Behemoth
/bɪˈhiː.mɒθ/noun
A huge, powerful creature or thing; something monstrous in size or strength.
Did you know?In the Book of Job, Behemoth is a primeval land beast so immense that later readers treated it like a monster of apocalypse, not just a big animal.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Hebrew
Hebrew
בְּהֵמוֹת (behemot)
“A plural form of 'beast' used in Job as a name for a mighty land creature.”
Septuagint / Ancient Greek
Greek
θηρία / θηρίον
“Rendered as a wild beast or beastly creature in Greek tradition.”
Late Latin
Latin
behemoth
“A transliterated biblical monster name.”
13th-14th Century
Middle English
behemot / behemoth
“A gigantic beast from Scripture.”
Modern English
English
behemoth
“Something enormous, unwieldy, or monstrously powerful.”
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