Abstract
Although wolves are sometimes portrayed favorably in the Bible, overall they are not among the Biblical writers' favorite animals--especially when compared to their typical prey, sheep. A colorful combination of these two creatures appears at Matthew 7:15, where the King James Version reads "Beware of false prophets, which come to. you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves." From this passage comes the expression "a wolf in sheep's clothing," which usually describes someone who hides malevolent intent under a cloak or facade of kindness. Writers in the popular press employ this imagery in a seemingly infinite variety of contexts, but not always with the precise meaning applied to false prophecy by the author of the Gospel of Matthew. Greenspoon discusses the usage of this imagery heard and seen often in cars, human beings, and the African dictator in the movie The Last King of Scotland.