BEAR

Did you ever hear children say, "He is as cross as a bear?" I hope it will never be said of you, for nobody loves a child who is selfish and unkind, or who speaks cross and angry words. The bear is certainly a very cross animal; the name that was given to it in Bible times means a grumbler or growler. It does not even like other bears, excepting its own young ones, but chooses to live by itself in the gloomiest woods- often in a dark cave, or in the hollow part of some great old tree. When winter begins, it lies down to sleep, and does not wake up till warm weather comes again; then it creeps out of its retreat, lean and hungry enough-and cross enough, too. It is not a handsome animal; its hair is rough and almost as close as wool, and its limbs are thick and clumsy. It eats nuts, juicy leaves, and such fruits and berries as grow in the woods; it is fond of honey, and will climb the highest trees to reach it; and when it is very hungry, it will kill any animal that comes in its way and is not too strong for it to conquer. The bear loves its young ones more than almost any other animal does, as this little story will show you. A bear with two cubs or young ones once came over the ice near to a ship where the sailors had just killed a large animal. The bears were very hungry, and the sailors threw over some pieces of flesh for them; the old bear would tear them up, giving most of the meat to the cubs, and keeping but little for herself. Presently some one in the ship cruelly shot both the young ones-then their mother was full of sorrow. She had been hurt herself by the guns, but she crawled along to her cubs, put her paw upon them, and tried to have them get up; and when she found that they did not move, she went a few steps off, and then looked back with a sad, moaning noise, as though she expected them to get up and follow her. When she saw that all her efforts were useless, she walked around them several times, turned towards the vessel with a terrible growl-for she was angry enough to tear in pieces the men who had killed her young-and then lay down between her cubs and died. Does not his help you to understand this verse in 2Sa 17? "For thou knowest thy father and his men, that they are mighty men, and they are chafed in their minds, as a bear robbed of her whelps (or cubs) in the field;" -and this also, Ho 13:8, "I will meet them as a bear bereaved of her whelps." Such verses as these show that the writers of the Bible were acquainted with the habits of different animals: we never find any mistakes in what they say about them. Solomon says in his Proverbs, "As a roaring lion and a ranging bear, so is a wicked ruler over the poor people." You have often read or heard the sad story in the 2nd Kings, how forty-two children were killed at one time by two bears out of the wood. Do you understand why God allowed this? Elijah, a holy servant of God, had just been taken up to heaven in a bright chariot with horses of fire; and these rude and wicked children called out to Elisha, "Go up, thou bald head!"-that is, "Go up, as Elijah did, to heaven." This mockery would have been very wrong, even if Elisha had not been a holy prophet, for God has said, "Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honor the face of the old man;" but the children were really dishonoring God in their treatment of his servant, and it was for this reason that He was so displeased with them. Do you remember what David said when he was trying to persuade king Saul to let him go and fight with the great giant Goliath? Saul thought he was too young, and by no means strong enough; but David said, "Thy servant was keeping his father's sheep, and there came a lion and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock, and thy servant slew both the lion and the bear." He said also, "The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine." You see why David was not afraid to meet the giant. It was not because he felt strong of himself, but he believed that God would be near to help him; and it was the same feeling that led him to say afterwards, "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for Thou art with me." Happy will it be for you, dear child, if you can say the same words, with peace in your heart, when you lie down to die.

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That bears were common in Palestine appears from several passages in the Old Testament, 1Sa 17:34,36,37; 2Sa 17:8; 2Ki 2:24. The species known in Syria resembles the common brown bear; it is sill met in the recesses of Lebanon. To a sullen and ferocious disposition, the bear joins immense strength, considerable sagacity, and the power of climbing trees. Her ferocity, especially when her young are injured, is proverbial. See 2Sa 17:8; Pr 17:12; Isa 11:7; Ho 13:8.

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Bear. Bear
A native of the mountain regions of Western Asia, frequently mentioned in Scripture. David defended his flocks against the attacks of a bear (1 Sam. 17:34-37). Bears came out of the wood and destroyed the children who mocked the prophet Elisha (2 Kings 2:24). Their habits are referred to in Isa. 59:11; Prov. 28:15; Lam. 3:10. The fury of the female bear when robbed of her young is spoken of (2 Sam. 17:8; Prov. 17:12; Hos. 13:8). In Daniel’s vision of the four great monarchies, the Medo-Persian empire is represented by a bear (7:5).

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BEAR. → Ferocity of 2Sa 17:8; Pr 17:12; 28:15; Isa 11:7; 59:11; La 3:10; Ho 3:3 → Two destroy the young men of Beth-el who mocked Elisha 2Ki 2:24 → FIGURATIVE

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(1 Samuel 17:34; 2 Samuel 17:8) The Syrian bear, Ursus syriacus, which is without doubt the animal mentioned in the Bible, is still found on the higher mountains of Palestine. During the summer months these bears keep to the snowy parts of Lebanon, but descend in winter to the villages and Gardens. It is probable also that at this period in former days they extended their visits to other parts of Palestine.

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bear. Bear, v.t. bore, pret. borne, pa. to carry, endure, press, convery, supply, produce

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Bear (bâr), v. t. [imp. Bore (bōr) (formerly Bare (bâr)); p. p. Born (bôrn), Borne (bōr); p. pr. & vb. n. Bearing.] [[OE. beren, AS. beran, beoran, to bear, carry, produce; akin to D. baren to bring forth, G. gebären, Goth. baíran to bear or carry, Icel. bera, Sw. bära, Dan. bære, OHG. beran, peran, L. ferre to bear, carry, produce, Gr. φέρειν, OSlav. brati to take, carry, OIr. berim I bear, Skr. bhṛ to bear. √92. Cf. Fertile.]] 1. 1. To support or sustain; to hold up.
2. 2. To support and remove or carry; to convey.
I 'll bear your logs the while. Shak. 3. 3. To conduct; to bring; — said of persons.
Bear them to my house. Shak. 4. 4. To possess and use, as power; to exercise.
Every man should bear rule in his own house. Esther i. 22. 5. 5. To sustain; to have on (written or inscribed, or as a mark), as, the tablet bears this inscription.
6. 6. To possess or carry, as a mark of authority or distinction; to wear; as, to bear a sword, badge, or name.
7. 7. To possess mentally; to carry or hold in the mind; to entertain; to harbor Dryden.
The ancient grudge I bear him. Shak. 8. 8. To endure; to tolerate; to undergo; to suffer.
Should such a man, too fond to rule alone, Bear, like the Turk, no brother near the throne. Pope. I cannot bear The murmur of this lake to hear. Shelley. My punishment is greater than I can bear. Gen. iv. 13. 9. 9. To gain or win.
Some think to bear it by speaking a great word. Bacon. She was . . . found not guilty, through bearing of friends and bribing of the judge. Latimer. 10. 10. To sustain, or be answerable for, as blame, expense, responsibility, etc.
He shall bear their iniquities. Is. liii. 11. Somewhat that will bear your charges. Dryden. 11. 11. To render or give; to bring forward. “Your testimony bear” Dryden.
12. 12. To carry on, or maintain; to have. “The credit of bearing a part in the conversation.” Locke.
13. 13. To admit or be capable of; that is, to suffer or sustain without violence, injury, or change.
In all criminal cases the most favorable interpretation should be put on words that they can possibly bear. Swift. 14. 14. To manage, wield, or direct. “Thus must thou thy body bear.” Shak. Hence: To behave; to conduct.
Hath he borne himself penitently in prison? Shak. 15. 15. To afford; to be to; to supply with.
His faithful dog shall bear him company. Pope. 16. 16. To bring forth or produce; to yield; as, to bear apples; to bear children; to bear interest.
Here dwelt the man divine whom Samos bore. Dryden. ☞ In the passive form of this verb, the best modern usage restricts the past participle born to the sense of brought forth, while borne is used in the other senses of the word. In the active form, borne alone is used as the past participle. To bear down. (a) To force into a lower place; to carry down; to depress or sink. “His nose, . . . large as were the others, bore them down into insignificance.” Marryat. (b) To overthrow or crush by force; as, to bear down an enemy. — To bear a hand. (a) To help; to give assistance. (b) (Naut.) To make haste; to be quick. — To bear in hand, to keep (one) up in expectation, usually by promises never to be realized; to amuse by false pretenses; to delude. “How you were borne in hand, how crossed.” Shak. — To bear in mind, to remember. — To bear off. (a) To restrain; to keep from approach. (b) (Naut.) To remove to a distance; to keep clear from rubbing against anything; as, to bear off a blow; to bear off a boat. (c) To gain; to carry off, as a prize. — To bear one hard, to owe one a grudge. “Cæsar doth bear me hard.” Shak. — To bear out. (a) To maintain and support to the end; to defend to the last. “Company only can bear a man out in an ill thing.” South. (b) To corroborate; to confirm. — To bear up, to support; to keep from falling or sinking. “Religious hope bears up the mind under sufferings.” Addison. Syn. — To uphold; sustain; maintain; support; undergo; suffer; endure; tolerate; carry; convey; transport; waft.