Lexical Summary gur: To sojourn, to dwell as a foreigner or temporary resident Original Word: גּוּר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance whelp, young one Or (shortened) gur {goor}; perhaps from guwr; a cub (as still abiding in the lair), especially of the lion -- whelp, young one. see HEBREW guwr NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom gur Definition a whelp NASB Translation cub (1), cubs (3), whelp (2), young (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs II. גּוּר noun masculineEzekiel 19:3,5 whelp, young — construct גּוּר(אַרְיֵהׅ Genesis 49:9 2t.; suffix גּוּרֶיהָ Ezekiel 19:2, גֻּרֶיהָ Ezekiel 19:3,5, גּוּרֵיהֶן Lamentations 4:3; — 1 lion's whelps, figurative of Judah Genesis 49:9; of Dan Deuteronomy 33:22; of Assyrian (prince ?) Nahum 2:12; figurative of Israelites Ezekiel 19:2,3,5 ("" כְּפִיר). 2 young of jackals (תַּנִּין) Lamentations 4:3. Topical Lexicon Essential Imagery גּוּר pictures the “lion’s cub,” a youthful predator already marked by strength and latent royalty. Scripture employs the term to convey promise, potential, and impending power, whether for blessing or judgment. Tribal Blessings: Promise of Future Dominion Genesis 49:9 and Deuteronomy 33:22 set the tone. Judah and Dan are each likened to a lion cub—small in stature yet destined to rule. In Jacob’s blessing the tribe of Judah will mature from “a lion’s cub” to the scepter-bearing tribe. Moses’ benediction over Dan equally foresees aggressive expansion: “Dan is a lion’s cub, leaping from Bashan” (Deuteronomy 33:22). Both statements affirm God-ordained growth from hidden potential to visible sovereignty. Prophetic Drama: Royal Ambition and National Collapse Ezekiel 19 uses גּוּר to portray the last kings of Judah. The lioness (the Davidic line) “reared her cubs” (Ezekiel 19:2). Each cub—symbolically Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, and Zedekiah—learned to “tear prey” yet ultimately fell to foreign cages. The same word that once spoke hope now underscores tragic failure; royal promise squandered through covenant unfaithfulness. Nahum 2:11 turns the metaphor outward against Nineveh: “Where is the lions’ den, the feeding ground of the young lions…?” Assyria had strutted like fierce cubs, but divine judgment would leave their lair desolate. גּוּר therefore becomes an indictment of pagan arrogance and a reassurance that the LORD rules over even the most fearsome empires. Maternal Compassion versus Human Cruelty Lamentations 4:3 contrasts creation’s instinct with Judah’s collapse: “Even jackals offer the breast to nurse their young, but the daughter of my people has become cruel.” The young (גּוּר) of jackals receive compassion unavailable to Jerusalem’s infants during the siege. The image intensifies the prophetic grief: covenant people have sunk beneath animal instinct. Ministry Applications 1. Spiritual Growth. Like a lion’s cub, every believer and congregation carries God-given potential that must mature under His discipline and Word. Christological Echo The lion imagery finds its culmination in Revelation 5:5 where “the Lion of the tribe of Judah” prevails. Jesus embodies the perfect progression from humble “cub” in Bethlehem to sovereign King, securing the blessings foretold in Genesis 49 and redeeming the failures exposed in Ezekiel and Lamentations. Key References Genesis 49:9; Deuteronomy 33:22; Lamentations 4:3; Ezekiel 19:2 – 5; Nahum 2:11 Forms and Transliterations גּ֣וּר גּ֤וּר גּ֥וּר גּוּרֵיהֶ֑ן גוּרֶֽיהָ׃ גור גוריה׃ גוריהן מִגֻּרֶ֖יהָ מגריה ḡū·re·hā gū·rê·hen gur gūr ḡūrehā gūrêhen guReiha gureiHen mig·gu·re·hā miggurehā migguReihaLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 49:9 HEB: גּ֤וּר אַרְיֵה֙ יְהוּדָ֔ה NAS: is a lion's whelp; From the prey, KJV: [is] a lion's whelp: from the prey, INT: whelp a lion's Judah Deuteronomy 33:22 Lamentations 4:3 Ezekiel 19:2 Ezekiel 19:3 Ezekiel 19:5 Nahum 2:11 7 Occurrences |
    |