The Doctrine of Sea Monsters, Dragons, Jackals and Waterspouts (Tân and Tanîym)

Topics

Pronunciation and Spelling

Meanings

An Examination of All Scriptural Occurrences

Conclusion

An Examination of All Scriptural Occurrences of the Word

Passage

Morphology and Additional Comments

God created the large tannîym (תַּנִּים), and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed, after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind. God saw that it was good (Gen. 1:21).

Here is the common plural, with the definite article, and modified by the adjective the great, the large, the older. Given the context, the surrounding verses, we are definitely speaking of animals in the water, and here are two kinds named here specifically: the tannîym (םי. -) and all living creatures which breathe (this latter category does not necessarily exclude fish who breathe oxygen through the water they take into their gills).

“When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, ‘Give a miracle for yourselves,’ you shall say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it before Pharaoh; and let it become a tannîyn (תַּנִּין).’ ” And Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh, and they did so, as Jehovah had commanded. And Aaron threw his staff before Pharaoh and before his servants. And it became a tannîyn (תַּנִּין). And Pharaoh also called wise men and the sorcerers. And they, the priests of Egypt, also performed by their secret arts. And each one threw down his staff, and they became tannîym (תַּנִּים). But Aaron's staff swallowed their staffs (Ex. 7:9–12).

This is quite interesting: the first two references, which are presented as being in the singular are tannîyn (ןי.-), which could legitimately be seen as a different creature from those named above.

The third time we find the word, it is clearly the plural tannîym (םי. -), which is not necessarily the same kind of creature. However, later, I believe that we will see this second form undeniably used as the plural for the first.

Their wine is the venom of tannîym (תַּנִּים), and the cruel venom of asps (Deut. 32:33).

Quite frankly, this verse is filled with difficult words; we do have a clear set of parallels, and although portions of the parallel would require some unravelling, it is clear that tannîym (םי. -) is set up parallel with asps (both are in the plural and the latter word surely refers to some kind of venomous snake—see Psalm 58:4 Isa. 11:8) .

We do not find any of these words in the historical books (Joshua through Nehemiah), which is what we would expect, because these are creatures which Israel did not come across very often. However, Israel is aware of these creatures, whatever they are, because they show up in so many passages.

Am I a sea, or a tannîyn (תַּנִּין), that You set a watch over me? (Job 7:12)

The gist of this verse is, Job’s friends are with him, giving him a hard time, and he asks them this question.

We have an interesting use here where it is not required that this refer to a living creature, but possibly a water phenomena. Sea refers to a large body of water, including the Nile River. What strikes me, at this point, is, could this word mean different things depending upon whether it is in poetry or prose?

I am a brother to tannîym (תַּנִּים), and a companion to daughters of the ostrich (Job 30:29).

Almost all translators render tannîym (םי. -) as jackals here and the final word is generally rendered owl or ostrich. The latter word is in the singular, by the way.

Our heart has not turned back, and our steps have not swerved from Your way, though You have crushed us in the place of tannîym (תַּנִּים) and covered us over with the death-shade (Psalm 44:18–19).

Again, the primary translation here is jackals.

For God is my King of old, who works salvation in the midst of the land. You broke the sea by Your strength; You burst the heads of tannîynîym (תַּנִּינִים) in the waters. You cracked open the heads of leviathan; You gave him to be food for the people of the wilderness. You divided the fountain and the torrent; You dried up mighty rivers (Psalm 74:12–15).

You will note that we have a new spelling here: tannîynîym (תַּנִּינִים) [pronounced tahn-nee-NEEM]. This suggests to me that this is the proper plural of tannîyn (ןי.-). They are said to be in the waters in this passage and the context seems to indicate that we are in the waters.

You shall tread on the lion and adder; the young lion and the tannîyn (תַּנִּין) You shall trample under foot (Psalm 91:13).

Again, we find tannîyn (ןי.-) in parallel with the asp (or, adder), as back in Deut. 32:33. However, the spelling of our word or words in question is different, throwing a wrench into the works.

Let the tannîynîym (תַּנִּינִים) and all deeps praise Jehovah from the earth, fire and hail, snow and smoke, stormy wind fulfilling His Word, mountains and all hills, fruitful trees and all cedars, beasts and all livestock, creeping things and birds of the wing,... (Psalm 148:7–10)

Given how the psalmist groups things in this passage, it seems more likely that tannîynîym (תַּנִּינִים) would refer to a phenomena of water rather than to any sort of animal.

Isa. 13:22: The tannîym (תַּנִּים) shall cry in its towers, and jackals in their pleasant palaces: her time is near, and her days shall not be prolonged.

Again, most translators render this hyenas or jackals, as it makes little sense for a sea creature to cry out in its towers.

Isa. 27:1 On that day the LORD with His harsh, great, and strong sword, will bring judgment on Leviathan, the fleeing serpent--Leviathan, the twisting serpent. He will slay the tannîyn (תַּנִּין) that is in the sea.

Interestingly enough, we have the same author of Scripture, slightly different spelling, and a situation where we may agree that tannîyn (ןי.-) is some kind of a sea creature.

Isa. 34:13–15: And thorns shall come up in her palaces, nettles and brambles in its fortresses: and it shall be a habitation of tannîym (תַּנִּים), and a court for ostriches. The wild beasts of the desert shall also meet with the hyenas, and the wild goat shall cry to his fellow; the night creature also shall rest there, and find for herself a place of rest. There shall the owl make her nest, and lay, and hatch, and gather under her shadow: there shall the kites also be gathered, everyone with her mate.

This useage makes it pretty clear that we are dealing with a land animal. And, in case you are wondering, the word found here for hyenas is nothing like the word we are studying.

Isa. 35:7 The burning sand will become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water. Grass with reeds and rushes will be in the habitation of tannîym (תַּנִּים), where they lay.

Clearly, we are speaking of either a land animal or, possibly, a crocodile.

Isa. 43:20–21: The animals of the field shall honor me, the tannîym (תַּנִּים) and the ostriches; because I give water in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen, the people which I formed for myself, that they might set forth my praise.

Definitely a land animal.

Isa. 51:9–10: Awake, awake, put on strength, arm of the LORD; awake, as in the days of old, the generations of ancient times. Isn't it you who did cut Rachav in pieces, who pierced the tannîyn (תַּנִּין)? Isn't it you who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep; who made the depths of the sea a way for the redeemed to pass over?

Here, if God pieced a jackal, such a testimony would not seem that impressive. If we are speaking of a huge sea mammal (e.g., a whale), it would fit into the context.

Jer. 9:11: And I will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins, and a den of tannîym (תַּנִּים); and I will make the cities of Judah desolate, without an inhabitant.

Definitely a land animal.

Jer. 10:22: Behold, the noise of the report has come, and a great commotion out of the north country, to make the cities of Judah desolate, and a den of tannîym (תַּנִּים).

As above.

Jer. 14:6: And the wild donkeys did stand in the high places, they sniffed at the wind like tannîym (תַּנִּים); their eyes did fail, because there was no grass.

As above.

Jer. 49:33: And Hazor shall be a dwelling for tannîym (תַּנִּים), and a desolation forever: there shall no man abide there, nor any son of man dwell in it.

As above.

Jer. 51:33–37: For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; The daughter of Babylon is like a threshing floor, it is time to thresh her: yet a little while, and the time of her harvest shall come. Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon has devoured me, he has crushed me, he has made me an empty vessel, he has swallowed me up like a tannîyn (תַּנִּין), he has filled his belly with my delicacies, he has cast me out. The violence done to me and to my flesh be upon Babylon, shall the inhabitant of Zion say; and my blood upon the inhabitants of Chaldea, shall Jerusalem say. Therefore thus says the LORD; Behold, I will plead your cause, and take vengeance for you; and I will dry up her sea, and make her springs dry. And Babylon shall become a heap, a dwelling place for tannîym (תַּנִּים), an astonishment, and a hissing, without an inhabitant.

Note that we have two different spellings here in this passage, and probably two different meanings as well. The first would be probably a large animal (whether ground or sea is not clear) and the second is probably jackals.

Lam. 4:3: Even the tannîyn (תַּנִּין) draw out the breast, they nurse their young ones: the daughter of my people has become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness.

A land animal seems more reasonable.

Ezek. 29:3 Speak, and say, Thus says the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great tannîym (תַּנִּים) that lies in the midst of his rivers, who has said, My river is my own, and I have made it for myself.

This is in the exact same form as Gen. 1:21, suggesting that they mean the same thing. Furthermore, it is clearly a creature of water here.

Ezek. 32:2: Son of man, take up a lamentation for Pharaoh king of Egypt, and say unto him, You are like a young lion of the nations, and you are as a tannîym (תַּנִּים) in the seas: and you came forth with your rivers, and troubled the waters with your feet, and fouled their rivers.

Obviously, an animal of the water here.

Micah 1:8: Therefore I will lament and wail, I will go stripped and naked: I will make a wailing like the tannîym (תַּנִּים), and mourning like the ostriches.

Probably jackals here and associated with the ostrich.

Mal. 1:2–3: I have loved you, says the LORD. Yet you say, How have you loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother? says the LORD: yet I loved Jacob, and I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the tannôwth (תַּנּוֹת) of the wilderness.

Some simply believe this to be the plural of the feminine of tan (ן-). Since it occurs only this one time, some render this jackals and others a habitation for jackals (or words to that effect).

What we need to do now is to examine the associations.

The 4 Forms Found in Scripture

Scripture

Incident

Tannîym (תַּנִּים) [pronounced tahn-NEEM]. This is the common plural form and we find this form used the most often.

Although it would be nice to see a clear delineation between this and the nouns below, we do not find that. We find this word used twice with the adjective great (Gen. 1:21 Ezek. 29:3). In Gen. 1:21, we seem to be dealing with a category of sea creatures, rather than with a specific type. This would be reasonably understood to include crocodiles, sharks and whales. However, when presented as an emblem of Egypt (Ezek. 29:3), hiding in the midst of rivers, understanding this to mean a Nile crocodile seems quite reasonable.

Then we have the instances where this is not associated with the word great, and we seem to have at least 2 and perhaps 3 categories of meanings: an animal or category of animal which lives in the seas or in the rivers—possibly a crocodile, but it could be a whale or a shark (Isa. 35:7 Ezek. 32:2); a reptilian animal, perhaps a snake (Ex. 7:12 Deut. 32:33); and a wild and vicious land animal—a jackal, a hyena—which lives out in hidden and deserted places (Job 30:29 Psalm 44:19 Isa. 13:22 34:13 43:20 Jer. 9:11 10:22 14:8 49:33 51:37 Micah 1:8). What possibly is the commonality of these two divergent meanings is, they are generally not found out in the open or around man; but, when they are around man, they are dangerous to man. There is no way that we could twist the Scriptures and make them all refer to one particular type of animal, even though this word is found most often meaning jackals. The author tends to give us an environmental context for this word, which tells us how we should understand it.

Tannîyn (תַּנִּין) [pronounced tahn-NEEN]

It seems reasonable that the same categories: a dangerous sea or river animal, like a crocodile or a shark (Isa. 27:1 Jer. 51:34); a dangerous land animal, like a jackal (Lam. 4:3); or a poisonous snake (Ex. 7:9–10 Psalm 91:13). This is possibly a singular noun. Job 7:12 has a curious use of this noun, where it is watched over as one watches over the sea (actually, Job’s friends watch over him as one would watch over the sea or watch over the tannîyn (ןי.-). This word is used to possibly represent Egypt in Isa. 51:9.

Tannîynîym (תַּנִּינִים) [pronounced tahn-nee-NEEM]

This occurs only in Psalm 74 and 148. In the latter case, it clearly refers to some sort of a water phenomenon, like a hurricane of a cyclone. In both cases, it could be so understood without damage to the text. In Psalm 74, the meaning of leviathan, which is in parallel to tannîynîym, would be helpful to know. It is possible that a leviathan is a crocodile, given its description in Job 41. It is also possible that it is used to refer to an horrendous storm out on the sea, its danger and power and ability to kill are personified in the crocodile.

Tannôwth (תַּנּוֹת) [pronounced tahn-NOHTH].

This is found only in Mal. 1:3 and its usefulness is only in suggesting what the other word or words mean. Given the context, it is reasonable that this is related to a wild land animal like the jackal.

Tan/tân (תַּן/תָּן) [pronounced tahn/tawn] is the true singular form; but it is not found in Scripture in this form.

So that I can place this in with various exegetical studies:

The Short Doctrine of Sea Monsters, Dragons, Jackals and Waterspouts

(Tân, Tannîyn and Tannîym)

1.    We have 4 different words used, the 2 most common of the 4 seem to have the same set of meanings.

2.    We have the word tannîyn (תַּנִּין) [pronounced tahn-NEEN], which appears to be the singular of tannîym (תַּנִּים) [pronounced tahn-NEEM], although that is not normally how a singular and a plural word appear. However, we seem to have the same 3 sets of meanings which could be applied to each of these two words.

       a.    A land creature which is dangerous, hidden out away from man, who is vicious when around man. A jackal or a hyena fits the bill here. Job 30:29 Psalm 44:19 Isa. 13:22 34:13 43:20 Jer. 9:11 10:22 14:8 49:33 51:37 Lam 4:3 Micah 1:8.

       b.    A deadly sea creature or variety of sea creatures which are generally not seen and very dangerous around man. This could refer to a crocodile or to a shark. Isa. 27:1 35:7 Jer. 51:34 Ezek. 32:2.

       c.     There are several instances where these nouns could be used to refer to deadly snakes. Ex. 7:9–10, 12 Deut. 32:33 Psalm 91:13.

3.    We find the great tannîym used twice in Scripture: once to refer to large sea creatures created by God (Gen. 1:21) and to a specific large sea creature (probably a crocodile; Ezek. 29:3). Both times it is in the plural and both times the adjective and the noun have definite articles affixed to them (which is very common in the Hebrew).

4.    The interesting word is tannîynîym (תַּנִּינִים) [pronounced tahn-nee-NEEM], which we would like to understand as the proper plural for tannîyn (תַּנִּין) [pronounced tahn-NEEN]. However, it clearly refers to a water/weather phenomena like a hurricane in Psalm 148 (which puts me at odds with almost every translation out there; but I am right on this point); and Psalm 74 suggests, instead, some sort of an great sea creature.

5.    What I would have liked to have happened was for all of this to fit together nicely. For one noun to clearly be the singular or the plural for another; and for one set of nouns to refer to jackals and for another to refer to reptiles, snakes, crocodiles, or sharks. Unfortunately, I am unable to wrap this up into a very neat package.

6.    Now, how do we related a weather system to an animal? It is reasonable that, in all of these cases, we are dealing with animals which are generally hidden from us and deadly to man, striking swiftly and sometimes from out of nowhere. A tropical storm or hurricane could be so personified. Now, I don’t know that such a storm could occur over the Mediterranean Sea, but with God, all things are possible. I think that it is reasonable to assume that, on occasion, there were tremendous storms out in the Mediterranean Sea—even water spouts—which came to land and did tremendous damage.

This is identical to the conclusion above.