What are behemoth and leviathan in the Bible?
Behemoth and leviathan are great creatures God describes to Job (chapters 40–41) to demonstrate his sovereignty. They are physical creatures — likely real, vast, untamable animals — and stand symbolically for the forces of chaos God alone masters.
Behemoth (Job 40:15–24) is a massive land beast; leviathan (Job 41) is a fearsome sea creature. Identifying them precisely with modern animals is uncertain; whatever they were, no one tamed them.
God’s point to Job: if you cannot handle a creature in my creation, how will you handle the Creator?
In other places leviathan appears as a symbol of chaos and evil (Psalm 74:14, Isaiah 27:1). God’s rule over leviathan is his rule over every threat to his people.
Original BibleDawn answer · reviewed 2026-06. Drafted with AI assistance and reviewed for accuracy.