So I will pounce on them
The phrase "pounce on them" conveys a sudden and fierce attack, reminiscent of a predator seizing its prey. In Hebrew, the imagery here is vivid, drawing from the natural world to illustrate God's impending judgment on Israel. The lion, a symbol of strength and authority, represents God's power and the inevitability of His justice. Historically, lions were common in the ancient Near East, and their behavior was well-known to the people of Israel. This metaphor would have been a stark reminder of the consequences of turning away from God, emphasizing His role as both protector and judge.

like a lion
The lion is often used in Scripture to symbolize both majesty and terror. In the context of Hosea, it underscores the seriousness of Israel's sin and the severity of God's response. The lion's roar and its prowess in hunting are metaphors for God's voice and His decisive action. In the ancient world, lions were feared and respected, much like the divine authority of God. This imagery serves to remind the Israelites of the power and sovereignty of God, who is not to be trifled with.

like a leopard
The leopard, known for its stealth and agility, adds another layer to the metaphor. While the lion represents overt power, the leopard symbolizes the unexpected and unavoidable nature of God's judgment. In the Hebrew text, the leopard's characteristics highlight the swiftness and precision with which God will act. This serves as a warning to Israel that their complacency and false security will not protect them from divine retribution. The leopard's ability to blend into its surroundings until the moment of attack parallels how God's judgment may come when least expected.

on the path I will lurk
The imagery of lurking on the path suggests a deliberate and strategic positioning, indicating that God's judgment is not random but purposeful. In ancient times, paths were essential for travel and trade, and they were also places of vulnerability. The Hebrew word for "lurk" implies a hidden presence, ready to spring forth at the opportune moment. This serves as a metaphor for God's omnipresence and His awareness of Israel's actions. It is a call for the people to recognize their waywardness and return to the path of righteousness before it is too late.

(7) I will be . . .--More correctly, have become . . . as a panther in the way do I lie in wait. The idea of this and the following verses is that of a Divine judgment suspended over Israel, destined soon to fall with overwhelming ruin (721 B.C.). The English version follows the interpretation of the Targum. But the LXX., Vulg., and Syriac versions are based on a slightly different reading of the text contained in some Hebrew MSS. They render, "as a panther on the way to Assyria."

Verses 7, 8. - These verses teach that the result of their sins is inevitable destruction, and that Jehovah, merciful and gracious though he is, has now divested himself of all compassion on them. The appropriateness of the terrible figures here employed arises from the fact that Israel had been compared in the previous verse to a flock fed and filled in a luxuriant pasture; the punishment of that flock is now fitly compared to "the tearing in pieces and devouring of that fattened flock by wild beasts." The beasts in question are a lion, a leopard, a bear, a lioness, and fierce wild beasts in general. Verse 7. - Therefore I will be unto them as a lion. The verb, וָךאהִי is the future changed into the preterit or past tense by vav consecutive, and marks the consequence of forgetting God. So Aben Ezra: "The preterit in reference to the evils which Jehovah brought upon them." While the past thus implies that the punishment has commenced, the futures which follow denote its continuance. Rosenmüller regards the preterit here as prophetic and continuative, and paraphrases the meaning by, "I have at length become and have been, and shall continue to be to them." He considers the reference of the preterit to be to past disasters, especially the various defeats sustained by Israel at the hand of the Syrians (2 Kings 8:12; 2 Kings 10:32) and the Assyrians (2 Kings 15:29). He also very aptly compares Isaiah 63:7-10 in relation to the subject in hand. The Prophet Isaiah, after relating the loving-kindnesses of the Lord and his praises and his great goodness to the house of Israel on the one hand, and their rebellion and vexing his Holy Spirit on the other hand, adds, "Therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them." As a leopard by the way will I observe them. The lion and the leopard are frequently conjoined, as animals of like natural ferocity, by the ancients both in sacred and secular writings. The outlook on the way is for the purpose of springing upon the passers-by. The word אשׁוּר is properly

(1) the future of שוּר, to look around, and thence, to lie in wait; but

(2) some, taking the initial aleph as radical and the word as participle of אָשַׁר, translate it by "trodden way," that is, away trodden and frequented by men and animals. The LXX. and Vulgate again, also Jerome, Hitzig, and Ewald,

(3) translate it by" on the way of the Assyrians," either referring to the time when they would be led captive by the Assyrians or when they persisted in going thither to sue for aid. But the name of Assyria is always written אָשוּר, as Rashi rightly observes: "In every place where אשׁי occurs in Scripture (i.e. as a proper name) it has daghesh (i.e. in the shin); yet here it has raphe, [to show] that it is not the name of a place, but a verb: 'I observe and keep watch,' as 'I shall observe him, but not nigh' (Numbers 24:17)." Kimchi explains the verse as follows: "Because they have forgotten me, I also have rejected them, and have left them in the hand of the peoples; and have become to them like a lion or leopard, which observes the way, and is prepared to tear whatever passes by it on the way. Just so have I been to them, for I have caused their enemies to rule over them, and they have not had power to deliver themselves from their hand until they returned to me, and I took pity upon them."

Parallel Commentaries ...

So I will pounce
וָאֱהִ֥י (wā·’ĕ·hî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

on them
לָהֶ֖ם (lā·hem)
Preposition | third person masculine plural
Strong's Hebrew

like
כְּמוֹ־ (kə·mōw-)
Preposition
Strong's 3644: Like, as, when

a lion;
שָׁ֑חַל (šā·ḥal)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7826: A lion

like a leopard
כְּנָמֵ֖ר (kə·nā·mêr)
Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5246: A leopard

on
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

the path
דֶּ֥רֶךְ (de·reḵ)
Noun - common singular
Strong's 1870: A road, a course of life, mode of action

I will lurk.
אָשֽׁוּר׃ (’ā·šūr)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 7789: To spy out, survey, lurk for, care for


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OT Prophets: Hosea 13:7 Therefore I am like a lion (Ho Hs Hos.)