Revelation 17:9

Revelation 17:9 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.
• New International Version (NIV)“This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits.
• English Standard Version (ESV)This calls for a mind with wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated;
• New King James Version (NKJV)“Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits.

Context of Revelation 17:9

7But the angel said to me, “Why do you wonder? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and ten horns. 8“The beast that you saw was [once], but [now] is not, and he is about to come up out of the abyss (the bottomless pit, the dwelling place of demons) and go to destruction (perdition). And the inhabitants of the earth, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, will be astonished when they see the beast, because he was and is not and is yet to come [to earth]. Here is the mind which has wisdom [and this is what it knows about the vision]. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits; 10and they are seven kings: five of whom have fallen, one exists and is reigning; the other [the seventh] has not yet come, and when he does come, he must remain a little while. 11And the beast that [once] was but is not, is himself also an eighth king and is one of the seven, and he goes to destruction (perdition).

Revelation 17:9 word by word

ὧδε ὁ νοῦς ὁ ἔχων σοφίαν. αἱ ἑπτὰ κεφαλαὶ ἑπτὰ ὄρη εἰσίν, ὅπου ἡ γυνὴ κάθηται ἐπ᾽ αὐτῶν. καὶ βασιλεῖς ἑπτά εἰσιν·Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• And hereὧδεhōde · hereG5602
• the mindνοῦςnous · mindG3563
• which hathἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
• wisdomσοφίαsophia · wisdomG4678
• The sevenἑπτάhepta · sevenG2033
• headsκεφαλήkephalē · headG2776
• areεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• mountainsὄροςoros · mountainG3735
• ·ὅπουhopou · where(-ever)G3699
• onἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
• whichαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• the womanγυνήgunē · womanG1135
• sittethκάθημαιkathēmai · to sitG2521

Cross-references for Revelation 17:9

• Revelation 13:18Here is wisdom. Let the person who has enough insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the [imperfect] number of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six.
• Daniel 12:4But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the scroll until the end of time. Many will go back and forth and search anxiously [through the scroll], and knowledge [of the purpose of God as revealed by His prophets] will [greatly] increase.”
• Hosea 14:9Whoever is [spiritually] wise, let him understand these things; Whoever is [spiritually] discerning and understanding, let him know them. For the ways of the Lord are right, And the righteous will walk in them, But transgressors will stumble and fall in them.
• Matthew 13:11Jesus replied to them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted.
• Matthew 24:15“So when you see the abomination of desolation [the appalling sacrilege that astonishes and makes desolate], spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the Holy Place (let the reader understand),
• Revelation 17:3And the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness; and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was entirely covered with blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns.
• Revelation 13:1And the dragon (Satan) stood on the sandy shore of the sea. Then I saw a [vicious] beast coming up out of the sea with ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten royal crowns (diadems), and on his heads were blasphemous names.

Commentaries on Revelation 17:9

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9Here is the mind which hath wisdom - It was said before, Revelation 13:18, Here is wisdom. Let him that hath A Mind, or understanding, ( ), count the number of the beast. Wisdom, therefore, here means a correct view of what is intended by the number 666; consequently the parallel passage, Here is The Mind which hath Wisdom, is a declaration that the number of the beast must first be understood, before the angel's interpretation of the vision concerning…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9And here is the mind which hath wisdom - Here is what requires wisdom to interpret it; or, here is a case in which the mind that shows itself able to explain it will evince true sagacity. So in Revelation 13:18. See the notes on that place. Prof. Stuart renders this, “Here is a meaning which compriseth wisdom.” It is undoubtedly implied that the symbol might be understood - whether in the time of John, or afterward, he does not say; but it was a matter…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-14Verses 7-14 The beast on which the woman sat was, and is not, and yet is. It was a seat of idolatry and persecution, and is not; not in the ancient form, which was pagan: yet it is; it is truly the seat of idolatry and tyranny, though of another sort and form. It would deceive into stupid and blind submission all the inhabitants of the earth within its influence, except the remnant of the elect. This beast was seven heads, seven mountains, the seven hills…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9The seven heads of the beast symbolize the seven hills where Rome was built (refer to study note on Revelation 16:10–11). the woman: See Revelation 17:3–6.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. Compare Re 13:18; Da 12:10, where similarly spiritual discernment is put forward as needed in order to understand the symbolical prophecy. seven heads and seven mountains--The connection between mountains and kings must be deeper than the mere outward fact to which incidental allusion is made, that Rome (the then world city) is on seven hills (whence heathen Rome had a national festival called Septimontium, the feast of the seven-hilled city…Read the comment

Topics related to Revelation 17:9

• Horn
• Seven

In the dictionaries

• Antichrist
• Carry
• Babylon in the New Testament
• Eschatology of the New Testament
• Number
• Palestine
• Revelation of John
• Rome

Commentaries on Revelation 17

• 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