20 And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.” 21 So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.” 23 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day. (Gen 1:20–23 NIV, emphasis added)
The Hebrew word for “great creatures” = tanninnim. That Hebrew word is also used in Exodus 7:9, Ezekiel 29:3; Jeremiah 51:34; Isaiah 27:1. Some believe it is better translated “big reptiles” or even “dinosaurs.”[1]
Others think that dinosaurs are not mentioned in Genesis 1 because the account is focused on God and humans. And since most humans throughout history had no knowledge of dinosaurs, Hugh Ross, a scientist and Christian, writes, “dinosaurs simply would not make the cut in the creation highlight reel.”[2] As a proponent of progressive creationism, Ross accepts the standard scientific dates for when dinosaurs roamed the earth at 250 million–65 million years ago.
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[1] Gerald Schroeder, “Top Five Religious Myths Popularly Accepted as Fact,” http://geraldschroeder.com/wordpress/?page_id=79; accessed 4 Mar 2016.
[2] Hugh Ross. Navigating Genesis: A Scientist’s Journey through Genesis 1–11 (Covina: Reasons to Believe, 2014), ch. 4.
After graduating from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, I served as a high school Bible teacher in Asia. I enjoy traveling, writing, and playing the drums. For a deep dive into church history and the character of God, see my book Surprised by Hell.