So like a lion I will pounce on them; like a leopard I will lurk by the path.
Parallel translations
- WEB Therefore I am like a lion to them. Like a leopard, I will lurk by the path.
- KJV Therefore I will be unto them as a lion: as a leopard by the way will I observe them:
- NKJV “So I will be to them like a lion; Like a leopard by the road I will lurk;
- NASB So I will be like a lion to them; Like a leopard I will lie in wait by the wayside.
- NLT So now I will attack you like a lion, like a leopard that lurks along the road.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Because they forgot him, God will come against them like a lion lurking by the path. It portrays the fearsome judgment that meets persistent rebellion.
Overview
The God who tenderly cared for Israel now appears as a predator because of their hardened sin. The lion and leopard imagery conveys sudden, inescapable judgment. This sobering reversal shows that the same God of mercy is also a consuming judge of the unrepentant.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Jer 5:6Therefore a lion from the forest will strike them down, a wolf from the desert will ravage them. A leopard will lie in wait near their cities, and everyone who ventures out will be torn to pieces. For their rebellious acts are many, and their unfaithful deeds are numerous.
- Hos 5:14For I am like a lion to Ephraim and like a young lion to the house of Judah. I, even I, will tear them to pieces and then go away. I will carry them off where no one can rescue them.
- Lam 3:10He is a bear lying in wait, a lion hiding in ambush.
- Amos 3:8The lion has roared—who will not fear? The Lord GOD has spoken—who will not prophesy?
- Isa 42:13The LORD goes forth like a mighty one; He stirs up His zeal like a warrior. He shouts; yes, He roars in triumph over His enemies:
- Amos 1:2He said: “The LORD roars from Zion and raises His voice from Jerusalem; the pastures of the shepherds mourn, and the summit of Carmel withers.”
- Amos 3:4Does a lion roar in the forest when he has no prey? Does a young lion growl in his den if he has caught nothing?
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
God's relentless love for an unfaithful bride dramatizes the gospel: 'Out of Egypt I called my son' is fulfilled in Jesus, who redeems an adulterous people at his own cost.
How Hosea 13:7 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.