He played with lions as with young goats, and with bears as with lambs of the flock: See 1 Sam 17.34-36. This does not mean that David played games with wild animals. It means that lions and bears were child’s play to him. Dealing with a lion or bear was no more serious a matter than dealing with a young sheep or goat. He made sport of them. An alternative model is:

• Lions and bears were nothing to him—no more fearful than a lamb or a little goat.

For lions see 4.30; for bears see 25.27.

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Sirach. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.