What does lion of judah mean?

In Christianity, the Lion of Judah epithet is used to refer to Jesus Christ, but that's not where the relevance and meaning of this symbol ends. The Lion of Judah is an ancient symbol. The sign represents the Israelite tribe of Judah throughout the Old Testament of the Hebrew Bible. read more

The Lion of Judah is the symbol of the Hebrew tribe of Judah (the Jewish tribe). According to the Torah, the tribe consists of the descendants of Judah, the fourth son of Jacob. The association between Judah and the lion, most likely the Asiatic lion, can first be found in the blessing given by Jacob to his son Judah in the Book of Genesis. read more

Second, the alleged parallels are only approximate parallels. In Genesis 49:9 there is no lion of Judah; rather, Judah is a lion. In 2 (4) Esdras 11:37; 12:1, 31 the Messiah is pictured as a lion, but not specifically of Judah. In the Testament of Judah 24:5 the Messiah is from Judah but not specifically as a lion. read more