The roar of the lion, the voice of the fierce lion, the teeth of the young lions are broken.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Eliphaz isn't just describing lions; he's using five different Hebrew words for "lion" to capture every stage of power and ferocity, implying that all forms of wicked might, from a young lion's initial bite to the full roar of a mature beast, are ultimately rendered powerless and broken before God. This rich vocabulary emphasizes that no level of earthly strength or predatory nature can ultimately withstand divine judgment.
The roar of the lion, the voice of the fierce lion, the teeth of the young lions are broken.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Eliphaz is responding to Job's anguish, arguing that such suffering must be a consequence of sin. He uses powerful imagery to illustrate that the strong and fearsome, often compared to lions in their predatory nature and destructive power, ultimately face ruin. This verse depicts the ultimate breakdown of their fierce strength and ability to prey on others.
Why does Eliphaz suddenly shift from talking about frail humans to lions in Job's story? It's a powerful metaphor that unpacks a deep truth about God's justice.
Power and Peril
Eliphaz uses a series of words for lions – lion, fierce lion, young lions – to paint a vivid picture. These aren't just any animals; they represent powerful, dangerous, and often oppressive individuals.
Eliphaz isn't just describing lions; he's describing their downfall. What does it mean for their 'roar' and 'teeth' to be broken?
Justice Unleashed
The core message here is about the eventual defeat of evil. The breaking of the lion's roar and teeth signifies the silencing and disabling of wicked power.
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While Eliphaz uses the lion imagery, who is he really talking about? The context hints at a pointed, personal message for Job.
A Gentle (and Not So Gentle) Accusation
Eliphaz isn't just delivering a general sermon on justice. His words are aimed directly at Job, using the 'lion' metaphor to subtly (or perhaps not so subtly) accuse Job and his family.
Understand the original words
layish · Hebrew Noun
In biblical imagery, the lion is frequently used to symbolize power, ferocity, cruelty, and the pride of the wicked. It represents those who prey upon the weak and resist divine order.
This psalm directly parallels the imagery of broken teeth and silenced power, applying it to the violent and wicked rulers who oppress God's people.
Jeremiah 49:19This passage uses the imagery of a lion coming up from the thickets of the Jordan to describe the destruction of Edom, mirroring the power and eventual downfall of formidable oppressors.
Ezekiel 19:2-7Here, a lioness and her whelps are used as a metaphor for the downfall of the royal house of Judah, illustrating how even powerful and fearsome dynasties can be captured and scattered.
Proverbs 30:30This verse describes the lion as the mightiest of beasts, highlighting the symbolic strength that Eliphaz is drawing upon to contrast it with the ultimate power of God who can break even the strongest.
jfbJob 4:10: "The roaring of the lion, and the voice of the fierce lion, and the teeth of the young lions, are broken."
10, 11. lion—that is, wicked men, upon whom Eliphaz wished to show that calamities come in spite of their various resources, just as destruction comes on the lion in spite of his strength (Ps 58:6; 2Ti 4:17). Five different Hebrew terms here occur for "lion." The raging of the lion (the tearer), and the roaring of the bellowing lion and the teeth of the young lions, not whelps, b…
pooleJob 4:10: "The roaring of the lion, and the voice of the fierce lion, and the teeth of the young lions, are broken."
The voice of the fierce lion; understand vanisheth , or perisheth , out of Job 4:9 ; or, is restrained, or suppressed, as may be gathered out of the following branch of this verse. The teeth of the young lions are broken; which is true literally; the lions when taken having most commonly their teeth broken, as ancient and modern writers relate. But this is here mystically meant o…
Eliphaz isn't just describing lions; he's using five different Hebrew words for "lion" to capture every stage of power and ferocity, implying that all forms of wicked might, from a young lion's initial bite to the full roar of a mature beast, are ultimately rendered powerless and broken before God. This rich vocabulary emphasizes that no level of earthly strength or predatory nature can ultimately withstand divine judgment.
Eliphaz is responding to Job's anguish, arguing that such suffering must be a consequence of sin. He uses powerful imagery to illustrate that the strong and fearsome, often compared to lions in their predatory nature and destructive power, ultimately face ruin. This verse depicts the ultimate breakdown of their fierce strength and ability to prey on others.
Eliphaz is responding to Job's anguish, arguing that such suffering must be a consequence of sin. He uses powerful imagery to illustrate that the strong and fearsome, often compared to lions in their predatory nature and destructive power, ultimately face ruin. This verse depicts the ultimate breakdown of their fierce strength and ability to prey on others.
"The roar of the lion, the voice of the fierce lion, the teeth of the young lions are broken." — Eliphaz isn't just describing lions; he's using five different Hebrew words for "lion" to capture every stage of power and ferocity, implying that all forms of wicked might, from a young lion's ini…
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Last reviewed October 2026