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Genesis 49:9 — Word Study

Depth

WLCגּ֤וּר אַרְיֵה֙ יְהוּדָ֔ה מִטֶּ֖רֶף בְּנִ֣י עָלִ֑יתָ כָּרַ֨ע רָבַ֧ץ כְּאַרְיֵ֛ה וּכְלָבִ֖יא מִ֥י יְקִימֶֽנּוּ׃

BSAJudahYᵉhûwdâh [a lion’s whelp, young and powerful] is a younggûwr lionʼărîy my sonbên [descendant, child] you returnʻâlâh [to ascend, go up] from the preyṭereph [something torn apart, food] Like a lionʼărîy he croucheskâraʻ [to bow, sink down] [and] lies downrâbats [to stretch, rest] like a lionesslâbîyʼ [fierce and powerful] whomîy [what person, which one] dares to rouse himqûwm [to rise, stand up]

Word
Listen & take awayGenesis 49
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 9 is in this chapter.
Hebrew ↓ Download MP3 The Masoretic text of this chapter, read aloud. Read by Abraham Shmuelof, courtesy of Audio Scriptures International. Chapter divisions by the Academy of Ancient Languages..
Say the word Each Hebrew word carries its transliteration (ye.ki.Me.nu) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Genesis 49:9quick helps
In a sentenceJudah is depicted as a powerful young lion, symbolizing strength and dominance.
Who is speakingJacob, blessing his sons before his death.
Where we areThe blessings of Jacob to his sons in Genesis 49.
The hard wordגּוּר
Take awayJudah's strength is likened to that of a lion, emphasizing his leadership.
7 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectיְהוּדָה verbהוּא The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the Old Testament

Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.

Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.

Deep Study — Genesis 49:9

Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.

Context — The Blessing of Judahgenerated

8Judah, your brothers shall praise you. Your hand shall be on the necks of your enemies; your father’s sons shall bow down to you.
9Judah is a young lion— my son, you return from the prey. Like a lion he crouches and lies down; like a lioness, who dares to rouse him?
10The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes and the allegiance of the nations is his.
11He ties his donkey to the vine, his colt to the choicest branch. He washes his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes.

Genesis 49:9 is part of Jacob's blessings to his sons, where he highlights Judah's strength and leadership. This passage emphasizes Judah's role as a leader among his brothers and foreshadows the prominence of his lineage, which includes significant figures in Israel's history. The imagery of the lion conveys power and authority, setting the stage for Judah's future.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Hosea 5:4–14Their deeds do not permit them to return to their God, for a spirit of prostitution is within them, and they do not know the LORD.
21 Corinthians 15:24Then the end will come, when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father after He has destroyed all dominion, authority, and power.
3Revelation 5:5Then 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.”
4Numbers 23:24Behold, the people rise like a lioness; they rouse themselves like a lion, not resting until they devour their prey and drink the blood of the slain.”
5Numbers 24:9He crouches, he lies down like a lion; like a lioness, who dares to rouse him? Blessed are those who bless you and cursed are those who curse you.”

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 5 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word גּוּר, gurgenerated

The word גּוּר (gur) refers specifically to a young lion, or cub, suggesting a creature in its early stages of development. It is often used in the context of wild animals, particularly lions, and emphasizes the idea of youth and potential.

This noun is in the masculine singular construct form, indicating it is being used to describe Judah as a young lion. The imagery of a cub suggests not only strength but also the promise of growth and power, aligning with Judah's role in the blessings.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

The translations agree on the rendering of Judah as a young lion, with the BSB, KJV, ASV, YLT, WEB, and BBE all conveying this imagery without significant variation.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The finite verb עָלִ֑יתָ (you have gone up) governs the sentence, with several clauses and phrases describing Judah's actions and attributes. The structure emphasizes Judah's strength and the imagery of the lion.

The sentence begins with Judah as the subject, followed by clauses that describe his actions and characteristics, including crouching and lying down like a lion, which highlights his power and authority.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates גּוּר as σκύμνος, which also means 'cub' or 'young lion.' This choice maintains the imagery of youth and strength, aligning with the Hebrew text.

The use of σκύμνος suggests an emphasis on the early stages of a lion's life, reinforcing the idea of Judah as a powerful leader still in the process of rising to prominence.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Genesis 49:9 describes Judah as a young lion, emphasizing his strength and leadership. Jacob uses this imagery to bless Judah, indicating his role among his brothers and foreshadowing the significance of his descendants.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that Judah is a young lion?

It signifies strength, power, and leadership, indicating that Judah will be a prominent figure among his brothers.

Why is the imagery of a lion used?

Lions symbolize strength and authority in biblical literature, making it a fitting metaphor for Judah's character and future.

What is the significance of the phrase 'you have gone up'?

It indicates Judah's ascent in status and power, highlighting his leadership role within the family.

How does this blessing relate to Judah's descendants?

Judah's lineage is significant in biblical history, as it leads to notable figures, including King David and ultimately, according to Christian tradition, Jesus.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What qualities of leadership can I learn from Judah's depiction as a lion?
  2. How can I apply the idea of strength and courage in my own life?
  3. In what ways can I support and uplift those around me, similar to how Judah is portrayed?
  4. How does understanding Judah's role help me appreciate the broader narrative of the Bible?

The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it

The early Church Fathers referenced this verse to discuss the significance of Judah's lion imagery, linking it to Christ's lineage and kingship.

Hippolytus of RomeON THE BLESSINGS OF ISAAC AND JACOB 16 c. 170–235
By saying “lion” and “lion’s whelp,” he has clearly pointed toward the two persons: that of the Father and that of the Son. He said, “From a shoot, my son, you have gone up” in order to show the generation of Christ according to the flesh.
Early Church Fathers on Genesis 49 →
Hippolytus of RomeON THE BLESSINGS OF ISAAC AND JACOB 16 c. 170–235
He says the words “After stooping down, you slept like a lion and a whelp” in order to show Christ sleeping during the three days of his burial, when he rests in the heart of the earth.
Early Church Fathers on Genesis 49 →
Cyril of JerusalemCatechetical Lecture 10:3 c. 313–386
Again, he is called a Lion; not a man eater, but, as it were, showing by this title his kingly, strong and resolute nature, Then too, he is called a Lion in opposition to the lion,
Early Church Fathers on Genesis 49 →

Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Genesis 49:9 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Judah is a lion's whelp,.... Or as one; the note of similitude being wanting, as Aben Ezra and Ben Melech observe; he was comparable to a young lion for his strength, courage, and generosity; and it

Read John Gill on Genesis 49 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father's children shall bow down before thee.

Read Robert Jamieson on Genesis 49 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Judah is as a lion’ s whelp, or as a young lion, for courage, and strength, and terror to his enemies. The particle as is here wanting, as also ,17,21,22, and in many other places, as 12:6 22:6, &c. And he is rightly compared first to a lion’ s whelp, then to an old lion, to signify the growth of that tribe in strength and interest; and that from small beginnings, and a precedency of order only, ,2, it should ascend to the height of honour, and power, and happiness in David, and especially in the Messiah, who should conquer all nations. From the prey... thou art gone up. Having taken the prey, i.e. conquered thine enemies, thou art gone up in triumph; or gone up, i.e. grown greater and…

Read Matthew Poole on Genesis 49 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Genesis 49:9 Judah [is] a lion’ s whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? Ver. 9. Judah is a lion’ s whelp.] Many lionlike Lysimachusses came of this tribe, that, as Samson and David, first fought with lions, and then with their enemies; all which were types of that "Lion of the tribe of Judah," Revelation 5:5. The devil is a roaring lion, Leo ωρυομενος, lies in wait for the Church: but Christ, her invincible champion, is ever at hand for her help, who is also Leo ορυομενος, as St Paul hath it, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, "that delivereth us from the wrath to come." And when this lion roareth, all…

Read John Trapp on Genesis 49 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(9) Judah is a lion’s whelp.—We have seen that the sons of Jacob had each his signet, and that Judah’s was so large as to be worn by him attached to a cord fastened round his neck (Genesis 38:18). Probably his emblem was a lion; that of Zebulun a ship; that of Issachar an ass; that of Dan an adder, and so on. Using then his self-chosen emblem, Jacob compares him, first, to a “lion’s whelp,” full of activity and enterprise, and which, after feasting upon its prey, goes up to its mountain lair, calm and fearless in the consciousness of its strength. But as Judah is a young lion in his activity and fearlessness, so is he “a lion” full-grown and majestic in his repose, which Jacob’s words…

Read Charles John Ellicott on Genesis 49 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

9. a lion’s whelp] For the comparison of Judah with a lion, which through this verse became its historic symbol, cf. 2Es 12:31-32; Revelation 5:5. The metaphor of a lion is applied to Gad (Deuteronomy 33:20) and to Dan (Deuteronomy 33:22). For its use in poetical description, cf. Numbers 23:24; Numbers 24:9; Micah 5:8; 1Ma 3:4. gone up] The lion, having seized and devoured its prey, returns to its fastness in the hills, secure and inaccessible. stooped down … couched] A description of the movements of a lion (cf. Numbers 24:9) stalking its prey, running swiftly and secretly, and gathering itself for a final spring. The verb describes the habitual swiftness and force in the movements of the…

Read Cambridge on Genesis 49 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

9. Whelp of a lion — Three different Hebrew words are here employed for lion, represented in our translation by whelp, lion, and lioness.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Genesis 49 →

The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company

Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.

Modern formal

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

Judah is a young lion— my son, you return from the prey. Like a lion he crouches and lies down; like a lioness, who dares to rouse him?

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Judah is a lion’s cub. From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He stooped down, he crouched as a lion, as a lioness. Who will rouse him up?

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Judah is a young lion—my son, you return from the prey. Like a lion he crouches and lies down; like a lioness, who dares to rouse him?

NETBNew English Translation2006

You are a lion’s cub, Judah, from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He crouches and lies down like a lion; like a lioness – who will rouse him?

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

Judah is a lion’s whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up?

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

Judah is a lion’s whelp; From the prey, my son, thou art gone up: He stooped down, he couched as a lion, And as a lioness; who shall rouse him up?

RVARevised Version, American1894

Judah is a lion’s whelp; From the prey, my son, thou art gone up: He stooped down, he couched as a lion, And as a lioness; who shall rouse him up?

NWBWebster's Bible1833

Judah is a lion's whelp; from the prey, my son, thou hast gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion: who shall rouse him up?

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Iudah, as a Lions whelpe shalt thou come vp from the spoyle, my sonne. He shall lye downe and couche as a Lion, and as a Lionesse: Who shall stirre him vp?

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

Judah is a young lion; From the prey, my son, thou art gone up. He stoopeth, he layeth himself down as a lion, And as a lioness: who will rouse him up?

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

A lion's whelp [is] Judah, For prey, my son, thou hast gone up; He hath bent, he hath crouched as a lion, And as a lioness; who causeth him to arise?

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

A lion’s whelp [is] Judah, || For prey, my son, you have gone up; He has bent, he has crouched as a lion, || And as a lioness; who causes him to arise?

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

Like a lion's whelp, O Judah, from the prey, my son, thou risest: he stoopeth down, he croucheth as a lion, and as a lioness, who shall rouse him up?

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Judah is a lion's cub. My son, you have gone up from your victims. He stooped down, he crouched like a lion, like a lioness. Who would dare to awaken him?

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Juda is a lion’s whelp: to the prey, my son, thou art gone up: resting thou hast couched as a lion, and as a lioness, who shall rouse him?

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

My son Judah is a young lion coming back from eating its prey. He crouches and lies down like a lion. Like a lion, who would dare to disturb him?

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Judah is a young lion; like a lion full of meat you have become great, my son; now he takes his rest like a lion stretched out and like an old lion; by whom will his sleep be broken?

Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.


The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank

This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.

clausenoun phrase · predicateגּ֤וּר[is].a.cubאַרְיֵה֙of.a.lionsubjectיְהוּדָ֔הJudahclauseclauseprepositional phrase · prepositionalמִfromטֶּ֖רֶףpreyverbעָלִ֑יתָyou.have.gone.upclausenoun phraseבְּנִ֣my.sonיmyclauseverbכָּרַ֨עhe.bows.downclauseverbרָבַ֧ץhe.lies.downprepositional phrase · prepositionalprepositional phraseכְּlikeאַרְיֵ֛הa.lionוּandprepositional phraseכְlikeלָבִ֖יאa.lionclausesubjectמִ֥יwho?verbיְקִימֶֽwillobjectנּוּhe.rouse.him

Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.


The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran

The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree closely, with 12 of the 12 words matched. The Samaritan Pentateuch differs by one word, using לביה (lion) instead of the Masoretic's אַרְיֵה.

Masoretic TextLeningrad Codex, c. AD 1008 — the text this page is built on

גּ֤וּר אַרְיֵה֙ יְהוּדָ֔ה מִטֶּ֖רֶף בְּנִ֣י עָלִ֑יתָ כָּרַ֨ע רָבַ֧ץ כְּאַרְיֵ֛ה וּכְלָבִ֖יא מִ֥י יְקִימֶֽנּוּ׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
גּ֤וּרσκύμνοςאַרְיֵה֙λέοντοςיְהוּדָ֔הιουδαמִטֶּ֖רֶףβλαστοῦבְּנִ֣יυἱέעָלִ֑יתָμουכָּרַ֨עἀναπεσὼνרָבַ֧ץἐκοιμήθηςכְּאַרְיֵ֛הλέωνוּכְלָבִ֖יאσκύμνοςמִ֥יτίςיְקִימֶֽנּוּ׃αὐτόν

12 of the 12 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.

Samaritan Pentateuchthe Torah as the Samaritan community kept it

גור אריה יהודה מטרף בני עלית כרע רבץ כאריה וכלביה מי יקימנו

1 word differs from the Masoretic Text: לביה (lion)

Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.


The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with

This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.

Genesis 49:9גּוּר[is] a cub [is] a cub ofגּוּראֲרִיa liona lionאֲרִייְהוּדָהJudahJudahיְהוּדָהטֶ֫רֶףfrom preyfrom preyטֶ֫רֶףבֵּןO son myO son myבֵּןעָלָהyou have goyou have gone uעָלָהכָּרַעhe bows dowhe bows downכָּרַערָבַץhe lies dowhe lies downרָבַץאֲרִיlike a lionlike a lionאֲרִילְבִיand like a and like a lionלְבִימִיwho?who?מִילֵבwill he rouwill he rouse hלֵבאָרָהto pluckto pluckאָרָהטָרַףto tearto tearטָרַףגּוּרto sojournto sojournגּוּריָדָהto give thto give thanksיָדָהבָּנָהto buildto buildבָּנָהמָהwhat?what?מָהאֲרִיlionlionאֲרִילְבִיlionlionלְבִידֹּבbearbearדֹּבכְּפִירlionlionכְּפִירצִדְקִיָּ֫הוּZedekiahZedekiahצִדְקִיָּ֫הוּבֵּיתBethlehemBethlehemבֵּיתעַמּוֹןAmmonAmmonעַמּוֹןרְאוּבֵןReubenReubenרְאוּבֵןעֹלָהburnt offeburnt offeringעֹלָהיְאֹרstreamstreamיְאֹרבֶ֫רךְkneekneeבֶ֫רךְנָוֶהpasturepastureנָוֶה
meets it a little oftener than chancemeets it far oftener than chancebuilt from the same roottwo words of the verse share ita word of this versea related word

Lexicons — every word in Genesis 49:9

One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.

Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.

[is] a cub of a lion Judah from prey O son my you have gone up he bows down he lies down like a lion and like a lion who? will he rouse him
גּ֤וּרgur [is] a cub of H1482 Noun common · masculine singular construct
7× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means a young lion still in its den. It appears in descriptions of wild animals, like lion cubs. This word is used to convey the idea of something still in its early stages.
Tyndale gloss
whelp
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

גּוּר (gur) refers to a young animal, specifically a whelp or cub, often associated with lions and jackals. The word is built from a root that suggests a young creature still in its lair. It appears in contexts describing young animals, emphasizing their youth.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

גּוּר n.m. whelp, young

lion’s whelps

young of jackals

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1482 גּוּר whelp, young

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1482 guwr goor

or (shortened) gur {goor}; perhaps from 1481; a cub (as still

abiding in the lair), especially of the lion:--whelp, young

one.

see HEBREW for 01481

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

גּוּר (gur) — whelp.

cub, whelp, young

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular construct
HNcmsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
[is] a cub of a lion Judah from prey O son my you have gone up he bows down he lies down like a lion and like a lion who? will he rouse him
אַרְיֵה֙'ar.Yeh a lion H738 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
80× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In biblical times, a lion was a symbol of strength and power, and is often mentioned in stories like Daniel in the lions' den. The word for lion appears in various forms, including pictures or images of lions, and is used in books like 1 Kings and 2 Kings.
Tyndale gloss
lion
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֲרִי (ariy) and אַרְיֵה (aryeh) both mean 'lion' in Hebrew, referring to the animal itself or images of it. The word is derived from a root associated with violence. The entries do not indicate any significant disagreement among lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֲרִי n.m. lion

base

אַרְיֵה n.m. lion

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H738a אֲרִי lion H738b אַרְיֵה lion

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

738 'ariy ar-ee'

or (prolonged) earyeh {ar-yay'}; from 717 (in the sense of

violence); a lion:--(young) lion, + pierce (from the margin).

see HEBREW for 0717

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֲרִי (a.ri) — lion.

1) lion

1a) pictures or images of lions

אַרְיֵה (ar.yeh) — lion.

1) lion

1a) pictures or images of lions

Aramaic equivalent: ar.yeh (אַרְיֵה "lion" H0744)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absolute
HNcmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

li'-un:

(1) Occurring most often in the Old Testament is 'aryeh, plural 'ardyoth. Another form, 'ari, plural 'arayim, is found less often.

1. Names:

Compare 'ari'el, "Ariel" (Ezr 8:16; Isa 29:1,2,7); char'el, "upper altar," and 'ari'el, "altar hearth" (Eze 43:15); 'aryeh, "Arieh" (2Ki 15:25); 'ar'eli, "Areli" and "Arelites" (Ge 46:16; Nu 26:17).

(2) kephir, "young lion," often translated "lion" (Ps 35:17; Pr 19:12; 23:1, etc.).

Smith's Bible Dictionary

"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.…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The well-known and noble king of beasts, frequently spoken of in Scripture. He often exceeds eight feet in length and four feet in height; and his majestic and dauntless aspect, his prodigious strength and agility, and his peculiar roar, make him the terror of the forests. Lions were common in Palestine, (See JORDAN,) and the Hebrews had seven different names for them, to distinguish the different ages, etc. Five of these occur together in Job 4:10,11. See also Na 2:11,12. The psalmist alludes to the stealthy creeping of the lion till he can spring upon his prey, when he says of the crafty wicked man, "He lieth in wait secretly as a lion in his den; .... he croucheth, and humbleth himself, that the poor may fall by his strong ones." The Bible reader will remember the exploits of…

Nave's Topical Bible

→ King of beasts Mic 5:8

→ Fierceness of Job 4:10; 28:8; Ps 7:2; Pr 22:13; Jer 2:15; 49:19; 50:44; Ho 13:8

→ The roaring of Ps 22:13; Pr 20:2

→ Strength of Pr 30:30; Isa 38:13; Joe 1:6

[is] a cub of a lion Judah from prey O son my you have gone up he bows down he lies down like a lion and like a lion who? will he rouse him
יְהוּדָ֔הye.hu.Dah Judah H3063 Noun proper masculine
820× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Judah is the name of the tribe descended from Judah, the son of Jacob. It is also the name of the region where the tribe lived. The name means 'praised' and is first mentioned in Genesis.
Amplified meaning
a lion’s whelp, young and powerful
Tyndale gloss
(Baalah of)Judah
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יְהוּדָה (yehudah) means 'Judah' and is derived from a root meaning 'praised.' It refers to the son of Jacob and Leah, the tribe descended from him, and the territory they occupied. The term also encompasses the southern kingdom of Judah, which included the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. Additionally, it identifies various individuals, including Levites and overseers during the time of Ezra and Nehemiah.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יְהוּדָה 820 n.pr.m. et terr. Judah

n.pr.m.

son of Jacob and Leah

tribe descended from Judah

nation, of southern kingdom under dynasty of David, as distinguished from northern kingdom of Ephraim or Israel

Levite, Ezra’s time

an overseer of Jerus.

Levite musician

priest

n.pr.terr. land of Judah

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3063 יְהוּדָה Judah

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3063 Yhuwdah yeh-hoo-daw'

from 3034; celebrated; Jehudah (or Judah), the name of five

Israelites; also of the tribe descended from the first, and of

its territory:--Judah.

see HEBREW for 03034

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יְהוּדָה (ye.hu.dah) — Judah.

A man of the tribe of Judah living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.29.35;

son of: Israel (H3478) and Leah (H3812);

brother of: Reuben (H7205), Simeon (H8095), Levi (H3878), Issachar (H3485), Zebulun (H2074) and Dinah (H1783);

half-brother of: Dan (H1835H), Naphtali (H5321), Gad (H1410), Asher (H0836), Joseph (H3130) and Benjamin (H1144); married to Bath-shua (H1323I) and Tamar (H8559);

father of: Er (H6147), Onan (H0209), Shelah (H7956), Perez (H6557) and Zerah (H2226I)

§ Judah = "praised"

1) the son of Jacob by Leah

2) the tribe descended from Judah the son of Jacob

3) the territory occupied by the tribe of Judah

4) the kingdom comprised of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin which occupied the southern part of Canaan after the nation split upon the death of Solomon

5) a Levite in Ezra's time

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper masculine
HNpm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

Judah

Praise, the fourth son of Jacob by Leah. The name originated in Leah’s words of praise to the Lord on account of his birth: “Now will I praise [Heb. odeh] Jehovah, and she called his name Yehudah” (Gen. 29:35).

It was Judah that interposed in behalf of Joseph, so that his life was spared (Gen. 37:26, 27). He took a lead in the affairs of the family, and “prevailed above his brethren” (Gen. 43:3-10; 44:14, 16-34; 46:28; 1 Chr. 5:2).

Soon after the sale of Joseph to the Ishmaelites, Judah went to reside at Adullam, where he married a woman of Canaan. (See ONAN; TAMAR.) After the death of his wife Shuah, he returned to his father’s house, and there exercised much…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(praised, celebrated), the fourth son of Jacob and the fourth of Leah. (B.C. after 1753.) Of Judah’s personal character more traits are preserved than of any other of the patriarchs, with the exception of Joseph, whose life he in conjunction with Reuben saved. (Genesis 37:26-28) During the second visit to Egypt for corn it was Judah who understood to be responsible for the safety of Benjamin, ch. (Genesis 43:3-10) and when, through Joseph’s artifice, the brothers were brought back to the palace, he is again the leader and spokesman of the band. So too it is Judah who is sent before Jacob to smooth the way for him in the land of Goshen. ch. (Genesis 46:28) This ascendancy over his brethren is reflected in the last words…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The fourth son of Jacob and Leah, born in Mesopotamia, B. C. 1755, Ge 29:35. His name appears honorably in the history of Joseph, Ge 37:26,27 44:16-34; but disgracefully in that of Tamar his daughter-in-law, Ge 38:1-30. The dying benediction of Jacob foretells the superior power and prosperity of the family of Judah, and their continuance as chief of the Jewish race until the time of Christ, Ge 49:8-12. Though not the firstborn, Judah soon came to be considered as the chief of Jacob’s children, and his tribe was the most powerful and numerous. The southeastern part of Palestine fell to their lot. See JUDEA. On the border of their territory was Jerusalem, the seat of the…

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

the praise of the Lord; confession

[is] a cub of a lion Judah from prey O son my you have gone up he bows down he lies down like a lion and like a lion who? will he rouse him
מִטֶּ֖רֶףmi.Te.ref from prey H2964 Preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
22× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to something that has been torn apart, like prey or food. In Genesis 49:27 and Isaiah 18:6, it describes the spoils of war or the leftovers of a predator's meal.
Amplified meaning
something torn apart, food
Tyndale gloss
prey
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

טֶ֫רֶף (teref) refers to something that is torn, such as prey or food, and can also mean a leaf. It is derived from a root that conveys the idea of fragments. The entries consistently highlight its meanings related to prey and food, with no significant disagreement among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

טֶ֫רֶף n.m. prey, food; leaf

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2964 טֶ֫רֶף prey, food; leaf

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2964 tereph teh'-ref

from 2963; something torn, i.e. a fragment, e.g. a fresh

leaf, prey, food:--leaf, meat, prey, spoil.

see HEBREW for 02963

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

טֶ֫רֶף (te.reph) — prey.

1) prey, food, leaf

1a) prey

1b) food

1c) leaf

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
HR/Ncmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

pra (baz, Tereph, shalal): "Prey" is frequent in the Old Testament, chiefly as the translation of baz, "spoil," "plunder" (Nu 14:3,11; De 1:39; Isa 10:6, etc.); of Tereph, "prey of wild beasts," "torn thing" (Ge 49:9; Nu 23:24; Job 4:11, etc.); of malqoah, "a taking" (Nu 31:11, etc.; Isa 49:24,25); of shalal, "spoil" or "booty" (Jud 5:30 twice; Jud…

[is] a cub of a lion Judah from prey O son my you have gone up he bows down he lies down like a lion and like a lion who? will he rouse him
בְּנִ֣יbe.Ni O son my H1121 Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
4,943× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word means a son or descendant, and can also refer to a grandson, nation, or quality. It appears in 1 Chronicles 24, describing a Levite named Beno. The word is used to show family relationships and inheritance.
Amplified meaning
descendant, child
Tyndale gloss
son: child
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בֵּן (ben) means 'son' or 'male child' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including descendants, young animals, and even figurative uses like sparks or arrows. It can refer to members of a tribe or class and is used in various contexts throughout the Old Testament, such as in 1 Chronicles 24:26. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to build' and implies a connection to family or lineage.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בֵּן 4870 n.m. son

son, male child, born of a woman

children (male and female)

youth, young men

the young of animals

of plant shoots

fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows

member of a guild, order or class

of animals son of (the) herd

ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.

n. relat. of age

base

בְּנוֹ 1 Ch 24:26, 27 as n.pr.m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son, cf. VB & Be Öt.

done

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1121a בֵּן son . son, male child, born of a woman

. children (male and female)

. youth, young men

. the young of animals

. of plant shoots

. fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows

. . member of a guild, order or class

. of animals son of (the) herd

. ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.

. n. relat. of age

H1121b בְּנוֹ as n. pr. m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1121 ben bane

from 1129; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the

widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship,

including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition,

etc., (like 1, 251, etc.)):--+ afflicted, age, (Ahoh-)

(Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-)ite, (anoint-)ed one, appointed to,

(+) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-)ian, one born,

bough, branch, breed, + (young) bullock, + (young) calf, X

came up in, child, colt, X common, X corn, daughter, X of

first, + firstborn, foal, + very fruitful, + postage, X in, +

kid, + lamb, (+) man, meet, + mighty, + nephew, old, (+)

people, + rebel, + robber, X servant born, X soldier, son, +

spark, + steward, + stranger, X surely, them of, + tumultuous

one, + valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.

see HEBREW for 01129

see HEBREW for 01

see HEBREW for 0251

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בֵּן (ben) — son: child.

: child/son

בְּנוֹ (be.no) — Beno.

A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ch.24.26;

son of: Jaaziah (H3269);

brother of: Shoham (H7719), Zaccur (H2139I) and Ibri (H5681)

§ Beno = "his son"

the sons of Jaaziah and the sons of Merari by Jaahziah (his son)

בֵּן (ben) — son: descendant/people.

: descendant, people, tribe, nation

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

§ : child/son

בֵּן (ben) — son: young animal.

: calf/lamb/young(ANIMAL)

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

§ : descendant

בֵּן (ben) — son: type of.

: rebel/son(Belial)

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

§ : people/men/nation/tribe

בֵּן (ben) — son.

: [inheriting]son/heir

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

בֵּן (ben) — son: warrior.

: warrior/son(strong)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
HNcmsc/Sp1bs
[is] a cub of a lion Judah from prey O son my you have gone up he bows down he lies down like a lion and like a lion who? will he rouse him
עָלִ֑יתָ'a.Li.ta you have gone up H5927 Verb · Qal · perfect second person masculine singular
890× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To ascend means to go up or rise, like the smoke from an altar going up to God, as described in many Bible passages, including Leviticus and Psalms.
Amplified meaning
to ascend, go up
Tyndale gloss
to ascend: rise
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word עָלָה (alah) means 'to ascend' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including going up, climbing, and rising in various contexts such as personal, natural, and spiritual. It can refer to actions involving people, animals, vegetation, and even thoughts, and includes nuances of being exalted or offering sacrifices. The word is built from a primitive root and appears in various grammatical forms, indicating different aspects of ascent or elevation.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עָלָה 890 vb. go up, ascend, climb

Qal

of persons, go up, ascend, in local relations

go up, in personal relations

of animals, go or come up

of vegetation, spring up, grow, shoot forth

of natural phenom., go up, rise

of inanimate things, instead of passive construction

of thoughts

come up before God, arrogance

go up, extend, of boundary

excel

Niph.

be brought up

be taken up

pass., be taken up, away

reflex., take oneself away from, get up from

reflex.: take oneself away

be exalted, of God

Hiph.

bring up persons

in personal relations

bring up animals

cause to ascend

mentally

offer a present; bring up tithe to

exalt

cause to ascend (in flame), offer sacrifice

Hoph.

be carried away

be taken up into, inserted in

be offered

Hithp. lift oneself

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5927 עָלָה go up, ascend, climb .. of persons, go up, ascend, in local relations

. go up, in personal relations

. of animals, go or come up

. of vegetation, spring up, grow, shoot forth

. of natural phenom., go up, rise

. of inanimate things, instead of passive construction

. of thoughts

. come up before God, arrogance

. go up, extend, of boundary

. excel

. . . be brought up

. be taken up

. . pass., be taken up, away

. reflex., take oneself away from, get up from

. reflex.: take oneself away

. be exalted, of God

. . bring up persons

. in personal relations

. bring up animals

. cause to ascend

. mentally

. offer a present; bring up tithe to

. exalt

. cause to ascend (in flame), offer sacrifice

. . be carried away

. be taken up into, inserted in

. be offered

. lift oneself

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5927 `alah aw-law'

a primitive root; to ascend, intransitively (be high) or

actively (mount); used in a great variety of senses, primary

and secondary, literal and figurative (as follow):--arise

(up), (cause to) ascend up, at once, break (the day) (up),

bring (up), (cause to) burn, carry up, cast up, + shew, climb

(up), (cause to, make to) come (up), cut off, dawn, depart,

exalt, excel, fall, fetch up, get up, (make to) go (away, up);

grow (over) increase, lay, leap, levy, lift (self) up, light,

(make) up, X mention, mount up, offer, make to pay, + perfect,

prefer, put (on), raise, recover, restore, (make to) rise

(up), scale, set (up), shoot forth (up), (begin to) spring

(up), stir up, take away (up), work.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עָלָה (a.lah) — to ascend: rise.

: rise/go

1) to go up, ascend, climb

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to go up, ascend

1a2) to meet, visit, follow, depart, withdraw, retreat

1a3) to go up, come up (of animals)

1a4) to spring up, grow, shoot forth (of vegetation)

1a5) to go up, go up over, rise (of natural phenomenon)

1a6) to come up (before God)

1a7) to go up, go up over, extend (of boundary)

1a8) to excel, be superior to

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be taken up, be brought up, be taken away

1b2) to take oneself away

1b3) to be exalted

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to bring up, cause to ascend or climb, cause to go up

1c2) to bring up, bring against, take away

1c3) to bring up, draw up, train

1c4) to cause to ascend

1c5) to rouse, stir up (mentally)

1c6) to offer, bring up (of gifts)

1c7) to exalt

1c8) to cause to ascend, offer

1d) (Hophal)

1d1) to be carried away, be led up

1d2) to be taken up into, be inserted in

1d3) to be offered

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Perf-2ms — Verb · Qal · perfect second person masculine singular
HVqp2ms
[is] a cub of a lion Judah from prey O son my you have gone up he bows down he lies down like a lion and like a lion who? will he rouse him
כָּרַ֨עka.Ra' he bows down H3766 Verb · Qal · perfect third person masculine singular
36× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To bow means to bend your knee or sink down in reverence, like when you pray or worship. In Genesis 24:52 and Exodus 4:31, people bow down to show respect and humility. It is a sign of surrender and submission.
Amplified meaning
to bow, sink down
Tyndale gloss
to bow
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

כָּרַע (kara`) means to bow down or bend the knee. It encompasses actions like kneeling in reverence, crouching, or sinking down, and can also imply causing someone or something to bow. The term appears in various contexts, including expressions of grief and submission.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כָּרַע bow down

Qal

bow

bow down, of the crouching lion

bow down over (in order to lie with) a woman

bow down, of a woman in childbirth

Hiph.

cause to bow in grief

cause to bow down in death

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3766 כָּרַע bow down

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3766 kara` kaw-rah'

a primitive root; to bend the knee; by implication, to sink,

to prostrate:--bow (down, self), bring down (low), cast down,

couch, fall, feeble, kneeling, sink, smite (stoop) down,

subdue, X very.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כָּרַע (ka.ra) — to bow.

1) to bend, kneel, bow, bow down, sink down to one's knees, kneel down to rest (of animals), kneel in reverence

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to bow

1a2) to bow down, crouch

1a3) to bow down over

1a4) to tilt, lean

1b) (Hiphil) to cause to bow

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Perf-3ms — Verb · Qal · perfect third person masculine singular
HVqp3ms
[is] a cub of a lion Judah from prey O son my you have gone up he bows down he lies down like a lion and like a lion who? will he rouse him
רָבַ֧ץra.Vatz he lies down H7257 Verb · Qal · perfect third person masculine singular
30× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To stretch or lie down, like an animal, and can imply resting or lurking, as in Exodus 23:5.
Amplified meaning
to stretch, rest
Tyndale gloss
to stretch
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

רָבַץ (rabats) is a Hebrew verb meaning to stretch out or lie down. It encompasses actions like reclining, brooding, or lurking, and can imply causing something to lie down as well. The entries indicate its use in various forms, including Qal and Hiphil, but do not provide specific verse references.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

רָבַץ vb. stretch oneself out, lie down, lie stretched out

Qal lie down, lie

Hiph. cause to lie down, or lie

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7257 רָבַץ stretch oneself out, lie down, lie stretched out

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7257 rabats raw-bats'

a primitive root; to crouch (on all four legs folded, like a

recumbent animal); be implication, to recline, repose, brood,

lurk, imbed:--crouch (down), fall down, make a fold, lay,

(cause to, make to) lie (down), make to rest, sit.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

רָבַץ (ra.vats) — to stretch.

1) to stretch oneself out, lie down, lie stretched out

1a) (Qal) to lie down, lie

1b)(Hiphil) to cause to lie down

1b1) laying (stones)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Perf-3ms — Verb · Qal · perfect third person masculine singular
HVqp3ms
[is] a cub of a lion Judah from prey O son my you have gone up he bows down he lies down like a lion and like a lion who? will he rouse him
כְּאַרְיֵ֛הke.'ar.Yeh like a lion H738 Preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
80× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In biblical times, a lion was a symbol of strength and power, and is often mentioned in stories like Daniel in the lions' den. The word for lion appears in various forms, including pictures or images of lions, and is used in books like 1 Kings and 2 Kings.
Tyndale gloss
lion
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֲרִי (ariy) and אַרְיֵה (aryeh) both mean 'lion' in Hebrew, referring to the animal itself or images of it. The word is derived from a root associated with violence. The entries do not indicate any significant disagreement among lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֲרִי n.m. lion

base

אַרְיֵה n.m. lion

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H738a אֲרִי lion H738b אַרְיֵה lion

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

738 'ariy ar-ee'

or (prolonged) earyeh {ar-yay'}; from 717 (in the sense of

violence); a lion:--(young) lion, + pierce (from the margin).

see HEBREW for 0717

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֲרִי (a.ri) — lion.

1) lion

1a) pictures or images of lions

אַרְיֵה (ar.yeh) — lion.

1) lion

1a) pictures or images of lions

Aramaic equivalent: ar.yeh (אַרְיֵה "lion" H0744)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
HR/Ncmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

li'-un:

(1) Occurring most often in the Old Testament is 'aryeh, plural 'ardyoth. Another form, 'ari, plural 'arayim, is found less often.

1. Names:

Compare 'ari'el, "Ariel" (Ezr 8:16; Isa 29:1,2,7); char'el, "upper altar," and 'ari'el, "altar hearth" (Eze 43:15); 'aryeh, "Arieh" (2Ki 15:25); 'ar'eli, "Areli" and "Arelites" (Ge 46:16; Nu 26:17).

(2) kephir, "young lion," often translated "lion" (Ps 35:17; Pr 19:12; 23:1, etc.).

Smith's Bible Dictionary

"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.…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The well-known and noble king of beasts, frequently spoken of in Scripture. He often exceeds eight feet in length and four feet in height; and his majestic and dauntless aspect, his prodigious strength and agility, and his peculiar roar, make him the terror of the forests. Lions were common in Palestine, (See JORDAN,) and the Hebrews had seven different names for them, to distinguish the different ages, etc. Five of these occur together in Job 4:10,11. See also Na 2:11,12. The psalmist alludes to the stealthy creeping of the lion till he can spring upon his prey, when he says of the crafty wicked man, "He lieth in wait secretly as a lion in his den; .... he croucheth, and humbleth himself, that the poor may fall by his strong ones." The Bible reader will remember the exploits of…

Nave's Topical Bible

→ King of beasts Mic 5:8

→ Fierceness of Job 4:10; 28:8; Ps 7:2; Pr 22:13; Jer 2:15; 49:19; 50:44; Ho 13:8

→ The roaring of Ps 22:13; Pr 20:2

→ Strength of Pr 30:30; Isa 38:13; Joe 1:6

[is] a cub of a lion Judah from prey O son my you have gone up he bows down he lies down like a lion and like a lion who? will he rouse him
וּכְלָבִ֖יאu.khe.la.Vi' and like a lion H3833 Conjunction · preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
14× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for lion, this term refers to a fierce lioness. It's used in the Bible to describe powerful animals, like the ones in the stories of Daniel and David. The word is about strength and power.
Amplified meaning
fierce and powerful
Tyndale gloss
lion
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

לְבִי (labiy') refers to a lion, while לְבִיָּא (leviyah) denotes a lioness. The entries indicate that לָבִיא (lavi') can also mean lion, with possible feminine forms. The word is associated with the idea of roaring, and it appears in contexts like Ezekiel 19:2.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[לְבִי] n.[m.,f.] lion

base

לְבִיָּא n.f. lioness;—Ez 19:2 fig. of mother of Isr.

ref

לָבִיא n. [m.] lion, poss. also [f.] lioness

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3833a לְבִי lion H3833b לְבִיָּא lioness H3833c לָבִיא n. [m.] lion, poss. also [f.] lioness

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3833 labiy' law-bee'

or (Ezek. 19:2) lbiyao {leb-ee-yaw'}; irreg. masculine plural

lbaviym {leb-aw-eem'}; irreg. feminine plural lbaeowth

{leb-aw-oth'}; from an unused root men. to roar; a lion

(properly, a lioness as the fiercer (although not a roarer;

compare 738)):--(great, old, stout) lion, lioness, young

(lion).

see HEBREW for 0738

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לְבִי (le.vi) — lion.

lion

לְבִיָּא (le.viy.ya) — lioness.

lioness

Another spelling of la.vi (לָבִיא "lion" H3833C)

לָבִיא (la.vi) — lion.

lion

Also means: le.viy.ya (לְבִיָּא "lioness" H3833B)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | Prep | N-cs — Conjunction · preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
HC/R/Ncmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

li'-un:

(1) Occurring most often in the Old Testament is 'aryeh, plural 'ardyoth. Another form, 'ari, plural 'arayim, is found less often.

1. Names:

Compare 'ari'el, "Ariel" (Ezr 8:16; Isa 29:1,2,7); char'el, "upper altar," and 'ari'el, "altar hearth" (Eze 43:15); 'aryeh, "Arieh" (2Ki 15:25); 'ar'eli, "Areli" and "Arelites" (Ge 46:16; Nu 26:17).

(2) kephir, "young lion," often translated "lion" (Ps 35:17; Pr 19:12; 23:1, etc.).

Smith's Bible Dictionary

"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.…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The well-known and noble king of beasts, frequently spoken of in Scripture. He often exceeds eight feet in length and four feet in height; and his majestic and dauntless aspect, his prodigious strength and agility, and his peculiar roar, make him the terror of the forests. Lions were common in Palestine, (See JORDAN,) and the Hebrews had seven different names for them, to distinguish the different ages, etc. Five of these occur together in Job 4:10,11. See also Na 2:11,12. The psalmist alludes to the stealthy creeping of the lion till he can spring upon his prey, when he says of the crafty wicked man, "He lieth in wait secretly as a lion in his den; .... he croucheth, and humbleth himself, that the poor may fall by his strong ones." The Bible reader will remember the exploits of…

Nave's Topical Bible

→ King of beasts Mic 5:8

→ Fierceness of Job 4:10; 28:8; Ps 7:2; Pr 22:13; Jer 2:15; 49:19; 50:44; Ho 13:8

→ The roaring of Ps 22:13; Pr 20:2

→ Strength of Pr 30:30; Isa 38:13; Joe 1:6

[is] a cub of a lion Judah from prey O son my you have gone up he bows down he lies down like a lion and like a lion who? will he rouse him
מִ֥יmi who? H4310 Pronoun
423× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word is used to ask questions like who, whose, or whom. It can also be used to express a wish, like would that or whoever. It appears in many forms throughout the Bible, often in phrases like O that or what.
Amplified meaning
what person, which one
Tyndale gloss
who?
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מִי (mi) is an interrogative pronoun primarily used to ask about persons, meaning 'who?' or 'whose?'. It can also appear in rhetorical questions and has some idiomatic uses, such as 'who among...?' or 'whosoever'. The word is rarely applied to things, and its forms can vary in emphasis.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מִי 423 pron.interrog. who? of persons

מִי is rarely used of things, and usually where persons are understood or implied

in the gen. whose

in an indirect qu.

מִי ב׳ who among … ?

strengthened and emph. forms of interrog.

various rhetorical uses whose

מִי may sometimes be rendered whosoever, though, as the examples will shew, it does not really mean it

once, following a verb, any one

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4310 מִי who? of persons . מִי is rarely used of things, and usually where persons are understood or implied

. in the gen. whose

. in an indirect qu.

. מִי ב׳ who among … ?

. strengthened and emph. forms of interrog.

. various rhetorical uses whose

. מִי may sometimes be rendered whosoever, though, as the examples will shew, it does not really mean it

. once, following a verb, any one

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4310 miy me

an interrogative pronoun of persons, as 4100 is of things,

who? (occasionally, by a peculiar idiom, of things); also

(indefinitely) whoever; often used in oblique construction

with prefix or suffix:--any (man), X he, X him, + O that!

what, which, who(-m, -se, -soever), + would to God.

see HEBREW for 04100

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מִי (mi) — who?.

who?, whose?, whom?, would that, whoever, whosoever

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Part — Pronoun
HPi
[is] a cub of a lion Judah from prey O son my you have gone up he bows down he lies down like a lion and like a lion who? will he rouse him
יְקִימֶֽנּוּ׃ye.ki.Me.nu will he rouse him H6965 Verb hiphil imperfect third person masculine singular · suffix
628× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Qum means to rise or stand up, used in various contexts like rising to power or standing firm, as seen in Jeremiah and Ezra.
Amplified meaning
to rise, stand up
Tyndale gloss
(Leb)-kamai
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word קוּם (qum) is a primitive root meaning 'to rise' and encompasses a range of actions such as standing, becoming powerful, and establishing. It can imply a sudden or hostile rise, as well as the act of fulfilling or confirming something. The entries also note various grammatical forms, indicating its use in different contexts, including raising up or causing to stand.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

לֵב קָמָי prob. late Atbash Je 51:1.

ref

קוּם 628 vb. arise, stand up, stand

Qal 460

arise

arise, in hostile sense (oft. with idea of suddenness)

arise, abs., = become powerful

arise = come on the scene, appear, of leader, prophet

arise for, i.e. to become

arise for action

arise (out of inaction), introducing some specific deed

esp. arise = start, make a move, to go somewhere

stand

Pi.

fulfil

confirm, ratify

confirm, establish

impose, an obligation

Pō‛l. raise up

Hithpō‛l. raise oneself, = rise up

Hiph.

146cause to arise, raise

raise, set up, stones

erect, build

fig, of setting up law

raise up = bring on the scene

raise up = rouse, stir up

instigate, build

fig, of setting up law

raise up = constitute

cause to stand

Hoph. be raised up

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6965a לֵב קָמָי prob. late Atbash H6965b קוּם arise, stand up, stand .. arise

. arise, in hostile sense (oft. with idea of suddenness)

. arise, abs., = become powerful

. arise = come on the scene, appear, of leader, prophet

. arise for, i.e. to become

. . arise for action

. arise (out of inaction), introducing some specific deed

. esp. arise = start, make a move, to go somewhere

. stand

. . fulfil

. . confirm, ratify

. confirm, establish

. impose, an obligation

. raise up

. raise oneself, = rise up

. . cause to arise, raise

. . raise, set up, stones

. erect, build

. fig, of setting up law

. raise up = bring on the scene

. . raise up = rouse, stir up

. instigate, build

. fig, of setting up law

. raise up = constitute

. cause to stand

. be raised up

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6965 quwm koom

a primitive root; to rise (in various applications, literal,

figurative, intensive and causative):--abide, accomplish, X

be clearer, confirm, continue, decree, X be dim, endure, X

enemy, enjoin, get up, make good, help, hold, (help to) lift

up (again), make, X but newly, ordain, perform, pitch, raise

(up), rear (up), remain, (a-)rise (up) (again, against), rouse

up, set (up), (e-)stablish, (make to) stand (up), stir up,

strengthen, succeed, (as-, make) sure(-ly), (be) up(-hold, -

rising).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

קָמָי (qa.may) — (Leb)-kamai.

Combined with lev (לֵב "Leb" H3820B)

§ -Kamai = "my adversary"

Leb-kamai, i.e., people of Gambulai

קוּם (qum) — to arise: rise.

: rise/get_going

1) to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to arise

1a2) to arise (hostile sense)

1a3) to arise, become powerful

1a4) to arise, come on the scene

1a5) to stand

1a5a) to maintain oneself

1a5b) to be established, be confirmed

1a5c) to stand, endure

1a5d) to be fixed

1a5e) to be valid

1a5f) to be proven

1a5g) to be fulfilled

1a5h) to persist

1a5i) to be set, be fixed

1b) (Piel)

1b1) to fulfil

1b2) to confirm, ratify, establish, impose

1c) (Polel) to raise up

1d) (Hithpael) to raise oneself, rise up

1e) (Hiphil)

1e1) to cause to arise, raise

1e2) to raise, set up, erect, build

1e3) to raise up, bring on the scene

1e4) to raise up, rouse, stir up, investigate

1e5) to raise up, constitute

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Hiphil-Imperf-3ms | Suff — Verb hiphil imperfect third person masculine singular · suffix
HVhi3ms/Sp3ms
Sources on this page. Lexicons and dictionaries imported from the CrossWire SWORD modules — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, Dodson, the Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones, Robinson and Packard, Webster and Cawdrey. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Harper, 1889 — Grimm’s Wilke’s Clavis Novi Testamenti, translated, revised and enlarged by Joseph Henry Thayer) is public domain and is set here from the Internet Archive page scan greekenglishlex00grim; it is uncorrected OCR, marked as such on the entry itself, and the Strong’s numbers — which Thayer’s own edition does not carry — were matched by lemma against the other modules on this page. Trench’s Synonyms of the New Testament (Macmillan, 1880) and Moulton and Milligan’s Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (Hodder & Stoughton, 1930, which entered the United States public domain on 1 January 2026) are set from Internet Archive page scans synonymsofnewtes00treniala and vocabularyofgree00mouluoft, and are likewise uncorrected OCR matched to Strong’s numbers by lemma. Trench treats a group of words at once, so the same essay stands on the page of each word it compares. The Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary is © 1993 and is used here by permission for non-commercial use, www.teknia.com/greek-dictionary. The full Liddell-Scott-Jones and the Hebrew word data (TAHOT) come from STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0. Brown-Driver-Briggs is the OpenScriptures digitisation, public domain. Syntax analysis is the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (biblicalhumanities.org); the concordance and morphology are built from the tagged Nestle 1904 text. Septuagint occurrences use the Open Scriptures Septuagint lemma index, derived from CCAT (University of Pennsylvania) and the Rahlfs 1935 dataset by Eliran Wong, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — used here on a non-commercial ministry site. Greek of Josephus and Barnabas from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA 4.0. Commentaries and the Ante-Nicene Fathers are public-domain texts hosted on this site. Everyday Greek from the Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri, CC BY 3.0, with dates and provenance from the Heidelberger Gesamtverzeichnis. Philo and the Apostolic Fathers from Open Greek and Latin (First1KGreek), CC BY-SA 4.0. The apparatus and the fifth Greek column are the SBL Greek New Testament, © 2010 SBL and Logos Bible Software, CC BY 4.0. The Latin is the Clementine Vulgate (public domain); the Syriac New Testament is the ETCBC edition (MIT licence). The Hebrew behind the Greek is computed here from the Septuagint index and TAHOT, not taken from any aligned edition. The translation spread and the per-word edition marks come from the Translators Amalgamated Greek NT (STEPBible, CC BY 4.0); clause roles from the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (CC BY-SA 4.0); place identifications and their confidence from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding (CC BY 4.0), with map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Gospel parallels are computed here from shared uncommon vocabulary, not taken from any printed harmony. Cross references are the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and the subject headings are Nave’s Topical Bible, both public domain. Works under Creative Commons licences are used unchanged apart from markup removal.

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