Revelation 20:9

Revelation 20:9 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
• New International Version (NIV)They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them,
• New King James Version (NKJV)They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them.

Context of Revelation 20:9

7And when the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison (the abyss), 8and will come out to deceive and mislead the nations which are in the four corners of the earth—[including] Gog and Magog—to gather them together for the war; their number is like the sand of the seashore. And they swarmed up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints (God’s people) and the beloved city [Jerusalem]; but fire came down from heaven and consumed them. 10And the devil who had deceived them was hurled into the lake of fire and burning brimstone (sulfur), where the beast (Antichrist) and false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night, forever and ever. 11And I saw a great white throne and Him who was seated upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them [for this heaven and earth are passing away].

Revelation 20:9 word by word

καὶ ἀνέβησαν ἐπὶ τὸ πλάτος τῆς γῆς καὶ ἐκύκλευσαν τὴν παρεμβολὴν τῶν ἁγίων καὶ τὴν πόλιν τὴν ἠγαπημένην. καὶ κατέβη πῦρ ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ κατέφαγεν αὐτούς.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• they went upἀναβαίνωanabainō · to ascendG305
• onἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
• the breadthπλάτοςplatos · widthG4114
• of the earthγῆgē · earth: planetG1093
• compassedκυκλόωkukloō · to surroundG2944
• the campπαρεμβολήparembolē · barracksG3925
• of the saintsἅγιοςhagios · holy: saintG40
• the belovedἀγαπάωagapaō · to loveG25
• cityπόλιςpolis · cityG4172
• fireπῦρpur · fireG4442
• came downκαταβαίνωkatabainō · to come/go downG2597
• fromἀπόapo · away fromG575
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• out ofἐκek ex · out fromG1537
• heavenοὐρανόςouranos · heavenG3772
• devouredκατεσθίωkatesthiō · to devourG2719
• themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846

Cross-references for Revelation 20:9

• Isaiah 8:7Now therefore, listen carefully, the Lord is about to bring on them the waters of the [Euphrates] River, strong and abundant— The king of Assyria and all his glory; And it will rise over all its channels and canals and go far beyond its banks.
• Ezekiel 38:9You will go up [against them], you will come like a storm; you shall be like a cloud covering the land, you and all your troops, and many peoples with you.”
• Habakkuk 1:6For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans [who rule in Babylon], That fierce and impetuous nation Who march throughout the earth To take possession of dwelling places that do not belong to them.
• 2 Kings 6:15The servant of the man of God got up early and went out, and behold, there was an army with horses and chariots encircling the city. Elisha’s servant said to him, “Oh no, my master! What are we to do?”
• Micah 2:13The breaker [the Messiah, who opens the way] shall go up before them [liberating them]. They will break out, pass through the gate and go out; So their King goes on before them, The Lord at their head.”
• Matthew 16:16Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed), the Son of the living God.”
• Luke 19:43For a time [of siege] is coming when your enemies will put up a barricade [with pointed stakes] against you, and surround you [with armies] and hem you in on every side,
• Luke 21:20“But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by [hostile] armies, then understand [with confident assurance] that her complete destruction is near.
• Psalms 48:1Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, In the city of our God, His holy mountain.
• Psalms 74:2Remember Your congregation, which You have purchased of old, Which You have redeemed to be the tribe of Your inheritance; Remember Mount Zion, where You have dwelt.
• Psalms 125:1Those who trust in and rely on the Lord [with confident expectation] Are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved but remains forever.
• Hebrews 13:13So, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His contempt [the disgrace and shame that He had to suffer].
• Revelation 11:5And 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.
• Revelation 13:13He performs great signs (awe-inspiring acts), even making fire fall from the sky to the earth, right before peoples’ eyes.
• Genesis 19:24Then the Lord rained down brimstone (flaming sulfur) and fire on Sodom and on Gomorrah from the Lord out of heaven,
• Exodus 9:23Moses stretched out his staff toward the sky, and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and lightning (fireballs) ran down to the earth and along the ground. And the Lord rained hail on the land of Egypt.

Commentaries on Revelation 20:9

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9The beloved city - Primarily, Jerusalem, typically, the Christian Church.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9And they went up on the breadth of the earth - They spread over the earth in extended columns. The image is that of an invading army that seems, in its march, to spread all over a land. The reference here is to the hosts assembled from the regions of Gog and Magog; that is, to the formidable enemies of the gospel that would be roused up at the close of the period properly called the “millennial” period - the period of the thousand years. It is not…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-10Verses 7-10 While this world lasts, Satan's power in it will not be wholly destroyed, though it may be limited and lessened. No sooner is Satan let loose, than he again begins deceiving the nations, and stirring them up to make war with the saints and servants of God. It would be well if the servants and ministers of Christ were as active and persevering in doing good, as his enemies in doing mischief. God will fight this last and decisive battle for his…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9No battle happens (see Revelation 16:16–21; 19:19–21) because fire from heaven comes down and consumes them, just like in Sodom (Genesis 19:24; see also 2 Kings 1:10–12; Ezekiel 38:22–23; 39:6). God's enemies cannot stand against him.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. on the breadth of the earth--so as completely to overspread it. Perhaps we ought to translate, "... of the [holy] land." the camp of the saints and the beloved city--the camp of the saints encircling the beloved city, Jerusalem (Ecclesiasticus 24:11). Contrast "hateful" in Babylon (Re 18:2; De 32:15, Septuagint). Ezekiel's prophecy of Gog and Magog (Eze 38:1-39:29) refers to the attack made by Antichrist on Israel before the millennium: but this attack…Read the comment

Topics related to Revelation 20:9

• Fire
• Millennium
• Vision

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Seal
• Print; Printing; Printed
• Revelation of John
• Satan
• Urim and Thummim
• beloved
• saint

Commentaries on Revelation 20

• 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