Tigers are the largest living cats. They are native to the tropical forests and grasslands of South and Southeast Asia, with a smaller population in Central Asia. Their range includes Russia, India, China’s Siberian region, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh.
Tiger cubs are born without stripes and earn them as they grow older. It is believed to be a sign of strength for tigers to obtain their stripes, so when a tiger cub does get a stripe, it shows that they are growing into an adult tiger. The Bible teaches us that all believers are like babies, but with Christ, we grow stronger and stronger, like the tiger cub that grows its stripes.
Verses About Tigers
When it comes to the topic of tigers, the Bible actually has several verses that mention them. Tigers are powerful and majestic creatures, symbolizing strength, courage, and fierceness. In the Bible, lions and leopards are mentioned but no tigers.
The Hebrew word behemoth is only mentioned once in Biblical text, in a speech from the mouth of God in the Book of Job. It is a primeval creature created by God and so powerful that only God can overcome him: Take now behemoth, whom I made as I did you; He eats grass, like the cattle.
Let’s take a look at some Bible verses that mention tigers:
1. Job 4:10-11
“The lion perishes for lack of prey, and the cubs of the lioness are scattered. Now a word was brought to me stealthily; my ear received the whisper of it.”
2. Proverbs 30:30
“The lion which is mighty among beasts and does not turn away for any.”
3. 1 Peter 5:8
“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”
4. Psalm 104:21
“The young lions roar for their prey, seeking their food from God.”
5. Jeremiah 25:38
“He has forsaken His lair like the lion; for their land has become a horror because of the fierceness of the oppressor, and because of His burning anger.”
6. Isaiah 11:6
“The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them.”
7. Daniel 6:22
“My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.”
8. Ephesians 6:12
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”
9. Amos 3:8
“The lion has roared; who will not fear? The Lord God has spoken; who can but prophesy?”
10. Revelation 5:5
“And one of the elders said to me, ‘Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.'”
As we can see from these verses, tigers and other fierce animals are often used as metaphors in the Bible to represent power, strength, and even evil forces. It is important to be aware of these symbolic references in order to better understand the deeper meanings behind the biblical text.