Ezekiel 19:6-7
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This verse highlights something subtle: the young lion didn't just become fierce, he learned to catch prey. This implies a deliberate choice to adopt the brutal practices of the surrounding, ungodly nations, actively practicing injustice until it became his nature.
He prowled among the lions; he became a young lion, and he learned to catch prey; he devoured men, and seized their widows. He laid waste their cities, and the land was appalled and all who were in it at the sound of his roaring.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage paints a picture of Jehoiakim, the king of Judah, as a predatory young lion who learned to thrive among the corrupt and powerful kings of surrounding nations. Instead of ruling justly, he embraced their tyrannical ways, becoming ruthless and devouring his own people through oppression and injustice. This lament sets the stage for a coming judgment, as his destructive reign ultimately leads to his own violent downfall.
The verse paints a vivid picture of a young leader 'prowling among lions.' What does this dangerous environment do to a ruler?
Ezekiel uses the imagery of lions to represent the surrounding, ungodly nations and their rulers. The young prince, Jehoiakim, didn't just exist alongside these powerful, often brutal, kings; he 'went up and down among them.' This implies he actively emulated their ways, forming alliances and adopting their ruthless tactics.
The Danger of Assimilation
The progression from a 'young lion' learning to hunt culminates in a horrifying act: 'he devoured men.' What does this brutal image reveal about his leadership?
The metaphor of the 'young lion' transforms from a picture of burgeoning strength into a symbol of unchecked, destructive power. 'Learning to catch prey' is not just about acquiring skill; it's about the development of a predatory instinct that eventually consumes others.
The Predator Within
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Understand the original words
kephir · Hebrew Noun
A large, powerful feline predator frequently used in Scripture as a metaphor for strength, fierceness, predatory behavior, or, in the case of the 'Lion of the Tribe of Judah,' kingly authority and messianic triumph. In judgment contexts, it often represents oppressive rulers or nations.
akal · Hebrew Verb
To consume or eat greedily; in a biblical context, often used metaphorically for the destruction, exploitation, or total ruin inflicted by wicked leaders upon their own people or enemies.
shamad/charab (contextual) · Hebrew Verb phrase
To make desolate, ruin, or destroy completely; frequently used in the prophets to describe the result of divine judgment upon disobedient nations or cities.
shamem · Hebrew Verb
To be struck with shock, terror, or horror; often used to describe the reaction of people or the land when witnessing the manifest judgment of God or the extreme wickedness of humanity.
This lament compares King Jehoiakim to a young, predatory lion, reflecting his oppressive rule and his dangerous entanglements with the great powers of Egypt and Babylon. His reign was a period of spiritual and political decay, setting the stage for Jerusalem's ultimate destruction.
c. 609 BC— this verse
Jehoiakim becomes King of Judah
After his father Josiah was killed and his brother Jehoahaz briefly reigned, Jehoiakim was installed as king by Pharaoh Necho of Egypt. He would reign for eleven years, marked by tyranny and foreign allegiance.
605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon defeats the Egyptians and begins deporting prominent Judeans, including members of the royal family, to Babylon. Jehoiakim becomes a vassal of Babylon.
c. 598-597 BC
Jehoiakim rebels against Babylon
Jehoiakim revolts against Nebuchadnezzar. This rebellion leads to a siege of Jerusalem and his death or capture.
597 BC
Second Babylonian Deportation
Jehoiakim's son Jehoiachin reigns briefly before being deported to Babylon along with thousands more Judeans. Ezekiel is among this group.
c. 586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Third Deportation
After another Judean rebellion, Nebuchadnezzar destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, exiling the remaining significant population. This marks the end of the Davidic monarchy in Judah.
This passage directly critiques Jehoiakim, the very king symbolized as the young lion in Ezekiel 19, detailing his oppressive rule, injustice, and violence against his people and the prophet Uriah.
2 Kings 23:34-37This historical account shows Jehoiakim's wicked ascent to the throne after his brother Jehoahaz was taken captive, setting the stage for his tyrannical reign described in Ezekiel's prophecy.
Ezekiel 19:3This verse sets up the metaphor by describing the young lion (referring to Jehoahaz) being taken captive, providing a direct contrast to the 'young lion' in verse 6 (referring to Jehoiakim) who 'learned to catch prey and devoured men.'
Proverbs 28:15This proverb speaks to the general principle that a wicked ruler who oppresses people is like a 'roaring lion' or a 'charging bear,' which aligns with the imagery of the young lion devouring men in Ezekiel 19:6.
clarkeEzekiel 19:6: "And he went up and down among the lions, he became a young lion, and learned to catch the prey, and devoured men."
And he went up and down among the lions - He became a perfect heathen, and made Judea as idolatrous as any of the surrounding nations. He reigned eleven years, a monster of iniquity, 2 Kings 23:30 , etc.
pooleEzekiel 19:6: "And he went up and down among the lions, he became a young lion, and learned to catch the prey, and devoured men."
He, Jehoiakim, went up and down: it is said of him, because he continued eleven years on the throne, and so many years, as a lion, tore and devoured; whereas Jehoahaz was taken as soon almost as he first ventured out to hunt the prey. Among the lions; carried it after the manners and usages of the heathen kings, those barbarous tyrants, with whom he entered leagues,…
This verse highlights something subtle: the young lion didn't just become fierce, he learned to catch prey. This implies a deliberate choice to adopt the brutal practices of the surrounding, ungodly nations, actively practicing injustice until it became his nature.
This passage paints a picture of Jehoiakim, the king of Judah, as a predatory young lion who learned to thrive among the corrupt and powerful kings of surrounding nations. Instead of ruling justly, he embraced their tyrannical ways, becoming ruthless and devouring his own people through oppression and injustice. This lament sets the stage for a coming judgment, as his destructive reign ultimately leads to his own violent downfall.
This passage paints a picture of Jehoiakim, the king of Judah, as a predatory young lion who learned to thrive among the corrupt and powerful kings of surrounding nations. Instead of ruling justly, he embraced their tyrannical ways, becoming ruthless and devouring his own people through oppression and injustice. This lament sets the stage for a coming judgment, as his destructive reign ultimately leads to his own violent downfall.
"He prowled among the lions; he became a young lion, and he learned to catch prey; he devoured men, and seized their widows. He laid waste their cities, and the land was appalled and all who were in it…" — This verse highlights something subtle: the young lion didn't just become fierce, he learned to catch prey. This implies a deliberate choice to adopt the brutal practices of the surrounding, ungodl…
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Last reviewed October 2026
