appear in swarms (v.i.).—(
Hebrew characters)] lit. 'living soul'; used
here collectively, and with the sense of (Hebrew characters) weakened,
as often, to 'individual' or 'being' (ct. v.30 and see on
27). The creation of the aquatic animals marks, according
to OT ideas, the first appearance of life on the earth, for
life is nowhere predicated of the vegetable kingdom.—over the earth in front of the firmament] i.e. in the atmosphere,
for which Heb. has no special name.—21. created] indistinguishable
from made in v.25.—the great sea monsters] The
introduction of this new detail in the execution of the fiat
is remarkable. (Hebrew characters) here denotes actual marine animals;
but this is almost the only passage where it certainly bears
that sense (Ps. 1487). There are strong traces of mythology
in the usage of the word: Is. 271 519 (Gu. Schöpf. 30-33),
Ps. 7413 (?); and it may have been originally the name of
a class of legendary monsters like Ti'āmat. The mythological
interpretation lingered in Jewish exegetical tradition
(see below).—22. And God blessed them, etc.] In contrast
with the plants, whose reproductive powers are included
in their creation (v.11ff.), these living beings are endowed
with the right of self-propagation by a separate act—a
benediction (see v.28). The distinction is natural.—be fruitful, etc.] "There is nothing to indicate that only a
front of': see BDB, s. (Hebrew characters), II. 7. a,—G inserts (Hebrew characters) at the end of the
v.—21. (Hebrew characters)] It is naturally difficult to determine exactly how far the
Heb. usage of the word is coloured by mythology. The important
point is that it represents a power hostile to God, not only in the pass.
cited above, but also in Job 712. There are resemblances in the Ar.
tinnīn, a fabulous amphibious monster, appearing now on land and now
in the sea (personification of the waterspout? RS2, 176), concerning
which the Arabian cosmographers have many wonderful tales to relate
(Mas'ūdī, i. 263, 266 ff.; Kazwīnī, Ethé's tr. i. 270 ff.). Ra., after
explaining literally, adds by way of Haggada that these are 'Leviathan
and his consort,' who were created male and female, but the female
was killed and salted for the righteous in the coming age, because if
they had multiplied the world would not have stood before them
(comp. En. 607-9, 4 Esd. 649-52, Ber. R. c. 7).[1]—(Hebrew characters) Cf. 910,
- ↑ In Bab. tannînu is said to be a mythological designation of the earth (Jen. Kosm. 161; Jer. ATLO2, 1367; King, Cr. Tab. 10924); but that throws no light on Heb.
