Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 104:21
The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their meat from God.
21. The dreaded beasts of prey are part of God’s creation, depending on His bounty. Cp. Psa 147:9.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The young lions roar after their prey – This is a continuation of the description in the previous verse. At night the beasts which had been hidden in the daytime crawl forth and seek their food. The lion is particularly specified as one of the beasts that in a general survey would attract attention. The psalmist hears his roar as he goes forth in the forest in pursuit of his prey.
And seek their meat from God – Their food. That is, God bestows it on them, and they act as if they sought it at his hand. They seek it where he has placed it; they are dependent on him for it. It is a beautiful idea that even the brute creation act as if they called on God, and sought the supply of their needs at his hands.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 21. The young lions roar after their prey] It is said of the lion, that his roaring is so terrible as to astonish and quite unnerve the beast which he pursues; so that, though fleeter than himself, it falls down and becomes an easy prey.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The young lions; which can no more subsist without Divine Providence than those which are most old and decrepit.
Roar after their prey; they roar when they come within sight and reach of their prey, as naturalists observe; whereby this place may be reconciled with Amo 3:4.
Seek their meat from God: this is a figurative and poetical expression: their roaring is a kind of natural prayer to God for relief, as the cries of infants are a kind of prayers to their mothers for the breast. And this is justly noted as an act of Gods special providence, because the lions are very ravenous, and need much prey, and also are dull in their scent, and so difficultly find it, and slow in their motion, and unable to reach it; and therefore God hath provided another creature, of quicker sense and motion, which is usually confederate with them, and procures prey for them, partaking of it with or after them.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
The young lions roar after their prey,…. Or, “at the prey” f; for, according to the Scriptures, it seems as if their time of roaring was when they have got their prey, and are tearing it and feeding on it, and not till then, Am 3:4 though naturalists tell us, that, when they are pinched with hunger, they make such a hideous roaring, as quite stupefies, as well as terrifies, other creatures; that they have no power to stir, till they come up to them, and become their prey, who otherwise could outrun them; for the lion is neither a swift creature, nor of good scent: wherefore, according to credible accounts, a creature called a “jackal”, little bigger than a fox, hunts its prey for it, and secures it till it comes up to it. Young lions are rather mentioned, because their appetite is keenest, and their voice loudest and strongest. This creature is an emblem of Satan, who goes about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour, 1Pe 5:8.
And seek their meat from God; as all creatures in their way do; as the ravens by crying, so the young lions by roaring; neither one nor other can provide for themselves, but God, in his providence, supplies them all with food; see Ps 104:27. And should not we seek and ask our meat of God too, even both temporal and spiritual? And may we not expect it from him? Does he feed the ravens, and also the young lions, and will he not take care of his own people, and feed them with food convenient for them, and especially when they ask it of him?
Ps 34:10.
f “ad praedam”, Pagninus, Montanus, Tigurine version, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, &c.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
21. The lions roar after their prey Although lions, if hunger compels them, go forth from their dens and roar even at noon-day, yet the prophet describes what is most usually the case. He therefore says, that lions do not venture to go abroad during the daytime, but that, trusting to the darkness of the night, they then sally forth in quest of their prey. Herein is manifested the wonderful providence of God, that a beast so dreadful confines itself within its den, that men may walk abroad with the greater freedom. And if lions sometimes range with greater liberty, this is to be imputed to the fall of Adam, which has deprived men of their dominion over the wild beasts. There are, however, still some remains of the original blessing conferred by God on men, inasmuch as he holds in check so many wild beasts by the light of day, as if by iron cages or chains. The expression, They seek their food from God, is not to be understood of their casting themselves upon the care of God, as if they acknowledged him to be their foster-father, but it points out the fact itself, that God in a wonderful manner provides food for such ravenous beasts.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
21. Young lions The word denotes one in the vigour of life, as distinguished from the “old lion” which “perishes for lack of prey.” Job 4:11.
Roar Thus startling and bewildering their prey.
Seek their meat from God That is, in seeking their meat conformably to the laws of the nature which God gave them, they seem to ask him for food. Job 38:41
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Psa 104:21. The young lions roar after their prey Dr. Hammond observes, that lions are not provided with great swiftness of foot to pursue those beasts on which they prey. It is necessary, therefore, that this defect should be provided for some other way; and it has been affirmed, that their very roaring is useful to them for this purpose; and that when they cannot overtake their prey, they do by that fierce noise so astonish and terrify the poor beasts, that they fall down before them. This seems probable enough, and illustrates the Psalmist’s expression. The prophet Amos has the same allusion, ch. Psa 3:4. Will a lion roar in the forest, when he hath no prey? i.e. when he hath no prey in view.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Psa 104:21 The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their meat from God.
Ver. 21. The young lions roar ] Rousing themselves out of their dens by night, and then usually seizing upon what prey God sendeth them in; for they are at his, and not at their own, finding.
And seek
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
The young: Psa 34:10, Job 38:39, Isa 31:4, Eze 19:2-14, Amo 3:4
seek: Psa 147:9, Job 38:41, Joe 1:18, Joe 1:20, Joe 2:22
Reciprocal: Job 38:13 – the wicked Psa 145:15 – The eyes Isa 43:20 – beast 1Pe 5:8 – as
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Psa 104:21. The young lions Which can no more subsist, without Divine Providence, than those that are old and infirm; roar after their prey They roar, as naturalists observe, when they come within sight of their prey, by which interpretation this place is reconciled with Amo 3:4, Will a lion roar in the forest when he hath no prey? that is, when he hath no prey in view. And seek their meat from God This is a figurative and poetical expression; their roaring is a kind of natural prayer to God for relief, as the cries of infants are a kind of prayer to their mothers for the breast. It is observed by Dr. Hammond here, that lions are not provided with great swiftness of foot to pursue those beasts on which they prey, and that it was necessary, therefore, that this defect should be provided for some other way: and, accordingly, it has been affirmed, that their very roaring is useful to them for this purpose; and that when they cannot overtake their prey, they do, by that terrible noise, so astonish and terrify the poor beasts, that they fall down, and become an easy prey to them.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
104:21 The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their meat {l} from God.
{l} That is, they only find meat according to God’s providence, who cares even for the brute beasts.