Lions hold a significant place in the biblical narrative, often symbolizing strength, power, and, in some contexts, danger or God’s protection. The lion is both revered as the king of beasts and feared, reflecting God’s greatness and majesty or the challenges His people may face. Let us explore Bible verses that reference lions, shedding light on their multifaceted symbolism in Scripture.
Bible Verses About Lions
1. Genesis 49:9 – Judah Is a Lion’s Cub
“You are a lion’s cub, Judah; you return from the prey, my son. Like a lion he crouches and lies down, like a lioness—who dares to rouse him?” – Genesis 49:9
Cross-References
Numbers 24:9 – “Like a lion they crouch and lie down, like a lioness—who dares to rouse them?”
2. 1 Peter 5:8 – Be Alert and of Sober Mind
“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” – 1 Peter 5:8
Cross-References
Job 1:7 – “The Lord said to Satan, ‘Where have you come from?’ Satan answered the Lord, ‘From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.’”
Ephesians 6:11 – “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.”
James 4:7 – “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
3. Proverbs 28:1 – The Righteous Are Bold as a Lion
“The wicked flee though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.” – Proverbs 28:1
Cross-References
Proverbs 21:8 – “The way of the guilty is devious, but the conduct of the innocent is upright.”
Philippians 1:14 – “And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear.”
2 Timothy 1:7 – “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.”
4. Amos 3:8 – When the Lion Roars
“The lion has roared—who will not fear? The Sovereign Lord has spoken—who can but prophesy?” – Amos 3:8
Cross-References
Jeremiah 20:9 – “But if I say, ‘I will not mention his word or speak anymore in his name,’ his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.”
Amos 1:2 – “He said: ‘The Lord roars from Zion and thunders from Jerusalem; the pastures of the shepherds dry up, and the top of Carmel withers.’”
5. Judges 14:5 – Samson and the Lion
“Samson went down to Timnah together with his father and mother. As they approached the vineyards of Timnah, suddenly a young lion came roaring toward him.” – Judges 14:5
Cross-References
Judges 14:6 – “The Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him so that he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as he might have torn a young goat.”
1 Samuel 17:34-35 – “But David said to Saul, ‘Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth.’”
6. Isaiah 11:6 – A Future Peace
“The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them.” – Isaiah 11:6
Cross-References
Isaiah 65:25 – “The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, and dust will be the serpent’s food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, says the Lord.”
Hosea 2:18 – “In that day I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, the birds in the sky and the creatures that move along the ground. Bow and sword and battle I will abolish from the land, so that all may lie down in safety.”
Romans 8:21 – “That the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.”
7. Daniel 6:22 – Daniel in the Lions’ Den
“My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.” – Daniel 6:22
Cross-References
Psalms 91:11 – “For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.”
Hebrews 11:33 – “Who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions.”
Acts 23:9 – “There was a great uproar, and some of the teachers of the law who were Pharisees stood up and argued vigorously. ‘We find nothing wrong with this man,’ they said.”
8. Revelation 5:5 – The Lion of the Tribe of Judah
“Then one of the elders said to me, ‘Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.’” – Revelation 5:5
Cross-References
Romans 15:12 – “And again, Isaiah says, ‘The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; in him the Gentiles will hope.’”
Genesis 49:10 – “The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he to whom it belongs shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his.”
Isaiah 11:10 – “In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious.”
9. Proverbs 30:30 – The Majesty of Lions
“A lion, mighty among beasts, who retreats before nothing.” – Proverbs 30:30
Cross-References
Job 41:10 – “No one is fierce enough to rouse it. Who then is able to stand against me?”
10. Hosea 5:14 – God as a Lion
“For I will be like a lion to Ephraim, like a great lion to Judah. I will tear them to pieces and go away; I will carry them off, with no one to rescue them.” – Hosea 5:14
Cross-References
Hosea 13:7 – “So I will be like a lion to them, like a leopard I will lurk by the path.”
Jeremiah 5:6 – “Therefore a lion from the forest will attack them, a wolf from the desert will ravage them.”
11. 2 Samuel 17:10 – Hearts of Lions
“Then even the bravest soldier, whose heart is like the heart of a lion, will melt with fear, for all Israel knows that your father is a fighter and that those with him are brave.” – 2 Samuel 17:10
Cross-References
1 Chronicles 11:22 – “Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a valiant fighter from Kabzeel, who performed great exploits. He struck down Moab’s two mightiest warriors. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion.”
12. Jeremiah 49:19 – The Lord as a Lion
“Like a lion coming up from Jordan’s thickets to a rich pastureland, I will chase Edom from its land in an instant. Who is the chosen one I will appoint for this? Who is like me and who can challenge me? And what shepherd can stand against me?” – Jeremiah 49:19
Cross-References
Jeremiah 50:44 – “Like a lion coming up from Jordan’s thickets to a rich pastureland, I will chase Babylon from its land in an instant. Who is the chosen one I will appoint for this? Who is like me and who can challenge me?”
Isaiah 41:4 – “Who has done this and carried it through, calling forth the generations from the beginning? I, the Lord—with the first of them and with the last—I am he.”
13. Ezekiel 19:2 – Lament Over Princes of Israel
“What a lioness was your mother among the lions! She lay down among them and reared her cubs.” – Ezekiel 19:2
Cross-References
Ezekiel 19:3 – “She brought up one of her cubs, and he became a strong lion. He learned to tear the prey and he became a man-eater.”
Hosea 13:8 – “Like a bear robbed of her cubs, I will attack them and rip them open.”
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14. Isaiah 30:6 – Lion Imagery in Prophecy
“A prophecy concerning the animals of the Negev: Through a land of hardship and distress, of lions and lionesses, of adders and darting snakes, the envoys carry their riches on donkeys’ backs, their treasures on the humps of camels, to that unprofitable nation.” – Isaiah 30:6
Cross-References
Isaiah 43:20 – “The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”
15. Job 10:16 – Job’s Complaint
“If I hold my head high, you stalk me like a lion and again display your awesome power against me.” – Job 10:16
Cross-References
Job 7:20 – “If I have sinned, what have I done to you, you who see everything we do? Why have you made me your target?”
Psalms 44:19 – “But you crushed us and made us a haunt for jackals; you covered us over with deep darkness.”
16. 2 Timothy 4:17 – The Lord’s Deliverance
“But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion’s mouth.” – 2 Timothy 4:17
Cross-References
Philippians 1:19 – “For I know that through your prayers and God’s provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance.”
Acts 18:10 – “For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.”
17. Nahum 2:12 – Decline of Nineveh
“The lion killed enough for his cubs and strangled the prey for his mate, filling his lairs with the kill and his dens with the prey.” – Nahum 2:12
Cross-References
Micah 5:8 – “The remnant of Jacob will be among the nations, in the midst of many peoples, like a lion among the beasts of the forest, like a young lion among flocks of sheep, which mauls and mangles as it goes, and no one can rescue.”
Revelation 13:2 – “The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion.”
18. Psalms 22:13 – Surrounded by Enemies
“Roaring lions that tear their prey open their mouths wide against me.” – Psalms 22:13
Cross-References
Psalms 22:21 – “Save me from the mouth of the lions; you have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen.”
Job 4:10 – “The lions may roar and growl, yet the teeth of the great lions are broken.”
19. Lamentations 3:10 – God as a Bear or Lion
“Like a bear lying in wait, like a lion in hiding.” – Lamentations 3:10
Cross-References
Jeremiah 25:38 – “Like a lion he will leave his lair, and their land will become desolate because of the sword of the oppressor and because of the Lord’s fierce anger.”
20. 1 Kings 13:24 – Lion’s Attack
“As he went on his way, a lion met him on the road and killed him, and his body was left lying on the road, with both the donkey and the lion standing beside it.” – 1 Kings 13:24
Cross-References
1 Kings 13:26 – “When the prophet who had brought him back heard of it, he said, ‘It is the man of God who defied the word of the Lord. The Lord has given him over to the lion, which has mauled him and killed him, as the word of the Lord had warned him.’”
2 Kings 2:24 – “He turned around, looked at them and called down a curse on them in the name of the Lord. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys.”
1 Kings 20:36 – “Then the prophet quickly removed the bandage from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets.”
21. Nehemiah 13:18 – Breaking the Sabbath
“When the evening shadows fell on the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I ordered the doors to be shut and not opened until the Sabbath was over. I stationed some of my own men at the gates so that no load could be brought in on the Sabbath day.” – Nehemiah 13:18
Cross-References
Jeremiah 17:21 – “This is what the Lord says: Be careful not to carry a load on the Sabbath day or bring it through the gates of Jerusalem.”
Leviticus 26:34 – “Then the land will enjoy its sabbath years all the time that it lies desolate and you are in the country of your enemies.”
Exodus 31:14 – “Observe the Sabbath, because it is holy to you. Anyone who desecrates it must be put to death; those who do any work on that day must be cut off from their people.”
22. Judges 14:18 – Samson’s Riddle
“Before sunset on the seventh day the men of the town said to him, ‘What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?’ Samson said to them, ‘If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have solved my riddle.’” – Judges 14:18
Cross-References
Judges 14:14 – “He replied, ‘Out of the eater, something to eat; out of the strong, something sweet.’ For three days they could not give the answer.”
Judges 15:16 – “Then Samson said, ‘With a donkey’s jawbone I have made donkeys of them. With a donkey’s jawbone, I have killed a thousand men.’”
23. Isaiah 5:29 – Lions Roaring
“Their roar is like that of the lion, they roar like young lions; they growl as they seize their prey and carry it off with no one to rescue.” – Isaiah 5:29
Cross-References
Isaiah 31:4 – “This is what the Lord says to me: ‘As a lion growls, a great lion over its prey, and though a whole band of shepherds is called together against it, it is not frightened by their shouts or disturbed by their clamor, so the Lord Almighty will come down to do battle on Mount Zion and on its heights.’”
Jeremiah 51:38 – “Her people all roar like young lions, they growl like lion cubs.”
24. Ezekiel 38:13 – Lions of Tarshish
“Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish and all her villages will say to you, ‘Have you come to plunder? Have you gathered your hordes to loot, to carry off silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods and to seize much plunder?’” – Ezekiel 38:13
Cross-References
Ezekiel 27:12 – “Tarshish did business with you because of your great wealth of goods; they exchanged silver, iron, tin and lead for your merchandise.”
Psalms 72:10 – “May the kings of Tarshish and of distant shores bring tribute to him. May the kings of Sheba and Seba present him gifts.”
1 Chronicles 29:4 – “Three thousand talents of gold (gold of Ophir) and seven thousand talents of refined silver, for the overlaying of the walls of the buildings.”
25. Song of Solomon 4:8 – Lions’ Dens
“Come with me from Lebanon, my bride, come with me from Lebanon. Descend from the crest of Amana, from the top of Senir, the summit of Hermon, from the lions’ dens and the mountain haunts of leopards.” – Song of Solomon 4:8
Cross-References
2 Samuel 23:20 – “Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant fighter from Kabzeel, performed great exploits. He struck down Moab’s two mightiest warriors. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion.”
26. Jeremiah 12:8 – God’s Heritage
“My inheritance has become to me like a lion in the forest. She roars at me; therefore I hate her.” – Jeremiah 12:8
Cross-References
Isaiah 6:10 – “Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”
Jeremiah 4:7 – “A lion has come out of his lair; a destroyer of nations has set out.”
27. Isaiah 38:13 – Hezekiah’s Illness
“I waited patiently till dawn, but like a lion he broke all my bones; day and night you made an end of me.” – Isaiah 38:13
Cross-References
Psalms 7:2 – “Or they will tear me apart like a lion and rip me to pieces with no one to rescue me.”
28. Ezekiel 1:10 – Vision of God’s Glory
“Their faces looked like this: Each of the four had the face of a human being, and on the right side each had the face of a lion, and on the left the face of an ox; each also had the face of an eagle.” – Ezekiel 1:10
Cross-References
Revelation 4:7 – “The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle.”
Isaiah 6:2 – “Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying.”
29. Proverbs 19:12 – The King’s Wrath
“A king’s rage is like the roar of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass.” – Proverbs 19:12
Cross-References
Proverbs 20:2 – “A king’s wrath strikes terror like the roar of a lion; those who anger him forfeit their lives.”
Hosea 11:10 – “They will follow the Lord; he will roar like a lion. When he roars, his children will come trembling from the west.”
Daniel 7:4 – “The royal officials and governors have unanimously agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree.”
30. Psalms 104:21 – The Lions’ Roar
“The lions roar for their prey and seek their food from God.” – Psalms 104:21
Cross-References
Job 38:41 – “Who provides food for the raven when its young cry out to God and wander about for lack of food?”
Psalms 145:15 – “The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time.”
Matthew 6:26 – “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.”
31. Nehemiah 6:2 – Nehemiah’s Opposition
“Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: ‘Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono.’ But they were scheming to harm me;” – Nehemiah 6:2
Cross-References
Proverbs 1:11 – “If they say, ‘Come along with us; let’s lie in wait for innocent blood, let’s ambush some harmless soul;’”
Psalms 37:32 – “The wicked lie in wait for the righteous, intent on putting them to death;”
Ezekiel 25:8 – “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: “Because Moab and Seir said, ‘Look, Judah has become like all the other nations;’”
32. Proverbs 29:2 – Lions Before the Fall
“When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan.” – Proverbs 29:2
Cross-References
Proverbs 11:10 – “When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices; when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy.”
Job 34:30 – “To keep the godless from ruling, from laying snares for the people.”
Ecclesiastes 10:16 – “Woe to the land whose king was a servant and whose princes feast in the morning.”
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Final Thought
The lion’s symbolism throughout the Bible reveals a complex representation of power, danger, and divine supremacy. As the embodiment of nobility and strength, the lion often illustrates the majesty of creation and God’s sovereignty. Conversely, the lion also represents threats and adversaries, as seen in the prowling metaphor for Satan, symbolizing vigilance in spiritual warfare. Through both descriptions, lions serve to remind believers of God’s protective care and the strength offered to those who trust Him.
The majestic beauty and fearsome power of lions reflect the awe-inspiring wonder of God’s creation, His control, and His authority over the world. As both adversaries and allies in these scriptures, lions underscore the importance of faith and courage among God’s people, challenging believers to stand firm with the boldness of a lion in the face of life’s trials. By studying these biblical lion references, one gains a deeper understanding of the spiritual characteristics God desires in His followers: righteousness, vigilance, and unwavering confidence in His omnipotent presence.