H5246 H5246
Leopard; a large spotted predatory cat used in prophetic imagery for swiftness, danger, and coming judgment.
The leopard (Panthera pardus), a powerful spotted predator that appears in Hebrew Scripture almost exclusively in prophetic and poetic contexts. Its defining characteristic in biblical usage is its spots -- Jeremiah 13:23 asks whether the leopard can change them, a proverb for the impossibility of moral transformation. Hosea 13:7 uses it as a metaphor for God's fierce judgment, while Habakkuk 1:8 emphasizes the terrifying swiftness of the Chaldean cavalry by comparing their horses to leopards. Isaiah 11:6 envisions the messianic age as a time when the leopard lies down with the young goat. The Spanish 'leopardo' and French 'leopard' directly reflect the same animal across all translation traditions.
Senses
1. leopard (animal) — The leopard (Panthera pardus), a large predatory cat known for its spotted coat, swiftness, and stealth. Biblical writers employ it consistently in figurative and prophetic language: Jeremiah 13:23 uses its unchangeable spots as a proverbial image; Habakkuk 1:8 highlights its speed in describing the Babylonian threat; Hosea 13:7 likens God's coming judgment to a lurking leopard; and Isaiah 11:6 places it alongside a kid goat in the peaceable kingdom vision. Song of Songs 4:8 references 'mountains of leopards' as a wild, dangerous landscape. All six occurrences point to the same animal across singular and plural forms. 6×
AR["كَنَمِرٍ", "مِنَ-النّمورِ", "نَمِرٌ", "نِمِيرِيم", "وَ-النَّمِرُ"]·ben["-চিতাবাঘদের।", "ও-চিতা", "ও-চিতাবাঘ", "চিতা-", "চিতাবাঘের-চেয়েও", "চিতাবাঘের-মতো"]·DE["[ונמר]", "[כנמר]", "[מנמרים]", "[נמר]", "[נמרים]"]·EN["and-leopard", "leopard", "leopards", "like-a-leopard", "or-leopard", "than-leopards"]·FR["[ונמר]", "[נמר]", "des-léopards.", "léopard"]·heb["ו-נמר", "כ-נמר", "מ-נמרים", "נמר", "נמרים"]·HI["और-चीता", "चीता", "चीतों-के", "चीतों-से", "तेंदुए-के-समान"]·ID["dan-macan-tutul", "dari-macan-tutul", "macan-tutul"]·IT["[ונמר]", "[כנמר]", "[מנמרים]", "[נמר]", "leopardo"]·jav["ing-margi", "lan-macan-tutul", "macan-tutul", "tinimbang-macan-tutul", "utawi-macan-tutul"]·KO["같으니라-표범에", "그리고-표범이", "표범-보다", "표범들-의", "표범이"]·PT["como-leopardo", "e-leopardo", "leopardo", "leopardos", "que-leopardos"]·RU["барс", "и-барс", "и-леопард", "как-леопард", "леопардов.", "чем-барсы"]·ES["como-leopardo", "leopardo", "los-leopardos", "que-leopardos", "y-leopardo"]·SW["au-chui", "chui", "kama-chui", "na-chui", "ya-chui"]·TR["-den-parslar", "pars", "pars-gibi", "parsların", "ve-leopar", "ve-pars"]·urd["اور-چیتا", "چیتا", "چیتوں-سے", "چیتوں-کے", "چیتے-کی-طرح"]
Related Senses
H6629 1. flock, sheep/goats (small livestock) (274×)H1241 1. cattle, herd (bovine livestock) (183×)H0352a 1. ram (male sheep) (156×)H6499 1. young bull, bullock (130×)H3532 1. lamb, young male sheep (105×)H2543 1. donkey (male ass) (96×)H7794 1. ox, bull (79×)H7462b 1. shepherd (agent noun) (76×)H5795 1. she-goat(s), female goat(s) (68×)H7462b 2. to shepherd, tend, pasture (60×)H1581 1. camel (domestic animal) (54×)H0738b 1. lion (46×)G4263 1. sheep (39×)H5739 1. flock or herd of livestock (38×)H5695 1. calf, young bull (35×)H0738a 1. lion (large predatory feline) (34×)H0860 1. female donkey (34×)H3611 1. dog (animal) (32×)H3715a 1. young lion, lion cub (31×)G0721 1. Lamb (29×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† נָמֵר n.m. Is 11:6 leopard;—abs. נ׳ Ho 13:7 + 3 times; pl. נְמֵרִים Hb 1:8; Ct 4:8;—leopard, as spotted Je 13:23, swift Hb 1:8, keen-eyed Je 5:6 (symb. of calamities of Isr.), so Ho 13:7 (sim. of י׳); נ׳ עִם־גְּדִי יִרְבָּ֑ץ Is 11:6 (predict.); הַרֲרֵי נְמֵרִים Ct 4:8 (‖ מְעֹנוֹת אֲרָיוֹת).