Lion, the.

From: The New Topical Textbook By: Reuben Archer Torrey

• 2 min. read • grade level: 12

Canaan infested by. 2 Kin. 17:25, 26.

DESCRIBED AS

Superior in strength. Judg. 14:18¹⁸And the men of the city said unto him on the seventh day before the sun went down, What is sweeter than honey? and what is stronger than a lion? And he said unto them, If ye had not plowed with my heifer, ye had not found out my riddle. (Judges 14:18). Prov. 30:30³⁰A lion which is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any; (Proverbs 30:30).

Active. Deut. 33:22²²And of Dan he said, Dan is a lion's whelp: he shall leap from Bashan. (Deuteronomy 33:22).

Courageous. 2 Sam. 17:10¹⁰And he also that is valiant, whose heart is as the heart of a lion, shall utterly melt: for all Israel knoweth that thy father is a mighty man, and they which be with him are valiant men. (2 Samuel 17:10).

Fearless even of man. Isa. 31:4⁴For thus hath the Lord spoken unto me, Like as the lion and the young lion roaring on his prey, when a multitude of shepherds is called forth against him, he will not be afraid of their voice, nor abase himself for the noise of them: so shall the Lord of hosts come down to fight for mount Zion, and for the hill thereof. (Isaiah 31:4). Nah. 2:11¹¹Where is the dwelling of the lions, and the feedingplace of the young lions, where the lion, even the old lion, walked, and the lion's whelp, and none made them afraid? (Nahum 2:11).

Fierce. Job 10:16¹⁶For it increaseth. Thou huntest me as a fierce lion: and again thou showest thyself marvellous upon me. (Job 10:16). Job 28:8⁸The lion's whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed by it. (Job 28:8).

Voracious. Psa. 17:12¹²Like as a lion that is greedy of his prey, and as it were a young lion lurking in secret places. (Psalm 17:12).

Majestic in movement. Prov. 30:29, 30²⁹There be three things which go well, yea, four are comely in going: ³⁰A lion which is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any; (Proverbs 30:29‑30).

Greatness of its teeth alluded to. Psa. 58:6⁶Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth: break out the great teeth of the young lions, O Lord. (Psalm 58:6). Joel 1:6⁶For a nation is come up upon my land, strong, and without number, whose teeth are the teeth of a lion, and he hath the cheek teeth of a great lion. (Joel 1:6).

God's power exhibited in restraining. 1 Kin. 13:28. Dan. 6:22, 27²²My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt. (Daniel 6:22)
²⁷He delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions. (Daniel 6:27).

God provides for. Job 38:39³⁹Wilt thou hunt the prey for the lion? or fill the appetite of the young lions, (Job 38:39). Psa. 104:21, 28²¹The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their meat from God. (Psalm 104:21)
²⁸That thou givest them they gather: thou openest thine hand, they are filled with good. (Psalm 104:28).

Lurketh for its prey. Psa. 10:9⁹He lieth in wait secretly as a lion in his den: he lieth in wait to catch the poor: he doth catch the poor, when he draweth him into his net. (Psalm 10:9).

Roars when seeking prey. Psa. 104:21²¹The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their meat from God. (Psalm 104:21). Isa. 31:4⁴For thus hath the Lord spoken unto me, Like as the lion and the young lion roaring on his prey, when a multitude of shepherds is called forth against him, he will not be afraid of their voice, nor abase himself for the noise of them: so shall the Lord of hosts come down to fight for mount Zion, and for the hill thereof. (Isaiah 31:4).

Rends its prey. Deut. 33:20²⁰And of Gad he said, Blessed be he that enlargeth Gad: he dwelleth as a lion, and teareth the arm with the crown of the head. (Deuteronomy 33:20). Psa. 7:2²Lest he tear my soul like a lion, rending it in pieces, while there is none to deliver. (Psalm 7:2).

Often carries its prey to its den. Nah. 2:12¹²The lion did tear in pieces enough for his whelps, and strangled for his lionesses, and filled his holes with prey, and his dens with ravin. (Nahum 2:12).

Conceals itself by day. Psa. 104:22²²The sun ariseth, they gather themselves together, and lay them down in their dens. (Psalm 104:22).

Often perishes for lack of food. Job 4:11¹¹The old lion perisheth for lack of prey, and the stout lion's whelps are scattered abroad. (Job 4:11).

INHABITS

Forests. Jer. 5:6⁶Wherefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them, and a wolf of the evenings shall spoil them, a leopard shall watch over their cities: every one that goeth out thence shall be torn in pieces: because their transgressions are many, and their backslidings are increased. (Jeremiah 5:6).

Thickets. Jer. 4:7⁷The lion is come up from his thicket, and the destroyer of the Gentiles is on his way; he is gone forth from his place to make thy land desolate; and thy cities shall be laid waste, without an inhabitant. (Jeremiah 4:7).

Mountains. SoS. 4:8. Deserts. Isa. 30:6⁶The burden of the beasts of the south: into the land of trouble and anguish, from whence come the young and old lion, the viper and fiery flying serpent, they will carry their riches upon the shoulders of young asses, and their treasures upon the bunches of camels, to a people that shall not profit them. (Isaiah 30:6).

Attacks the sheepfolds. 1 Sam. 17:34³⁴And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: (1 Samuel 17:34). Amos 3:12¹²Thus saith the Lord; As the shepherd taketh out of the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear; so shall the children of Israel be taken out that dwell in Samaria in the corner of a bed, and in Damascus in a couch. (Amos 3:12). Mic. 5:8⁸And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who, if he go through, both treadeth down, and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver. (Micah 5:8).

Attacks and destroys men. 1 Kin. 13:24. 1 Kin. 20:36.

Universal terror caused by roaring of. Jer. 2:15¹⁵The young lions roared upon him, and yelled, and they made his land waste: his cities are burned without inhabitant. (Jeremiah 2:15). Amos 3:8⁸The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord God hath spoken, who can but prophesy? (Amos 3:8).

Criminals often thrown to. Dan. 6:7, 16, 24⁷All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the princes, the counsellors, and the captains, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions. (Daniel 6:7)
¹⁶Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee. (Daniel 6:16)
²⁴And the king commanded, and they brought those men which had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives; and the lions had the mastery of them, and brake all their bones in pieces or ever they came at the bottom of the den. (Daniel 6:24).

Hunting of, alluded to. Job 10:16¹⁶For it increaseth. Thou huntest me as a fierce lion: and again thou showest thyself marvellous upon me. (Job 10:16).

SLAIN BY

Samson. Judg. 14:5, 6⁵Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath, and came to the vineyards of Timnath: and, behold, a young lion roared against him. ⁶And the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand: but he told not his father or his mother what he had done. (Judges 14:5‑6). David. 1 Sam. 17:35, 36³⁵And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. ³⁶Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God. (1 Samuel 17:35‑36).

Benaiah. 2 Sam. 23:20²⁰And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man, of Kabzeel, who had done many acts, he slew two lionlike men of Moab: he went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow: (2 Samuel 23:20).

A swarm of bees found in the carcass of, by Samson. Judg. 14:8⁸And after a time he returned to take her, and he turned aside to see the carcase of the lion: and, behold, there was a swarm of bees and honey in the carcase of the lion. (Judges 14:8).

Disobedient prophet slain by. 1 Kin. 13:24, 26.

ILLUSTRATIVE

Of Israel. Num. 24:9⁹He couched, he lay down as a lion, and as a great lion: who shall stir him up? Blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is he that curseth thee. (Numbers 24:9).

Of the tribe of Judah. Gen. 49:9⁹Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? (Genesis 49:9).

Of the tribe of Gad. Deut. 33:20²⁰And of Gad he said, Blessed be he that enlargeth Gad: he dwelleth as a lion, and teareth the arm with the crown of the head. (Deuteronomy 33:20).

Of Christ. Rev. 5:5⁵And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. (Revelation 5:5).

Of God in protecting His church. Isa. 31:4⁴For thus hath the Lord spoken unto me, Like as the lion and the young lion roaring on his prey, when a multitude of shepherds is called forth against him, he will not be afraid of their voice, nor abase himself for the noise of them: so shall the Lord of hosts come down to fight for mount Zion, and for the hill thereof. (Isaiah 31:4).

Of God in executing judgments. Isa. 38:13¹³I reckoned till morning, that, as a lion, so will he break all my bones: from day even to night wilt thou make an end of me. (Isaiah 38:13). Lam. 3:10¹⁰He was unto me as a bear lying in wait, and as a lion in secret places. (Lamentations 3:10). Hos. 5:14¹⁴For I will be unto Ephraim as a lion, and as a young lion to the house of Judah: I, even I, will tear and go away; I will take away, and none shall rescue him. (Hosea 5:14). Hos. 13:8⁸I will meet them as a bear that is bereaved of her whelps, and will rend the caul of their heart, and there will I devour them like a lion: the wild beast shall tear them. (Hosea 13:8).

Of boldness of saints. Prov. 28:1¹The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion. (Proverbs 28:1).

Of brave men. 2 Sam. 1:23²³Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their death they were not divided: they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions. (2 Samuel 1:23). 2 Sam. 23:20²⁰And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man, of Kabzeel, who had done many acts, he slew two lionlike men of Moab: he went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow: (2 Samuel 23:20).

Of cruel and powerful enemies. Isa. 5:29²⁹Their roaring shall be like a lion, they shall roar like young lions: yea, they shall roar, and lay hold of the prey, and shall carry it away safe, and none shall deliver it. (Isaiah 5:29). Jer. 49:19¹⁹Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the swelling of Jordan against the habitation of the strong: but I will suddenly make him run away from her: and who is a chosen man, that I may appoint over her? for who is like me? and who will appoint me the time? and who is that shepherd that will stand before me? (Jeremiah 49:19). Jer. 51:38³⁸They shall roar together like lions: they shall yell as lions' whelps. (Jeremiah 51:38).

Of persecutors. Psa. 22:1¹<<To the chief Musician upon Aijeleth Shahar, A Psalm of David.>> My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? (Psalm 22:1)& 2 Tim. 4:17¹⁷Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. (2 Timothy 4:17).

Of the devil. 1 Peter 5:8⁸Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: (1 Peter 5:8).

Of imaginary fears of the slothful. Prov. 22:13¹³The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets. (Proverbs 22:13). Prov. 26:13¹³The slothful man saith, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets. (Proverbs 26:13).

(Tamed,) of the natural man subdued by grace. Isa. 11:7⁷And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. (Isaiah 11:7). Isa. 65:25²⁵The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the Lord. (Isaiah 65:25).

(Roaring of,) of a king's wrath. Prov. 19:12¹²The king's wrath is as the roaring of a lion; but his favor is as dew upon the grass. (Proverbs 19:12). Prov. 20:2²The fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion: whoso provoketh him to anger sinneth against his own soul. (Proverbs 20:2).

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The New Topical Textbook

• Liberty, Christian.

• Lion, the.

• Long-Suffering of God, the.

• Love of Christ, the.

• Loving-Kindness of God, the.

• Lying.

• Macedonian Empire, the.

• Magistrates.

• Malice.

• Man.

• Manasseh, the Tribe of.

• Manna.

• Marriage.