Isaiah 31:4

The Lord Will Defend Zion

31:4 Indeed, this is what the Lord says to me:

“The Lord will be like a growling lion,

like a young lion growling over its prey. ¹ 

Though a whole group of shepherds gathers against it,

it is not afraid of their shouts

or intimidated by their yelling. ² 

In this same way the Lord who commands armies will descend

to do battle on Mount Zion and on its hill. ³ 

Hosea 11:10

God Will Restore the Exiles to Israel

11:10 He will roar like a lion,

and they will follow the Lord;

when he roars,

his children will come trembling ⁴  from the west.

Joel 3:16

3:16 The Lord roars from Zion;

from Jerusalem ⁵  his voice bellows out. ⁶ 

The heavens ⁷  and the earth shake.

But the Lord is a refuge for his people;

he is a stronghold for the citizens ⁸  of Israel.

Amos 1:2

God Will Judge the Surrounding Nations

1:2 Amos ⁹  said:

“The Lord comes roaring ¹⁰  out of Zion;

from Jerusalem ¹¹  he comes bellowing! ¹² 

The shepherds’ pastures wilt; ¹³ 

the summit of Carmel ¹⁴  withers.” ¹⁵ 

[31:4]  ¹ tn Heb “As a lion growls, a young lion over its prey.” In the Hebrew text the opening comparison is completed later in the verse (“so the Lord will come down…”), after a parenthesis describing how fearless the lion is. The present translation divides the verse into three sentences for English stylistic reasons.

[31:4]  ² tn Heb “Though there is summoned against it fullness of shepherds, by their voice it is not terrified, and to their noise it does not respond.”

[31:4]  ³ tn Some prefer to translate the phrase לִצְבֹּא עַל (litsbo’ ’al) as “fight against,” but the following context pictures the Lord defending, not attacking, Zion.

[11:10]  ⁴ tn When the verb חָרַד (kharad, “to tremble”) is used with prepositions of direction, it denotes “to go or come trembling” (BDB 353 s.v. חָרַד 4; e.g., Gen 42:28; 1 Sam 13:7; 16:4; 21:2; Hos 11:10, 11). Thus, the phrase מִיָּם…וְיֶחֶרְדוּ (vÿyekherdu…miyyam) means “to come trembling from the west.” Cf. NAB “shall come frightened from the west.”

[3:16]  ⁵ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[3:16]  ⁶ tn Heb “he sounds forth his voice.”

[3:16]  ⁷ tn Or “the sky.” See the note on “sky” in 2:30.

[3:16]  ⁸ tn Heb “sons.”

[1:2]  ⁹ tn Heb “he;” the referent (Amos) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:2]  ¹⁰ sn The Lord, in his role of warrior-king, is compared to a lion. See 3:4, 8.

[1:2]  ¹¹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[1:2]  ¹² tn Heb “gives his voice.”

[1:2]  ¹³ 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]  ¹⁴ sn Carmel was a region known for its abundant plants and trees. See Isa 33:9; 35:2; Jer 50:19.

[1:2]  ¹⁵ sn Loss of a land’s fertility is frequently associated with judgment in the OT and ancient Near Eastern literature.