Does the Bible Talk About Dinosaurs?
I recently received this question from a high school student seeking answers to questions arising from his experiences in the public school he attends. Here is my response.
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Dear Bill,
The answer is yes and no. explaining the last answer first, no the Bible does not talk about dinosaurs. That is, we are not given a lot of material in the Bible regarding this subject. This is understandable since the Bible does not talk about a lot of things regarding life under the sun. Its purpose is not to explain everything, but to give an answer to the basic questions regarding God, creation, man, sin, and salvation. It states the purpose of human history, i.e., that man was created to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.
Solomon describes it this way:
He (God) has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end. (Eccl 3:11 NASB)
As Adam was given the task of identifying the animals in the Garden of Eden, mankind has the task of studying the universe and seeking to understand it. We will never have perfect knowledge and understanding because we are creatures of time and must learn what life is all about and how to live under the sun.
Because our knowledge is limited, and because of the damage caused by sin in the world, men do not seek after God. Instead, God seeks after men. That is, He provides revelation—the Bible—to persuade us to come to Him. (cf. Rom 3:10-18, 23)
Psalm 19:1-6 is often quoted as proof that man can understand God just by looking at creation. This is unfortunate because the Psalmist is saying just the opposite. Notice that the rest of the Psalm, verses 7-14 explain that viewing the wonders of creation will not save anyone. Only God’s revelation can do this. This is why it is important that we study, study, study. So that we can understand the message, the Word of God. (John 1:1ff.)
Coming back to your question and the first answer, yes the Bible does mention dinosaurs, though it doesn’t explain them, only that they were part of God’s creation. Notice Job chapters 40 and 41. “Behemoth” (Job 40:15 NASB) could be a reference to a dinosaur, though many Bible scholars see it as a hippopotamus. In verse 41:1, “Leviathan” refers to a sea creature that was enormous. Both of these references have caused much conjecture for and against dinosaurs. But the context was God speaking to Job and reminding Job of how large and imposing these creatures, both on land and in the sea, were when compared to mankind.
My personal view is that there were dinosaurs, but through climate change and overhunting, they ceased to exist. It is hard to argue against the many discoveries of bones, carcasses, and even drawings depicting these large creatures. But the debate is not really about their existence or nonexistence. It is about the nature of God’s creation and the origin and age of the universe itself.
As you know, I am a strong advocate for the literal translation of the Bible as opposed to the mystical or allegorical interpretation. There is plain language and figurative language. But once we leave the intended purpose of the Author of Scripture, the Holy Spirit, and give a mystical or allegorical interpretation, we lose the truth of the gospel and become lost in a vast sea of speculation. Man’s theories come and go. In the end, we can only see pieces of the past, but never the whole picture. But the Word of God endures forever.