Hosea 5:14

The Lion Will Carry Israel Off Into Exile

5:14 I will be like a lion to Ephraim,

like a young lion to the house of Judah.

I myself will tear them to pieces,

then I will carry them off, and no one will be able to rescue them!

Isaiah 42:13

42:13 The Lord emerges like a hero,

like a warrior he inspires himself for battle; ¹ 

he shouts, yes, he yells,

he shows his enemies his power. ² 

Jeremiah 5:6

5:6 So like a lion from the thicket their enemies will kill them.

Like a wolf from the desert they will destroy them.

Like a leopard they will lie in wait outside their cities

and totally destroy anyone who ventures out. ³ 

For they have rebelled so much

and done so many unfaithful things. ⁴ 

Lamentations 3:10

ד (Dalet)

3:10 To me he is like a bear lying in ambush, ⁵ 

like a hidden lion ⁶  stalking its prey. ⁷ 

Amos 1:2

God Will Judge the Surrounding Nations

1:2 Amos ⁸  said:

“The Lord comes roaring ⁹  out of Zion;

from Jerusalem ¹⁰  he comes bellowing! ¹¹ 

The shepherds’ pastures wilt; ¹² 

the summit of Carmel ¹³  withers.” ¹⁴ 

Amos 3:4

3:4 Does a lion roar in the woods if he has not cornered his prey? ¹⁵ 

Does a young lion bellow from his den if he has not caught something?

Amos 3:8

3:8 A lion has roared! ¹⁶  Who is not afraid?

The sovereign Lord has spoken! Who can refuse to prophesy? ¹⁷ 

[42:13]  ¹ tn Heb “like a man of war he stirs up zeal” (NIV similar).

[42:13]  ² tn Or perhaps, “he triumphs over his enemies” (cf. NIV); NLT “will crush all his enemies.”

[5:6]  ³ tn Heb “So a lion from the thicket will kill them. A wolf from the desert will destroy them. A leopard will watch outside their cities. Anyone who goes out from them will be torn in pieces.” However, it is unlikely that, in the context of judgment that Jeremiah has previously been describing, literal lions are meant. The animals are metaphorical for their enemies. Compare Jer 4:7.

[5:6]  ⁴ tn Heb “their rebellions are so many and their unfaithful acts so numerous.”

[3:10]  ⁵ tn Heb “he is to me [like] a bear lying in wait.”

[3:10]  ⁶ tc The Kethib is written אַרְיֵה (’aryeh, “lion”), while the Qere is אֲרִי (’ari, “lion”), simply a short spelling of the same term (BDB 71 s.v. אַרְיֵה).

[3:10]  ⁷ tn Heb “a lion in hiding places.”

[1:2]  ⁸ tn Heb “he;” the referent (Amos) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:2]  ⁹ sn The Lord, in his role of warrior-king, is compared to a lion. See 3:4, 8.

[1:2]  ¹⁰ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[1:2]  ¹¹ tn Heb “gives his voice.”

[1:2]  ¹² tn Lexicographers debate whether there are two roots אָבַל (’aval), one signifying “mourn” and the other “be dry,” or simply one (“mourn”). The parallel verb (“withers”) might favor the first option and have the meaning “wilt away.” It is interesting to note, however, that the root appears later in the book in the context of lament (5:16; 8:8, 10; 9:5). Either 1:2 is a possible wordplay to alert the reader to the death that will accompany the judgment (the option of two roots), or perhaps the translation “mourns” is appropriate here as well (cf. KJV, NASB, NKJV, NJPS; see also D. J. A. Clines, “Was There an ’BL II ‘Be Dry’ in Classical Hebrew?” VT 42 [1992]: 1-10).

[1:2]  ¹³ sn Carmel was a region known for its abundant plants and trees. See Isa 33:9; 35:2; Jer 50:19.

[1:2]  ¹⁴ sn Loss of a land’s fertility is frequently associated with judgment in the OT and ancient Near Eastern literature.

[3:4]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “without having prey [or “food”].”

[3:8]  ¹⁶ sn The roar of the lion is here a metaphor for impending judgment (see 1:2; cf. 3:4, 12). Verses 7-8 justify Amos’ prophetic ministry and message of warning and judgment. The people should expect a prophetic message prior to divine action.

[3:8]  ¹⁷ sn Who can refuse to prophesy? When a message is revealed, the prophet must speak, and the news of impending judgment should cause people to fear.