Revelation 11:5

Revelation 11:5 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.
• New International Version (NIV)If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And if anyone would harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes. If anyone would harm them, this is how he is doomed to be killed.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner.

Context of Revelation 11:5

3And I will grant authority to My two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days (forty-two months; three and one-half years), dressed in sackcloth.” 4These [witnesses] are the two olive trees and the two lampstands which stand before the Lord of the earth. And if anyone wants to harm them, fire comes out of their mouth and devours their enemies; so if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this way. 6These [two witnesses] have the power [from God] to shut up the sky, so that no rain will fall during the days of their prophesying [regarding judgment and salvation]; and they have power over the waters (seas, rivers) to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every [kind of] plague, as often as they wish. 7When they have finished their testimony and given their evidence, the beast that comes up out of the abyss (bottomless pit) will wage war with them, and overcome them and kill them.

Revelation 11:5 word by word

καὶ εἴ τις αὐτοὺς θέλει ἀδικῆσαι, πῦρ ἐκπορεύεται ἐκ τοῦ στόματος αὐτῶν καὶ κατεσθίει τοὺς ἐχθροὺς αὐτῶν· καὶ εἴ τις θελήσῃ αὐτοὺς ἀδικῆσαι, οὕτως δεῖ αὐτὸν ἀποκτανθῆναι.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• ifεἰei · ifG1487
• any manτιςtis · oneG5100
• willθέλωthelō ethelō · to will/desireG2309
• hurtἀδικέωadikeō · to harmG91
• themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• fireπῦρpur · fireG4442
• proceedethἐκπορεύωekporeuomai · to departG1607
• out ofἐκek ex · out fromG1537
• mouthστόμαstoma · mouthG4750
• devourethκατεσθίωkatesthiō · to devourG2719
• enemiesἐχθρόςechthros · enemyG2190
• mustδεῖdei · be necessaryG1163
• in this mannerοὕτωςhoutō · thus(-ly)G3779
• be killedἀποκτείνωapokteinō · to killG615

Cross-references for Revelation 11:5

• Numbers 16:28Then Moses said, “By this you shall know that the Lord has sent me to do all these works; for I do not act of my own accord.
• 2 Kings 1:10Elijah replied to the captain of fifty, “So if I am a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty [fighting men].” Then fire fell from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.
• Psalms 18:8Smoke went up from His nostrils, And fire from His mouth devoured; Coals were kindled by it.
• Isaiah 11:4But with righteousness and justice He will judge the poor, And decide with fairness for the downtrodden of the earth; And He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked.
• Jeremiah 1:10See, I have appointed you this day over the nations and over the kingdoms, To uproot and break down, To destroy and to overthrow, To build and to plant.”
• Jeremiah 5:14Therefore, thus says the Lord God of hosts, “Because you [people] have spoken this word, Behold, I am making My words a fire in your mouth [Jeremiah] And this people wood, and My words will consume them.
• Ezekiel 43:3And it was like the appearance of the vision which I saw, like the vision I saw when He came to destroy the city. And the visions were like the vision I saw beside the River Chebar [near Babylon]; and I fell face downward.
• Hosea 6:5Therefore, I have hewn them in pieces by [the words of] the prophets; I have slain them by the words of My mouth; My judgments [pronounced upon them by the prophets] are like the light that shines forth [obvious to all].
• Zechariah 1:6But did not My words (warnings) and My statutes, which I commanded My servants the prophets, overtake your fathers? Then they repented and said, ‘As the Lord of hosts planned to do to us [in discipline and punishment], in accordance with our ways and our deeds, so has He dealt with us.’ ” ’ ”
• Zechariah 2:8For thus says the Lord of hosts, “After glory He has sent Me against the nations which plunder you—for he who touches you, touches the apple of His eye.
• Acts 9:4and he fell to the ground and heard a voice [from heaven] saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting and oppressing Me?”

Commentaries on Revelation 11:5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5Fire proceedeth out of their mouth - That is, they are commissioned to denounce the judgments of God against all who would attempt to prevent them from proceeding in their ministry.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5And if any man will hurt them - This implies that there would be those who would be disposed to injure or wrong them; that is, that they would be liable to persecution. The word “will” is here more than the mere sign of the future; it denotes “intention, purpose, design,” ́̀ thelei- “if any man wills or purposes to injure them.” See a similar use of the word in 1 Timothy 6:9. The word “hurt” here means to do “injury” or “injustice” - ̓͂ adikēsai- and may…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 3-13Verses 3-13 In the time of treading down, God kept his faithful witnesses to attest the truth of his word and worship, and the excellence of his ways, The number of these witnesses is small, yet enough. They prophesy in sackcloth. It shows their afflicted, persecuted state, and deep sorrow for the abominations against which they protested. They are supported during their great and hard work, till it is done. When they had prophesied in sackcloth the…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5In one of the psalms, God is described as having fire coming from his mouth, symbolizing judgment on his enemies (Psalm 18:8; see also 2 Samuel 22:9). Compare with Elijah, 2 Kings 1:1–15.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. will hurt--Greek, "wishes," or "desires to hurt them." fire ... devoureth--(Compare Jr 5:14; 23:29). out of their mouth--not literally, but God makes their inspired denunciations of judgment to come to pass and devour their enemies. if any man will hurt them--twice repeated, to mark the immediate certainty of the accomplishment. in this manner--so in like manner as he tries to hurt them (compare Re 13:10). Retribution in kind.Read the comment

Topics related to Revelation 11:5

• Vision

In the dictionaries

• Ford
• Revelation of John

Commentaries on Revelation 11

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings