Bible Strands
Ezekiel 19:3
She brought up one of her cubs, and he became a young lion. After learning to tear his prey, he devoured men.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The prophet Ezekiel addresses the exiled community, continuing a lament over Judah's royal line by describing the rise and capture of a specific prince. The oracle unfolds during the Babylonian exile as the prophet delivers a structured dirge against the dynasty's monarchs.
The words — The Hebrew verb תַּעַל (Ta.'al) literally means "she brought up," and כְּפִיר (ke.Fir) translates directly to "a young lion." These terms anchor the verse's metaphor by marking the transition from domestic rearing to violent maturity.
The thread — The captured prince corresponds to the historical figure Jehoahaz recorded in 2 Kings 23:31 and 2 Chronicles 36:1. The phrase describing a cub learning to tear prey repeats identically in Ezekiel 19:6 to underscore the dynasty's recurring pattern of aggression.
Why it lands — The text requires the reader to acknowledge how royal upbringing directly produced violent leadership. It demands a clear-eyed assessment of cause and effect without softening the prince's responsibility for devouring men.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And she brought up one of her whelps: it became a young lion, and it learned to catch the prey; it devoured men.
Cross-references
- 2 Kings 23:31 Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. His mother’s name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah; she was from Libnah.
- 2 Chronicles 36:1 Then the people of the land took Jehoahaz son of Josiah and made him king in Jerusalem in place of his father.
- Ezekiel 19:6 He prowled among the lions, and became a young lion. After learning to tear his prey, he devoured men.
- Ezekiel 22:25 The conspiracy of the princes in her midst is like a roaring lion tearing its prey. They devour the people, seize the treasures and precious things, and multiply the widows within her.