferocity, but it also embodies cunning and strategic prowess. This portrayal is evident in various scriptural passages where the bear's behavior and characteristics are used metaphorically to convey deeper spiritual truths and moral lessons.

Biblical References and Symbolism

1. 2 Kings 2:23-24 : One of the most notable references to bears in the Bible is found in the account of Elisha and the youths of Bethel. As Elisha was traveling to Bethel, a group of boys mocked him, saying, "Go up, you baldhead!" In response, Elisha called down a curse in the name of the Lord, and two female bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys. This incident highlights the bear's role as an instrument of divine justice, demonstrating the cunning nature of God's retribution against those who scorn His prophets.

2. Proverbs 28:15 : "Like a roaring lion or a charging bear is a wicked ruler over a helpless people." This proverb uses the imagery of a bear to illustrate the oppressive and cunning nature of a tyrannical leader. The bear's ability to strategize and overpower its prey is likened to the way a wicked ruler manipulates and dominates the vulnerable, emphasizing the need for righteous leadership.

3. Hosea 13:8 : "Like a bear robbed of her cubs, I will attack them and tear them open." Here, God speaks through the prophet Hosea, comparing His wrath to that of a bear deprived of her young. The imagery conveys not only the ferocity of divine judgment but also the calculated and relentless pursuit of justice. The bear's cunning is evident in its protective instincts and strategic approach to defending its offspring.

Cultural and Historical Context

In the ancient Near East, bears were known for their strength and unpredictability. They were often found in the forests and mountainous regions of Israel and surrounding areas. The bear's cunning nature was recognized by the people of the time, who observed its hunting techniques and protective behavior. This understanding is reflected in the biblical text, where the bear serves as a powerful metaphor for both divine and human actions.

Theological Implications

The bear's cunning nature in the Bible serves as a reminder of the complexity of God's character and the multifaceted nature of His creation. While the bear is a creature of strength and ferocity, it also embodies wisdom and strategic thinking. This duality reflects the balance between justice and mercy, power and restraint, that is central to the biblical understanding of God's interaction with humanity.

In the broader biblical narrative, the bear's cunning is a call to discernment and vigilance. Believers are encouraged to be wise as serpents and innocent as doves (Matthew 10:16), recognizing the need for both shrewdness and purity in their walk with God. The bear, as a symbol of cunning, challenges the faithful to navigate the complexities of life with both strength and wisdom, relying on God's guidance to overcome the challenges they face.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Lamentations 3:10
He was to me as a bear lying in wait, and as a lion in secret places.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

"Bring not Therefore Your Cunning Man, that Has Skill in Words...
... "Bring not therefore your cunning man, that has ... or prophets, or apostles; when they
do their best, they can only do, as John the Baptist did, bear witness to ...
/.../law/the way to divine knowledge/way-2-10 bring not therefore your.htm

How the Impatient and the Patient are to be Admonished.
... takest no pains to conquer pretence, it be worse for thee to bear with the ... For the
cunning adversary wages war against two; that is, by inflaming one to be the ...
/.../leo/writings of leo the great/chapter ix how the impatient.htm

Whether These vices Arise from Covetousness?
... is full of guile and her girdle is many colored" and that "he who is incontinent
in desire acts with cunning." Objection 2: Further, these vices bear a certain ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether these vices arise from.htm

Love Never Tests.
... The angels are ministering spirits. On their hands they do bear us up. ... It was
a cunning temptation, cunningly staged and worded and backed. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/gordon/quiet talks about jesus/love never tests.htm

I Will Follow the Order of Your Letter, and Subjoin Your Very ...
... teaching is so sparkling that we mere tract-writers cannot bear it, and ... convict you,
not of sol??cisms and barbarisms, but of falsehood, cunning and impudence. ...
/.../6 i will follow the.htm

The Lesson of Life
... and wantonness, and superstition and idolatry which come thereof, they had to bear
the heavy ... his need of God; to feel that, in spite of all his cunning and self ...
/.../kingsley/all saints day and other sermons/sermon xl the lesson of.htm

On the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
... Still more the poison of the Devil and all his wicked cunning is chased away by ... which
are prophesied, come upon us, those only will recover who bear the Cross. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/tauler/the inner way/sermon xxii on the exaltation.htm

Before Annas and the Court of Caiaphas
... His artifice, cunning, and subtlety must be used on this occasion; for, at all ... Christ
calmly replied, "If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil: but if ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/white/the desire of ages/chapter 75 before annas and.htm

2 Cor. Iii. 5
... THE Apostle, in this Epistle, was led, by the cunning Management of some evil ... their
own Mind, either to pray effectually to God; or successfully to bear any part ...
/.../sermon xiii 2 cor iii.htm

The Names on Aaron's Breastplate
... verse following that from which my text is taken: 'Aaron shall bear the judgment ...
is wearied or palsied, not till that strong hand forgets its cunning, will our ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/the names on aarons breastplate.htm