Lexical Summary
kephir: Young lion
Original Word:כְּפִיר
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:kphiyr
Pronunciation:kuh-FEER
Phonetic Spelling:(kef-eer')
KJV: (young) lion, village
NASB:young lions, young lion, lion, lions, young, young lions', young lion's
Word Origin:[fromH3722 (כָּפַר - To cover)]
1. a village (as covered in by walls)
2. also a young lion (perhaps as covered with a mane)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
young lion, village
Fromkaphar; a village (as covered in by walls); also a young lion (perhaps as covered with a mane) -- (young) lion, village. Comparekaphar.
see HEBREWkaphar
see HEBREWkaphar
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originof uncertain derivation
Definitionyoung lion
NASB Translationlion (5), lions (1), young (1), young lion (10), young lion's (1), young lions (11), young lions' (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
; —
Judges 14:5 16t.; plural
Jeremiah 2:15 3t.;
Zechariah 11:3 7t.; suffix
Nahum 2:14;
Ezekiel 38:13 (Co reads ); — literal
Judges 14:5young lion of lions;
Amos 3:4;
Psalm 17:12. It differs from whelp
Ezekiel 19:2,3as old enough to hunt its prey,
Jeremiah 25:38;
Isaiah 11:6;
Zechariah 11:3;
Psalm 104:21; in simile of roar of hostile army
Isaiah 5:29 "" compare
Jeremiah 51:38 "" ; sim of s invincible might
Isaiah 31:4 "" ; of Israel among the nations,
Micah 5:7; of Assyr. princes
Nahum 2:12; of prince of Israel
Ezekiel 19:5,6; other cases are: ""
Job 38:39; ""
Hosea 5:14;
Psalm 91:13;
Job 4:10; of bloodthirsty enemies
Psalm 34:11;
Psalm 35:17;
Psalm 58:7;
Jeremiah 2:15;
Ezekiel 32:2, of young warriors
Nahum 2:14;
Ezekiel 38:13 (?; see Co above); righteous compared with,
Proverbs 28:1; king's wrath like roaring of,
Proverbs 19:12;
Proverbs 20:2; of one of faces of cherubim
Ezekiel 41:19.
Topical Lexicon
OverviewThe term designates a vigorous young lion, fully capable of hunting but not yet the seasoned patriarch. Scripture employs this image in literal narratives, poetic descriptions of the created order, and metaphorical portrayals of rulers, nations, and spiritual realities. Across roughly thirty–two occurrences the young lion stands for unbridled strength, hungry need, imminent danger, and, in the eschaton, restored harmony.
Linguistic Range and Imagery
1. Raw power in its prime—agile, fearless, and vocal.
2. Insatiable hunger—used to mark urgency and dependence (Psalm 104:21).
3. Threat to the vulnerable—ambush and tearing (Psalm 17:12).
4. Emblem of royal authority—kings compared to its roar (Proverbs 19:12; 20:2; 28:15).
5. Figure of hostile nations or invading armies—ferocity unleashed on Judah or neighboring peoples (Jeremiah 2:15;Isaiah 5:29).
6. Creature of future peace—tamed in Messiah’s reign (Isaiah 11:6).
Representative Biblical Occurrences
Literal Encounters
•Judges 14:5 – Samson counters a charging young lion, highlighting Spirit-empowered deliverance.
•Job 38:39 – The LORD reminds Job that He alone feeds young lions, emphasizing divine providence.
Worship and Wisdom Literature
•Psalm 34:10 – “The young lions lack and suffer hunger, but those who seek the LORD will lack no good thing.” Human need contrasts with God’s faithful provision.
•Psalm 104:21 – “The young lions roar for their prey and seek their food from God.” Even apex predators are dependent creatures.
•Proverbs 28:15 – Warns that oppressive rulers are as dangerous “as a roaring lion.”
Prophetic Warnings
•Jeremiah 2:15 – Devastation of the land illustrated by young lions’ roar.
•Ezekiel 19:2–9 – Princes of Judah groomed “as young lions,” later captured; a cautionary tale of squandered potential.
•Hosea 5:14 – The LORD Himself threatens to tear like a lion, depicting irresistible judgment.
Eschatological Hope
•Isaiah 11:6 – The young lion lies peacefully with livestock under Messiah’s rule.
•Hosea 11:10 – God’s future roar gathers His sons home, turning threat into restoration.
Historical and Cultural Background
Lions roamed the forests of the Jordan, the slopes of Carmel and Lebanon, and the Negev until at least the Persian era. Hunters, shepherds, and travelers feared their ambush along ravines (Jeremiah 12:5). Kings stocked menageries with them (cf. Assyrian reliefs), reinforcing associations with sovereignty. By New Testament times they were largely extinct in Palestine, sharpening the metaphorical weight of earlier texts.
Theological Significance
1. Creator–creature distinction: the fiercest animal seeks its sustenance from God (Psalm 104:21).
2. Moral inversion: rulers meant to protect instead prey on the weak, becoming young lions (Proverbs 28:15).
3. Covenant discipline: divine judgment is pictured as a lion’s mauling (Hosea 5:14), underscoring holiness.
4. Providence for the righteous: God can break “the teeth of the young lions” (Job 4:10) and silence their threat.
5. Eschatological reversal: the predator’s nature subdued without erasing its identity (Isaiah 11:6), revealing comprehensive redemption.
Prophetic and Messianic Implications
The young lion inIsaiah 11 stands within the larger promise of David’s Branch. The pacified predator foreshadows the healing of creation through the Messiah—a reversal achieved not by annihilating strength but by redirecting it under righteous rule. Hosea’s imagery moves from destructive roar to gathering roar (Hosea 11:10), tracing the arc from exile to restoration accomplished in Christ.
Practical Ministry Applications
• Courage: Samson’s victory over the young lion anticipates the believer’s triumph “in the strength of the LORD” over seemingly superior foes.
• Dependency: even lions go hungry; teach contentment in God’s provision (Psalm 34:10).
• Leadership: warn civil and ecclesiastical authorities against predatory governance (Proverbs 28:15).
• Spiritual warfare: while Satan prowls “like a roaring lion” (1 Peter 5:8), Christ is the Lion who overcame; believers resist by sober vigilance and faith.
• Hope: preach the day when aggressors are transformed, encouraging peacemaking now in anticipation of the age to come.
Connection with Christ and the Gospel
Revelation identifies Jesus as “the Lion of the tribe of Judah,” the ultimate fulfillment of lion imagery. Yet He conquered not by devouring but by being slain, subverting the violence associated with young lions. His resurrection power tames creation’s disorder, enactingIsaiah 11’s vision. Thus every Old Testament reference to the young lion—whether of terror, hunger, or roaring sovereignty—finds its resolution in the crucified and risen King who both commands and satisfies every creature.
Key Passages for Further Study
Judges 14:5–6;Job 4:10; 38:39–40; Psalms 17:12; 34:10; 91:13; 104:21;Proverbs 19:12; 20:2; 28:15;Song of Solomon 4:8;Isaiah 5:29; 11:6; 31:4;Jeremiah 2:15;Ezekiel 19:2–9;Hosea 5:14; 11:10;Joel 1:6;Zechariah 11:3.
Forms and Transliterations
בַּכְּפִירִ֖ים בכפירים הַ֭כְּפִירִים הכפירים וְ֝כִכְפִ֗יר וְהַכְּפִ֜יר וְכַכְּפִ֖יר וּכְפִ֤יר וּכְפִירַ֖יִךְ והכפיר וככפיר וכפיר וכפיריך כְּ֝פִירִ֗ים כְּ֭פִירִים כְּפִ֣יר כְּפִ֤יר כְּפִ֥יר כְּפִירִ֔ים כְּפִירִ֣ים כְּפִרִ֖ים כְּפִרֶ֙יהָ֙ כְפִ֥יר כְפִירִ֣ים כְפִרִ֔ים כִּכְפִ֖יר כִּכְפִ֥יר כַּ֭כְּפִיר כַּכְּפִ֖יר כַּכְּפִירִ֤ים כַּכְּפִרִ֣ים ככפיר ככפירים ככפרים כפיר כפירים כפריה כפרים לַכְּפִרִ֑ים לכפרים מִ֝כְּפִירִ֗ים מכפירים bak·kə·p̄î·rîm bakkefiRim bakkəp̄îrîm cheFir chefiRim hak·kə·p̄î·rîm Hakkefirim hakkəp̄îrîm kak·kə·p̄i·rîm kak·kə·p̄î·rîm kak·kə·p̄îr Kakkefir kakkefiRim kakkəp̄îr kakkəp̄irîm kakkəp̄îrîm kə·p̄i·re·hā kə·p̄i·rîm kə·p̄î·rîm ḵə·p̄i·rîm ḵə·p̄î·rîm kə·p̄îr ḵə·p̄îr keFir kefiReiha kefiRim kəp̄îr ḵəp̄îr kəp̄irehā kəp̄irîm kəp̄îrîm ḵəp̄irîm ḵəp̄îrîm kichFir kiḵ·p̄îr kiḵp̄îr lak·kə·p̄i·rîm lakkefiRim lakkəp̄irîm mik·kə·p̄î·rîm mikkefiRim mikkəp̄îrîm ū·ḵə·p̄î·ra·yiḵ ū·ḵə·p̄îr ucheFir uchefiRayich ūḵəp̄îr ūḵəp̄îrayiḵ vechakkeFir vechichFir vehakkeFir wə·hak·kə·p̄îr wə·ḵak·kə·p̄îr wə·ḵiḵ·p̄îr wəhakkəp̄îr wəḵakkəp̄îr wəḵiḵp̄îr
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