Psalms 17:12

12 Lions ready to rip me apart, young lions poised to pounce.

Psalms 17:12 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 17:12

Like as a lion [that] is greedy of his prey
Or "the likeness of him is as a lion" F9; 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 ( Proverbs 28:15 ) ( 2 Timothy 4:17 ) ; so the devil is called a roaring lion, ( 1 Peter 5:8 ) ; and the antichristian beast is said to have the mouth of a lion, ( Revelation 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 ( Psalms 10:9 Psalms 10:10 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F9 (hyrak wnwymd) "similitudo ejus, vel cujusque est tanquam leonis", Pagninus, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius; so Musculus, Gejerus, Michaelis.

Psalms 17:12 In-Context

10 Their hearts are hard as nails, their mouths blast hot air.
11 They are after me, nipping my heels, determined to bring me down,
12 Lions ready to rip me apart, young lions poised to pounce.
13 Up, God: beard them! break them! By your sword, free me from their clutches;
14 Barehanded, God, break these mortals, these flat-earth people who can't think beyond today. I'd like to see their bellies swollen with famine food, The weeds they've sown harvested and baked into famine bread, With second helpings for their children and crusts for their babies to chew on.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.