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The word dinosaur does not appear in the Bible. It was coined in 1842 by the English anatomist Richard Owen, and neither the World English Bible nor the King James Version uses it. The Bible does describe creatures made on the fifth and sixth days of creation (Genesis 1:20-25) and two great beasts in the book of Job: Behemoth, named once in Job 40:15, and Leviathan, named in 5 verses of the WEB. Whether these are dinosaurs, hippos, elephants, crocodiles or poetic images is argued by Christians: young-earth readers often see dinosaurs in Behemoth, while others read the Genesis days as long ages with dinosaurs among the creatures God made. The word dragon is also a translation split, 13 verses in the WEB and 34 in the KJV. The verses below are the ones that bear on the question.
Counts from this page's curated collection (10 books of Scripture).
"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth."
"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth."
"God said, “Let the waters abound with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the sky.” God created the large sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed, after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind. God saw that it was good."
"And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good."
"God said, “Let the earth produce living creatures after their kind, livestock, creeping things, and animals of the earth after their kind”; and it was so. God made the animals of the earth after their kind, and the livestock after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind. God saw that it was good."
"And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good."
"God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. There was evening and there was morning, a sixth day."
"And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day."
"Out of the ground Yahweh God formed every animal of the field, and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. Whatever the man called every living creature became its name."
"And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof."
"for in six days Yahweh made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore Yahweh blessed the Sabbath day, and made it holy."
"For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it."
"You are Yahweh, even you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their army, the earth and all things that are on it, the seas and all that is in them, and you preserve them all. The army of heaven worships you."
"Thou, even thou, art LORD alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee."
“But ask the animals, now, and they shall teach you; the birds of the sky, and they shall tell you. Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach you. The fish of the sea shall declare to you. Who doesn’t know that in all these, Yahweh’s hand has done this, in whose hand is the life of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind?
"But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee: Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee. Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the LORD hath wrought this? In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind."
“See now, behemoth, which I made as well as you. He eats grass as an ox. Look now, his strength is in his thighs. His force is in the muscles of his belly. He moves his tail like a cedar. The sinews of his thighs are knit together. His bones are like tubes of brass. His limbs are like bars of iron. He is the chief of the ways of God. He who made him gives him his sword.
"Behold now behemoth, which I made with thee; he eateth grass as an ox. Lo now, his strength is in his loins, and his force is in the navel of his belly. He moveth his tail like a cedar: the sinews of his stones are wrapped together. His bones are as strong pieces of brass; his bones are like bars of iron. He is the chief of the ways of God: he that made him can make his sword to approach unto him."
"Surely the mountains produce food for him, where all the animals of the field play. He lies under the lotus trees, in the covert of the reed, and the marsh. The lotuses cover him with their shade. The willows of the brook surround him. Behold, if a river overflows, he doesn’t tremble. He is confident, though the Jordan swells even to his mouth. Shall any take him when he is on the watch, or pierce through his nose with a snare?"
"Surely the mountains bring him forth food, where all the beasts of the field play. He lieth under the shady trees, in the covert of the reed, and fens. The shady trees cover him with their shadow; the willows of the brook compass him about. Behold, he drinketh up a river, and hasteth not: he trusteth that he can draw up Jordan into his mouth. He taketh it with his eyes: his nose pierceth through snares."
“Can you draw out Leviathan with a fish hook, or press down his tongue with a cord?
"Canst thou draw out leviathan with an hook? or his tongue with a cord which thou lettest down?"
"He makes the deep to boil like a pot. He makes the sea like a pot of ointment. He makes a path shine after him. One would think the deep had white hair. On earth there is not his equal, that is made without fear. He sees everything that is high. He is king over all the sons of pride.”"
"He maketh the deep to boil like a pot: he maketh the sea like a pot of ointment. He maketh a path to shine after him; one would think the deep to be hoary. Upon earth there is not his like, who is made without fear. He beholdeth all high things: he is a king over all the children of pride."
"When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have ordained; what is man, that you think of him? What is the son of man, that you care for him?"
"When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?"
"The heavens declare the glory of God. The expanse shows his handiwork."
"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork."
"By Yahweh’s word, the heavens were made; all their army by the breath of his mouth."
"By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth."
"You divided the sea by your strength. You broke the heads of the sea monsters in the waters. You broke the heads of Leviathan in pieces. You gave him as food to people and desert creatures."
"Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength: thou brakest the heads of the dragons in the waters. Thou brakest the heads of leviathan in pieces, and gavest him to be meat to the people inhabiting the wilderness."
"Before the mountains were born, before you had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, you are God."
"Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God."
"Yahweh, how many are your works! In wisdom have you made them all. The earth is full of your riches. There is the sea, great and wide, in which are innumerable living things, both small and large animals. There the ships go, and leviathan, whom you formed to play there."
"O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches. So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts. There go the ships: there is that leviathan, whom thou hast made to play therein."
"Praise Yahweh from the earth, you great sea creatures, and all depths;"
"Praise the LORD from the earth, ye dragons, and all deeps:"
"In that day, Yahweh with his hard and great and strong sword will punish leviathan, the fleeing serpent, and leviathan the twisted serpent; and he will kill the dragon that is in the sea."
"In that day the LORD with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent; and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea."
"Awake, awake, put on strength, arm of Yahweh! Awake, as in the days of old, the generations of ancient times. Isn’t it you who cut Rahab in pieces, who pierced the monster?"
"Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon?"
"All things were made through him. Without him was not anything made that has been made."
"All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made."
"For by him all things were created, in the heavens and on the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things have been created through him, and for him."
"For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:"
"For the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even his everlasting power and divinity; that they may be without excuse."
"For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:"
"For the creation waits with eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to vanity, not of its own will, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of decay into the liberty of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and travails in pain together until now."
"For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now."
"But don’t forget this one thing, beloved, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day."
"But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day."
Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible and the King James Version (both public domain), checked word for word against the full text. Updated October 3, 2026.
Not by name. The word dinosaur was coined in 1842, long after the Bible was written. Some Christians identify Behemoth (Job 40:15-24) or Leviathan (Job 41) with dinosaurs, because Behemoth is described with a tail like a cedar. Other readers identify Behemoth with a hippopotamus or elephant and Leviathan with a crocodile, or take both as poetic images of God's power over creation.
Behemoth is a huge animal God describes to Job: it eats grass like an ox, has strength in its loins, and is the first of God's works (Job 40:15-19). The name appears once in the Bible. Readers have taken it as a hippo, an elephant, a dinosaur or a symbol of chaos tamed by God.
It does not give a number. Genesis 1 describes six days of creation, and Christians read the days differently: as six 24-hour days (young-earth view), as long periods (old-earth view), or as a literary frame. Psalm 90:2 and 2 Peter 3:8 are often cited in the discussion, and neither settles it.
The Bible does not mention dinosaurs, so it does not say. Young-earth Christians teach that dinosaurs were on the ark and died out afterward. Old-earth Christians place their extinction millions of years before humans. The text of Genesis 6-9 speaks of the animals on the ark and the creatures that perished, without naming kinds.
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