Are Lions as Fearsome as We Think? Discover the Truth About the King of the Jungle

Let's Meet the Lion

The lion is a large member of the feline family, along with the tiger, among the largest terrestrial predators. Including its tail, a lion can measure up to 9 feet in length. It stands over 3 feet tall at the shoulders and can weigh as much as 550 pounds. Its long tail ends with a tuft of hair containing a claw. A lion's head and shoulders are graced with a thick mane. The lioness is slightly smaller and can be identified by her lack of a mane.

The King of Beasts in the Bible

We first encounter the lion in the Torah portion of Vayechi, when Jacob blesses Judah with: "Judah is a young lion. From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bows down, he lies like a lion— and like a lioness, who will rouse him?" (Genesis 49:9). This blessing is echoed in Balaam's blessing of Israel: "He crouched, he lay down like a lion, and like a lioness; who will rouse him?" (Numbers 24:9).

Lions appear throughout the Bible in various contexts, such as when the tribe of Dan is blessed by Moses: "Dan is a young lion, leaping from Bashan" (Deuteronomy 33:22). Israel itself is compared to a lion in Balaam’s words: "A people rises like a lioness; it rises itself up like a lion" (Numbers 23:24), "He crouched, he lay down like a lion, and like a lioness; who will rouse him?" (24:9). Additionally, in the vision of the end of days, peace is represented by "the lion shall eat straw like the ox" (Isaiah 11:7).

The lion is a symbol of bravery, strength, and authority. It is considered one of the greatest and strongest animals. The lion’s roar is fearsome and intimidating. Our sages describe the lion as the "King of Beasts," according to Ezekiel’s vision ("The king among beasts is the lion, among cattle the ox, among birds the eagle, and humans boasts pride over them all; and Hashem boasts pride over all" - Chagigah 13b).

The lion is depicted as one of the symbols of the Jewish people, in sacred texts. Solomon placed lion imagery in the Temple’s "machonot" (fixtures) (1 Kings 7:29), and Maimonides described the Temple's form resembling "a lion" (House of Choice 4:10).

Beyond this, linguistic evidence highlights the lion’s significance, shown by its many names. In the Bible, lions and their synonyms appear 166 times, with the name "lion" mentioned about 90 times, making it the most noted of any non-sacrificial animal.

(Photo: Shutterstock)

Ari, Kfir, Lavi, Laish, Shachal, Shachatz

The Bible uses various names for the lion, and the Talmud says: "The lion has six names: Ari, Kfir, Lavi, Laish, Shachal, Shachatz" (Babylonian Talmud Sanhedrin 95a). Some sources list seven names, including "Gur," which is almost exclusively used for young lions.

Ariyeh and Ari - essentially the same name.

Lavi - This name is commonly used today in its feminine form, Leviah. It is believed that this term links the lion's name in various Semitic languages to that in European tongues, such as leon (Greek), Löwe (German), lion (English).

Laish - As the name of an animal, it's mentioned only three times in the Bible. Additionally, it's known as the ancient name of the city of Dan (Judges 18).

Shachal - Mentioned a few times in the Bible, like "For I will be like a lion to Ephraim, and like a young lion to the house of Judah" (Hosea 5:14). However, another interpretation of Shachal is as any large animal, as in the verse: "You will trample on the lion and the serpent, you will tread the young lion and the dragon beneath your feet" (Psalms 91:13) – suggesting large snakes according to some commentators.

Kfir - Means a young lion, a lion cub: "The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, the calf and the young lion shall graze together, and a little child shall lead them" (Isaiah 11:6).

Shachatz - Appears in Job 28:8: "The proud beasts have not trodden it, nor has the fierce lion passed over it."

Intriguingly, there are two biblical verses where five of the lion’s names are mentioned: "The roaring of the lion and the voice of the fierce lion, and the teeth of the young lions are broken. The lion perishes for lack of prey, and the whelps of the lioness are scattered" (Job 4:10-11).

What does the Lion sign symbolize, and how does it fit into the Midrash of the Sages? Rabbi Eliyahu Amar presents a special lesson on the zodiac sign of the month of Av.

Where Do I Live?

The Bible offers unique mentions of the lion’s habitat: in the forest (Jeremiah 12:8), in a booth (Jeremiah 25:38), in a den or lair (Nahum 2:11). The term "the lions' den" from Daniel (Daniel 6) refers to a pit where lions were kept, with 'pit' being the Aramaic word 'Gov'.

Expressions and Sources from the Sages

1.Like a Lion to Fulfill Our Heavenly Father's Will – Serving Hashem is learned from animals in nature. The Mishnah (Avot 5:20) gives animal-derived traits humans should strive for to fulfill Hashem's will. One such trait is "being bold as a lion" – summoning courage and overcoming temptations in service to Hashem, as Rabbi Ovadia of Bartenura explains.

Rabbenu the Tur also wrote (Siman 1): "Be strong as a lion, in the heart, for bravery in the service of the Blessed Creator resides in the heart. Strengthen your heart in His service, to overcome the evil inclination, as a hero conquering his enemy."

2."A lion has roared, who will not fear?" (Amos 3:8) - Here, the prophet Amos conveys an important principle: the people sin yet cannot believe punishment will come, as they prosper. However: "Does a lion roar in the forest when it has no prey?" In other words, only when there's prey does a lion roar, just as Hashem reacts only when there is sin. Punishment surely follows sin.

3."For a living dog is better than a dead lion" (Ecclesiastes 9:4) – This means it's better for a person to endure hardship alive than to die. Life, despite its challenges, is preferable to death.

(Photo: Shutterstock)

Wonders of Creation

A hungry lion can take down almost any animal, but typically avoids attacking giraffes because of their powerful kicks, as well as large elephants and buffaloes.

What about attacking humans? Are lions dangerous to people? In truth, the Creator instills in lions a fear of humans, making them unlikely to attack. Generally, lions hunt livestock near grazing areas, though in some rare cases, a lion may deem humans as easy prey and begin attacking.

Does this make us fearless to approach lions? Absolutely not. Consider this chilling clip where a lioness saves her caretaker from a lion attack: