And she brought up one of her whelps,.... Or sons, as the Targum: or, "made him to ascend" t, as the word signifies; to mount the throne; this was Jehoahaz, whom the people of the land took and anointed him, and made him king in the stead of Josiah his father,
it become a young lion; that is, a king, as the same Targum explains it, and a tyrannical and arbitrary one:
and it learned to catch the prey; being instructed by evil counsellors, he soon learned to oppress his subjects, to get their substance from them, and do many evil things, as he is said to do, 2 Kings 23:32;
it devoured men; or a man, Adam, the people of Israel, so called,
Ezekiel 34:31; as the Jews frequently observe; it ate up and destroyed their liberties, privileges, and property.
t ותעל "et ascendere fecit", Pagninus, Montanus, Tigurine version.