Faithlife Study Bible (FSB) is your guide to the ancient world of the Old and New Testaments, with study notes and articles that draw from a wide range of academic research. FSB helps you learn how to think about interpretation methods and issues so that you can gain a deeper understanding of the text.
104:25–26 Read in terms of Gen 1:1–2:4; Psa 104:25–26 corresponds to the creation of the sea creatures in day five of creation. Verse 24 is part of the previous section of the psalm because it mentions all of the creatures of the earth.
104:25 animals The word remes used here describes swarming creatures in Gen 1.
104:26 Leviathan A legendary sea monster
in the ancient Near East
Several ot passages mention ancient monsters to make a theological point (e.g., Job 3:8). However, even when the monsters receive full attention in a passage, they remain mysterious (e.g., Job 40:15–41:34). While large, powerful creatures do exist in the world, the portrayals of the ancient monsters are primarily meant to be symbols of the uncontrollable power of nature.
Unlike the gods of the ancient Near East, Yahweh does not need to battle these primordial monsters to gain control of creation; instead He effortlessly controls them because He created them.
Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., Whitehead, M. M., Grigoni, M. R., & Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (Ps 104:25–26). Lexham Press.
Leviathan
The Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible gathers nearly 5,000 alphabetically ordered articles that thoroughly yet clearly explain all the books, persons, places, and significant terms found in the Bible. The Dictionary also explores the background of each biblical book and related writings and discusses cultural, natural, geographical, and literary phenomena.
Leviathan (Heb. liwyāṯān)
A primeval sea serpent representing chaos.
Leviathan appears in the Ugaritic texts as Lītānū. KTU 1.5 I, 1 describes how Baal smote Lītānū, “the twisting [cf. Arab. lawiyā] serpent, the tyrant with seven heads” (likewise Anat [KTU 1.3 III, 40–42], but lacking the name Lītānū). Ancient Near Eastern iconography consistently depicts the storm-god conquering the serpent.
Yahweh’s conquest of Leviathan in Ps. 74:14 (note the “heads”) is part of his creative activity (vv. 12–17). This connection underlies Job 3:8 as well: while cursing his birthday (in terms reversing the creation of Gen. 1) Job invokes “those who are skilled to rouse up Leviathan.” Job’s reference to Yahweh piercing “the fleeing serpent” (Job 26:13) also occurs in a creation context (cf. KTU 1.5 I, 1).
In Ps. 104:26, however, the conquest motif is abandoned: Leviathan is simply one of God’s creatures, and a playful one at that. Levithan is discussed at length in Job 41:1–34. Many see the crocodile here, but his ability to breath fire and smoke, the inability of humans to subdue him, and the overwhelming terror he instills all argue for a mythological creature Yahweh is able to subdue but Job cannot.
In Isa. 27:1 the mythology comes full circle, with Yahweh defeating Leviathan (again) as a new creation in the eschatological age; the lexical contacts with KTU 1.5 I, 1 are particularly striking.
The “seven-headed dragon” is equated with Satan in Rev. 12:3, 9 and echoed in the seven-headed beast of 13:1; 17:3. Postbiblical Jewish literature envisions Leviathan, along with Behemoth, as the main course at the messianic banquet (1 En. 60:7–9, 24; 2 Esdr. 6:49–52; 2 Bar. 29:4).
Bibliography. J. Day, God’s Conflict with the Dragon and the Sea (Cambridge, 1985); C. Uehlinger, “Leviathan,” DDD, 511–15.
John L. McLaughlin
McLaughlin, J. L. (2000). Leviathan. In D. N. Freedman, A. C. Myers, & A. B. Beck (Eds.), Eerdmans dictionary of the Bible (p. 803). W.B. Eerdmans.
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