Micah 5:8

Lion. This denotes the fortitude of these first preachers, and their success in their spiritual enterprises. (Challoner) --- The Jews, by leave of Assuerus, defended themselves; and the Machabees became terrible, Esther ix., and 1 Machabees iii. 4. The power of the latter was established, while the efforts of Eupator and of other Syrian persecutors for sixty years, down to Zebina, proved fruitless or destructive to themselves. (Calmet)