Texts in Conversation
Psalm 74:14 and Isaiah 27:1 both depict God defeating Leviathan, a sea creature representing chaos and connected to ancient Near Eastern mythology. While the Psalm places the battle in the past as part of creation, Isaiah presents it as a future, eschatological event where God defeats evil.
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Psalm 74:14
Hebrew Bible
12 But God has been my king from ancient times, performing acts of deliverance on the earth. 13 You destroyed the sea by your strength; you shattered the heads of the sea monster in the water. 14 You crushed the heads of Leviathan; you fed him to the people who live along the coast. 15 You broke open the spring and the stream; you dried up perpetually flowing rivers.
Date: 6th-3rd Centuries B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Isaiah 27:1
Hebrew Bible
1 At that time the Lord will punish with his destructive, great, and powerful sword Leviathan the fast-moving serpent, Leviathan the squirming serpent; he will kill the sea monster. 2 When that time comes, sing about a delightful vineyard! 3 “I, the Lord, protect it; I water it regularly. I guard it night and day, so no one can harm it. 4 I am not angry. I wish I could confront some thorns and briers! Then I would march against them for battle; I would set them all on fire,
Date: 7th-5th Centuries B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... Being a representative of the chaotic sea, Leviathan is a mortal enemy of YHWH. God battles Leviathan at creation in Psalm 74. Verses 12–15 of this psalm depict God’s martial victory over the primordial waters, driving back the sea and crushing the heads of the sea monsters and of Leviathan. Only then can God establish celestial bodies and seasons, creating order out of chaos (Psalm 74:16–17). Placing the first things last, Isaiah 27 envisions a similar battle taking place in the future, when God will slay Leviathan by the sword (Isaiah 27:1). In these texts, Leviathan is to YHWH as Tiamat is to Marduk and as Yamm is to Baal: a threatening and chaotic force who must be destroyed to establish cosmic order ..."
Higgins, Ryan S.
The Good, The God, and The Ugly: The Role of the Beloved Monster in the Ancient Near East and the Hebrew Bible
(p. 132–145) Interpretation, 74 (2), 2020
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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