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What is a "leviathan"?
This word is translated variously in different translations of the Scriptures. The word is used 5 times in the Old Testament and none in the New Testament. It is found once in Job, twice in Psalms and twice in Isaiah. It all comes from the Hebrew root word livathan. This comes from the Hebrew root word lavah, to twine. By implications then a leviathan is a twining animal. In Isaiah it is described in the texts as a piercing or crooked serpent. (Isaiah 27:1) In Psalm 104 and Job 41 the creature is related to the sea. God describes the creature as one that cannot be conquered or defeated by various armaments of men. He also says that it is a scaly creature whose scales are too close together to penetrate and that it has a mouthful of ferocious teeth. God further describes it as a creature that breathes fire. An apt picture of leviathan is seen on ancient maps where a writhing fire breathing sea creature is depicted on the oceans.
Since it is God doing the describing of the creature, we will not doubt God’s veracity in its existence. That it, like thousands of other creatures, has become extinct cannot be 100% assured. That it is not commonly seen and can assume to be extinct is a real possibility. That it is not an ordinary creature can be ascertained from the text in Job 41. It is one of God’s marvelous creatures which demonstrates His power. God devotes an entire chapter to this majestic creature and so we can assume that it is not just some common animal to which he devoted much less time in His previous comments to Job. There is no necessity to place a name of a known animal to this awe inspiring creation of God. Leviathan is a leviathan.