Behold, a people! As a lioness it rises up and as a lion it lifts itself; it does not lie down until it has devoured the prey and drunk the blood of the slain.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse uses "lioness" and "lion" to capture Israel's tenacious, relentless pursuit of their God-given destiny, not just in battle, but in overcoming any obstacle until victory is fully achieved. The imagery emphasizes that this isn't just a fleeting aggression, but an unyielding resolve that ceases only when their purpose is completely fulfilled.
Behold, a people! As a lioness it rises up and as a lion it lifts itself; it does not lie down until it has devoured the prey and drunk the blood of the slain.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Balaam, under divine compulsion, delivers a prophecy to Balak, shifting from a curse to a powerful blessing. After his initial attempts to curse Israel fail, he’s brought to a new vantage point and speaks of God's unwavering favor, their secure dwelling, and their immense numbers. This verse, the climax of his second oracle, depicts Israel as a fearsome, predatory lion, unyielding until its conquest is complete.
Why does Balaam use such fierce imagery to describe Israel? This isn't just any animal comparison; it's a profound statement about their God-given destiny.
Balaam's prophecy uses the imagery of a lioness and a young lion to describe Israel's future.
A Dual Picture of Might
Not Just Animal Instinct
This isn't about Israel becoming inherently savage. Rather, it's a picture of the overwhelming power and divine enablement God would grant them as they entered and possessed the land of Canaan. They would be a force to be reckoned with, utterly subduing their enemies as a lion devours its prey.
The prophecy doesn't end with a roar; it continues with a chilling depiction of consumption. What does this ultimate act of conquest signify?
The most striking part of Balaam's prophecy is the declaration that Israel 'shall not lie down until it has devoured the prey and drunk the blood of the slain.' This imagery paints a picture of complete and utter victory.
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The Nature of Complete Conquest
A Divine Mandate
This fierce imagery reflects the seriousness of God's command to cleanse the land of its inhabitants who practiced abominable things. It was not merely a territorial dispute, but a divine judgment, and Israel was the instrument. Balaam, though unwillingly, recognizes the totality of this divine decree.
Balaam's vivid comparison of Israel to a powerful lion and lioness emphasizes their divinely ordained strength and predatory nature as they were poised to conquer Canaan. This imagery highlights God's promise to make them formidable, not through their own might alone, but through His empowering presence.
c. 1406 BC
Israel enters Canaan
After 40 years in the wilderness, the Israelites, led by Joshua, finally crossed the Jordan River and began their conquest of the land of Canaan.
c. 1400-1350 BC
Conquest and settlement of Canaan
The Israelites engaged in a series of wars and campaigns to dispossess the Canaanite inhabitants of the land, eventually settling in their tribal territories.
c. 1375 BC— this verse
Balaam's oracles to Balak
The Moabite king Balak hired the prophet Balaam to curse the Israelites as they camped on the plains of Moab, fearing their conquest. Balaam, however, could only pronounce blessings upon them, including this powerful image of Israel's ferocity.
c. 1375 BC
Death of Balaam
Following his failed attempt to curse Israel, Balaam was later killed by the Israelites during a punitive expedition against the Midianites, who had aided Moab in their scheme.
c. 1050-1010 BC
Reign of King David
Under King David, Israel expanded its borders and achieved significant military victories, fulfilling some aspects of Balaam's prophecy of complete conquest and subjugation of enemies.
This passage directly parallels the imagery of a lion, specifically referencing Judah as a lion cub that grows into a full lion, highlighting the strength and predatory nature also attributed to Israel in Numbers.
Deuteronomy 33:24-25This passage describes Asher as being dipped in oil and having strength for war, reflecting the powerful and unconquerable spirit Balaam sees in Israel as they rise up like a lion.
Jeremiah 50:17Here, Israel is described as a scattered flock, pursued by lions (their enemies), which contrasts with the imagery of Israel as the predator and lion in Numbers, underscoring how their spiritual condition affects their power.
Proverbs 28:1This verse states that the wicked flee even when no one pursues them, while the righteous are as bold as lions, connecting the lion imagery in Numbers to the moral and spiritual state of the people.
Revelation 5:5In Revelation, Jesus is referred to as the 'Lion of the tribe of Judah,' linking the ancient depiction of Israel's strength with the ultimate conquering power found in Christ.
clarkeNumbers 23:24: "Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion, and lift up himself as a young lion: he shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, and drink the blood of the slain."
Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion - לביא labi, the great, mighty, or old lion, the king of the forest, who is feared and respected by all the other beasts of the field; so shall Israel be the subduer and possessor of the whole land of Canaan. And as a young lion, ארי ari from ארה arah, to tear…
calvinNumbers 23:1-30: "And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven oxen and seven rams."
And Balak said unto him, Come, I pray thee, with me unto another place, from whence thou mayest see them: thou shalt see but the utmost part of them, and shalt not see them all; and curse me them from thence.
Tunc dixit ad cum Balac: Veni obsecro mecum ad alterum locum, unde videas illum (tantummodo extremum ejus vidisti, et totum ipsum non vidisti) et ei maledic mi…
This verse uses "lioness" and "lion" to capture Israel's tenacious, relentless pursuit of their God-given destiny, not just in battle, but in overcoming any obstacle until victory is fully achieved. The imagery emphasizes that this isn't just a fleeting aggression, but an unyielding resolve that ceases only when their purpose is completely fulfilled.
Balaam, under divine compulsion, delivers a prophecy to Balak, shifting from a curse to a powerful blessing. After his initial attempts to curse Israel fail, he’s brought to a new vantage point and speaks of God's unwavering favor, their secure dwelling, and their immense numbers. This verse, the climax of his second oracle, depicts Israel as a fearsome, predatory lion, unyielding until its conquest is complete.
Balaam, under divine compulsion, delivers a prophecy to Balak, shifting from a curse to a powerful blessing. After his initial attempts to curse Israel fail, he’s brought to a new vantage point and speaks of God's unwavering favor, their secure dwelling, and their immense numbers. This verse, the climax of his second oracle, depicts Israel as a fearsome, predatory lion, unyielding until its conquest is complete.
"Behold, a people! As a lioness it rises up and as a lion it lifts itself; it does not lie down until it has devoured the prey and drunk the blood of the slain.”" — This verse uses "lioness" and "lion" to capture Israel's tenacious, relentless pursuit of their God-given destiny, not just in battle, but in overcoming any obstacle until victory is fully achieved.…
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Last reviewed October 2026