4

What was the leviathan?



    
    

Clarify Share Report Asked July 01 2013 Mini Anonymous (via GotQuestions)

Community answers are sorted based on votes. The higher the vote, the further up an answer is.

13
Shea S. Michael Houdmann Supporter Got Questions Ministries
The leviathan is a large aquatic creature of some kind. The Bible refers to it as a fearsome beast having monstrous ferocity and great power. The Hebrew word for "Leviathan" has the root meaning of...

July 01 2013 0 responses Vote Up Share Report


9
Eced7a1f c81d 42f4 95ea 9d5719dce241 Singapore Moses Messenger of God, CEO in IT industry, Astronaut, Scientist
Hebrew: Leviathan (H3882), great sea serpent, literally it is the serpent of Eden that deceived the 100% mankind immediately after Adam and Eve were created a symbolically it is of Satan (Ps. 74:14; 104:26; Job 41:1; Isa. 27:1). 

✿ Fifty Six fold description of Leviathan 
1. He cannot be taken with a hook like a fish (Job 41:1). 
2. His tongue cannot be snared with a rope. 
3. His nose cannot be hooked (Job 41:2). 
4. Jaws cannot be bored through with a thorn (ring).
5. He does not beg for his life (Job 41:3). 
6. He cannot be made a servant of man (Job 41:4). 
7. He cannot be tamed (Job 41:5). 
8. He is not edible (Job 41:6). 
9. He cannot be divided and sold. 
10. His skin cannot be filled with barbed irons in taking him (Job 41:7).
11. His head cannot be filled with fish spears in capturing him. 
12. In seeking to take him, all that a man can do is to fight him and no more (Job 41:8).
13. The hope of taking him in battle is vain (Job 41:9). 
14. Men give up in any fight with him when they see him. 
15. No man is so fierce that he can stir him up any more than he can stand against God--and who will dare fight with God (Job 41:10-11)? 
16. God alone is not confounded by his parts (limbs), power, and frame (Job 41:12).
17. No man can discover the face of his garment or his skin (Job 41:13). 
18. No man can bridle him. 
19. No man can open his jaws (Job 41:14). 
20. His scales are his pride (Job 41:15). 
21. His scales are shut up together as with a close seal. 
22. One scale is so near another that no air can come between them (Job 41:16). 
23. The scales are joined one to another (Job 41:17). 
24. They stick together. 
25. They cannot be separated. 
26. Light shoots out of his nostrils when he sneezes (Job 41:18). 
27. His eyes look like two suns that come up in the morning. 
28. Burning torches shoot out of his mouth when it is open (Job 41:19). 
29. Sparks of fire leap out when his mouth is open. 
30. Smoke goes out of his nostrils when he breathes, as out of a boiling pot. 
31. His breath kindles the coals of his mouth into flames of fire (Job 41:21). 
32. His neck is exceedingly strong (Job 41:22). 
33. Sorrow (terror) is turned into joy (dances) before him. 
34. His flesh is not flabby and soft, but solid and firm (Job 41:23). 
35. His flesh cannot be moved. 
36. His heart is as firm as a hard millstone (Job 41:24). 
37. The mighty are afraid when he raises himself up to attack (Job 41:25). 
38. By reason of breakings (destruction wrought by him) the mighty purify themselves (miss the mark and flee in terror). 
39. The sword (harpoon) that is put into him cannot hold (penetrate his hard skin, Job 41:26). 
40. The spear, dart, and other weapons have no effect on him. 
41. He esteems iron as weak straw (Job 41:27). 
42. He esteems brass as rotten wood. 
43. Arrows have no effect on him (Job 41:28). 
44. Slingstones fall off him like stubble (Job 41:28). 
45. Darts are also counted as stubble by him (Job 41:29). 
46. He laughs at the spear. 
47. He walks and lies on sharp stones which have no effect on him (Job 41:30). 
48. Sharp pointed stones are as soft to him as clay.
49. Wherever he goes he makes the water to boil like a pot (Job 41:31). 
50. He stirs the sea up into a foam like a pot of ointment. 
51. He makes a foamy path in the water after him (Job 41:32). 
52. He makes the deep to appear hoary (white) and foamy. 
53. There is nothing like him on earth (Job 41:33). 
54. He is without fear.
55. He beholds all high things (Job 41:34). 
56. He is king over all the children of pride. 

This is no doubt a Leviathan aka Serpent of Eden is the enemy of both God and man. Certain statements in this description could refer only to a supernatural being, as in Isa. 27:1; Rev. 12. In Job 41:34 he is called "the king over all the children of pride. (Eph. 2:1-3)

February 14 2018 0 responses Vote Up Share Report


5
Mini Daniel O'Hara
The Hebrew word "לִוְיָתָן" "Leviathan" is only mentioned in the Bible 5 times. 2 times in Job, 2 times in Psalm, once in Isaiah. Job 41 gives the most extensive description of this creature. The Hebrew word for leviathan means "serpent, sea monster, or dragon." Now, is it a serpent? Not in the sense of it being a "snake". Now there are some descriptions of a snake given in Job 40 but it does not match all of them. It gives several examples of swords and spears not being able to pierce it. 

I used to mow lawns. Whenever you ran over a snake with a blade or used a blade to stab a snake it would go right through it. So, snake.....I don't think so. At least 6 times this passages to fire and this creature together. One verse even says "out of his mouth go burning lamps, and sparks and fire leap out" Job 41:19. Several other verses (I challenge you to read Job 41) talk about his scales and that not sword, spear, sharp rocks or arrows can pierce it. This creature sounds an awful lot to me like a fire breathing dragon. 

You might say "those are fairy tales". Well the Bible talks about dragons 26 times. From the old testament all the way to the book of Revelation. Now we also have one problem to address: the leviathan, as seen by its Hebrew definition, is a water creature. What dragon lives in the water? Well up until the mid 1800's dinosaurs were called........dragons. So could the leviathan be a fire breathing....dinosaur? That is exactly what this is. If someone says to you that "Well it can't be a dinosaur, they went extinct millions or years ago." I have just a few simple questions: 

1. How do you know the world is millions of years old? 2. How do you know there aren't any dinosaurs just because you've never seen one? Well, problem: my Bible says that "In the beginning GOD created the heaven and the earth". Not millions and billions of years. 
2. God told Noah to take 2 of of every animal after their own kind (7 of some). And Job lived after Noah. Job before he talks about Noah he talks about the Behemoth. It's not a elephant, it's not a hippo its a braceasaurus, it's a dinosaur. If you believe that dinosaurs went extinct millions or years ago it means you don't believe the Bible. You say, "Well it can't be a fire breathing dinosaur, those didn't exist." My Bible says they did because God describes one to Job in terminology that makes it sound like Job was very very very familiar with this creature. 

So conclusion: I would encourage you to look up creation evangelist Kent Hovind and also "Answers in Genesis" by Ken Ham for more on this. The Leviathan is more than likely a plesiosaurus.

January 24 2019 0 responses Vote Up Share Report


2
Internet image Ben Jones Retired Professional Photographer
I firmly believe that dinosaurs and mankind walked the earth together, mostly prior to Noah's flood. All air breathing animals except those that were saved in the ark died. Perhaps some dinosaurs babies were aboard. Sea dwelling animals also died but there is a good possibility that some air breathing amphibious creatures could have survived, possibly the Leviathan creature. The fire breathing could be a problem however as most animals have a fleshly mouth! 

There are carvings done about 1200 AD at the temples at Angkor in Tibet which clearly show a stegosaurus. The first fossilized bones of a stegosaurus was discovered in 1876 in Colorado, in fact no dinosaur bones were discovered until 1819. Maybe St. George actually did slay a "dragon" (dinosaur.)

September 07 2021 0 responses Vote Up Share Report


Add your Answer

All answers are REVIEWED and MODERATED.
Please ensure your answer MEETS all our guidelines.

What makes a good answer? ▼

A good answer provides new insight and perspective. Here are guidelines to help facilitate a meaningful learning experience for everyone.

  1. Adhere to the eBible Statement of Faith.
  2. Your answer should be complete and stand-alone.
  3. Include supporting arguments, and scripture references if possible. Seek to answer the "why".
  4. Adhere to a proper tone and spirit of love and understanding.
  5. For more info see The Complete Guide to eBible
Header
  1. 4000 characters remaining