Dragon, sea monster

The word tannin is traditionally translated as “serpent” or “snake” in Exodus 7:9–12 and also in Deuteronomy 32:33 and Psalm 91:13, where the word occurs in parallel with another word for “snake". (See 4.9 Snake.) Apart from these references and Nehemiah 2:13 and Lamentations 4:3 (where the word means “jackal"), in all other occurrences tannin is used to refer to a mythical sea monster. It seems likely that tannin is a generic word for all such mythical sea monsters, and that behemoth and livyathan are the names of two specific monsters. In later Rabbinic literature the beliefs about these monsters were expanded and developed, and they were used in apocalyptic writings, where the monsters represent the enemies of Israel.

Another possibility has been suggested by the Jewish scholars Cassuto and Hacham in their commentaries on Exodus. They note that, while in Exodus 4:3 Moses’ rod is said to turn into a nahash in the desert, along the banks of the Nile (Exodus 7) Aaron’s rod turns into a tannin, which they interpret to mean “crocodile". Each miracle would then be appropriate to its setting: a snake in the desert, a crocodile by the river. Hacham also points out that in Ezekiel 29:3 Pharaoh is called “the great crocodile [tanim ] that lies in the midst of his rivers,” and that the Egyptians used to worship the crocodile. While no translation has adopted this proposal, it should be given serious consideration. (A picture of a crocodile appears below in 7.3 Leviathan.)

The Greek word drakōn is translated as “dragon” in all English versions, except in the NEB translation of Sirach 25:16, where it is translated as “snake". In the Septuagint translation of the Hebrew Bible, drakōn is normally used to translate the Hebrew tannin.

The Greek word kētos refers to any giant creature. In most cases it is used for sea monsters, but NEB translates this word as “whale".