The term "sea-monster" in the Bible often refers to large and mysterious creatures of the sea, which are sometimes depicted as symbols of chaos and opposition to God's order. These creatures are mentioned in various contexts throughout the Scriptures, reflecting both literal and metaphorical meanings.

Biblical References:

1. Genesis 1:21 : "So God created the great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters teemed, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good." In this creation account, the "great sea creatures" (often translated as "sea monsters" in other versions) are part of God's good creation, emphasizing His sovereignty over all living things, including the vast and mysterious creatures of the deep.

2. Job 7:12 : "Am I the sea, or the monster of the deep, that You must keep me under guard?" Here, Job uses the imagery of a sea-monster to express his feeling of being restrained and watched by God. The sea-monster symbolizes something powerful and untamed, reflecting Job's inner turmoil and sense of being overwhelmed.

3. Psalm 74:13-14 : "You divided the sea by Your strength; You smashed the heads of the dragons of the sea; You crushed the heads of Leviathan; You fed him to the creatures of the desert." In this passage, the psalmist recounts God's mighty acts of deliverance, using the imagery of defeating sea-monsters like Leviathan to illustrate God's power over chaos and evil.

4. Isaiah 27:1 : "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." This prophetic vision portrays God's ultimate victory over evil, represented by the sea-monster Leviathan, a symbol of chaos and opposition to divine order.

5. Ezekiel 32:2 : "Son of man, take up a lament for Pharaoh king of Egypt and say to him: 'You are like a lion among the nations; you are like a monster in the seas, thrashing about in your streams, churning the waters with your feet, and muddying the streams.'" Here, the sea-monster imagery is used to describe Pharaoh's destructive power and pride, which will ultimately be subdued by God's judgment.

Symbolism and Interpretation:

In the biblical narrative, sea-monsters often symbolize chaos, evil, and opposition to God's order. They are depicted as formidable and untamed forces, yet they are always subject to God's authority and power. The imagery of sea-monsters serves to highlight God's sovereignty and His ability to bring order out of chaos, as well as His ultimate victory over evil.

The sea-monster motif also reflects ancient Near Eastern mythology, where similar creatures were often associated with chaos and disorder. However, the biblical text reinterprets these symbols within the framework of monotheism, emphasizing that even the most fearsome creatures are part of God's creation and under His control.

Theological Significance:

The references to sea-monsters in the Bible underscore the theme of God's dominion over all creation, including the most chaotic and fearsome elements. They remind believers of God's power to subdue and transform chaos into order, offering assurance of His ultimate victory over evil. The imagery of sea-monsters also serves as a metaphor for the spiritual battles faced by God's people, encouraging them to trust in His strength and deliverance.2785. ketos -- a huge fish
... a huge fish. Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter Transliteration: ketos Phonetic Spelling:
(kay'-tos) Short Definition: a sea monster, huge fish Definition: a sea ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2785.htm - 6k8577. tannin -- serpent, dragon, sea monster
... 8576, 8577. tannin. 8578 . serpent, dragon, sea monster. Transliteration:
tannin Phonetic Spelling: (tan-neen') Short Definition: monster. ...
/hebrew/8577.htm - 6k

3882. Livyathan -- "serpent," a sea monster or dragon
... 3881, 3882. Livyathan. 3883 . "serpent," a sea monster or dragon. Transliteration:
Livyathan Phonetic Spelling: (liv-yaw-thawn') Short Definition: Leviathan ...
/hebrew/3882.htm - 6k

7293. Rahab -- "storm," a sea monster
... 7292, 7293. Rahab. 7294 . "storm," a sea monster. Transliteration: Rahab
Phonetic Spelling: (rah'-hab) Short Definition: Rahab. ...
/hebrew/7293.htm - 6k

"Am Ia Sea, or a Whale?"
... and he cries at last, "I am watched, and checked, as if I were a great sea needing
always to be held in bounds or a terrible sea-monster wanting always a hook ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 37 1891/am i a sea or.htm

The Adventures of Saint Anthony of Italy.
... Now his ship was tossed by storms, now pursued by a huge sea monster, with jaws
so wide that the affrighted mariners believed that it was about to swallow up ...
/.../kingston/the seven champions of christendom/chapter seven the adventures of.htm

Symbol of the Creature; and of Spirit; and of the Different Orders ...
... Footnotes: [306] ie, literally a sea-monster (Cicero's Pistrix); Arat., Ph??nom.,
v. 353 et seq. [307] pros autois ede tois termasi genomenon tou biou. ...
/.../the refutation of all heresies/chapter xlix symbol of the creature.htm

Sign Seekers, and the Enthusiast Reproved.
... 27:63, 64. The Greek word here translated "whale" is "sea monster." It
is called in Jonah "a great fish" (Jonah 1:17). Because of ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/xlix sign seekers and the.htm

Death.
... formed by a cruel and destroying deity, such as the old Canaanites imagined,
when"so the legend ran"they offered up Andromeda to the sea-monster, upon that ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/westminster sermons/sermon xviii death.htm

Historical Criticism of Medi??val Amplifications.
... that drove them into disastrous flight"the Angel sent to call him back to Edessa
when he had fled thence"the storm hushed and the sea-monster slain by his ...
/.../v historical criticism of mediaeval amplifications.htm

Letter ccxlii. To the Westerns.
... On the contrary, we are still holding out with all possible earnestness, remembering
how even he who was swallowed by the sea monster, because he did not ...
/.../basil/basil letters and select works/letter ccxlii to the westerns.htm

Letter ccxxxi. To Amphilochius, Bishop of Iconium.
... persons. [2942] Doara [2943] is in a state of agitation, for the fat sea
monster [2944] is throwing everything into confusion. My ...
/.../basil/basil letters and select works/letter ccxxxi to amphilochius bishop.htm

'Deliver us from Evil'
... If that root were grubbed up, all would fall. It is like some huge sea monster
'floating many a rood,' but there is only one life in it. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture a/deliver us from evil.htm

Vision Fourth. Concerning the Trial and Tribulation that are to ...
... 3, 4, xiii. 1, xvii. 8, xxii. 2. [The beast was "like a whale" in size and proportion.
It was not a sea-monster. This whole passage is Dantesque. ...
/.../the pastor books first second third/vision fourth concerning the trial.htm

Sea-monster (1 Occurrence)
Sea-monster. Seamonster, Sea-monster. Sea-'monster . Int. Standard Bible
Encyclopedia SEA-MONSTER. se'-mon-ster: Genesis 1:21 (tanninim ...
/s/sea-monster.htm - 8k

Sea-'monster (2 Occurrences)
Sea-'monster. Sea-monster, Sea-'monster. Sea-monsters . Multi-Version
Concordance Sea-'monster (2 Occurrences). Job 7:12 A sea-'monster...
/s/sea-'monster.htm - 6k

Sea-monster's (1 Occurrence)
Sea-monster's. Sea-monsters, Sea-monster's. Seams . Multi-Version Concordance
Sea-monster's (1 Occurrence). Matthew 12:40 For just ...
/s/sea-monster's.htm - 6k

Monster (10 Occurrences)
... 5. (vt) To make monstrous. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. MONSTER. mon'-ster.
See DRAGON; SEA-MONSTER. Multi-Version Concordance Monster (10 Occurrences). ...
/m/monster.htm - 10k

Whale (2 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary The Hebrew word tan (plural, tannin) is so rendered
in Job 7:12 (AV; but RV, "sea-monster"). It is rendered ...
/w/whale.htm - 13k

Seamonster
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia SEA-MONSTER. se'-mon-ster: Genesis 1:21
(tanninim), "sea monsters," the King James Version "whales ...
/s/seamonster.htm - 8k

Dragon (20 Occurrences)
... jackal (qv). (2.) Hebrews tannin. Some great seamonster (Jeremiah 51:34).
In Isaiah 51:9 it may denote the crocodile. In Genesis ...
/d/dragon.htm - 56k

Bel (3 Occurrences)
... Hebrew or Aramaic words: chatham, "to seal"; zepha', "pitch"; za`apha', "storm,"
"wind"; nachash, "snake"; tannin, "serpent," "seamonster"): I. INTRODUCTORY II ...
/b/bel.htm - 39k

Sea-monsters (4 Occurrences)
Sea-monsters. Sea-'monster, Sea-monsters. Sea-monster's . Multi-Version
Concordance Sea-monsters (4 Occurrences). Genesis 1:21 And ...
/s/sea-monsters.htm - 7k

Jackal (3 Occurrences)
... jak'-ol: (1) tannim, "jackals," the King James Version "dragons"; compare Arabic
tinan, "wolf"; and compare tannin, Arab tinnin, "seamonster" or "monster" the ...
/j/jackal.htm - 15k

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