SPECIAL TOPIC: LIONS IN THE OT

SPECIAL TOPIC: LIONS IN THE OT (BDB 71, KB 87)

Often an individual's or nation's power is described as being like a lion, the king of the predators.

1. Judah, Gen. 49:9; Micah 5:8

2. YHWH on Israel's behalf, Num. 24:9; Isa. 31:4; 35:9; Hos. 11:10

3. Israel as a defeated lion, Ezekiel 19

4. tribe of Dan, Deut. 33:22

5. David's power over lions, 1 Sam. 17:34-37

6. Saul and Jonathan, 2 Sam. 1:23

7. symbolic protectors of the throne of Solomon, 1 Kgs. 10:19-20

8. God uses lions as punishment, 1 Kgs. 13,20-28; 20:36; 2 Kgs. 17:25-26; Isa. 15:9; metaphor in Job 4:10 and Jer. 2:30; 49:19; 50:44; Lam. 3:10; Amos 3:4,8,12; 5:19; Hos. 5:14; 13:7-8; Nah. 2:11-12

9. describe David's enemies from whom God will deliver him, Ps. 7:2; 10:9; 17:12; 22:13,21

10. a metaphor for unknown evil, Pro. 22:13; 26:13; 28:15

11. used to describe Babylon's military, Jer. 4:7; 49:19-22; 51:38

12. the military of the nations against God's people, Jer. 5:6; 25:32-38; 50:17; Joel 1:6

13. how God's people treat Him, Jer. 12:8

14. how God's leaders treat the people, Ezek. 22:25; Zeph. 3:3

15. metaphor for king's anger, Pro. 19:12; 20:2

16. metaphor for the godly, Pro. 28:1

17. metaphor for the Messiah, Gen. 49:9; Rev. 5:5

18. In light of usage #11 and 12 in Jeremiah, Daniel's metaphor of the Babylonian military as a fast moving lion is obvious. Empires of the Fertile Crescent often used lions to symbolize the nation (e.g., the winged lions on the Ishtar Gate of the city of Babylon).