Psalm 74 14

Psalm 74:14 kjv

Thou brakest the heads of leviathan in pieces, and gavest him to be meat to the people inhabiting the wilderness.

Psalm 74:14 nkjv

You broke the heads of Leviathan in pieces, And gave him as food to the people inhabiting the wilderness.

Psalm 74:14 niv

It was you who crushed the heads of Leviathan and gave it as food to the creatures of the desert.

Psalm 74:14 esv

You crushed the heads of Leviathan; you gave him as food for the creatures of the wilderness.

Psalm 74:14 nlt

You crushed the heads of Leviathan
and let the desert animals eat him.

Psalm 74 verses

Psalm 74 14 Meaning

Psalm 74:14 declares God's mighty acts in primordial history, specifically His victory over chaos, symbolized by "Leviathan." This verse attributes to God the act of crushing the formidable heads of this monstrous creature, subsequently giving its defeated form as sustenance for the creatures of the wilderness. It speaks to God's supreme power, establishing His sovereignty over all chaotic and destructive forces, both cosmic and terrestrial.

Psalm 74 14 Context

Psalm 74 is a communal lament, often attributed to Asaph. The psalm opens with an urgent plea for God's intervention, as His sanctuary has been destroyed, and His people are facing great oppression and desolation. The psalm describes the devastation of Jerusalem and the Temple, portraying a period of national catastrophe where the very signs of God's presence have been profaned and eradicated by enemies. In the midst of this lamentable state, the psalmist appeals to God's past actions and attributes. Verses 12-17 serve as a powerful confessional interlude, recounting God's glorious acts of creation and deliverance from ancient times. Verse 14 falls within this section, recalling God's primordial triumph over chaotic forces as a basis for the people's plea for present deliverance. The memory of God's mighty deeds in subduing cosmic evil and establishing order provides hope and a foundational argument for His intervention against the current oppressors who are acting as chaotic, destructive forces. The psalm uses mythopoetic language from the Ancient Near East but transforms it, asserting YHWH alone is the supreme God who defeats chaos.

Psalm 74 14 Word analysis

• You crushed: The Hebrew verb is rāṣaṣ (רָצַץ), meaning "to crush," "shatter," "break in pieces." This implies an absolute, violent, and complete destruction, leaving no doubt about the overwhelming power of the agent (God) and the total defeat of the object (Leviathan). It's a definitive act.
• heads: The Hebrew word is rō’š (רֹאשׁ), here in the plural, rā’šê. The mention of multiple "heads" suggests the multi-faceted, overwhelming, and seemingly invincible nature of Leviathan. In ancient mythology, multi-headed monsters were common symbols of formidable chaos that required exceptional power to subdue. God's crushing of all its heads signifies His total and decisive victory over every aspect of this chaotic force.
• of Leviathan: The Hebrew word is liwyātān (לִוְיָתָן). This is a well-known mythological sea monster or dragon, sometimes identified with a serpent or crocodile-like creature. In Ugaritic myths, Lotan (the Canaanite equivalent of Leviathan) was a multi-headed sea monster of chaos, defeated by the storm god Baal. By attributing the defeat of Leviathan to YHWH, the psalmist makes a strong theological statement (a polemic), asserting that the God of Israel, and He alone, possesses ultimate sovereignty over cosmic disorder and evil, not any other deity.
• You gave him: The Hebrew verb is nātan (נָתַן), "to give," "to place," "to deliver." Here, it signifies handing over, indicating the defeated creature is no longer a threat but a disposed object.
• as food: The Hebrew word is ma’ăkal (מַאֲכָל). This denotes "eating, food." The utterly defeated creature is not simply vanquished but becomes a source of sustenance. This symbolizes its complete degradation and usefulness even in its defeat, turned into an act of providence. It's an image of the vanquished being utterly exploited.
• for the creatures of the wilderness: The Hebrew is l'ʿām l'tsiyyim (לְעָם לְצִיִּים), which literally translates to "for a people for desert-dwellers" or "for a wild/barren people." Scholars often interpret ʿām ("people") here in the sense of a collective of living beings or animals (sometimes used this way in context of animal species), while tsiyyim refers to "desert-dwellers," "wild beasts," or "inhabitants of dry places." This imagery intensifies the debasement of Leviathan. Instead of being an awe-inspiring terror, it becomes carrion for scavengers or lesser, marginalized creatures, emphasizing God's ultimate humiliation of chaotic forces. It highlights that nothing is too powerful for God to humble, and He even uses its downfall to sustain lesser forms of life.

Words-group by Words-group analysis

• "You crushed the heads of Leviathan": This phrase epitomizes God's sovereign power over chaos. It's a forceful declaration of decisive victory, recalling primordial acts of creation and establishing order by subduing the unruly. The plural "heads" suggests not just defeat, but total annihilation of a multi-faceted or seemingly unconquerable foe. It asserts God's unique power over forces that no other god could conquer.
• "You gave him as food for the creatures of the wilderness": This shows the extreme humiliation and ultimate dispossession of Leviathan. From being a terror, it is reduced to mere sustenance for the humblest of creatures. This underscores God's total victory, transforming a destructive force into a source of provision, symbolizing the turning of chaos into order, and ultimately good, even if that good is merely sustenance for wild animals. It implies utter demystification and profaning of the mythical beast.

Psalm 74 14 Bonus section

The imagery of God's defeat of cosmic monsters like Leviathan (and Rahab) in the Psalms and Prophets often serves as a mythopoetic template for His historical victories over human empires and oppressors, such as Pharaoh and Egypt, particularly at the Red Sea. In this context, Leviathan represents not just a mythical beast but the embodiment of hostile forces—cosmic, political, or spiritual—that threaten God's order and people. The multi-headed aspect could signify the manifold forms of evil or opposition God overcomes. Ultimately, this ancient defeat anticipates the future, ultimate victory of God, often through the Messiah, over sin, death, and spiritual adversaries, portrayed as a "dragon" or "ancient serpent" in the New Testament's Book of Revelation, fulfilling the ancient prophecy of Isa 27:1. Thus, Ps 74:14 functions as a reminder of God's past triumph, a present comfort amidst distress, and a future hope of final victory over all evil.

Psalm 74 14 Commentary

Psalm 74:14 stands as a profound declaration of God's unmatched sovereignty. In a psalm deeply embedded in human suffering and lament over the desolation of Zion, this verse pivots to a vivid confession of God's ancient, cosmic power. By recalling the "crushing" of "Leviathan," the psalmist taps into familiar ancient Near Eastern mythologies where sea monsters symbolized the raw, untamed forces of chaos that rivalled divine authority. However, the psalmist asserts that YHWH, the God of Israel, effortlessly accomplished what other gods in the region were imagined to struggle with or could not. He didn't just subdue Leviathan; He "crushed" its formidable "heads," indicating a definitive and complete victory over every aspect of this terrifying, multi-faceted chaos. Furthermore, the consequence of this crushing defeat – Leviathan becoming "food for the creatures of the wilderness" – adds layers of meaning. It signifies total debasement; the mighty monster is rendered utterly impotent, serving as carrion for lowly desert scavengers. This emphasizes that God's power not only conquers chaos but also transforms it, turning potential destruction into provision, even if for animals. This historical, cosmic act of order-creation serves as the psalmist's foundational argument for God's ability and responsibility to intervene in the current human chaos faced by Israel. It reminds both the people and God (as if He needed reminding) that He is the one who triumphs over all that is unruly, destructive, and seemingly overwhelming, whether a primeval beast or national oppressors.