'Lions' in the Bible

“Saul and Jonathan, beloved and lovely and friends in their lives,And in their death they were not separated;They were swifter than eagles,They were stronger than lions.

On the borders between the frames were lions, oxen, and cherubim; and on the frames there was a pedestal above. Beneath the lions and oxen were borders of hanging work.

And on the surface of its supports and its borders Hiram engraved cherubim, lions, and palm-shaped decorations, according to the [available] space for each, with borders all around.

The throne had six steps, and a round top was attached to the throne from the back. On either side of the seat were armrests, and two lions stood beside the armrests.

Twelve lions stood there, one on either end of each of the six steps; there was nothing like it made for any other kingdom.

Now when they began to live there, they did not fear the Lord; therefore the Lord sent lions among them which killed some of them.

So the king of Assyria was told, “The nations whom you have sent into exile and settled in the cities of Samaria do not know the custom of the god of the land; so He has sent lions among them, and they are killing them because they do not know the manner of [worship demanded by] the god of the land.”

Courageous men from the Gadites came over to David in the stronghold in the wilderness, men trained for war, who could handle shield and spear, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and who were swift as gazelles on the mountains.

There were six steps to the throne and a golden footstool attached to the throne, and arms on each side of the seat, with two lions standing beside the arms.

Also, twelve lions were standing there, one on each side of the six steps. Nothing like it had ever been made for any [other] kingdom.

“The roaring of the lion and the voice of the fierce lion,And the teeth of the young lions are broken.

“Can you [Job] hunt the prey for the lion,Or satisfy the appetite of the young lions

The young lions lack [food] and grow hungry,But they who seek the Lord will not lack any good thing.

Lord, how long will You look on [without action]?Rescue my life from their destructions,My only life from the young lions.

My life is among lions;I must lie among those who breathe out fire—The sons of men whose teeth are spears and arrows,And their tongue a sharp sword.

O God, break their teeth in their mouth;Break out the fangs of the young lions, O Lord.

The young lions roar after their preyAnd seek their food from God.

“Come away with me from Lebanon, my [promised] bride,May you come with me from Lebanon.Journey down from the top of Amana,From the summit of Senir and Hermon,From the dens of lions,From the mountains of leopards.

Their roaring is like a lioness, they roar like young lions;They growl and seize their preyAnd carry it off and there is no one to save it.

“The young lions have roared at him,They have made their voices heard and roared loudly.And they have made his land a waste;His cities have been destroyed and are burned ruins, without inhabitant.

[The Lord rebukes Jeremiah for his impatience, saying] “If you have raced with men on foot and they have tired you out,Then how can you compete with horses?If you fall down in a land of peace [where you feel secure],Then how will you do [among the lions] in the [flooded] thicket beside the Jordan?

Israel is a hunted and scattered flock [driven here and there as prey]; the lions have chased them away. First the king of Assyria devoured him, and now at last Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has broken (gnawed) his bones.

“They (the Chaldean lords) will be roaring together [before their sudden capture] like young lions [roaring over their prey],They (the princes) will be growling like lions’ cubs.

and say,‘What was your mother [Jerusalem and Judah]?A lioness among lions!She lay down among young lions,She reared her cubs.

‘And he moved among the lions;He became a young lion,He learned to tear the prey;He devoured men.

All the commissioners of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors have consulted and agreed together that the king should establish a royal statute and enforce an injunction that anyone who petitions (prays to) any god or man besides you, O king, during the next thirty days, shall be thrown into the den of lions.

Then they approached and spoke before the king regarding his injunction, “Have you not signed an injunction that anyone who petitions (prays to) any god or man except you, O king, within the designated thirty days, is to be thrown into the den of lions?” The king answered, “The statement is true, in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which may not be altered or revoked.”

Then the king gave a command, and Daniel was brought and thrown into the den of lions. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you constantly serve, rescue you Himself!”

Then the king arose at dawn, at the break of day, and hurried to the den of lions.

When he had come near the den, he called out to Daniel with a troubled voice. The king said to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you constantly serve, been able to rescue you from the lions?”

My God has sent His angel and has shut the mouths of the lions so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him; and also before you, O king, I have committed no crime.”

The king then gave a command, and those men who had maliciously accused Daniel were brought and thrown into the den of lions, they, their children and their wives; and before they reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.

“He rescues and saves and performs signs and wondersIn heaven and on earth—He who has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions.”

Where is the den of the lions (Assyria)And the feeding place of the young lions,Where the lion, lioness, and lion’s cub prowledWith nothing to fear?

“Behold, I am against you [Nineveh],” declares the Lord of hosts, “and I will burn your chariots in the smoke, and the sword will devour your young lions. I will cut off your prey from the land, and the voice of your messengers will no longer be heard.”

Her officials within her are roaring lions;Her judges are [as hungry as] the wolves at evening,They leave nothing for the morning.

There is a sound of the shepherds’ wail,For their splendor (grazing land) is ruined;There is a sound of the young lions’ roar,For the pride of the Jordan is ruined.