In biblical literature, the term "lair" often refers to the dwelling place or den of wild animals, symbolizing danger, secrecy, or evil. The imagery of lairs is used throughout the Bible to convey various spiritual and moral lessons, often highlighting the contrast between the safety found in God and the peril associated with sin and wickedness.

Old Testament References

1. Symbol of Danger and Evil: Lairs are frequently depicted as places of danger and evil. In the book of Job, the imagery of a lion's lair is used to describe the dwelling of the wicked: "The lion may roar, and the fierce lion may growl, yet the teeth of the young lions are broken" (Job 4:10). This passage suggests that despite the apparent strength and security of the wicked, their power is ultimately broken by God.

2. Habitation of Wild Beasts: Lairs are also described as the natural habitats of wild animals, often used metaphorically to describe desolation and judgment. In Isaiah 35:7, the prophet speaks of a transformation where "the haunt of jackals, its resting place, will become grass with reeds and rushes" . This transformation signifies the restoration and renewal that God brings, turning places of desolation into flourishing landscapes.

3. Metaphor for Secrecy and Deceit: The imagery of lairs is used to describe the secretive and deceitful nature of the wicked. In Psalm 10:9, the wicked are likened to a lion in its lair: "He lies in wait in a hiding place; like a lion in his den, he lies in wait to catch the helpless" . This metaphor highlights the predatory and cunning nature of those who seek to harm the innocent.

New Testament References

While the New Testament does not frequently use the term "lair," the concept of hidden danger and the need for vigilance against evil is prevalent. Believers are warned to be watchful and discerning, recognizing that evil often lurks in hidden places, much like a predator in its lair.

Spiritual Implications

1. Contrast with God's Protection: The imagery of lairs serves to contrast the peril of dwelling in sin with the safety and refuge found in God. Psalm 91:1-2 declares, "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, 'He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.'" This passage emphasizes the security and peace that come from trusting in God, as opposed to the danger of dwelling in spiritual lairs.

2. Call to Righteousness: The Bible's use of lairs as symbols of danger and deceit serves as a call to righteousness and vigilance. Believers are encouraged to avoid the hidden snares of sin and to seek the light and truth of God's word. Ephesians 5:11 exhorts, "Have no fellowship with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them."

In summary, the concept of lairs in the Bible serves as a powerful metaphor for the hidden dangers of sin and the deceitful nature of evil. It calls believers to seek refuge in God, who provides protection and guidance, and to live in the light of His truth.2356. chor -- a hole
... Word Origin from an unused word Definition a hole NASB Word Usage hole (2),
holes (2), lairs (1), opening (1), sockets (1). cave, hole. ...
/hebrew/2356.htm - 6k

Of Man, and the Brute Animals, and Religion.
... But there are animals which open several outlets in different directions from their
lairs, that if any danger comes upon them, an escape may be open for them ...
/.../a treatise on the anger of god addressed to donatus/chap vii of man and the.htm

Gregory the Patriarch and the Society at Kunwald, 1457-1473.
... One day he compared the Church of Rome to a burned and ruined city, wherein the
beasts of the forests made their lairs; and, again, he compared her to a storm ...
/.../hutton/history of the moravian church/chapter v gregory the patriarch.htm

Of the Power of Prayer.
... likewise, all pray; every creature prays; cattle and wild beasts pray and bend their
knees; and when they issue from their layers and lairs, [8958] they look ...
//christianbookshelf.org/tertullian/on prayer/chapter xxix of the power of.htm

To the Venerable Religious, Brother Antonio of Nizza, of the Order ...
... Catherine has few superiors among religious thinkers in the power to trace
self-will to its remotest lairs, in the deeper reaches of personality. ...
/.../benincasa/letters of catherine benincasa/to the venerable religious brother.htm

But we have Reason, one Will Say, and Excel the Whole Race of Dumb ...
... situations; others shelter and secure themselves in rocks and lofty crags; others
burrow in the ground, and prepare for themselves strongholds and lairs in the ...
/.../the seven books of arnobius against the heathen/17 but we have reason.htm

By Way of Leading up to his Proof that Christ is not Different ...
... This monster's cavern, your sacred Majesty, thick laid, as seafaring men do say
it is, with hidden lairs, and all the neighbourhood thereof, where the rocks of ...
/.../ambrose/works and letters of st ambrose/chapter vi by way of.htm

God Cannot be Attained unto by the Power of Memory, which Beasts ...
... For even beasts and birds possess memory, else could they never find their lairs
and nests again, nor many other things to which they are used; neither indeed ...
/.../the confessions and letters of st/chapter xvii god cannot be attained.htm

The Struggle for Life
... with cold. As the sun continues to move, twilight falls and wild animals
move from their lairs and he must move or be eaten. The ...
/.../the lowell lectures on the ascent of man/chapter vi the struggle for.htm

An Illustration to Help in Forming an Opinion on those who are ...
... But it is like all poisonous kinds of serpents or of wild beasts, which, while they
remain in solitude and their own lairs, are still not harmless; [945] for ...
/.../cassian/the works of john cassian /chapter xix an illustration to.htm

Of the Fourfold Method of Discrimination.
... heart with the gospel plough, ie, the constant recollection of the Lord's cross,
we shall manage to stamp out or extirpate from our hearts the lairs of noxious ...
/.../cassian/the works of john cassian /chapter xxii of the fourfold.htm

Lairs (2 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Lairs (2 Occurrences). Job 37:8 Then the animals
take cover, and remain in their dens. (See RSV). Nahum ...
/l/lairs.htm - 6k

Laish (8 Occurrences)

/l/laish.htm - 10k

Lair (8 Occurrences)

/l/lair.htm - 8k

Lions (50 Occurrences)
... very numerous there. They had their lairs in the forests (Jeremiah 5:6;
12:8; Amos 3:4), in the caves of the mountains (Cant. 4:8 ...
/l/lions.htm - 26k

Satisfaction (15 Occurrences)
... The Hebrew lairs of the Old Testament permit it only in the case of a man or woman
gored to death by an ox (Exodus 21:30-32). Benjamin Reno Downer. ...
/s/satisfaction.htm - 11k

Fox (2 Occurrences)
... heaven have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head." Foxes differ
from most of the Canidae in burrowing holes for their lairs, unless indeed ...
/f/fox.htm - 13k

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