Verses 10 and 11 may be taken together, since they employ the same image, and they are related by 10 being the reason and 11 the result. It is the picture of the fate of a family of lions, apparently understood as an illustration of what happens to the wicked. Some scholars regard these verses as later additions and question their relevance to the context. However, their style is that of the author of Job, and the lion is commonly used as an image of enemies and the wicked, as in Psalm 17.12; 22.13, 21; Proverbs 28.15.

The lion was a real source of danger to shepherds in that part of the world. Job could easily understand from these words that he is the evil person in the guise of the lion, but Eliphaz does not assert this. The intent of the two verses is simply to say the lion is dead, and therefore the young have no food; so they are forced to scatter.

Verse 10 has only one verb, broken, and three subjects: roar, voice, and teeth. Literally the verb can apply only to teeth. But in poetry words are not always used in the regular manner. Here the verb broken applies to the roar and the growling, in the sense that the noise of them has “broken off, faded away, disappeared, become silent,” and the young hunting lions can’t kill their prey because their teeth have been broken. That is to say, they have lost their power.

In verse 11 the mature lion dies because there is no prey, and the small offspring are forced to scatter in search of something to eat. Prey refers to animals that lions capture, kill, and eat. Verse 10 provides the reason for the more straightforward consequence in verse 11. The poetic effect of placing the process (or cause) before the result in Hebrew poetry is always to give emphasis and focus to the latter.

Good News Translation has made the implication clear in line a with “The wicked roar and growl like lions.” A simile has been used in both verses, and “the wicked” and “their children” are associated with the lions and their offspring. In verse 10 Good News Translation has introduced God as the one who “silences them and breaks their teeth.” The metaphor of breaking the teeth now applies to the wicked. This may not be appropriate in some languages. It is not necessary to use several synonyms for lion or even various attributives, as seen in Bible en français courant “God silences the growling of lions, and he breaks the teeth of these ferocious beasts. Without any prey, the wild animals perish, while their little ones are scattered far.” In areas where people are not familiar with the lion, it may be necessary to use a different animal of prey.

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, Wiliam. A Handbook on Job. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1992. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .