Ezekiel 19:6
New International Version
He prowled among the lions, for he was now a strong lion. He learned to tear the prey and he became a man-eater.

New Living Translation
He prowled among the other lions and stood out among them in his strength. He learned to hunt and devour prey, and he, too, became a man-eater.

English Standard Version
He prowled among the lions; he became a young lion, and he learned to catch prey; he devoured men,

Berean Standard Bible
He prowled among the lions, and became a young lion. After learning to tear his prey, he devoured men.

King James Bible
And he went up and down among the lions, he became a young lion, and learned to catch the prey, and devoured men.

New King James Version
He roved among the lions, And became a young lion; He learned to catch prey; He devoured men.

New American Standard Bible
‘And he walked about among the lions, He became a young lion; He learned to tear his prey; He devoured people.

NASB 1995
And he walked about among the lions; He became a young lion, He learned to tear his prey; He devoured men.

NASB 1977
‘And he walked about among the lions; He became a young lion, He learned to tear his prey; He devoured men.

Legacy Standard Bible
And he walked about among the lions; He became a young lion; He learned to tear his prey; He devoured men.

Amplified Bible
‘And he moved among the lions; He became a young lion, He learned to tear the prey; He devoured men.

Christian Standard Bible
He prowled among the lions, and he became a young lion. After he learned to tear prey, he devoured people.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
He prowled among the lions, and he became a young lion. After he learned to tear prey, he devoured people.

American Standard Version
And he went up and down among the lions; he became a young lion, and he learned to catch the prey; he devoured men.

Contemporary English Version
He hunted with other lions and learned to eat people.

English Revised Version
And he went up and down among the lions, he became a young lion: and he learned to catch the prey, he devoured men.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
He became a young lion, and he prowled among the lions. He learned to tear apart the animals he hunted. He ate people.

Good News Translation
When he was full-grown, he prowled with the other lions. He too learned to hunt and eat people.

International Standard Version
He prowled around among the lions, became a strong, young lion, and learned to become a hunter-prowler— to eat human beings.

Majority Standard Bible
He prowled among the lions, and became a young lion. After learning to tear his prey, he devoured men.

NET Bible
He walked about among the lions; he became a young lion. He learned to tear prey; he devoured people.

New Heart English Bible
He went up and down among the lions; he became a young lion, and he learned to catch the prey; he devoured men.

Webster's Bible Translation
And he went up and down among the lions, he became a young lion, and learned to catch the prey, and devoured men.

World English Bible
He went up and down among the lions. He became a young lion. He learned to catch the prey. He devoured men.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And he goes up and down in the midst of lions, "" He has been a young lion, "" And he learns to tear prey, "" He has devoured man.

Young's Literal Translation
And it goeth up and down in the midst of lions, A young lion it hath been, And it learneth to tear prey, man it hath devoured.

Smith's Literal Translation
And he will go about in the midst of the lions; he was a young lion, and he will learn to tear in pieces the prey, eating man.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he went up and down among the lions, and became a lion: and he learned to catch the prey, and to devour men.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And he advanced among the lions, and he became a lion. And he learned to seize prey and to devour men.

New American Bible
He prowled among the lions, became a young lion; He learned to tear apart prey, he devoured people.

New Revised Standard Version
He prowled among the lions; he became a young lion, and he learned to catch prey; he devoured people.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And he went up and down among the lions; he became a young lion, and learned to catch the prey and devoured men.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And he walked among the lionesses and was a male lion, and he learned to tear apart prey, and he ate a son of man
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And he went up and down among the lions, He became a young lion; And he learned to catch the prey, He devoured men.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And he went up and down in the midst of lions, he became a lion, and learned to take prey, he devoured men.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
A Lament for the Princes of Israel
5When she saw that she had waited in vain, that her hope was lost, she took another of her cubs and made him a young lion. 6He prowled among the lions, and became a young lion. After learning to tear his prey, he devoured men. 7He broke down their strongholds and devastated their cities. The land and everything in it shuddered at the sound of his roaring.…

Cross References
Jeremiah 22:13-19
“Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness, and his upper rooms without justice, who makes his countrymen serve without pay, and fails to pay their wages, / who says, ‘I will build myself a great palace, with spacious upper rooms.’ So he cuts windows in it, panels it with cedar, and paints it with vermilion. / Does it make you a king to excel in cedar? Did not your father have food and drink? He administered justice and righteousness, and so it went well with him. ...

Hosea 5:14
For I am like a lion to Ephraim and like a young lion to the house of Judah. I, even I, will tear them to pieces and then go away. I will carry them off where no one can rescue them.

Amos 3:4
Does a lion roar in the forest when he has no prey? Does a young lion growl in his den if he has caught nothing?

Isaiah 5:29
Their roaring is like that of a lion; they roar like young lions. They growl and seize their prey; they carry it away, and no one can rescue it.

Daniel 7:4
The first beast was like a lion, and it had the wings of an eagle. I watched until its wings were torn off and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man and given the mind of a man.

Revelation 13:2
The beast I saw was like a leopard, with the feet of a bear and the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority.

Revelation 5:5
Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed to open the scroll and its seven seals.”

Genesis 49:9
Judah is a young lion—my son, you return from the prey. Like a lion he crouches and lies down; like a lioness, who dares to rouse him?

2 Kings 24:8-16
Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. His mother’s name was Nehushta daughter of Elnathan; she was from Jerusalem. / And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, just as his father had done. / At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched up to Jerusalem, and the city came under siege. ...

2 Chronicles 36:9-10
Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months and ten days. And he did evil in the sight of the LORD. / In the spring, King Nebuchadnezzar summoned Jehoiachin and brought him to Babylon, along with the articles of value from the house of the LORD. And he made Jehoiachin’s relative Zedekiah king over Judah and Jerusalem.

Jeremiah 36:30-31
Therefore this is what the LORD says about Jehoiakim king of Judah: He will have no one to sit on David’s throne, and his body will be thrown out and exposed to heat by day and frost by night. / I will punish him and his descendants and servants for their iniquity. I will bring on them, on the residents of Jerusalem, and on the men of Judah, all the calamity about which I warned them but they did not listen.”

Lamentations 4:20
The LORD’s anointed, the breath of our life, was captured in their pits. We had said of him, “Under his shadow we will live among the nations.”

Ezekiel 17:3-10
and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘A great eagle with great wings and long pinions, full of feathers of many colors, came to Lebanon and took away the top of the cedar. / He plucked off its topmost shoot, carried it to the land of merchants, and planted it in a city of traders. / He took some of the seed of the land and planted it in fertile soil; he placed it by abundant waters and set it out like a willow. ...

Ezekiel 17:12-21
“Now say to this rebellious house: ‘Do you not know what these things mean?’ Tell them, ‘Behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, carried off its king and officials, and brought them back with him to Babylon. / He took a member of the royal family and made a covenant with him, putting him under oath. Then he carried away the leading men of the land, / so that the kingdom would be brought low, unable to lift itself up, surviving only by keeping his covenant. ...

Ezekiel 21:25-27
And you, O profane and wicked prince of Israel, the day has come for your final punishment.’ / This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Remove the turban, and take off the crown. Things will not remain as they are: Exalt the lowly and bring low the exalted. / A ruin, a ruin, I will make it a ruin! And it will not be restored until the arrival of Him to whom it belongs, to whom I have assigned the right of judgment.’


Treasury of Scripture

And he went up and down among the lions, he became a young lion, and learned to catch the prey, and devoured men.

2 Kings 24:1-7
In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant three years: then he turned and rebelled against him…

2 Chronicles 36:5
Jehoiakim was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD his God.

Jeremiah 22:13-17
Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness, and his chambers by wrong; that useth his neighbour's service without wages, and giveth him not for his work; …

he became

Ezekiel 19:3
And she brought up one of her whelps: it became a young lion, and it learned to catch the prey; it devoured men.

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Beasts Catch Devoured Food Learning Lions Meat Midst Prey Prowled Strong Tear Walked Young
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Beasts Catch Devoured Food Learning Lions Meat Midst Prey Prowled Strong Tear Walked Young
Ezekiel 19
1. A lamentation for the princes of Israel, by the parable of a lion whelping in a pit
10. and for Jerusalem, under the parable of a wasted vine














He prowled among the lions
The phrase "He prowled among the lions" evokes the image of a young lion moving stealthily and confidently among other lions. In the Hebrew context, the word for "prowled" suggests a sense of moving with purpose and intent. This imagery is often used to describe leaders or rulers who are ambitious and assertive. Historically, lions were symbols of power and royalty in the ancient Near East, and this metaphor would have been understood by Ezekiel's audience as a depiction of a leader who is growing in strength and influence among other powerful figures.

and he became a young lion
The transformation into "a young lion" signifies a coming of age or reaching a stage of maturity and strength. In Hebrew, the term for "young lion" (כְּפִיר, kephir) is often used to describe a lion in its prime, full of vigor and potential. This reflects the development of a leader who is not only part of the pride but is also emerging as a dominant force. In the biblical narrative, this can be seen as a warning about the rise of leaders who may become tyrannical or oppressive, as they grow in power without the wisdom or restraint that should accompany it.

He learned to tear his prey
The phrase "He learned to tear his prey" indicates a process of acquiring skills necessary for survival and dominance. The Hebrew root for "tear" (טָרַף, taraph) implies a violent and aggressive action, often associated with predation. This suggests that the leader has not only gained strength but has also adopted ruthless tactics to achieve his goals. In a spiritual or moral sense, this can be interpreted as a caution against leaders who use their power destructively, preying on the weak rather than protecting them.

he devoured men
Finally, "he devoured men" is a stark and sobering conclusion to the verse. The Hebrew word for "devoured" (אָכַל, akal) conveys a sense of consuming or destroying completely. This imagery is a powerful indictment of leaders who exploit and oppress their people, leading to their ruin. In the broader scriptural context, this serves as a warning against the corrupting influence of power and the moral decay that can result when leaders prioritize their own gain over the welfare of those they are meant to serve.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
He prowled
וַיִּתְהַלֵּ֥ךְ (way·yiṯ·hal·lêḵ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

among
בְּתוֹךְ־ (bə·ṯō·wḵ-)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 8432: A bisection, the centre

the lions,
אֲרָי֖וֹת (’ă·rā·yō·wṯ)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 738: A lion

and became
הָיָ֑ה (hā·yāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

a young lion.
כְּפִ֣יר (kə·p̄îr)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3715: A village, a young lion

After learning
וַיִּלְמַ֥ד (way·yil·maḏ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3925: To exercise in, learn

to tear
לִטְרָף־ (liṭ·rāp̄-)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 2963: To pluck off, pull to pieces, to supply with food

[his] prey,
טֶ֖רֶף (ṭe·rep̄)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2964: Something torn, a fragment, a fresh leaf, prey, food

he devoured
אָכָֽל׃ (’ā·ḵāl)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 398: To eat

men.
אָדָ֥ם (’ā·ḏām)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 120: Ruddy, a human being


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OT Prophets: Ezekiel 19:6 He went up and down among (Ezek. Eze Ezk)
Ezekiel 19:5
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