Psalms 17:12

like a lion greedy for prey, like a young lion lurking in ambush.

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — David addresses God, describing the immediate moment after his enemies have tracked him down and surrounded him with intent to cast him to the ground.

The words — The Hebrew יִכְסוֹף (yikh.Sof) translates literally as "it longs" or "greedy," directly modifying the action לִ/טְר֑וֹף (li/t.Rof), "to tear to pieces."

The thread — This specific predatory imagery appears in Psalms 7:2, Psalms 10:9, and 1 Peter 5:8, where hostile figures are consistently depicted as lions waiting to devour.

Why it lands — The text first establishes the enemy's calculated, animalistic hunger, which requires a reader to acknowledge the concrete danger before turning to divine confrontation.

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

דִּמְיֹנ֗וֹdim.yo.N/olikeness/ his כְּ֭אַרְיֵהKe./'ar.yeh[is] like/ a lion יִכְס֣וֹףyikh.Sof[which] it longs לִטְר֑וֹףli/t.Rofto/ tear to pieces וְ֝כִכְפִ֗ירve./khi/kh.Firand/ like/ a young lion יֹשֵׁ֥בyo.Shev[which] sits בְּמִסְתָּרִֽים׃be./mis.ta.Rimin/ hiding places

King James Version

Like as a lion that is greedy of his prey, and as it were a young lion lurking in secret places.

Cross-references

Psalms 7:2 or they will shred my soul like a lion and tear me to pieces with no one to rescue me.
Psalms 10:9 He lies in wait like a lion in a thicket; he lurks to seize the oppressed; he catches the lowly in his net.
1 Peter 5:8 Be sober-minded and alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
Psalms 22:13 They open their jaws against me like lions that roar and maul.
2 Timothy 4:17 But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message would be fully proclaimed, and all the Gentiles would hear it. So I was delivered from the mouth of the lion.