H5099 H5099
growling, roar; the threatening sound made by a lion
This masculine noun captures the menacing growl of a lion, used in Proverbs as a metaphor for royal anger. Both occurrences compare a king's wrath to a lion's roar—the terrifying sound that precedes attack. The imagery would have been vivid to ancient audiences familiar with lions in the region. Just as a lion's growl warns of mortal danger, so a king's displayed anger threatens those who provoke him. The sound itself becomes a symbol of lethal power.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Found in Proverbs 19:12 and 20:2, both comparing the king's wrath to a lion's growl. The multilingual evidence consistently translates this as 'growling' or 'roar' (English 'growling', Spanish 'rugido'), capturing the intimidating vocalization that signals danger. The parallel structure in both verses equates royal anger with the predator's warning sound. 2×
AR["زَئيرٌ"]·ben["গর্জন"]·DE["[נהם]"]·EN["growling"]·FR["נהם"]·heb["נהם"]·HI["गर्जना"]·ID["Auman"]·IT["growling"]·jav["gereng"]·KO["으르렛거림은"]·PT["Rugido"]·RU["рыкание"]·ES["Rugido"]·SW["kunguruma", "ngurumo"]·TR["kükremesi"]·urd["گرجنا"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† נַ֫הַם n.[m.] growling of lion;—fig. of king’s wrath Pr 19:12, cf. 20:2.