H8565 H8565
like the monster, like the serpent (preposition + noun, describing Pharaoh as a sea monster or dragon)
This phrase appears in Ezekiel 32:2, comparing Pharaoh to a sea monster. The Hebrew word 'tannin' can mean serpent, dragon, or sea monster—a mythological creature representing chaos. The text has textual difficulties, with some manuscripts reading the plural form by confusion. The image presents Pharaoh as a great chaos monster in the Nile, whom God will capture and destroy. This draws on ancient Near Eastern mythology where creator gods defeat sea monsters representing primordial chaos. Egypt's king, despite his power, is merely a monster God will vanquish.
Senses
1. sense 1 — In Ezekiel 32:2, this simile compares Pharaoh to 'the monster' or dragon, a creature of chaos that God will defeat. The image merges mythological chaos monster imagery with the Nile's crocodiles, presenting Egypt's king as both fearsome beast and doomed creature. Cross-linguistic evidence shows 'monster,' 'sea creature,' recognizing the mythological resonance of a creature representing opposition to divine order. 1×
AR["كَتِنِّينٍ"]·ben["কুমিরের-মতো"]·DE["[כתנים]"]·EN["like-the-monster"]·FR["monstre-marin"]·heb["כ-תנין"]·HI["जैसे-अजगर"]·ID["seperti-naga"]·IT["[כתנים]"]·jav["kados-naga"]·KO["그-용-같다"]·PT["como-o-dragão"]·RU["как-чудовище"]·ES["como-monstruo"]·SW["kama-joka-kubwa"]·TR["canavar-gibi"]·urd["اژدہے-جیسا"]
Related Senses
H6629 1. flock, sheep/goats (small livestock) (274×)H1241 1. cattle, herd (bovine livestock) (183×)H0352a 1. ram (male sheep) (156×)H6499 1. young bull, bullock (130×)H3532 1. lamb, young male sheep (105×)H2543 1. donkey (male ass) (96×)H7794 1. ox, bull (79×)H7462b 1. shepherd (agent noun) (76×)H5795 1. she-goat(s), female goat(s) (68×)H7462b 2. to shepherd, tend, pasture (60×)H1581 1. camel (domestic animal) (54×)H0738b 1. lion (46×)G4263 1. sheep (39×)H5739 1. flock or herd of livestock (38×)H5695 1. calf, young bull (35×)H0738a 1. lion (large predatory feline) (34×)H0860 1. female donkey (34×)H3611 1. dog (animal) (32×)H3715a 1. young lion, lion cub (31×)G0721 1. Lamb (29×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† תַּנִּין (erron. תַּנִּים) n.m. Ez 29:3 serpent, dragon, sea-monster (NH id. (rare); Arabic تَنِّينٌ, loan-word from Aramaic תַּנִּינָא, ܬܰܢܺܝܢܳܐ Frä123; Ethiopic ተመን );—abs. ת׳ Ex 7:9 +, ים— Ez 29:3; 32:2 (by confusion with pl. of [תַּן]); pl. תַּנִּינִם Gn 1:21, etc.;— 1. serpent, Dt 32:33 (venomous), ψ 91:13 (‖ פֶּתֶן), Ex 7:9, 10, 12 (P). 2. dragon, as devourer (sim.) Je 51:34; עֵין הַתּ׳…