Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 17:12
Like as a lion [that] is greedy of his prey, and as it were a young lion lurking in secret places.
12. Like as a lion &c.] Lit., He is like a lion that is greedy to raven. (Psa 22:13). One of the pursuers (Saul, if the singer is David) is conspicuous for ferocity and craftiness. Cp. Psa 7:2; Psa 10:8-9.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Like as a lion – Margin, The likeness of him (that is, of every one of them) is as a lion that desireth to ravin. The meaning is plain. They were like a lion intent on securing his prey. They watched the object narrowly; they were ready to spring upon it.
That is greedy of his prey – He is craving to tear. Prof. Alexander. – The Hebrew word rendered is greedy, means to pine, to long after, to desire greatly. The Hebrew word rendered of his prey, is a verb, meaning to pluck, to tear, to rend in pieces. The reference is to the lion that desires to seize his victim, and to rend it in pieces to devour it.
And, as it were, a young lion – Hebrew, And like a young lion.
Lurking in secret places – Margin, as in Hebrew, sitting. The allusion is to the lion crouching, or lying in wait for a favorable opportunity to pounce upon his prey. See the notes at Psa 10:8-10. There is no special emphasis to be affixed to the fact that the lion is alluded to in one member of this verse, and the young lion in the other. It is in accordance with the custom of parallelism in Hebrew poetry where the same idea, with some little variation, is expressed in both members of the sentence. See the introduction to Job, Section 5.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 12. Like as a lion that is greedy of his prey] I believe the word lion is here used to express Saul in his strength, kingly power, and fierce rapacity. See the observations at the end of the Psalm. See Clarke on Ps 17:15.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Like a lion that is greedy of his prey; when he is hungry, and therefore cruel. See Psa 7:2; 10:8-10.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
12. The figure made more specialby that of a lion lurking.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Like as a lion [that] is greedy of his prey,…. Or “the likeness of him is as a lion” i; meaning Saul, as Kimchi interprets it; or everyone of them that compassed them about, as Aben Ezra observes; sometimes wicked and persecuting princes are compared to lions, for their strength and cruelty; see Pr 28:15; so the devil is called a roaring lion, 1Pe 5:8; and the antichristian beast is said to have the mouth of a lion, Re 13:2;
and as it were a young lion lurking in secret places; to leap upon its prey, and seize it at once, as it has opportunity; this denotes the secret and insidious method which the enemies of Christ take to do mischief; see Ps 10:9.
i “similitudo ejus, vel cujusque est tanquam leonis”, Pagninus, Montanus, Junius Tremellius so Musculus, Gejerus, Michaelis.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(12) Young lion.Heb., kephir. The Hebrew has seven different names for the lion. Miltons description of Satan naturally recurs to the reader
About them round
A lion now he stalks with fiery glare.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
12. Like as a lion Literally, He is like a lion, etc. The sudden change from the plural, in Psa 17:11, to the singular, in this, suggests that the singular be taken distributively. The likeness of him that is, of every one of them is as a lion, etc.; or, the singular may represent the body of the wicked collectively.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘He is like a lion which is greedy for his prey,
And as it were a young lion lurking in secret places.’
The ‘he’ here is some individual who is like a hunting lion greedy for its prey, a prime young lion of the pack lurking in hiding ready to pounce. There is always a ringleader, one who is especially subtle and dangerous. Certainly David found himself in such a situation against Saul. But many of God’s people experienced the same in those dangerous days. Our enemies may be less deadly but they can seem as equally dangerous. But God is able to deliver us from them all.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Psa 17:12 Like as a lion [that] is greedy of his prey, and as it were a young lion lurking in secret places.
Ver. 12. Like as a lion that is greedy, &c. ] Cruelty and craft are conjoined in the Church’s enemies; as the ape never wandereth alone, they say, without his companion. David here pointeth out some one special enemy (Saul likely), who should have been a shepherd, but proved a lion.
As a young lion lurking
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Like: etc. Heb. The likeness of him – that is, of every one of themis as a lion that desireth to ravin, Psa 7:2, Psa 22:13, 2Ti 4:17, 1Pe 5:8
lurking: Heb. sitting
Reciprocal: Num 23:24 – as a great Psa 10:9 – He lieth Psa 57:4 – among Psa 58:6 – young Pro 1:11 – let us lurk Lam 3:10 – in secret Nah 2:12 – and filled