by Tom Gurney
Tom Gurney BSc (Hons) is an art history expert with over 20 years experience
Published on June 19, 2020 / Updated on October 14, 2023
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Behemoth and Leviathan by William Blake is an uncoloured engraving that is part of a 22 series illustrating the biblical Book of Job. It was bought with help from the National Gallery, as well as donations from Lord Duveen, the National Art Collections Fund, and others.
About the Engraving
God points beneath towards two large beasts, Behemoth and Leviathan. The marginal text on the right hand describes Behemoth from the Book of Job as a hippopotamus and the "chief of God's ways" who dominates the earth. Leviathan who is a sea monster, is regarded as "King over all the Children of Pride". The main text talks about Behemoth, "Behold now Behemoth which I made with you". Blake portrays both the traditional monster, Behemoth, and the sea monster, leviathan as natural phenomena and representatives of war on land and sea respectively. At the upper corners of the engraving, some angels are writing the laws of the earth. At the bottom corners, some eagles are sent by Urezin during creation. Below are the empty shells of bodies that are grown from the spirit of man and then left at the margin of the Sea of Space and Time.
Meaning of Behemoth and Leviathan
One way to interpret the two beasts is that they represent the hopelessness of material things. God is showing Job the loopholes in his faith so far. God humbles Job by reckoning the power and extent of His creation. He uses these monsters to show the global, material world that Job and his companions inhabit. Here, the Lord explains the mystery relating to the incessant warfare that exists in the human world. He comes down through a cloud barrier with His left hand to represent Behemoth and Leviathan. The cloud barrier of the world of Job includes a sphere where they exist. This is a representation of the unredeemed, subconscious portion of the psyche which identifies as Egypt. These are destructive forces in a person against which he appears helpless.
The enormous erecting pillars within that exist from the deepest Hell to the heavenly arches represent the means of the providence of the Lord. The "Chief of God's ways, Behemoth, represents the spiritual warfare where one the main joys is eternity. It is considered deadly if it is materialised on earth. Leviathan represents the unredeemed people. The name means "coiled" and thus he is portrayed as having a big spiral that signifies the everlasting repetitions in nature.