An important animal in the natural history of Palestine; a symbol of power and strength.
Lions seen as a threat to life
Daniel 6:7 See also Judges 14:5; 1 Kings 13:24–28, 1 Kings 20:36; Daniel 6:24
All the royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers, and governors have agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce a decree that for thirty days anyone who petitions any god or man except you, O king, will be thrown into the den of lions.
God's deliverance from lions
Daniel 6:22 See also 1 Samuel 17:34–37; 2 Timothy 4:17; Hebrews 11:33
My God sent His angel and shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, for I was found innocent in His sight, and I have done no wrong against you, O king.”
The figurative use of lions
As powerful
Job 10:16 See also Genesis 49:9; Psalm 22:13, Psalm 22:21
Should I hold my head high, You would hunt me like a lion, and again display Your power against me.
As cunning
Psalm 10:9 See also Psalm 17:12; Lamentations 3:10
He lies in wait like a lion in a thicket; he lurks to seize the oppressed; he catches the lowly in his net.
As fearsome
As voracious
Psalm 7:2 See also Psalm 35:17, Psalm 57:4; Jeremiah 2:30; Zephaniah 3:3
or they will shred my soul like a lion and tear me to pieces with no one to rescue me.
They are not invincible
Psalm 34:10 See also Job 4:10–11; Psalm 58:6, Psalm 91:13
Young lions go lacking and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.
Jesus Christ is likened to a lion
Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed to open the scroll and its seven seals.”
Satan is likened to a lion
Be sober-minded and alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
The lion in God's new creation
Isaiah 11:6 See also Isaiah 65:25
The wolf will live with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the goat; the calf and young lion and fatling will be together, and a little child will lead them.
Lions as a decoration
1 Kings 7:29, 1 Kings 7:36, 1 Kings 10:20
Samson's riddle concerning a lion
Related themes
Dictionary of Bible Themes © 1999 Martin Manser, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Bible Aquifer. Formatted for this site, with Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible.