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, Isa. 31:4; Hosea 11:10-11
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. YHWH 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 YHWH will deliver him, Ps. 7:2; 10:9; 17:12; 22:13,21
10. imagery for unknown evil, Prov. 22:13; 26:13; 28:15
11. used to describe Neo-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 YHWH's people treat Him, Jer. 12:8
14. how YHWH's leaders treat the people, Ezek. 22:25; Zeph. 3:3
15. imagery for king's anger, Prov. 19:12; 20:2
16. imagery for the godly, Prov. 28:1
17. imagery for the Messiah, Gen. 49:9; Rev. 5:5
18. In light of usage #11 and 12 in Jeremiah, Daniel's image of the Neo-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).
19. in Hosea YHWH is described as a lion which can be
  1. positive ‒ Hosea 11:10-11
  2. negative ‒ Hosea 5:14; 13:7-8 (also note Amaos 1:2; 3:4,8; 5:19)
  For a good brief discussion of lions in the OT, see UBS, Fauna and Flora of the Bible, pp/ 50-51.
Amos 1:2 "the Lord roars" The term "roars" (BDB 980, KB 1367, Qal IMPERFECT) was also used of God's voice as thunder, Job 37:3-5 and Jer. 25:30. This seems to refer to God's judgment (cf. Amos 3:8) based on Israel's sins amidst their covenantal knowledge of YHWH (the nations mentioned were all part of David and Solomon's kingdom and, therefore, had some knowledge of YHWH). This is similar to Joel 3:16.
The roar is the climactic moment of a lion's kill, the moment of judgment. It can refer to
1. deliverance, as in Joel 3:16; Hosea 11:10
2. but in this context of God's judgment

The Shepherd (Psalm 23) has become the aggressive attacker! What a role reversal sin causes!!

For "Lord (YHWH)" see SPECIAL TOPIC: NAMES FOR DEITY, D.