Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Job 4:10

The roaring of the lion, and the voice of the fierce lion, and the teeth of the young lions, are broken.

10, 11. The sudden destruction of the wicked is thrown by Eliphaz into another graphic figure, the breaking-up and dispersion of a den of lions. There are five words used for lion in these verses, some of which are epithets taken from the characteristics of the lion; they are: lion, roaring lion (rather than, fierce lion), young lion, Job 4:10, and strong (or, old) lion, and lioness the whelps of the lioness, Job 4:11. Between the lion and the wicked whom Eliphaz describes there are two points of resemblance; first, their strength or power; and second, their inherent violence of nature. This is the kind of men on whom afflictions fall that are final. The picture of the breaking-up of the lion’s home is very graphic; in the midst of the strong lion’s roaring and tearing of his prey by a sudden stroke his roaring is silenced and his teeth dashed out; thus disabled he perishes for lack of prey; and the whelps having no provider are scattered abroad. The reality of the figure is seen in the breaking-up of the home of the wicked, ch. Job 5:2-5.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

The roaring of the lion – This is evidently a continuation of the argument in the preceding verses, and Eliphaz is stating what had occurred under his own observation. The expressions have much of a proverbial cast, and are designed to convey in strong poetic language what he supposed usually occurred. There can be no reasonable doubt here that he refers to men in these verses, for

(1) It is not true that the lion is destroyed in this manner. No more frequent calamity comes upon him than upon other animals, and perhaps he is less frequently overcome than others.

(2) Such a supposition only would make the remarks of Eliphaz pertinent to his argument. He is speaking of the divine government in regard to wicked people, and he uses this language to convey the idea that they are often destroyed.

(3) It is common in the Scriptures, as in all Oriental writings, and indeed in Greek and Roman poetry, to compare unjust, cruel, and rapacious men with wild animals; see the notes at Isa. 11; compare Psa 10:9; Psa 58:6.

Eliphaz, therefore, here by the use of the words rendered lion, means to say that men of savage temper, and cruel dispositions, and untamed ferocity, were cut off by the judgments of God. It is remarkable that he employs so many words to designate the lion in these two verses. No less than five are employed, all of them probably denoting originally some special and striking characteristics of the lion. It is also an illustration of the copiousness of the Hebrew language in this respect, and is a specimen of the custom of speaking in Arabia. The Arabic language is so copious that the Arabs boast that they have four hundred terms by which to designate the lion. A large part of them are, indeed, figurative expressions, derived from some quality of the animal, but they show a much greater copiousness in the language than can be found in Western dialects. The words used here by Eliphaz are about all the terms by which the lion is designated in the Scriptures. They are ‘aryeh, shachal, k^ephyr, laysh, and laby’. The word shachats elations, pride, is given to the lion, Job 28:8; Job 41:34, from his proud gait; and perhaps the word ‘ary’el, 1Sa 17:10; 1Ch 11:22. But Eliphaz has exhausted the usual epithets of the lion in the Hebrew language. It may be of some interest to inquire, in a few words, into the meaning of those which he has used.

The roaring of the lion – The word used here ( ‘aryeh) or in a more usual form ( ‘ary), is from, ‘arah, to pull, to pluck, and is probably given to the lion as the puller in pieces, on account of the mode in which he devours his prey, Bochart, however, contends that the name is not from, , because, says he, the lion does not bite or crop his food like grass, which, he says, the word properly means, but is from the verb ra’ah, to see, because, says he, the lion is the most keen-sighted of the animals; or rather from the fire of his eyes – the terror which the glance of his eye inspires. So the Greeks derive the word lion, leonta, from lao, to see. See Beehart, Hieroz. Lib. iii. c. 1, p. 715.

The voice of the fierce lion – The word here translated fierce lion ( shchal) is from shachal, to roar, and hence, given for an obvious reason to a lion. Bochart understands by it the swarthy lion of Syria; the lion which the Arabians call adlamon. This lion, says he, is dark and dingy. The usual color of the lion is yellow, but Oppian says that the lion in Aethiopia is sometimes found of a dark color, melanochroos; see Bochart, Hieroz. Lib. i. c. 1, p. 717, 718.

The teeth of the young lions – The word used here, k^ephyr, means a young lion already weaned, and beginning to hunt for prey. – Gesenius. It thus differs from the gur, which means a whelp, still under the care of the dam; see Eze 19:2-3; compare Bochart, Hieroz. Lib. iii. c. 1, p. 714. Some expression is here evidently to be understood that shall be applicable to the voice, or the roaring of the lion. Noyes supplies the words, are silenced. The words are broken can be applicable only to the teeth of the young lions. It is unnatural to say that the roaring and the voice are broken. The sense is, that the lion roars in vain, and that calamity and destruction come notwithstanding his growl; and as applied to men, it means that men who resemble the lion are disappointed and punished.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Verse 10. The roaring of the lion] By the roaring lion, fierce lion, old lion, stout lion, and lion’s whelps, tyrannous rulers of all kinds are intended. The design of Eliphaz in using these figures is to show that even those who are possessed of the greatest authority and power – the kings, rulers, and princes of the earth – when they become wicked and oppressive to their subjects are cast down, broken to pieces, and destroyed, by the incensed justice of the Lord; and their whelps – their children and intended successors, scattered without possessions over the face of the earth.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

The voice of the fierce lion; understand vanisheth, or perisheth, out of Job 4:9; or, is restrained, or suppressed, as may be gathered out of the following branch of this verse.

The teeth of the young lions are broken; which is true literally; the lions when taken having most commonly their teeth broken, as ancient and modern writers relate. But this is here mystically meant of wicked and powerful tyrants, who are oft and fitly compared to lions, Eze 32:2; 38:13; 2Ti 4:17, who though for a time they persecute and oppress other men, yet in due time they are restrained, and broken, and crushed in pieces by the mighty power of God appearing against them in some eminent judgments. Possibly he may secretly accuse Job, or his children, or both, that being persons of great wealth and power in those parts, they had wickedly abused it to ruin their neighbours, and therefore were justly cut off.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

10, 11. lionthat is, wickedmen, upon whom Eliphaz wished to show that calamities come in spiteof their various resources, just as destruction comes on the lion inspite of his strength (Psa 58:6;2Ti 4:17). Five different Hebrewterms here occur for “lion.” The raging of the lion (thetearer), and the roaring of the bellowing lion and theteeth of the young lions, not whelps, but grown upenough to hunt for prey. The strong lion, the whelps of thelioness (not the stout lion, as in English Version)[BARNES and UMBREIT].The various phases of wickedness are expressed by this variety ofterms: obliquely, Job, his wife, and children, may be hinted at bythe lion, lioness, and whelps. The one verb, “are broken,”does not suit both subjects; therefore, supply “the roaring ofthe bellowing lion is silenced.” The strong lion dies ofwant at last, and the whelps, torn from the mother, are scattered,and the race becomes extinct.

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

The roaring of the lion, and the voice of the fierce lion,…. Which Aben Ezra interprets of God himself, who is compared to a lion; who not only by his voice terrifies, but in his wrath tears the wicked in pieces, and destroys them, and so is a continuation of the preceding account; and others, as R. Moses and R. Jonah, whom he mentions, take this to be a continuation of the means and methods by which God destroys wicked men sometimes, namely, by beasts of prey; this being one of his sore judgments he threatens men with, and inflicts upon men, see Le 26:22; and in this they are followed by some Christian interpreters, who render the words “at” or “by the roaring of the lion, and by the voice of the fierce lion, by the teeth of the young lions” c, they the wicked “are broken”, ground to pieces, and utterly destroyed; but it is better, with Jarchi, Ben Gersom, and others, to understand it of kings and princes, of the mighty ones of the earth, tyrannical and oppressive rulers and governors; comparable to lions of different ages; because of their grandeur and greatness, their power and might, their cruelty and oppression in each of their different capacities; signifying, that these do not escape the righteous judgments of God: the Targum interprets the roaring of the lion of Esau, and the voice of the fierce lion of Edom; and another Jewish writer d of Nimrod, the first tyrant and oppressor, the mighty hunter before the Lord; but these are too particular; wicked men in power and authority in general are here, and in the following clauses, intended, see Jer 4:7 2Ti 4:17; and the sense is, that such ploughers and sowers of iniquity as are like to fierce and roaring lions are easily and quickly destroyed by the Lord:

and the teeth of the young lions are broken: the power of such mighty ones to do mischief is taken away from them, and they and their families are brought to ruin; the teeth of lions are very strong in both jaws; they have fourteen teeth, four incisors or cutters, four canine or dog teeth, six molars or grinders.

c “Rugitu leonis et voce ferocis leonis”, c. Junius & Tremellius, Piscator so some in R. Someon Bar Tzemach. d R. Obadiah Sephorno.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

10. The lion In early times the lion was common in Syria. That some places should have taken their name from the lion, as Lebaoth ( lionesses) and Beth Lebaoth, shows how numerous must have been this terrible beast of prey. The exploits of Samson and David will be borne in mind, which were quite paralleled by that of Lysimachus, who, hunting in Syria, single handed killed a large lion, but not until the beast had torn his shoulder to the bone. Q. Curtius, viii, chap. 1. The lion has been honoured in Oriental languages by a great variety of names. If we may credit Golius, there are more than five hundred appropriated to him in the Arabic. ( Lex. under Asamah.) Eliphaz beautifies his address by using no less than five of the seven different names which rabbinical writers have discovered in the Old Testament as belonging to this animal. He mentions first the aryeh, the general name for the lion, “so called from his rending and mangling his prey.” Gesenius.

The fierce lion The shahhal, the roarer, ( Furst,) is perhaps the maneless lion.

The young lions Kephir, and on account of youthful vigour most ferocious, and exceedingly bloodthirsty. Gesenius. “The young lions are mentioned along with the old in order to exemplify the destruction of the haughty sinner with his entire household.” Schlottmann.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments