Psalms 17:12

Like as a lion that is greedy of his prey ,.... Or "the likeness of him is as a lion" F9 דמיונו כאריה "similitudo ejus, vel cujusque est tanquam leonis", Pagninus, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius; so Musculus, Gejerus, Michaelis. ; meaning Saul, as Kimchi interprets it; or everyone of them that compassed them about, as Aben Ezra observes; sometimes wicked and persecuting princes are compared to lions, for their strength and cruelty; see Proverbs 28:15 ; so the devil is called a roaring lion, 1 Peter 5:8 ; and the antichristian beast is said to have the mouth of a lion, Revelation 13:2 ;

and as it were a young lion lurking in secret places ; to leap upon its prey, and seize it at once, as it has opportunity; this denotes the secret and insidious method which the enemies of Christ take to do mischief; see Psalm 10:9 .