WHALE (תַּנִּין, H9490, תַּנִּים, whale KJV, sea monster RSV. [See Sea Monster and Dragon for discussion.] דָּאג, H1794, דָּגָה֮, H1836, Jonah 1:17ff., great fish all Eng. VSS. κῆτος, G3063, sea monster).

Before this subject is discussed two points should be emphasized. (1) The miraculous element is underlined at the beginning, “The Lord had appointed (‘prepared’ KJV) a great fish to swallow up Jonah” (Jonah 1:17); (2) The Lord explicitly stated that this was fact (Matt 12:40).

The tr. of “fish” is not possible (nor necessary); some of the toothed whales are physically capable of swallowing a person. Several species can swallow whole seals and dolphins weighing several hundred pounds. There are cases of reasonable authenticity of men being swallowed alive and liberated shortly afterward. The sperm whale of this group comes into the Mediterranean and appears from time to time off the Pal. coast. It could have been such an animal that was appointed for this task, but there is no point in speculating about the full physical explanation of an incident that primarily is metaphysical, i.e. miraculous.