H8577b H8577b
A great serpent, dragon, or sea monster; used of literal snakes, cosmic chaos creatures, and marine beings.
One of the Bible's most evocative creature-words, tannin spans the natural and the mythological. In Exodus 7, Aaron's rod becomes a 'serpent' before Pharaoh -- a large, fearsome snake that swallows others. In prophetic poetry, the word swells to cosmic proportions: the chaos dragon that God slays (Isa 27:1; 51:9), the monster Pharaoh compared to lurking in the Nile (Ezek 29:3; 32:2), and the devourer of Jeremiah 51:34. Yet Genesis 1:21 uses the same word for the great sea creatures God purposefully creates -- not enemies but marvels. The Psalms hold both poles: the crushed heads of tannin in Psalm 74:13 and the sea monsters summoned to praise in Psalm 148:7.
Senses
1. dragon, chaos monster — A mythological dragon or cosmic chaos monster, representing hostile powers that God defeats in prophetic and apocalyptic imagery. Isaiah's 'fleeing serpent' and 'twisting serpent' (Isa 27:1), the primordial adversary crushed alongside Rahab (Isa 51:9), Pharaoh as the great dragon in his rivers (Ezek 29:3; 32:2), and Nebuchadnezzar who 'swallowed me like a dragon' (Jer 51:34). Spanish 'dragon' and German 'Drache' consistently mark the mythological register. 6×
AR["التَّنَانِينِ", "التَّنِّينِ", "التِّنِّينَ", "التِّنِّينُ", "كَالتِّنِّينِ"]·ben["-দৈত্য", "ড্রাগনদের", "দানবকে", "বিষধরের", "মহা-কুমির", "সামুদ্রিক-দৈত্যের-মতো"]·DE["Schlangen", "[התנים]", "[התנין]", "[כתנין]", "[תנין]", "der-Drache"]·EN["dragon", "like-a-serpent", "serpents", "the-Serpent", "the-great-"]·FR["[התנין]", "[כתנין]", "[תנין]", "monstre-marin", "serpents"]·heb["ה-תנין", "כ-תנין", "תנין", "תנינים"]·HI["अजगर", "अजगर-की-तरह", "अजगर-के", "अजगर-को", "अजगरों-का"]·ID["naga", "seperti-naga", "ular-naga"]·IT["[התנים]", "[התנין]", "drago", "serpenti"]·jav["kados-naga", "naga", "nàga-ageng-punika"]·KO["그-들짐승-의", "그-큰-용이여", "용들의", "용을", "용처럼"]·PT["como-dragão", "monstro", "o-Dragão", "o-grande-monstro", "o-monstro", "serpentes"]·RU["дракона", "змей", "как-чудовище", "чудовище"]·ES["al-dragón?", "como-dragón", "el-dragón", "el-monstruo", "serpientes"]·SW["joka", "joka-kubwa", "kama-joka"]·TR["canavar", "canavar-gibi", "canavari", "ejderhaların", "ejderhanın", "ejderhyi"]·urd["اژدہا", "اژدہاؤں-کی", "اژدہے", "اژدہے-کو", "اژدہے-کی-طرح", "اژدہے-کے"]
2. serpent, large snake — A large serpent or snake in the natural world, especially the serpent of the Exodus sign. Aaron's rod becomes a tannin before Pharaoh (Exod 7:9-10), and the Egyptian magicians replicate the feat (Exod 7:12). Psalm 91:13 pairs tannin with pethen (cobra) in a promise of treading on dangerous creatures. Spanish 'serpiente,' French 'serpent,' and German 'Schlange' all select natural-snake vocabulary here. 4×
AR["تَنَانِينَ", "تِنِّينًا", "وَالتَّنَّينَ"]·ben["এবং-সর্প", "সাপের-জন্য"]·DE["Schlange", "Schlangen", "und-der-Schlange"]·EN["and-the-serpent", "serpent", "serpents"]·FR["et-dragon", "serpent", "serpents"]·heb["ו-תנין", "ל-תנין", "ל-תנינים"]·HI["और-अजगर-को", "साँप", "साँपें"]·ID["dan-naga", "ular-naga", "ular-ular-naga"]·IT["e-drago", "serpente", "serpents"]·jav["dados-naga", "dados-naga-naga", "lan-naga"]·KO["그리고-큰-뱀-을", "뽀들이", "뽀이", "뽐이"]·PT["e-a-serpente", "serpente", "serpentes"]·RU["змеем", "змеями", "и-дракона"]·ES["por-serpiente", "por-serpientes", "y-dragón"]·SW["joka", "majoka", "na-joka"]·TR["ejderha", "ejderhalar", "ve-ejderhayı"]·urd["اور-اژدہا", "اژدہا", "اژدہے"]
3. sea monster, great sea creature — A great sea creature or marine monster, part of God's created order. Genesis 1:21 records God creating the 'great sea creatures' -- a majestic rather than hostile image. Job 7:12 asks 'Am I the sea or a sea monster?' and Psalm 148:7 calls the tannin to praise God from the deeps. Spanish 'monstruos marinos,' German 'Seetiere,' and French 'creatures de mer' capture the marine zoological sense. 4×
AR["التَّنَانِينَ", "التَّنَانِينُ", "التَّنّينِ", "تِنّينٌ"]·ben["বড়-জলজন্তু", "সামুদ্রিক-দৈত্য", "সামুদ্রিক-দৈত্যদের", "সামুদ্রিক-প্রাণীরা"]·DE["Drache", "der-Meer-monsters", "die-großen-Seetiere", "sea-creatures"]·EN["sea-creatures", "sea-monster", "the-sea-creatures", "the-sea-monsters"]·FR["dragon", "le-mer-creatures", "תנין"]·heb["ה-תנין", "תנין", "תנינים"]·HI["अजगर", "अजगरो", "बड़े-जलचर"]·ID["binatang-binatang-laut-besar", "monster-laut", "naga-laut", "ular-ular-naga"]·IT["drago", "il-mare-creatures", "sea-monster"]·jav["ing-kéwan-seganten-ageng", "naga-naga", "naga-seganten"]·KO["그-큰-바다-생물들", "바다-괴물인가", "용들-의", "큰-바다-짐승들아"]·PT["dos-monstros", "monstro-marinho", "monstros-marinhos", "os-grandes-monstros-marinhos"]·RU["-морских-чудовищ", "и-все", "чудовищ-морских", "чудовище"]·ES["el-monstruo-marino,", "los-grandes-monstruos-marinos", "monstruos-marinos"]·SW["joka", "nyangumi-wakubwa", "nyoka-wakubwa", "vya-majoka"]·TR["-büyük-deniz-canavarlarını", "canavar", "canavar-lar", "deniz-canavarlarının"]·urd["اژدہا", "اے-اژدہاؤ", "بڑی-مچھلیوں-کو", "سانپوں-کے"]
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׳…