tannim - snake/dragon/monster/whale

This Hebrew word occurs about 15x in the OT. Its translation, however, is difficult, and different translations in different places translate it entirely differently from one another. The most common translations include: sea monsters, creatures of the sea, dragon, whale, snake.

Among the first creatures created , and to be blessed and declared 'good', by God are the tannim (Gen 1:21), translated here as "sea creatures" (NIB, NKJ) or "sea monsters" (NRS). Tannim (" you great sea creatures") and all of the ocean deep are exalted to praise Yahweh in Psm 148:7. God changed Aaron's staff into a tannim in the presence of the pharaoh, just as pharaoh's magician turned their staffs into tannim. A totally different category of beast is clearly involved when the psalmist spoke of God breaking "the heat of the tannim in the waters (Psm 74:13) or when Isaiah prophesied that "in that day, the Lord will punish with his sword, his fierce, great and powerful sword, Leviathan the gliding serpent, Leviathan the coiling serpent; he will slay the tannim of the sea (27:1) or when he called, "Awake, awake! Clothe yourself with strength, O arm of the Lord; awake, as in days gone by, as in generations of old. Was it not you who cut Rahab to pieces, who pierced that tannim through? (51:9). Ezekiel, similarly, was commanded to take up a lament, "on of man, take up a lament concerning Pharaoh king of Egypt and say to him: "`You are like a lion among the nations; you are like a tannim in the seas thrashing about in your streams, churning the water with your feet and muddying the streams. It is not difficult to sea why some of the older translations would resort to using "whale" in some of these places, or why, from "Ezek 29:3 and 32:2 many deduce that the crocodile or the hippotamus is intended" (M.J. Paul, NIDOTTE, 4:314).

CONCORDANCE:

©ALBERITH

Gen 1:21 So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

©ALBERITH

Exo 7:9-10 "When Pharaoh says to you,`Perform a miracle,' then say to Aaron,`Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh,' and it will become a snake." So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the LORD commanded. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a snake.

©ALBERITH

Exo 7:12 Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake. But Aaron's staff swallowed up their staffs.

©ALBERITH

Deut 32:33 Their wine is the venom of serpents, the deadly poison of cobras.

©ALBERITH

Job 7:12 Am I the sea, or the monster of the deep, that you put me under guard?

©ALBERITH

Psm 74:13 It was you who split open the sea by your power; you broke the heads of the monster in the waters.

©ALBERITH

Psm 91:13 You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

©ALBERITH

Isa 27:1 In that day, the LORD will punish with his sword, his fierce, great and powerful sword, Leviathan the gliding serpent, Leviathan the coiling serpent; he will slay the monster of the sea.

©ALBERITH

Isa 51:9 Awake, awake! Clothe yourself with strength, O arm of the LORD; awake, as in days gone by, as in generations of old. Was it not you who cut Rahab to pieces, who pierced that monster through?

©ALBERITH

Jer 51:34 "Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has devoured us, he has thrown us into confusion, he has made us an empty jar. Like a serpent he has swallowed us and filled his stomach with our delicacies, and then has spewed us out.

©ALBERITH

Eze 29:3 Speak to him and say:`This is what the Sovereign LORD says: "`I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, you great monster lying among your streams. You say, "The Nile is mine; I made it for myself."

©ALBERITH

Eze 32:2 "Son of man, take up a lament concerning 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 water with your feet and muddying the streams.