Although the English word “dinosaur” is not found in the Bible, several passages describe colossal creatures of magnitude proportions or characteristics that once lived on land and in the sea. These beasts are called the Behemoth and Leviathan, which would be considered dinosaurs.
According to Scripture, the Behemoth was an enormous plant-eating animal that lived near water. God says of this creature in Job 40:15-18, “Behold now, Behemoth, which I made as well as you; He eats grass like an ox. Behold now, his strength in his loins and his power in the muscles of his belly. He bends his tail like a cedar; The sinews of his thighs are knit together. His bones are tubes of bronze; His limbs are like bars of iron.”
It may be assumed that God’s depiction of the Behemoth is an elephant, rhinoceros, or hippopotamus. However, none of these mammals’ tails could be likened to a cedar tree because they are too thin and short. Yet, it easily describes various species of prehistoric dinosaurs whose tails were massive in size and strength.
Another fact about the Behemoth was its proximity to water. God said in Job 40:21-24, “Under the lotus plants he lies down, in the covert of the reeds and the marsh. The lotus plants cover him with shade; The willows of the brook surround him. If a river rages, he is not alarmed; He is confident, though the Jordan rushes to his mouth. Can anyone capture him when he is on watch, with barbs can anyone pierce his nose?”
Unlike the Behemoth, who lived in close proximity to water, the Leviathan was a powerful creature that lived in the sea. God says of this aquatic animal in Job 41:1-2, “Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook? Or press down his tongue with a cord? Can you put a rope in his nose or pierce his jaw with a hook?” He also says in Job 41:12-15, “I will not keep silence concerning his limbs, or his mighty strength, or his orderly frame. Who can strip off his outer armor? Who can come within his double mail? Who can open the doors of his face? Around his teeth there is terror. His strong scales are his pride, shut up as with a tight seal.”
Given this detailed description, some conclude that the Leviathan was an alligator or crocodile, not a dinosaur species. However, God’s further depiction of this creature indicates anything but these common reptiles. He says of the Leviathan in Job 41:18-21, “His sneezes flash forth light, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning. Out of his mouth go burning torches; Sparks of fire leap forth. Out of his nostrils smoke goes forth as from a boiling pot and burning rushes. His breath kindles coals, and a flame goes forth from his mouth.”
These descriptors may seem symbolic because of their “mythical” flavor and this animal’s ability to breathe fire and smoke. However, God did not switch from literal to symbolic language when describing various aspects of the Leviathan. He simply transitioned from conveying characteristics of its physical composition to explaining some of its unique capabilities.
In addition to the Leviathan's one-of-a-kind capabilities, its overall composition is described as a sea serpent or dragon. Isaiah 27:1 says, “In that day the Lord will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, with His fierce and great and mighty sword, even Leviathan the twisted serpent; and He will kill the dragon who lives in the sea.” Psalm 74:12-14 says, “For God is my King from of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth. You divided the sea by Your strength; You broke the heads of the sea serpents in the waters. You broke the heads of Leviathan in pieces, and gave him as food to the people inhabiting the wilderness.” Additionally, Psalm 104:25-26 states, “This great and wide sea, in which are innumerable teeming things, living things both small and great. There the ships sail about; there is that Leviathan which You have made to play there.”
Because of the detailed descriptions of the Behemoth and Leviathan in the Old Testament, it is not difficult to conclude that these creatures were dinosaurs that once existed on the earth despite their extinction today, given the vast number of species and sea life God created in Genesis 1:20-24 and the intricacies and uniqueness of each one.
(See the Scripture References link at the top of the page.)
