Dragon, (from the Greek δράκων, as in the Apocrypha and Revelation frequently), an imaginary serpent of antiquity, especially in mythology, supposed to be supplied with feet and often with wings, stands in our version usually as a translation of two Hebrews words of different signification, but common derivation — tan, תִּן, and tannian, תִּנַּין (according to Gesenius, from תָּנִן, to extend, with reference to the great length of one or both of them). The similarity of the forms of the words may easily account for this confusion, especially as the masculine plural of the former, tannin, actually assumes (in Lamentations 4:3) the form tannin, and, on the other hand, tannim is evidently written for the singular tannin in Ezekiel 29:3; 32:2. But the words appear to be quite distinct in meaning; and the distinction is generally, though not universally, preserved by the Sept. Bochart, however, proposes (Hieroz. 2:429) to read uniformly tannin as the plur. of tan, and thus merge both terms into one. SEE WHALE.
1. The former (always “dragon” except Ezekiel 32:2 “whale”) is used, always in the plural, in Job 30:29; Isaiah 34:13; 43:20 (Sept. σειρῆνες); in Isaiah 13:22 (ἐχῖνοι); in Jeremiah 10:22; 49:33 (στρουθοί); in Psalms 44:19 (τόπῳ κακώοντες); and in Jeremiah 9:11; 14:6; 2:37; Micah 1:8 (δράκοντες). The feminine plural תִּנּוֹת, tannoth', is found in Malachi 1:3; a passage altogether differently translated by the Sept. It is always applied to some creatures inhabiting the desert, and connected generally with the words יִעֲנָה (“ostrich”) and אַי (“jackal”?). We should conclude from this that it refers rather to some wild beast than to a serpent, and this conclusion is rendered almost certain by the comparison of the tannim in Jeremiah 14:6, to the wild asses snuffing the wind, and the reference to their “wailing” in Micah 1:8, and perhaps in Job 30:29. The Syriac renders it by a word which, according to Pococke, means a “jackal” (a beast whose peculiarly mournful howl in the desert is well known), and it seems most probable that this or some cognate species is to be understood whenever the word tan occurs. This interpretation, however, although favored by the grammatical forms, is supported by little more than conjecture as to the identification with the jackal, or wild dog of the desert, which the Arabs call awi, plur. awin (corresponding to the Hebrew אַיִּים אַי, ‘"wild beasts of the islands,” Isaiah 13:22; 34:13; Jeremiah 1; 39, i.e., jackals), so called from their howling, although they call the wolf by the name taynan, which is somewhat like תִּנַּין. SEE JACKAL.
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Author: McClintock and Strong Cyclopedia
Keywords: Dragon
Bible reference(s): Deuteronomy 32:33, Exodus 7:9, Ezekiel 29:3, Ezekiel 32:2, Genesis 1:21, Isaiah 13:22, Isaiah 27:1, Isaiah 34:13, Isaiah 43:20, Isaiah 51:9, Jeremiah 10:22, Jeremiah 14:6, Jeremiah 2:37, Jeremiah 49:33, Jeremiah 51:34, Jeremiah 9:11, Job 3:8, Job 30:29, Job 40:20, Job 7:12, Lamentations 4:3, Malachi 1:3, Micah 1:8, Psalms 104:26, Psalms 148:7, Psalms 44:19, Psalms 74:14, Psalms 91:13, Revelation 12:3
Source: John McClintock and James Strong, Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature.
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