John Gill Commentary Psalms 17:12

"He is like a lion that is greedy of his prey, And as it were a young lion lurking in secret places." — Psalms 17:12 (ASV)

Like as a lion [that] is greedy of his prey
Or "the likeness of him is as a lion" ^F9 ; meaning Saul, as Kimchi interprets it; or everyone of them that compassed them about, as Aben Ezra observes; sometimes wicked and persecuting princes are compared to lions, for their strength and cruelty; see (Proverbs 28:15) (2 Timothy 4:17) ; so the devil is called a roaring lion, (1 Peter 5:8) ; and the antichristian beast is said to have the mouth of a lion, (Revelation 13:2) ;

and as it were a young lion lurking in secret places ;
to leap upon its prey, and seize it at once, as it has opportunity; this denotes the secret and insidious method which the enemies of Christ take to do mischief; see (Psalms 10:9Psalms 10:10) .

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FOOTNOTES:

• F9: (hyrak wnwymd) "similitudo ejus, vel cujusque est tanquam leonis", Pagninus, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius; so Musculus, Gejerus, Michaelis.