What does לִוְיָתָן (liwĕyātān) mean in the Bible?
לִוְיָתָן (liwĕyātān): Primordial chaos-monster embodying cosmic evil; represents both literal threat and symbolic opposition to God's order.
Hebrew · H3882
לִוְיָתָן
A wreathed animal, i.e. a serpent (especially the crocodile or some other large sea-monster); figuratively, the constellation of the dragon ; also as a symbol of Babylon
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לִוְיָתָןH3882
Pronunciationliwĕyātān
What does לִוְיָתָן (liwĕyātān) mean in the Bible?
לִוְיָתָן (liwĕyātān): Primordial chaos-monster embodying cosmic evil; represents both literal threat and symbolic opposition to God's order.
Full entry for לִוְיָתָן (H3882) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H3882?
The BSB source-word alignment has 6 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include Leviathan (4), and Leviathan (1), of Leviathan (1).
Where does לִוְיָתָן (liwĕyātān) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Job 3:8. Its strongest book concentrations include Isaiah (2), Job (2), Psalms (2).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders ItLeviathan4×Job 3:8, Job 41:1, Isaiah 27:1
and Leviathan1×Psalms 104:26
of Leviathan1×Psalms 74:14
Show sample aligned rows
Job 3:8לִוְיָתָֽן׃toLeviathanNoun - masculine singularJob 41:1לִוְיָתָ֣ןtoLeviathanNoun - masculine singularPsalms 74:14לִוְיָתָ֑ןtoof LeviathanNoun - masculine singularPsalms 104:26לִ֝וְיָתָ֗ןtoand LeviathanNoun - masculine singularIsaiah 27:1לִוְיָתָן֙toLeviathanNoun - masculine singularIsaiah 27:1לִוְיָתָ֔ןtoLeviathanNoun - masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned rowJob 3:8
Aligned rows6
Books represented3
Job2Psalms2Isaiah2
Source forms
לִוְיָתָ֣ן1xliw·yā·ṯānJob 41:1
לִוְיָתָ֑ן1xliw·yā·ṯānPsalms 74:14
לִ֝וְיָתָ֗ן1xliw·yā·ṯānPsalms 104:26
לִוְיָתָן֙1xliw·yā·ṯānIsaiah 27:1
לִוְיָתָ֔ן1xliw·yā·ṯānIsaiah 27:1
לִוְיָתָֽן׃1xliw·yā·ṯānJob 3:8
Parsing patterns
Noun - masculine singular6xJob 3:8, Job 41:1, Psalms 74:14, Psalms 104:26
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Primordial chaos-monster embodying cosmic evil; represents both literal threat and symbolic opposition to God's order.
Source Gloss
a wreathed animal, i.e. a serpent (especially the crocodile or some other large sea-monster); figuratively, the constellation of the dragon ; also as a symbol of Babylon
Extended definitionSource: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Primordial chaos-monster embodying cosmic evil; represents both literal threat and symbolic opposition to God's order.
a wreathed animal, i.e. a serpent (especially the crocodile or some other large sea-monster); figuratively, the constellation of the dragon; also as a symbol of Babylon BDB: serpent Usage: leviathan, mourning.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Word Origins
לִוְיָתָן is built from this root: