What a lioness was your mother among the lions! She lay down among them and reared her cubs. – Ezekiel 19:2

Today's Scripture Reading (June 27, 2023): Ezekiel 19

William Shakespeare, in his play "MacBeth" writes;

What man dare, I dare:
Approach thou like the rugged Russian bear,
The armed rhinoceros, or the Hyrcan tiger;
Take any shape but that, and my firm nerves
Shall never tremble: or be alive again.

"Macbeth" was first performed in front of an audience in 1606. In this scene, the titular character is being plagued by the ghost of Banquo, a fellow general in the King's army who Macbeth, at first, is allied with, but then the plot turns, and Macbeth has Banquo murdered. After Banquo's death, the ghost of the late general begins to haunt Macbeth. And Macbeth's comments here assert that he could easily handle a rugged Russian bear, an armed rhinoceros, or even a Hyrcan or Caspian tiger. But the ghost of Banquo is more than Macbeth can take.

What is significant about this quote is that it is the first Western reference to the "Russian Bear." The symbolism of the Great Bear of Russia was already established before Shakespeare wrote his play. However, "Macbeth" proves how important the bear had become in culture as a description of Russia, just as the Eagle has come to represent the United States today.

And in Ezekiel's day, the "Lion of Judah" was already a well-known image that described Judah and, even more specifically, Jerusalem. Jerusalem, the city of David, is often described as lying down among the lions of the nation or the Kings of Judah. It is a powerful image, yet the lions were eventually defeated and tamed in this passage.

The image of a lion connected with the Kings of Judah dates back to Jacob's prophecy over his son Judah.

You are a lion's cub, Judah;
    you return from the prey, my son.
Like a lion he crouches and lies down,
    like a lioness—who dares to rouse him (Genesis 49:9)

God picks up the image with Ezekiel here. But while Jacob's words in Genesis 49 are intended as praise of his son, Judah, here they are part of a lament.

At the time of Ezekiel, lions would have been a common sight in Judah. And these Judean lions wouldn't disappear from Judah until after the time of the Crusades.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Ezekiel 20

Personal Note: Happy 64^th Anniversary to my Mom and Dad.