What does the Bible say about dinosaurs?
The ancient texts of the Bible contain intriguing references to mysterious creatures, though they don't explicitly mention dinosaurs (a Latin term meaning terrible lizard) since this term wasn't coined until the 19th century. Nevertheless, several passages describe powerful beings like Leviathan, which appears as a mighty sea creature (Job 41:1-34), Rahab, often portrayed as a symbol of chaos (Psalm 89:10), and Tannin, frequently translated as "dragon" or "sea monster" (Isaiah 27:1). These creatures are typically presented in contexts that demonstrate God's supreme power over creation and cosmic forces, rather than as straightforward biological descriptions of prehistoric animals.
The biblical portrayal of these beings exists within the supernatural and mythological canon of the Bible, integral to the ancient Near Eastern worldview. When the Bible describes Leviathan's fearsome scales and breath of fire (Job 41:13-21) or when it depicts God subduing the great sea monsters (Psalm 74:13-14), these passages serve a deeper theological purpose than to evidence the existence of dinosaurs. Rather than merely documenting historical creatures, such descriptions communicate divine authority over chaos and evil. This approach to supernatural elements encourages readers to look beyond literal interpretations (though there may be a literal application) and consider the deeper spiritual significance of these mighty beasts within the broader biblical narrative.
The presence of these creatures in scripture should be understood within the larger framework of biblical theology and the Bible’s spiritual worldview. While modern readers might seek to reconcile these descriptions with scientific discoveries, the original authors and audience approached these texts from a perspective where the supernatural and natural realms were deeply interconnected. The Bible presents a cosmic drama where God demonstrates sovereignty over all creation, including the most formidable creatures imaginable (Isaiah 51:9, Psalm 104:26). This understanding helps explain why these beings are often portrayed as symbols of cosmic chaos or opposition to divine order, rather than merely as biological entities. Furthermore, it's worth noting that the Bible was never intended to serve as an exhaustive catalog of all creation but rather as a testimony to God's relationship with humanity and authority over all creation, including the most powerful forces in the universe.
Bible Verses about dinosaurs:
Job 40:15-18, "Behold, Behemoth, which I made as I made you; he eats grass like an ox. Behold, his strength in his loins, and his power in the muscles of his belly. He makes his tail stiff like a cedar; the sinews of his thighs are knit together. His bones are tubes of bronze, his limbs like bars of iron."
Job 41:1,14-15, "Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook or press down his tongue with a cord? … Who can open the doors of his face? Around his teeth is terror. His back is made of rows of shields, shut up closely as with a seal."
Genesis 1:21, "So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good."
Psalm 104:25-26, "Here is the sea, great and wide, which teems with creatures innumerable, living things both small and great. There go the ships, and Leviathan, which you formed to play in it."
Isaiah 27:1, "In that day the Lord with his hard and great and strong sword will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan the twisting serpent, and he will slay the dragon that is in the sea."
Genesis 1:24,"And God said, 'Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.' And it was so."
