King James Version
Revelation 12
17 verses with commentary
The Woman and the Dragon
And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: wonder: or, sign
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:...</strong> This verse from Revelation's vision of woman, child, and dragon - cosmic conflict, satan's defeat, messiah's victory employs apocalyptic imagery rich with Old Testament allusions and symbolic meaning. The Greek text uses vivid apocal...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(1) **And there appeared . . .**—Better, *And a great sign was seen in the heaven.* The word *sign* is preferable to “wonder,” both in this verse and in Revelation 12:3. It is the same word which is rendered sign in Revelation 15:1. It is a sign which is seen: not a mere wonder, but something which has a meaning; it is not “a surprise ending with itself,” but a signal to arrest attention, and poss...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**8. agree in one--**"tend unto one result"; their agreeing testimony to Jesus' Sonship and Messiahship they give by the sacramental grace in the water of baptism, received by the penitent believer, by the atoning efficacy of His blood, and by the internal witness of His Spirit (1Jo 5:10): answering to the testimony given to Jesus' Sonship and Messiahship by His baptism, His crucifixion, and the S...
Read full commentary →And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered....</strong> This verse from Revelation's vision of woman, child, and dragon - cosmic conflict, satan's defeat, messiah's victory employs apocalyptic imagery rich with Old Testament allusions and symbolic meaning. The Greek text uses vivid apocalyptic language characteristic of Jewish prophetic literature, draw...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(2) **And she . . .**—Better, *And being with child*, *she crieth, travailing*, *and tormented to bring forth.* All life dawns in anguish, according to the ancient fiat (Genesis 3:16); but this is not all. There is an anguish of the Church which Christ laid upon her; it is the law of her life that she must bring forth Christ to the world; it is not simply that she must encounter pain, but that she...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**9. If, &c.--**We do accept (and rightly so) the witness of veracious men, fallible though they be; much more ought we to accept the infallible witness of God (the Father). "The testimony of the Father is, as it were, the basis of the testimony of the Word and of the Holy Spirit; just as the testimony of the Spirit is, as it were, the basis of the testimony of the water and the blood" [Bengel...
Read full commentary →And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. wonder: or, sign
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads....</strong> This verse from Revelation's vision of woman, child, and dragon - cosmic conflict, satan's defeat, messiah's victory employs apocalyptic imagery rich with Old Testament allusions and symbolic meaning. The Greek text uses vivid apocalypti...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(3) **And there appeared **. . .—Better, *And another sign was seen in the heaven; and behold a great red dragon.* This, too, is a sign, and has a meaning. The dragon stands for some dread and hostile power. “The dragon is that fabulous monster of whom ancient poets told, as large in size, coiled like a snake, blood red in colour . . . insatiable in voracity, and ever athirst for human blood”—a fi...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**10. hath the witness--**of God, by His Spirit (1Jo 5:8).
**in himself--**God's Spirit dwelling in him and witnessing that "Jesus is the Lord," "the Christ," and "the Son of God" (1Jo 5:1, 5). The witness of the Spirit in the believer himself to his own sonship is not here expressed, but follows as a consequence of believing the witness of God to Jesus' divine Sonship.
**believeth not God--**...
Read full commentary →And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it wa...</strong> This verse from Revelation's vision of woman, child, and dragon - cosmic conflict, satan's defeat, messiah's victory employs apocalyptic imagery rich with Old Testament allusions ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(4) **And his tail . . .**—Translate, *And his tail drags *(or*, sweeps) away the third part of the stars of the heaven*, *and casts them to the earth.* The stars are the light- bearers, the illustrious of earth, who were given by God high place that they might be burning and shining lights for Him. A large proportion of these are drawn away in the train of evil; they are cast down from their high...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**11. hath given--**Greek, aorist: "gave" once for all. Not only "promised" it.
**life is in his Son--**essentially (Joh 1:4; 11:25; 14:6); bodily (Col 2:9); operatively (2Ti 1:10) [Lange in Alford]. It is in the second Adam, the Son of God, that this life is secured to us, which, if left to depend on us, we should lose, like the first Adam.
And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne....</strong> This verse from Revelation's vision of woman, child, and dragon - cosmic conflict, satan's defeat, messiah's victory employs apocalyptic imagery rich with Old Testament allusions and symbolic meaning. The Greek text uses vivid apocalyptic l...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(5) **And she brought forth . **. .—Translate, *And she brought forth a man child, who is to shepherd all the nations with* (it is, literally, *in) a rod of iron.* There can be no doubt that this man child is Christ. The combination of features is too distinct to admit of doubt, it is the one who will feed His flock like a shepherd (Isaiah 40:12), who is to have, not His own people, but all nation...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**12. the Son ... life--**Greek, "THE life." Bengel remarks, The verse has two clauses: in the former the Son is mentioned without the addition "of God," for believers know the Son: in the second clause the addition "of God" is made, that unbelievers may know thereby what a serious thing it is not to have Him. In the former clause "has" bears the emphasis; in the second, life. To have the Son is t...
Read full commentary →And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days....</strong> This verse from Revelation's vision of woman, child, and dragon - cosmic conflict, satan's defeat, messiah's victory employs apocalyptic imagery rich with Old Testament allusions and symbolic meaning. The Greek text uses viv...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(6) **And the woman fled . **. .—Translate, *And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath there a place prepared from God, that there they may nourish her for a thousand two hundred and sixty days.* The flight of the woman into the wilderness, and her fortunes there, are more fully described in Revelation 12:13. This verse simply tells us that the woman fled; we read afterwards that it w...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
13. The oldest manuscripts and versions read, "These things have I written unto you [omitting 'that believe on the name of the Son of God'] that ye may know that ye have eternal life (compare 1Jo 5:11), THOSE (of you I mean) WHO believe (not as English Version reads, 'and that ye may believe') on the name of the Son of God." English Version, in the latter clause, will mean, "that ye may continue t...
Read full commentary →War in Heaven
And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,...</strong> This verse from Revelation's vision of woman, child, and dragon - cosmic conflict, satan's defeat, messiah's victory employs apocalyptic imagery rich with Old Testament allusions and symbolic meaning. The Greek text uses vivid apocalyptic language characteristic ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
THE WAR IN HEAVEN.
(7) **And there was war . . .**—Translate, *And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels to war with the dragon; and the dragon warred and his angels.* This is one of those passages which has ever been regarded as more or less perplexing. It has afforded material for many poetic fancies, and has been the occasion of much speculative interpretation. We shall fail to catch ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**14. the confidence--**boldness (1Jo 4:17) in prayer, which results from knowing that we have eternal life (1Jo 5:13; 1Jo 3:19, 22).
**according to his will--**which is the believer's will, and which is therefore no restraint to his prayers. In so far as God's will is not our will, we are not abiding in faith, and our prayers are not accepted. Alford well says, If we knew God's will thoroughly,...
Read full commentary →And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven....</strong> This verse from Revelation's vision of woman, child, and dragon - cosmic conflict, satan's defeat, messiah's victory employs apocalyptic imagery rich with Old Testament allusions and symbolic meaning. The Greek text uses vivid apocalyptic language characteristic of Jewish prophetic literature, drawing heavily ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(8) **And prevailed not . . .**—Better, *And their power failed them, and not even was place for them found any more in the heaven.* The result of the war was the dragon’s defeat. The whole power of the evil hosts failed them. There is an inherent weakness in evil: a spot which may be touched whereupon all its vaunted strength withers. So complete was the overthrow, that even their place knew them...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**15. hear--**Greek, "that He heareth us."
**we have the petitions that we desired of him--**We have, as present possessions, everything whatsoever we desired (asked) from Him. Not one of our past prayers offered in faith, according to His will, is lost. Like Hannah, we can rejoice over them as granted even before the event; and can recognize the event when it comes to pass, as not from chance, ...
Read full commentary →And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him....</strong> This verse from Revelation's vision of woman, child, and dragon - cosmic conflict, satan's defeat, messiah's victory employs apocalyptic imagery rich with Old Testament allusions and symbolic me...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(9) **And the great dragon . . .**—Better, *And he was thrown down, the great dragon, the ancient serpent, he that is called the Devil and Satan: he who deceives the whole world was thrown to the earth, and his angels were thrown with him.* Thus the victory of Christ is marked by the overthrow of the great adversary. The stronger than the strong one has come, and taken away his armour (Luke 11:21-...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**16. If any ... see--**on any particular occasion; Greek aorist.
**his brother--**a fellow Christian.
**sin a sin--**in the act of sinning, and continuing in the sin: present.
**not unto death--**provided that it is not unto death.
**he shall give--**The asker shall be the means, by his intercessory prayer, of God giving life to the sinning brother. Kindly reproof ought to accompany his i...
Read full commentary →And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused the...</strong> This verse from Revelation's vision of woman, child, and dragon - cosmic conflict, satan's defeat, messiah's victory employs apocalyptic imagery rich with Old Testament allusions ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(10) **And I heard a loud voice . . .**—Better, *And I heard a great voice in the heavens saying, Now is come the salvation, and the might, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ.* The definite article is placed before the words “salvation” and “might.” The words of this doxology are like an echo of the close of the Lord’s Prayer. The prayer “Thy kingdom come” seems answered. Now ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
17. "Every unrighteousness (even that of believers, compare 1Jo 1:9; 3:4. Every coming short of right) is sin"; (but) not every sin is the sin unto death.
**and there is a sin not unto death--**in the case of which, therefore, believers may intercede. Death and life stand in correlative opposition (1Jo 5:11-13). The sin unto death must be one tending "towards" (so the Greek), and so resulting in...
Read full commentary →And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death....</strong> This verse from Revelation's vision of woman, child, and dragon - cosmic conflict, satan's defeat, messiah's victory employs apocalyptic imagery rich with Old Testament allusions and symbolic meaning. The Greek text uses vivid apocalyptic language c...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(11) **And they** **overcame him . . .**—Better, *And they conquered him* (not “by,” but) *on account of the blood of the Lamb, and on account of the word of their testimony, *&c. They overcame him—*i.e., *the accuser, the devil: their victory over him is “owing to” the blood of the Lamb. Who is he that condemneth, when Christ hath died? What power can the accusations of the adversary have when th...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
18. (1Jo 3:9.)
**We know--**Thrice repeated emphatically, to enforce the three truths which the words preface, as matters of the brethren's joint experimental knowledge. This 1Jo 5:18 warns against abusing 1Jo 5:16, 17, as warranting carnal security.
**whosoever--**Greek, "every one who." Not only advanced believers, but every one who is born again, "sinneth not."
**he that is begotten--**Gr...
Read full commentary →Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath bu...</strong> This verse from Revelation's vision of woman, child, and dragon - cosmic conflict, satan's defeat, messiah's victory employs apocalyptic imagery rich with Old Testament allusions ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(12) **Therefore rejoice . . .**—Better, *For this cause rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that tabernacle in them.* The words “for this cause” must be taken to refer to the overthrow of the evil one. This is the cause of joy to the heavens, and to them that tabernacle (not “dwell”) in them. The word is (as in Revelation 7:15; Revelation 13:6; Revelation 21:3) “tabernacle.” This allusion to the tabernac...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**19. world lieth in wickedness--**rather, "lieth in the wicked one," as the Greek is translated in 1Jo 5:18; 1Jo 2:13, 14; compare 1Jo 4:4; Joh 17:14, 15. The world lieth in the power of, and abiding in, the wicked one, as the resting-place and lord of his slaves; compare "abideth in death," 1Jo 3:14; contrast 1Jo 5:20, "we are in Him that is true." While the believer has been delivered out of hi...
Read full commentary →The Dragon Persecutes the Woman
And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child....</strong> This verse from Revelation's vision of woman, child, and dragon - cosmic conflict, satan's defeat, messiah's victory employs apocalyptic imagery rich with Old Testament allusions and symbolic meaning. The Greek text uses vivid apocalyptic language characteristic o...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(13) **And when the dragon . . .**—The wrath of the defeated dragon is manifested in persecution of the woman. The present verse explains the reason of the flight into the wilderness mentioned in Revelation 12:6.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
20. Summary of our Christian privileges.
**is come--**is present, having come. "He is here--all is full of Him--His incarnation, work, and abiding presence, is to us a living fact" [Alford].
**given us an understanding--**Christ's, office is to give the inner spiritual understanding to discern the things of God.
**that we may know--**Some oldest manuscripts read, "(so) that we know."
**him...
Read full commentary →And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time , and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The woman (representing God's people) receives eagle's wings to flee into the wilderness for 'a time, times, and half a time' (3.5 years, matching 1,260 days). This echoes Exodus 19:4 ('I bare you on eagles' wings') and Daniel 7:25, showing God's preservation of His church during persecution. Reformed theology sees this as God's providence protecting the elect through tribulation. The wilderness r...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(14) **And to the woman . . .**—Better, *And there were given to the woman *(*the*)* two wings of the great eagle* (the definite article is used before “great eagle”), *that she might fly into the wilderness, unto her place, where she is nourished there for a season, and seasons, and half a season, from the face of the serpent.* The woman is persecuted and driven into the wilderness: yet it is wit...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
21. Affectionate parting caution.
**from idols--**Christians were then everywhere surrounded by idolaters, with whom it was impossible to avoid intercourse. Hence the need of being on their guard against any even indirect compromise or act of communion with idolatry. Some at Pergamos, in the region whence John wrote, fell into the snare of eating things sacrificed to idols. The moment we cease t...
Read full commentary →And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The serpent's water flood symbolizes overwhelming persecution or false teaching seeking to destroy the church. Water often represents chaos and judgment (Genesis 7, Psalm 18:16), here weaponized by Satan. The attempt to 'cause her to be carried away' suggests drowning in tribulation. Reformed theology recognizes Satan's multi-faceted attacks—persecution, deception, discouragement—all aimed at chur...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(15) **And the serpent . . .**—Translate, *And the serpent cast out of his mouth after the woman water as a river, that he might make her to be carried away by the river.* The foe of the woman was described as a dragon for his cruelty and fierceness—as a serpent for his subtlety. The first attack on the woman is pictured as persecution by the dragon: from this she escapes by flight; but the subtle...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
THE SECOND AND THIRD EPISTLES GENERAL OF JOHN
And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
View commentary (2 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The earth helping the woman by swallowing the flood demonstrates God's sovereignty over creation to protect His people. This recalls Numbers 16:32 (earth swallowing Korah's rebellion) and Exodus 15:12 (earth swallowing Pharaoh's army). Even natural elements serve God's purposes for the elect's preservation. Reformed theology emphasizes providence—God governs all things, including apparent coincide...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(16) **And the earth . . .**—Translate, *And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and drank up the river, &c.* This is generally understood of some earthly power which is raised up to protect the Church against persecution. Just as Persia was raised up to aid Israel after they had been swept away by the flood of Babylonish conquest, so does help come to the persecuted Church...
Read full commentary →And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ....</strong> This verse from Revelation's vision of woman, child, and dragon - cosmic conflict, satan's defeat, messiah's victory employs apocalyptic imagery rich with Old Testament allusions and symbolic meaning. The Greek t...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(17) **And the dragon . . .**—Translate, *And the* *dragon was wroth with the woman, and departed* (not merely “went,” but *departed, *as one baffled in his attempt to carry the woman away by the river) *to make war with the rest of her seed, who Keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus.* Omit the word Christ. The attempt to sweep away the Christian Church is vain. The wrath o...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
INTRODUCTION
**Authenticity.--**That these two Epistles were written by the same author appears from their similarity of tone, style, and sentiments. That John, the beloved disciple, was the author of the Second and Third Epistles, as of the First Epistle, appears from Irenæus [Against Heresies, 1.16.3], who quotes 2Jo 10, 11; and in [3.16.8], he quotes 2Jo 7, mistaking it, however, as if occurri...
Read full commentary →