Revelation 11:9

Revelation 11:9 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.
• New International Version (NIV)For three and a half days some from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial.
• English Standard Version (ESV)For three and a half days some from the peoples and tribes and languages and nations will gaze at their dead bodies and refuse to let them be placed in a tomb,
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves.

Context of Revelation 11:9

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. 8And their dead bodies will lie exposed in the open street of the great city (Jerusalem), which in a spiritual sense is called [by the symbolic and allegorical names of] Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. Those from the peoples and tribes and languages and nations look at their dead bodies for three and a half days, and will not allow their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb. 10And those [non-believers] who live on the earth will gloat over them and rejoice; and they will send gifts [in celebration] to one another, because these two prophets tormented and troubled those who live on the earth. 11But after three and a half days, the breath of life from God came into them, and they stood on their feet; and great fear and panic fell on those who were watching them.

Revelation 11:9 word by word

καὶ βλέπουσιν ἐκ τῶν λαῶν καὶ φυλῶν καὶ γλωσσῶν καὶ ἐθνῶν τὸ πτῶμα αὐτῶν ἡμέρας τρεῖς καὶ ἥμισυ, καὶ τὰ πτώματα αὐτῶν οὐκ ἀφίουσιν τεθῆναι εἰς μνῆμα.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• they ofἐκek ex · out fromG1537
• the peopleὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the peopleλαόςlaos · a peopleG2992
• kindredsφυλήphulē · tribeG5443
• tonguesγλῶσσαglōssa · tongueG1100
• nationsἔθνοςethnos · GentilesG1484
• shall seeβλέπωblepō · to seeG991
• theirαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• dead bodiesπτῶμαptōma · corpseG4430
• threeτρεῖςtreis tria · ThreeG5140
• daysἡμέραhēmera · dayG2250
• an halfἥμισυςhēmisu · halfG2255
• shallἀφίημιaphiēmi · to release: leaveG863
• notοὐou · noG3756
• to be putτίθημιtithēmi · to placeG5087
• inεἰςeis · towardG1519
• gravesμνῆμαmnēma · tombG3418

Cross-references for Revelation 11:9

• Revelation 10:11Then they said to me, “You must prophesy again concerning many peoples and nations and languages and kings.”
• Revelation 13:7He was also permitted to wage war against the saints (God’s people) and to overcome them, and authority and power over every tribe and people and language and nation.
• Revelation 17:15Then the angel said to me, “The waters which you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages.
• Revelation 11:2But leave out the court [of the Gentiles] which is outside the temple and do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles (the nations); and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months (three and one-half years).
• Revelation 5:8And when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb (Christ), each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of fragrant incense, which are the prayers of the saints (God’s people).
• Revelation 19:17Then I saw a single angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he shouted to all the birds that fly in midheaven, saying, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God,
• Psalms 79:2They have given the dead bodies of Your servants as food to the birds of the heavens, The flesh of Your godly ones to the beasts of the earth.
• Ecclesiastes 6:3If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, however many they may be, but his soul is not satisfied with good things and he is not respected and is not given a proper burial [he is not laid to rest in the sepulcher of his fathers], then I say, “Better the miscarriage than he,
• Isaiah 33:1Woe (judgment is coming) to you, O destroyer, You who were not destroyed, And he who is treacherous, while others did not deal treacherously with him. As soon as you finish destroying, you will be destroyed; As soon as you stop dealing treacherously, others will deal treacherously with you.
• Jeremiah 7:33And the dead bodies of this people will be food for the birds of the air and for the beasts of the earth and no one will frighten them away.
• Matthew 7:2For just as you [hypocritically] judge others [when you are sinful and unrepentant], so will you be judged; and in accordance with your standard of measure [used to pass out judgment], judgment will be measured to you.

Commentaries on Revelation 11:9

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9Shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves - They shall be treated with the greatest barbarity. Refusal of burial to the dead was allowed to be the sum of brutality and cruelty. In popish lands they will not suffer a Protestant to have Christian burial, or to have a grave in a churchyard! Contemptible wretches!Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9And they of the people - Some of the people; a part of the people - ̓ ͂ ͂ ek tōn laōnThe language is such as would be employed to describe a scene where a considerable portion of a company of people should be referred to, without intending to include all. The essential idea is, that there would be an assemblage of different classes of people to whom their carcasses would be exposed, and that they would come and look upon them. We should expect to find…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. 9Leaving people's bodies out for public display was a way to dishonor them after death (see 1 Samuel 31:10; the usual Roman custom was to leave bodies hanging after crucifixion). peoples and tribes and tongues and nations: This phrase shows that all the peoples of the world are represented in this public display.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. they--rather, "(some) of the peoples." people--Greek, "peoples." kindreds--Greek, "tribes"; all save the elect (whence it is not said, The peoples ... but [some] of the peoples ... , or, some of the peoples ... may refer to those of the nations ..., who at the time shall hold possession of Palestine and Jerusalem). shall see--So Vulgate, Syriac, and Coptic. But A, B, C, and Andreas, the present, "see," or rather (Greek, "blepousin"), "look upon." The…Read the comment

Topics related to Revelation 11:9

• Burial
• Martyrdom
• Vision

In the dictionaries

• Body
• Burial
• Carcass; Carcase
• Corpse
• Kindred
• Revelation of John
• Sihon

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