Greek word · G3023

λέων

leōn

lion

Lion. In biblical and ancient Near Eastern imagery it stands for royal power, ferocity and courage.

Appears 9 times in 9 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

λέων, -οντος, ὁ

[in LXX chiefly for אֲרִי, אַרְיֵה, also for כְּפִיר, etc. ;]

a lion: Hebrews 11:33, 1 Peter 5:8, Revelation 4:7 9:8, 17 10:3 13:2; metaphorically, 2 Timothy 4:17, Revelation 5:5.†

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Revelation 4:7

Range of meaning

Lion. In biblical and ancient Near Eastern imagery it stands for royal power, ferocity and courage.

Against the English

All versions have 'lion'. No drift.

Used elsewhere in the period

Ezekiel 1:10 lists the lion's face. Proverbs 30:30 calls the lion 'mightiest among beasts'. Genesis 49:9 calls Judah a lion's cub. Ancient Near Eastern thrones and palace gates were guarded by lion and lion-sphinx figures, such as the winged sphinxes on the throne of Ahiram of Byblos. In the next chapter (Revelation 5:5) Christ is announced as 'the Lion of the tribe of Judah'.

From the study of 2 Timothy 4:17

Range of meaning

"Out of a lion's mouth." In biblical idiom this is a fixed picture of being in deadly danger with no way out, rescued only at the last moment. Rhyomai ("rescue, drag out of danger") is the usual Septuagint verb for God rescuing his people.

Against the English

Most versions keep the image ("the lion's mouth"). NLT turns it into plain speech ("certain death"), which keeps the sense but loses the echoes of Psalm 22 and Daniel. BSB and WEB open the clause with "So", which makes the rescue a result of the proclamation. The Greek just says "and".

Used elsewhere in the period

Psalm 22:21 (21:22 LXX): "Save me from the mouth of the lion (ek stomatos leontos)." That psalm begins "My God, why have you forsaken me (enkatelipes)?", and 2 Tim 4:16 uses the same verb for "everyone deserted me" (enkatelipon). It ends with the nations turning to the Lord and "the kingdom is the Lord's", which parallels verse 18. Daniel 6 (God shut the lions' mouths). 1 Maccabees 2:60: "Daniel… was rescued from the mouth of lions." 1 Pet 5:8 pictures the devil as a roaring lion.

From the study of Revelation 5:5

Range of meaning

A lion, the animal. In biblical and Jewish usage it was a picture of royal power, ferocity and invincible strength, and sometimes of a predator or enemy (Psalm 22:13, 21; 1 Peter 5:8).

Against the English

Every translation has "Lion." The word itself is accurate. What a modern reader can miss is the background: this is a specific scriptural title, and it carried a definite set of messianic expectations.

Used elsewhere in the period

Genesis 49:9–10: "Judah is a lion's cub… the scepter shall not depart from Judah" (LXX skymnos leontos Iouda). In 1QSb 5.29, a Qumran blessing text, the Prince of the Congregation is blessed to be "like a lion." In 4 Ezra 11–12 (c. 100 AD, close in date to Revelation), a roaring lion rebukes and destroys an eagle that stands for Rome. 4 Ezra 12:31–32 explains: "the lion… is the Messiah… who will arise from the offspring of David." Revelation itself uses lion imagery for power and terror (4:7; 9:8, 17; 10:3; 13:2).

Where it appears

2 Timothy · 1
  1. 2 Timothy 4:17 λέοντος. of the lion.

    But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message would be fully proclaimed, and all the Gentiles would hear it. So I was delivered from the mouth of the lion.

    Here: "Of a lion" (Greek has no article here). It is almost certainly a figure for mortal danger, taken from Psalm 22 and the Daniel story, not a literal arena beast. Who or what the lion stands for is debated.

Hebrews · 1
  1. Hebrews 11:33 λεόντων, of lions,

    who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions,

    Here: This mainly recalls Daniel in the lions' pit (Dan 6). Samson, David and Benaiah also killed lions (Judg 14:6; 1 Sam 17:34–37; 2 Sam 23:20), so the phrase could take in more than one story.

1 Peter · 1
  1. 1 Peter 5:8 λέων a lion

    Be sober-minded and alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

    Here: The deadliest predator in the biblical imagination, and a stock image for violent oppressors and for the enemies who surround the suffering righteous one (Psalm 22:13).

Revelation · 6
  1. Revelation 4:7 λέοντι, as a lion,

    The first living creature was like a lion, the second like a calf, the third had a face like a man, and the fourth was like an eagle in flight.

    Here: The lion was the classic picture of royal strength and the strongest of the wild animals (Proverbs 30:30). It is one of the four faces in Ezekiel 1:10.

  2. Revelation 5:5 λέων Lion

    Then 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.”

    Here: The royal, warlike animal of Genesis 49:9. It stands for the expected Messiah from Judah who wins by force.

  3. Revelation 9:8 λεόντων of lions

    They had hair like that of women, and teeth like those of lions.

    Here: 'Of lions'. The lion was the most feared predator in Israel and the standard biblical picture of violence that cannot be resisted. Revelation uses lions elsewhere for both royal power (5:5) and beastly menace (13:2).

  4. Revelation 9:17 λεόντων, of lions,

    Now the horses and riders in my vision looked like this: The riders had breastplates the colors of fire, sapphire, and sulfur. The heads of the horses were like the heads of lions, and out of their mouths proceeded fire, smoke, and sulfur.

    Here: Lions stand for ferocity and deadly power. The locusts already had 'teeth like lions' teeth' (9:8; compare Joel 1:6).

  5. Revelation 10:3 λέων a lion

    Then he cried out in a loud voice like the roar of a lion. And when he cried out, the seven thunders sounded their voices.

    Here: The image of overwhelming, fear-inducing power. For readers who knew the prophets, God himself is the one who 'roars like a lion' (Amos 3:8; Hosea 11:10). Christ has already been called 'the Lion of the tribe of Judah' in 5:5.

  6. Revelation 13:2 λέοντος. of a lion.

    The beast I saw was like a leopard, with the feet of a bear and the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority.

    Here: The first beast of Daniel 7:4. Elsewhere Revelation calls Christ 'the Lion of the tribe of Judah' (5:5); the beast has only a lion's mouth, an imitation of that royal power.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.