Bible Dictionaries
Lion

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 Job 4:10,11 . See also Nahum 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 Samson and of David, Judges 14:5,6 1 Samuel 17:34-36 , the story of the disobedient prophet slain by a lion, 1 Kings 13:28 , and of the obedient Daniel, safe in the lion's den, Daniel 6:1-28; also the sublime image of Jehovah's care for his people, in Isaiah 31:4 .

"The Lion of the tribe of Judah," Revelation 5:5 , is Jesus Christ, who sprung from the tribe of Judah and the race of David, and overcame death, the world, and the devil. It is supposed that a lion was the device of the tribe of Judah; whence this allusion, Genesis 49:9 .

Bibliography Information
Rand, W. W. Entry for 'Lion'. American Tract Society Bible Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/​dictionaries/​eng/​ats/​l/lion.html. 1859.