King James Version

Proverbs 28:15

As a roaring lion, and a ranging bear; so is a wicked ruler over the poor people.

Study

Hebrew

Tap a word to see its meaning. Words run left to right in English reading order.

אֲרִיarilionאֲרִיnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “lion”, the ordinary formH738a lion(young) lion, [phrase] pierce (from the margin).נֹ֭הֵםnohemmournנָהַםverb, qal, participle, absolute — “mourn”, a verb used as a describing wordH5098to growlmourn, roar(-ing).וְדֹ֣בvedovand bearדֹּבconjunction, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “and bear”, the ordinary formH1677the bear (as slow)bear.שׁוֹקֵ֑קshoqeqhave appetiteשָׁקַקverb, qal, participle, absolute — “have appetite”, a verb used as a describing wordH8264to course (like a beast of prey); by implication, to seek greedilyhave appetite, justle one against another, long, range, run (to and fro).מֹשֵׁ֥לmoshelruleמָשַׁלverb, qal, participle, absolute — “rule”, a verb used as a describing wordH4910to rule(have, make to have) dominion, governor, [idiom] indeed, reign, (bear, cause to, have) rule(-ing, -r), have power.רָ֝שָׁ֗עrashaguiltyרָשָׁעadjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “guilty”, the ordinary formH7563morally wrong; concretely, an (actively) bad person[phrase] condemned, guilty, ungodly, wicked (man), that did wrong.עַ֣לalaboveעַלpreposition — “above”H5921above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsabove, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of,…עַםampeopleעַםnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “people”, the ordinary formH5971a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flockfolk, men, nation, people.דָּֽלdalleanדַּלadjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “lean”, the ordinary formH1800properly, dangling, i.e. (by implication) weak or thinlean, needy, poor (man), weaker.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

As a roaring lion, and a ravenous bear; so is a wicked ruler over a poor people.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

As a roaring lion, and a ranging bear, So is a wicked ruler over a poor people.

Young’s Literal Translation

A growling lion, and a ranging bear, [Is] the wicked ruler over a poor people.

World English Bible

As a roaring lion or a charging bear, so is a wicked ruler over helpless people.

Darby Translation

A roaring lion, and a ranging bear, is a wicked ruler over a poor people.

Douay-Rheims

As a roaring lion, and a hungry bear, so is a wicked prince over the poor people.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

As a roaring lion, and a ravenous bear; so is a wicked ruler over a poor people.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

A hungry lion and a thirsty wolf is he , who, being poor, rules over a poor nation.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Λέων πεινῶν καὶ λύκος διψῶν, ὃς τυραννεῖ, πτωχὸς ὢν, ἔθνους πενιχροῦ.