Isaiah 27:1
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.
Original Language Analysis
בַּיּ֣וֹם
In that day
H3117
בַּיּ֣וֹם
In that day
Strong's:
H3117
Word #:
1 of 21
a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an asso
הַה֡וּא
H1931
הַה֡וּא
Strong's:
H1931
Word #:
2 of 21
he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demo
יִפְקֹ֣ד
shall punish
H6485
יִפְקֹ֣ד
shall punish
Strong's:
H6485
Word #:
3 of 21
to visit (with friendly or hostile intent); by analogy, to oversee, muster, charge, care for, miss, deposit, etc
יְהוָה֩
the LORD
H3068
יְהוָה֩
the LORD
Strong's:
H3068
Word #:
4 of 21
(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god
בְּחַרְב֨וֹ
sword
H2719
בְּחַרְב֨וֹ
sword
Strong's:
H2719
Word #:
5 of 21
drought; also a cutting instrument (from its destructive effect), as a knife, sword, or other sharp implement
וְהַגְּדוֹלָ֣ה
and great
H1419
וְהַגְּדוֹלָ֣ה
and great
Strong's:
H1419
Word #:
7 of 21
great (in any sense); hence, older; also insolent
וְהַֽחֲזָקָ֗ה
and strong
H2389
וְהַֽחֲזָקָ֗ה
and strong
Strong's:
H2389
Word #:
8 of 21
strong (usu. in a bad sense, hard, bold, violent)
עַ֤ל
H5921
עַ֤ל
Strong's:
H5921
Word #:
9 of 21
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
לִוְיָתָ֔ן
even leviathan
H3882
לִוְיָתָ֔ן
even leviathan
Strong's:
H3882
Word #:
10 of 21
a wreathed animal, i.e., a large sea-monster; figuratively, the constellation of the dragon; also as a symbol of babylon
בָּרִ֔חַ
the piercing
H1281
בָּרִ֔חַ
the piercing
Strong's:
H1281
Word #:
12 of 21
a fugitive, i.e., the serpent (as fleeing), and the constellation by that name
וְעַל֙
H5921
וְעַל֙
Strong's:
H5921
Word #:
13 of 21
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
לִוְיָתָ֔ן
even leviathan
H3882
לִוְיָתָ֔ן
even leviathan
Strong's:
H3882
Word #:
14 of 21
a wreathed animal, i.e., a large sea-monster; figuratively, the constellation of the dragon; also as a symbol of babylon
אֶת
H853
אֶת
Strong's:
H853
Word #:
18 of 21
properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)
הַתַּנִּ֖ין
the dragon
H8577
הַתַּנִּ֖ין
the dragon
Strong's:
H8577
Word #:
19 of 21
a marine or land monster, i.e., sea-serpent or jackal
Cross References
Ezekiel 29:3Speak, and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great dragon that lieth in the midst of his rivers, which hath said, My river is mine own, and I have made it for myself.Isaiah 66:16For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many.Isaiah 51:9Awake, 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?Job 26:13By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens; his hand hath formed the crooked serpent.Psalms 104:26There go the ships: there is that leviathan, whom thou hast made to play therein.Revelation 20:2And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,Revelation 19:21And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.Job 40:19He is the chief of the ways of God: he that made him can make his sword to approach unto him.Revelation 16:13And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.Revelation 13:11And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
Historical Context
Written during Assyria's dominance (late 8th century BC), when empires seemed invincible. Ancient Near Eastern creation myths featured gods battling chaos monsters (Babylonian Marduk vs. Tiamat, Canaanite Baal vs. Yam/Lotan). Isaiah appropriates this imagery to show Yahweh's supremacy—He alone defeats chaos powers. For exiled Israel, this promised that empires oppressing them (symbolized as sea monsters) would be judged. The early church saw ultimate fulfillment in Christ's victory over Satan (Colossians 2:15, Hebrews 2:14).
Questions for Reflection
- How does God's promise to destroy 'leviathan' encourage believers facing overwhelming evil or powerful opposition?
- What do the serpent/dragon images teach about spiritual warfare and Satan's ultimate defeat?
- How should 'in that day' shape our perspective on current injustices and God's timing for final judgment?
Related Resources
Explore related topics, people, and study resources to deepen your understanding of this passage.
Analysis & Commentary
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. This apocalyptic vision depicts God's final triumph over evil using ancient Near Eastern mythological imagery. The Hebrew livyatan (לִוִיָתָן) appears elsewhere in Job 41 and Psalm 74:14, representing chaos monsters God subdued at creation. The threefold description—piercing serpent (nachash bariach, נָחָשׁ בָּרִחַ), crooked serpent (nachash 'aqallaton, נָחָשׁ עֲקַלָּתוֹן), and dragon in the sea (tannin asher bayam, תַּנִּין אֲשֶׁר בַּיָּם)—uses Canaanite mythological language to describe God's enemies. Ugaritic texts speak of Lotan, the seven-headed serpent, which Israel's prophets reinterpreted as symbols of hostile nations and spiritual powers opposing God.
His sore and great and strong sword (cherev haqashah vehagdolah vehachazaqah) emphasizes God's absolute power to judge. The triple adjectives (harsh, great, strong) underscore certainty of victory. In that day (bayom hahu) points eschatologically to the Day of the LORD when God finally vanquishes all rebellion. Revelation 12-13 and 20 use similar dragon imagery for Satan and antichrist, showing Isaiah's vision extends beyond historical enemies (Assyria, Babylon, Egypt) to ultimate spiritual warfare. The serpent of Genesis 3 who introduced sin will be finally destroyed by the sword of the LORD.