W is for Whale

My A to Z blogging theme is characters in (people from) the scriptures. Since my blog is a book blog, this theme would fit right in and help me strengthen a weakness at the same. How fantastic is that?!  This challenge is a blessing. Thank you A to Z Challenge team!  *Book: LDS quad combo scriptures: KJV Holy Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine & Covenants, Pearl of Great Price. (p)1989, (c)1979.

(By Robert T. Barrett)

Yes, our marine mammal, the whale, shows up in the Bible a few times.  In Genesis 1:21, whales are mentioned in the Creation .."And God created great whales .. ".  In Job 7:12, Job asks, "Am I a sea, or a whale, that thou settest a watch over me?".  Ezekiel laments for the fearful fall of Pharaoh and of Egypt in Ezekiel 32:2, "Son of man, take up a lamentation for Pharaoh king of Egypt, and say unto him Thou are like a young lion of the nations, and tho art as a whale in the seas ...".  Then of course the famous story of Jonah being swallowed up by our dear mammal, Jonah 1:17, "Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah.  And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights."  And we learn in Matthew 12:40 that the fish fish was a whale, "For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly...".  Finally, in Lamentation 4:3, whales are described as sea monsters (in English the word "monster" meaning "huge animal"; per Wikipedia), "Even the sea monsters draw out the breast, they give suck to their young ones...".

I'm guessing there is something significant for mentioning whales in the Bible.  I don't know if there's a background story.  Is it just to give place for the story of Jonah?  What do you think?  Any insights?  Thanks.