The roaring of the lion, and the voice of the fierce lion, and the teeth of the young lions, are broken.
Ver. 10. The roaring of the lion, &c.] Lest any should think, saith Mr Caryl, that the blast of God mentioned above carrieth away only straws and feathers, light and weak persons, into perdition, Eliphaz addeth the weightiest and the strongest, "The roaring of a lion," &c., q.d. God by his blast can take away or break the strongest, the mightiest lion like men, &c. Under the shadow of which allusions he closely strikes at Job, who was once a great man, a fierce spoiling lion in the apprehension of his friends, and yet God brought him down. Of tyrants and oppressors compared to lions, and why, see Nahum 2:11,12 Proverbs 28:15. See Trapp on " Nah 2:11 " See Trapp on " Nah 2:12 " See Trapp on " Pro 28:15 " The proverb is, The lion is not so fierce as he is painted. But no words can sufficiently set forth the atrocious savagery and cruelty of absurd and wicked men. See that of Nebuchadnezzar graphically described, Jeremiah 51:34, "He hath devoured me, he hath crushed me, he hath made me an empty vessel, he hath swallowed me up like a dragon, he hath filled his belly with my delicates, he hath cast me out."
The teeth of the young lions are broken] Or, pulled out, that they may no more devour the flesh and drink the blood of God's poor afflicted, that fell into their strong ones. Thus David had prayed, Psalms 58:6, and this he had proved: Psalms 3:7, "Thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly." God with his hard and heavy hand had so boxed and buffeted them, that they spat forth some of their teeth; and for the rest, they might go seek them in their throat; as Dares, that bold champion in Virgil, whom (when he had been soundly beaten by old Entellus) his fellows led away.
Iaetantemque utroque caput, crassumque cruorem
Ore reiectantem, ipsosque in sanguine dentes.
A just hand of God upon such as, exercising regimen without righteousness, ravin and rend, as lions greedy for their prey, plucking off the skins of their poor subjects, and pulling out their teeth, Micah 3:2 : as Melancthon telleth of one tyrant, who, to get great sums of money out of his people, used to send for them; and if they refused to answer his demands, he would first knock out one of their teeth, and then another, threatening to leave them toothless.