Isaiah 51:9

51:9 Wake up! Wake up!

Clothe yourself with strength, O arm of the Lord! ¹ 

Wake up as in former times, as in antiquity!

Did you not smash ²  the Proud One? ³ 

Did you not ⁴  wound the sea monster? ⁵ 

Psalms 74:13-14

74:13 You destroyed ⁶  the sea by your strength;

you shattered the heads of the sea monster ⁷  in the water.

74:14 You crushed the heads of Leviathan; ⁸ 

you fed ⁹  him to the people who live along the coast. ¹⁰ 

Jeremiah 51:34

51:34 “King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon

devoured me and drove my people out.

Like a monster from the deep he swallowed me.

He filled his belly with my riches.

He made me an empty dish.

He completely cleaned me out.” ¹¹ 

Ezekiel 29:3

29:3 Tell them, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says:

“‘Look, I am against ¹²  you, Pharaoh king of Egypt,

the great monster ¹³  lying in the midst of its waterways,

who has said, “My Nile is my own, I made it for myself.” ¹⁴ 

Ezekiel 32:2-5

32:2 “Son of man, sing a lament for Pharaoh king of Egypt, and say to him:

“‘You were like a lion ¹⁵  among the nations,

but you are a monster in the seas;

you thrash about in your streams,

stir up the water with your feet,

and muddy your ¹⁶  streams.

32:3 “‘This is what the sovereign Lord says:

“‘I will throw my net over you ¹⁷  in the assembly of many peoples;

and they will haul you up in my dragnet.

32:4 I will leave you on the ground,

I will fling you on the open field,

I will allow ¹⁸  all the birds of the sky to settle ¹⁹  on you,

and I will permit ²⁰  all the wild animals ²¹  to gorge themselves on you.

32:5 I will put your flesh on the mountains,

and fill the valleys with your maggot-infested carcass. ²² 

Revelation 12:3-17

12:3 Then ²³  another sign appeared in heaven: a huge red dragon that had seven heads and ten horns, and on its heads were seven diadem crowns. ²⁴  12:4 Now ²⁵  the dragon’s ²⁶  tail swept away a third of the stars in heaven and hurled them to the earth. Then ²⁷  the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child as soon as it was born. 12:5 So ²⁸  the woman gave birth to a son, a male child, ²⁹  who is going to rule ³⁰  over all the nations ³¹  with an iron rod. ³²  Her ³³  child was suddenly caught up to God and to his throne, 12:6 and she ³⁴  fled into the wilderness ³⁵  where a place had been prepared for her ³⁶  by God, so she could be taken care of ³⁷  for 1,260 days.

War in Heaven

12:7 Then ³⁸  war broke out in heaven: Michael ³⁹  and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 12:8 But ⁴⁰  the dragon was not strong enough to prevail, ⁴¹  so there was no longer any place left ⁴²  in heaven for him and his angels. ⁴³  12:9 So ⁴⁴  that huge dragon – the ancient serpent, the one called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world – was thrown down to the earth, and his angels along with him. 12:10 Then ⁴⁵  I heard a loud voice in heaven saying,

“The salvation and the power

and the kingdom of our God,

and the ruling authority ⁴⁶  of his Christ, ⁴⁷  have now come,

because the accuser of our brothers and sisters, ⁴⁸ 

the one who accuses them day and night ⁴⁹  before our God,

has been thrown down.

12:11 But ⁵⁰  they overcame him

by the blood of the Lamb

and by the word of their testimony,

and they did not love their lives ⁵¹  so much that they were afraid to die.

12:12 Therefore you heavens rejoice, and all who reside in them!

But ⁵²  woe to the earth and the sea

because the devil has come down to you!

He ⁵³  is filled with terrible anger,

for he knows that he only has a little time!”

12:13 Now ⁵⁴  when the dragon realized ⁵⁵  that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. 12:14 But ⁵⁶  the woman was given the two wings of a giant eagle so that she could fly out into the wilderness, ⁵⁷  to the place God ⁵⁸  prepared for her, where she is taken care of – away from the presence of the serpent – for a time, times, and half a time. ⁵⁹  12:15 Then ⁶⁰  the serpent spouted water like a river out of his mouth after the woman in an attempt to ⁶¹  sweep her away by a flood, 12:16 but ⁶²  the earth came to her rescue; ⁶³  the ground opened up ⁶⁴  and swallowed the river that the dragon had spewed from his mouth. 12:17 So ⁶⁵  the dragon became enraged at the woman and went away to make war on the rest of her children, ⁶⁶  those who keep ⁶⁷  God’s commandments and hold to ⁶⁸  the testimony about Jesus. ⁶⁹  (12:18) And the dragon ⁷⁰  stood ⁷¹  on the sand ⁷²  of the seashore. ⁷³ 

Revelation 13:2

13:2 Now ⁷⁴  the beast that I saw was like a leopard, but its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. The ⁷⁵  dragon gave the beast ⁷⁶  his power, his throne, and great authority to rule. ⁷⁷ 

Revelation 13:4

13:4 they worshiped the dragon because he had given ruling authority ⁷⁸  to the beast, and they worshiped the beast too, saying: “Who is like the beast?” and “Who is able to make war against him?” ⁷⁹ 

Revelation 13:11

13:11 Then ⁸⁰  I saw another beast ⁸¹  coming up from the earth. He ⁸²  had two horns like a lamb, ⁸³  but ⁸⁴  was speaking like a dragon.

Revelation 16:13

16:13 Then ⁸⁵  I saw three unclean spirits ⁸⁶  that looked like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.

Revelation 20:2

20:2 He ⁸⁷  seized the dragon – the ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan – and tied him up for a thousand years.

[51:9]  ¹ tn The arm of the Lord is a symbol of divine military power. Here it is personified and told to arouse itself from sleep and prepare for action.

[51:9]  ² tn Heb “Are you not the one who smashed?” The feminine singular forms agree grammatically with the feminine noun “arm.” The Hebrew text has ַהמַּחְצֶבֶת (hammakhtsevet), from the verbal root חָצַב (khatsav, “hew, chop”). The Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a has, probably correctly, המחצת, from the verbal root מָחַץ (makhats, “smash”) which is used in Job 26:12 to describe God’s victory over “the Proud One.”

[51:9]  ³ tn This title (רַהַב, rahav, “proud one”) is sometimes translated as a proper name: “Rahab” (cf. NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV). It is used here of a symbolic sea monster, known elsewhere in the Bible and in Ugaritic myth as Leviathan. This sea creature symbolizes the forces of chaos that seek to destroy the created order. In the Bible “the Proud One” opposes God’s creative work, but is defeated (see Job 26:12; Ps 89:10). Here the title refers to Pharaoh’s Egyptian army that opposed Israel at the Red Sea (see v. 10, and note also Isa 30:7 and Ps 87:4, where the title is used of Egypt).

[51:9]  ⁴ tn The words “did you not” are understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line). The rhetorical questions here and in v. 10 expect the answer, “Yes, you certainly did!”

[51:9]  ⁵ tn Hebrew תַּנִּין (tannin) is another name for the symbolic sea monster. See the note at 27:1. In this context the sea creature represents Egypt. See the note on the title “Proud One” earlier in this verse.

[74:13]  ⁶ tn The derivation and meaning of the Polel verb form פּוֹרַרְתָּ (porarta) are uncertain. The form may be related to an Akkadian cognate meaning “break, shatter,” though the biblical Hebrew cognate of this verb always appears in the Hiphil or Hophal stem. BDB 830 s.v. II פָּרַר suggests a homonym here, meaning “to split; to divide.” A Hitpolel form of a root פָּרַר (parar) appears in Isa 24:19 with the meaning “to shake violently.”

[74:13]  ⁷ tn The Hebrew text has the plural form, “sea monsters” (cf. NRSV “dragons”), but it is likely that an original enclitic mem has been misunderstood as a plural ending. The imagery of the mythological sea monster is utilized here. See the note on “Leviathan” in v. 14.

[74:14]  ¹¹ sn You crushed the heads of Leviathan. The imagery of vv. 13-14 originates in West Semitic mythology. The description of Leviathan should be compared with the following excerpts from Ugaritic mythological texts: (1) “Was not the dragon [Ugaritic tnn, cognate with Hebrew תַּנִין (tanin), translated “sea monster” in v. 13] vanquished and captured? I did destroy the wriggling [Ugaritic ’qltn, cognate to Hebrew עֲקַלָּתוֹן (’aqallaton), translated “squirming” in Isa 27:1] serpent, the tyrant with seven heads” (note the use of the plural “heads” here and in v. 13). (See CTA 3.iii.38-39 in G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 50.) (2) “For all that you smote Leviathan the slippery [Ugaritic brh, cognate to Hebrew בָּרִחַ (bariakh), translated “fast moving” in Isa 27:1] serpent, [and] made an end of the wriggling serpent, the tyrant with seven heads” (See CTA 5.i.1-3 in G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 68.) In the myths Leviathan is a sea creature that symbolizes the destructive water of the sea and, in turn, the forces of chaos that threaten the established order. In the OT, the battle with the sea motif is applied to Yahweh’s victories over the forces of chaos at creation and in history (see Pss 74:13-14; 77:16-20; 89:9-10; Isa 51:9-10). Yahweh’s subjugation of the waters of chaos is related to his kingship (see Pss 29:3, 10; 93:3-4). Isa 27:1 applies imagery from Canaanite mythology to Yahweh’s eschatological victory over his enemies. Apocalyptic literature employs the imagery as well. The beasts of Dan 7 emerge from the sea, while Rev 13 speaks of a seven-headed beast coming from the sea. Here in Ps 74:13-14 the primary referent is unclear. The psalmist may be describing God’s creation of the world (note vv. 16-17 and see Ps 89:9-12), when he brought order out of a watery mass, or the exodus (see Isa 51:9-10), when he created Israel by destroying the Egyptians in the waters of the sea.

[74:14]  ¹² tn The prefixed verbal form is understood as a preterite in this narrational context.

[74:14]  ¹³ sn You fed him to the people. This pictures the fragments of Leviathan’s dead corpse washing up on shore and being devoured by those who find them. If the exodus is in view, then it may allude to the bodies of the dead Egyptians which washed up on the shore of the Red Sea (see Exod 14:30).

[51:34]  ¹⁶ tn This verse is extremely difficult to translate because of the shifting imagery, the confusion over the meaning of one of the verbs, and the apparent inconsistency of the pronominal suffixes here with those in the following verse which everyone agrees is connected with it. The pronominal suffixes are first common plural but the versions all read them as first common singular which the Masoretes also do in the Qere. That reading has been followed here for consistency with the next verse which identifies the speaker as the person living in Zion and the personified city of Jerusalem. The Hebrew text reads: “Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon devoured me [cf. 50:7, 17] and threw me into confusion. He set me down an empty dish. He swallowed me like a monster from the deep [cf. BDB 1072 s.v. תַּנִּין 3 and compare usage in Isa 27:1; Ezek 29:3; 32:2]. He filled his belly with my dainties. He rinsed me out [cf. BDB s.v. דּוּח Hiph.2 and compare the usage in Isa 4:4].” The verb “throw into confusion” has proved troublesome because its normal meaning does not seem appropriate. Hence various proposals have been made to understand it in a different sense. The present translation has followed W. L. Holladay (Jeremiah [Hermeneia], 2:428) in understanding the verb to mean “disperse” or “route” (see NAB). The last line has seemed out of place and has often been emended to read “he has spewed me out” (so NIV, NRSV, a reading that presupposes הִדִּיחָנִי [hiddikhani] for הֱדִיחָנִי [hedikhani]). The reading of the MT is not inappropriate if it is combined with the imagery of an empty jar and hence is retained here (see F. B. Huey, Jeremiah, Lamentations [NAC], 425, n. 59; H. Freedman, Jeremiah [SoBB], 344; NJPS). The lines have been combined to keep the imagery together.

[29:3]  ²¹ tn Or “I challenge you.” The phrase “I am against you” may be a formula for challenging someone to combat or a duel. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 1:201-2, and P. Humbert, “Die Herausforderungsformel ‘h!nn#n' ?l?K>,’” ZAW 45 (1933): 101-8.

[29:3]  ²² tn Heb “jackals,” but many medieval Hebrew mss read correctly “the serpent.” The Hebrew term appears to refer to a serpent in Exod 7:9-10, 12; Deut 32:33; and Ps 91:13. It also refers to large creatures that inhabit the sea (Gen 1:21; Ps 148:7). In several passages it is associated with the sea or with the multiheaded sea monster Leviathan (Job 7:12; Ps 74:13; Isa 27:1; 51:9). Because of the Egyptian setting of this prophecy and the reference to the creature’s scales (v. 4), many understand a crocodile to be the referent here (e.g., NCV “a great crocodile”; TEV “you monster crocodile”; CEV “a giant crocodile”).

[29:3]  ²³ sn In Egyptian theology Pharaoh owned and controlled the Nile. See J. D. Currid, Ancient Egypt and the Old Testament, 240-44.

[32:2]  ²⁶ tn The lion was a figure of royalty (Ezek 19:1-9).

[32:2]  ²⁷ tc The Hebrew reads “their streams”; the LXX reads “your streams.”

[32:3]  ³¹ tn The expression “throw my net” is common in Ezekiel (12:13; 17:20; 19:8).

[32:4]  ³⁶ tn Or “cause.”

[32:4]  ³⁷ tn Heb “live.”

[32:4]  ³⁸ tn Or “cause.”

[32:4]  ³⁹ tn Heb “the beasts of the field,” referring to wild as opposed to domesticated animals.

[32:5]  ⁴¹ tc The Hebrew text is difficult here, apparently meaning “your height.” Following Symmachus and the Syriac, it is preferable to emend the text to read “your maggots.” See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 2:203.

[12:3]  ⁴⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

[12:3]  ⁴⁷ tn For the translation of διάδημα (diadhma) as “diadem crown” see L&N 6.196.

[12:4]  ⁵¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate that this remark is virtually parenthetical.

[12:4]  ⁵² tn Grk “its”; the referent (the dragon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[12:4]  ⁵³ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

[12:5]  ⁵⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the conclusion of the anticipated birth.

[12:5]  ⁵⁷ tn On this term BDAG 135 s.v. ἄρσην states: “male…The neut. ἄρσεν Rv 12:5, difft. vs. 13, comes fr. Is 66:7 and is in apposition to υἱόν. On the juxtaposition s. FBoll, ZNW 15, 1914, 253; BOlsson, Glotta 23, ’34, 112.”

[12:5]  ⁵⁸ tn Grk “shepherd.”

[12:5]  ⁵⁹ tn Or “all the Gentiles” (the same Greek word may be translated “Gentiles” or “nations”).

[12:5]  ⁶⁰ tn Or “scepter.” The Greek term ῥάβδος (rJabdo") can mean either “rod” or “scepter.”

[12:5]  ⁶¹ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[12:6]  ⁶¹ tn Grk “and the woman,” which would be somewhat redundant in English.

[12:6]  ⁶² tn Or “desert.”

[12:6]  ⁶³ tn Grk “where she has there a place prepared by God.”

[12:6]  ⁶⁴ tn Grk “so they can take care of her.”

[12:7]  ⁶⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.

[12:7]  ⁶⁷ sn The archangel Michael had a special role in protecting the nation of Israel in the OT (Dan 10:13, 21; 12:1; see also Jude 9).

[12:8]  ⁷¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the implied contrast.

[12:8]  ⁷² tn The words “to prevail” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

[12:8]  ⁷³ tn Grk “found.”

[12:8]  ⁷⁴ tn Grk “for them”; the referent (the dragon and his angels, v. 7) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[12:9]  ⁷⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the result of the war in heaven.

[12:10]  ⁸¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

[12:10]  ⁸² tn Or “the right of his Messiah to rule.” See L&N 37.35.

[12:10]  ⁸³ tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[12:10]  ⁸⁴ tn Grk “brothers,” but the Greek word may be used for “brothers and sisters” or “fellow Christians” (cf. BDAG 18 s.v. ἀδελφός 1, where considerable nonbiblical evidence for the plural ἀδελφοί [adelfoi] meaning “brothers and sisters” is cited). The translation “fellow believer” would normally apply (L&N 11.23), but since the speaker(s) are not specified in this context, it is not clear if such a translation would be appropriate here. The more generic “brothers and sisters” was chosen to emphasize the fact of a relationship without specifying its type.

[12:10]  ⁸⁵ tn Or “who accuses them continually.”

[12:11]  ⁸⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast.

[12:11]  ⁸⁷ sn They did not love their lives. See Matt 16:25; Luke 17:33; John 12:25.

[12:12]  ⁹¹ tn The word “But” is not in the Greek text, but the contrast is clearly implied. This is a case of asyndeton (lack of a connective).

[12:12]  ⁹² tn Grk “and is filled,” a continuation of the previous sentence. Because English tends to use shorter sentences (especially when exclamations are involved), a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[12:13]  ⁹⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” because the clause it introduces is clearly resumptive.

[12:13]  ⁹⁷ tn Grk “saw.”

[12:14]  ¹⁰¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present here.

[12:14]  ¹⁰² tn Or “desert.”

[12:14]  ¹⁰³ tn The word “God” is supplied based on the previous statements made concerning “the place prepared for the woman” in 12:6.

[12:14]  ¹⁰⁴ tc The reading “and half a time” (καὶ ἥμισυ καιροῦ, kai {hmisu kairou) is lacking in the important uncial C. Its inclusion, however, is supported by {Ì⁴⁷ א A and the rest of the ms tradition}. There is apparently no reason for the scribe of C to intentionally omit the phrase, and the fact that the word “time” (καιρὸν καὶ καιρούς, kairon kai kairou") appears twice before may indicate a scribal oversight.

[12:15]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

[12:15]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Grk “so that he might make her swept away.”

[12:16]  ¹¹¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present here.

[12:16]  ¹¹² tn Grk “the earth helped the woman.”

[12:16]  ¹¹³ tn Grk “the earth opened its mouth” (a metaphor for the ground splitting open).

[12:17]  ¹¹⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the woman’s escape.

[12:17]  ¹¹⁷ tn Grk “her seed” (an idiom for offspring, children, or descendants).

[12:17]  ¹¹⁸ tn Or “who obey.”

[12:17]  ¹¹⁹ tn Grk “and having.”

[12:17]  ¹²⁰ tn Grk “the testimony of Jesus,” which may involve a subjective genitive (“Jesus’ testimony”) or, more likely, an objective genitive (“testimony about Jesus”).

[12:17]  ¹²¹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (the dragon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[12:17]  ¹²² tc Grk ἐστάθη (estaqh, “he stood”). The reading followed by the translation is attested by the better mss (Ì⁴⁷ א A C 1854 2344 2351 pc lat sy^h) while the majority of mss (051 Ï vg^mss sy^ph co) have the reading ἐστάθην (estaqhn, “I stood”). Thus, the majority of mss make the narrator, rather than the dragon of 12:17, the subject of the verb. The first person reading is most likely an assimilation to the following verb in 13:1, “I saw.” The reading “I stood” was introduced either by accident or to produce a smoother flow, giving the narrator a vantage point on the sea’s edge from which to observe the beast rising out of the sea in 13:1. But almost everywhere else in the book, the phrase καὶ εἶδον (kai eidon, “and I saw”) marks a transition to a new vision, without reference to the narrator’s activity. On both external and internal grounds, it is best to adopt the third person reading, “he stood.”

[12:17]  ¹²³ tn Or “sandy beach” (L&N 1.64).

[12:17]  ¹²⁴ sn The standard critical texts of the Greek NT, NA²⁷ and UBS⁴, both include this sentence as 12:18, as do the RSV and NRSV. Other modern translations like the NASB and NIV include the sentence at the beginning of 13:1; in these versions chap. 12 has only 17 verses.

[13:2]  ¹²¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the parenthetical nature of the following description of the beast.

[13:2]  ¹²² tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[13:2]  ¹²³ tn Grk “gave it”; the referent (the beast) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[13:2]  ¹²⁴ tn For the translation “authority to rule” for ἐξουσία (exousia) see L&N 37.35.

[13:4]  ¹²⁶ tn For the translation “ruling authority” for ἐξουσία (exousia) see L&N 37.35.

[13:4]  ¹²⁷ tn On the use of the masculine pronoun to refer to the beast, see the note on the word “It” in 13:1.

[13:11]  ¹³¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.

[13:11]  ¹³² sn This second beast is identified in Rev 16:13 as “the false prophet.”

[13:11]  ¹³³ tn Grk “and it had,” a continuation of the preceding sentence. On the use of the pronoun “he” to refer to the second beast, see the note on the word “It” in 13:1.

[13:11]  ¹³⁴ tn Or perhaps, “like a ram.” Here L&N 4.25 states, “In the one context in the NT, namely, Re 13:11, in which ἀρνίον refers literally to a sheep, it is used in a phrase referring to the horns of an ἀρνίον. In such a context the reference is undoubtedly to a ‘ram,’ that is to say, the adult male of sheep.” In spite of this most translations render the word “lamb” here to maintain the connection between this false lamb and the true Lamb of the Book of Revelation, Jesus Christ.

[13:11]  ¹³⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

[16:13]  ¹³⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

[16:13]  ¹³⁷ sn According to the next verse, these three unclean spirits are spirits of demons.

[20:2]  ¹⁴¹ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.