Encyclopedia entry
Lion
“The most powerful, daring and impressive of all carnivorous animals, the most magnificent in aspect and awful in voice.” At present lions do not exist in Palestine; but they must in ancient times have been numerous. The lion of Palestine was in all probability the Asiatic variety, described by Aristotle and Pliny as distinguished by its short and curly mane, and by being shorter and rounder in shape, like the sculptured lion found at Arban. It was less daring than the longer named species, but when driven by hunger it not only ventured to attack the flocks in the desert in presence of the shepherd, (1 Samuel 17:34; Isaiah 31:4) but laid waste towns and villages, (2 Kings 17:25,26; Proverbs 22:13; 26:13) and devoured men. (1 Kings 13:24; 20:36) Among the Hebrews, and throughout the Old Testament, the lion was the achievement of the princely tribe of Judah, while in the closing book of the canon it received a deeper significance as the emblem of him who “prevailed to open the book and loose the seven seals thereof.” (Revelation 5:5) On the other hand its fierceness and cruelty rendered it an appropriate metaphor for a fierce and malignant enemy. (Psalms 7:2; 22:21; 57:4; 2 Timothy 4:17) and hence for the arch-fiend himself. (1 Peter 5:8)
In the Bible
87
Verses where Lion is named. Berean Standard Bible (public domain).
- 1 Chronicles 11:22
And Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a man of valor from Kabzeel, a man of many exploits. He struck down two champions of Moab, and on a snowy day he went down into a pit and killed a lion.
- 1 Kings 10:19
The throne had six steps, and its back had a rounded top. There were armrests on both sides of the seat, with a lion standing beside each armrest.
- 1 Kings 13:24
As he went on his way, a lion met him on the road and killed him, and his body was left lying in the road, with the donkey and the lion standing beside it.
- 1 Kings 13:25
And there were men passing by who saw the body lying in the road with the lion standing beside it, and they went and reported this in the city where the old prophet lived.
- 1 Kings 13:26
When the prophet who had brought him back from his journey heard this, he said, “It is the man of God who disobeyed the command of the LORD. Therefore the LORD has delivered him to the lion, and it has mauled him and killed him, according to the word that the LORD had spoken to him.”
- 1 Kings 13:28
and he went and found the body lying in the road, with the donkey and the lion standing beside it. The lion had not eaten the body or mauled the donkey.
+81 more verses naming Lion.
Scripture on Lion
69
See all 69 +−
- Job 4Psalms 7Psalms 22Proverbs 22Proverbs 28Isaiah 11Isaiah 31Hosea 13Nahum 22 Timothy 41 Peter 5Revelation 5Genesis 49Numbers 23Numbers 24Deuteronomy 332 Samuel 172 Samuel 231 Kings 101 Kings 202 Kings 171 Chronicles 112 Chronicles 9Job 10Job 28Job 38Psalms 10Psalms 17Psalms 91Proverbs 19Proverbs 20Proverbs 26Proverbs 30Ecclesiastes 9Isaiah 5Isaiah 15Isaiah 21Isaiah 30Isaiah 35Isaiah 38Isaiah 65Jeremiah 2Jeremiah 4Jeremiah 5Jeremiah 12Jeremiah 25Jeremiah 49Jeremiah 50Jeremiah 51Lamentations 3Ezekiel 1Ezekiel 10Ezekiel 22Ezekiel 32Ezekiel 41Daniel 7Hosea 5Hosea 11Joel 1Amos 5Micah 5Revelation 4Revelation 10Revelation 13
Lion references
12
More illustrations of Lion
2
Voices on Lion
24
Surfaced by name match — accuracy varies by title clarity.
Sources · Smith's Bible Dictionary (1884)
Public-domain text. Modernized only where archaic spelling impedes reading; original facts preserved. Verify against an authoritative modern reference before quoting.