CategorySymbol / Sea Creature
Modern Equivalentmighty sea creature; chaos symbol.
KJV Word TypeCreature name / poetic symbol
DefinitionA powerful sea creature or dragon-like figure used in poetic and wisdom passages to display God’s power over creation and chaos.
Key Verses"Canst thou draw out leviathan with an hook? or his tongue with a cord which thou lettest down?" (Job 41:1); "Thou brakest the heads of leviathan in pieces, and gavest him to be meat to the people inhabiting the wilderness." (Psalm 74:14)
KJV Usage NoteUsed in poetic and wisdom passages as a powerful sea creature or symbol of forces only God can master.
Common MisunderstandingLeviathan is not merely a curiosity or monster story; it functions poetically as a creature or symbol under God’s authority.
EtymologyFrom Hebrew liwyathan, meaning twisted or coiled.