תַּן
𐤕𐤍
tan
H8565 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Large, often fearsome animal; in many contexts, a wild land animal such as a jackal; in other cases, a generic reference to wilderness creatures or monsters. The term can refer specifically to the jackal, but also serves as a poetic or generic term for a variety of wild or ominous desert animals, sometimes mythologized. It occasionally overlaps with the imagery of chaos monsters or serpents in Israelite poetry and narrative.
Semantic Range
jackal, wild animal (esp. desert or wilderness-dwelling), generic beast of desolation, (rare or poetic) monster or chaos-creature, symbol of devastation
Root / Etymology
Root uncertain; possibly related to תנן or the root תנן (t-n-n), which suggests 'to extend' or 'to be stretched out,' but this is not firmly established. The form תַּן seems to be a shorter variant or cognate of תַּנִּין (tannin), which means 'sea monster,' 'dragon,' or 'serpent.' The actual lexical sense of תַּן in most biblical texts is that of a wild, howling land animal, most commonly identified with the jackal.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, תַּן appears primarily in poetic and prophetic texts to denote wild, desolate, or howling animals, often in descriptions of desolation (e.g., Isaiah, Jeremiah, Psalms). While sometimes translated as 'dragon' or 'monster' in older English Bibles—and occasionally conflated with תַּנִּין (tannin), which has mythological and sea monster associations—most modern scholarship agrees that תַּן in biblical usage often refers to jackals, which are common desert scavengers and known for their howling. In several texts (e.g., Lamentations 4:3, Isaiah 34:13, Jeremiah 9:10), תַּן is paired with signs of wilderness or desolation, reinforcing its identity as a desert animal. The Septuagint often translates with θῆρες ('wild beasts'), reflecting the lack of specificity. English tradition of 'dragon' derives from later translation tradition but is not reflective of the term's historical reference. Note that in poetic contexts, the term may also be invested with symbolic connotations of wildness, destruction, or the uncanny.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from an unused root probably meaning to elongate; a monster (as preternaturally formed), i.e. a sea-serpent (or other huge marine animal); also a jackal (or other hideous land animal); dragon, whale. Compare תַּנִּין.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
תן (t-n) — to howl, to wail; possibly to stretch out
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8565-01 |
כַּ/תַּנִּ֣ים | katanim | HRd/Ncmsa |
like a monster | howling wild beasts | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8565-01 |
Ezekiel 32:2 | כַּ/תַּנִּ֣ים | katanim | HRd/Ncmsa |
like a monster | howling wild beasts |