Topical Bible: Dragon: A Poisonous Serpent

◄ Dragon: A Poisonous Serpent ►

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In biblical literature, the term "dragon" is often used to describe a large, fearsome creature, frequently associated with chaos and evil. The imagery of the dragon is deeply rooted in ancient Near Eastern mythology and is employed in the Bible to convey spiritual truths and moral lessons. The dragon is often equated with a serpent, symbolizing danger, deceit, and opposition to God.

Old Testament References

The Hebrew word "tannin" is commonly translated as "dragon" or "serpent" in the Old Testament. In Exodus 7:9-12, the magicians of Egypt are said to have turned their staffs into "serpents" (tannin), which were then swallowed by Aaron's staff, demonstrating God's superior power. The Berean Standard Bible translates this passage as follows: "When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, ‘Perform a miracle,’ then you are to say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh,’ and it will become a serpent" (Exodus 7:9).

In the poetic and prophetic books, dragons are often depicted as symbols of chaos and opposition to God. Isaiah 27:1 speaks of the Lord's victory over the dragon: "In that day the LORD will take His sharp, great, and mighty sword, and bring judgment on Leviathan, the fleeing serpent—Leviathan, the coiling serpent—and He will slay the dragon of the sea" . Here, the dragon represents the forces of evil that God will ultimately defeat.

New Testament References

The imagery of the dragon reaches its climax in the Book of Revelation, where it is explicitly associated with Satan. Revelation 12:9 identifies the dragon as "that ancient serpent called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world" . This passage underscores the dragon's role as a deceiver and adversary, opposing God's purposes and persecuting His people.

Revelation 20:2 further reinforces this identification: "He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years" . The dragon's defeat is a central theme in Revelation, symbolizing the ultimate triumph of God over evil.

Symbolism and Interpretation

Throughout the Bible, the dragon serves as a powerful symbol of evil and chaos. Its association with the serpent in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3) highlights its role as a deceiver and tempter, leading humanity away from God. The dragon's defeat in Revelation signifies the final victory of God over all forms of evil, fulfilling the promise of redemption and restoration.

The use of dragon imagery in the Bible reflects the ancient understanding of the world as a battleground between order and chaos, good and evil. In this context, the dragon represents the forces that seek to undermine God's creation and His covenant with humanity. The biblical narrative assures believers of God's ultimate sovereignty and the eventual eradication of all evil, as symbolized by the dragon's defeat.

Nave's Topical Index

Deuteronomy 32:33
Their wine is the poison of dragons, and the cruel venom of asps.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

The Protevangelium.
... itself as the fruit of the poisonous tree, the ... unless Satan be concealed behind the
serpent."In Revelation 12 ... xx.2), Satan is called the great dragon, and the ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/the protevangelium.htm

Philippians ii. 8-May
... v.8.): when his poisonous, his deadly, his destructive nature, it ... Psalm 104:26.)
Scripture everywhere calleth him a dragon, and a crooked serpent, and an ...
/.../homily vi philippians ii 8-may.htm

The Worst Things Work for Good to the Godly
... Out of the most poisonous drugs God extracts our salvation. ... His violence in tempting;
and so he is the red dragon. ... in tempting; and so he is the old serpent. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/a divine cordial/the worst things work for.htm

The Mystery
... and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of ... For if water, (but of a
poisonous and pestiferous ... such as proceeds out of the serpent, represents heresy ...
//christianbookshelf.org/mede/a key to the apocalypse/the mystery 2.htm

Against Jovinianus.
... 4. This is the hissing of the old serpent; by counsel such as this the dragon drove
man ... drink Christ's antidote after the devil's poisonous concoction. ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/against jovinianus.htm

The Gods of Egypt
... to identify the hippopotamus with the Dragon and with ... lance spears the hippopotamus
or the serpent of the ... but whose effects were poisonous unless counteracted ...
/.../chapter ii the gods of egypt.htm

the Legendary History of Egypt
... juices by which plants are made poisonous, as well ... produced something strange and
baleful"a serpent, a scorpion ... hostile to the sun, with the dragon Apopi at ...
/.../chapter iii -the legendary history of.htm

An Exposition on the First Ten Chapters of Genesis, and Part of ...
... And from hence it is, that in after ages he is spoken of under the name of that
creature, "the dragon, that old serpent which is the devil, and Satan" ( ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/an exposition on the first.htm

Preface.
... Refine, exalt, throw down their poisonous lee,. ... Why not the dragon's subterranean
den,. For man to howl in? ... Dismount her, like the serpent at the fall,. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/young/youngs night thoughts/preface.htm