Revelation 21:15

Revelation 21:15 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.
• New International Version (NIV)The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And the one who spoke with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And he who talked with me had a gold reed to measure the city, its gates, and its wall.

Context of Revelation 21:15

13There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south, and three on the west. 14The wall of the city had twelve foundations bearing the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. The angel who spoke with me had a golden measuring rod to measure the city and its gates and walls. 16The city lies foursquare, with its width the same as its length. And he measured the city with the rod, and all its dimensions were equal—12,000 stadia in length and width and height. 17And he measured its wall to be 144 cubits, by the human measure the angel was using.

Revelation 21:15 word by word

Καὶ ὁ λαλῶν μετ᾽ ἐμοῦ εἶχεν μέτρον κάλαμον χρυσοῦν ἵνα μετρήσῃ τὴν πόλιν καὶ τοὺς πυλῶνας αὐτῆς καὶ τὸ τεῖχος αὐτῆς.Read the interlinear

• ·καίkai · andG2532
• Theὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• spokeλαλέωlaleō · to speakG2980
• withμετάmeta · with/afterG3326
• meἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• hadἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
• a goldenχρύσεοςchruseos · goldenG5552
• measuringμέτρονmetron · measureG3358
• rodκάλαμοςkalamos · reed/stick/penG2563
• toἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
• measureμετρέωmetreō · to measureG3354
• cityπόλιςpolis · cityG4172
• itsαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• gatesπυλώνpulōn · gateG4440
• wallsτεῖχοςteichos · wallG5038

Cross-references for Revelation 21:15

• Revelation 11:1Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff and was told, “Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count the number of worshipers there.
• Exodus 40:3Put the ark of the Testimony in it and screen off the ark with the veil.
• Ezekiel 41:1Then the man brought me into the outer sanctuary and measured the side pillars to be six cubits wide on each side.
• Zechariah 2:1Then I lifted up my eyes and saw a man with a measuring line in his hand.

Commentaries on Revelation 21:15

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15Had a golden reed - Several excellent MSS. add , a measure; he had a measuring rod made of gold. This account of measuring the city seems to be copied, with variations, from Ezekiel 40:3, etc.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15And he that talked with me - The angel, Revelation 21:9. Had a golden reed to measure the city - See the notes on Revelation 11:1. The reed, or measuring rod, here, is of gold, because all about the city is of the most rich and costly materials. The rod is thus suited to the personage who uses it, and to the occasion. Compare a similar description in Ezekiel 40:3-5; Ezekiel 43:16. The object of this measuring is to show that the city has proper…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 9-21Verses 9-21 God has various employments for his holy angels. Sometimes they sound the trumpet of Divine Providence, and warn a careless world; sometimes they discover things of a heavenly nature of the heirs of salvation. Those who would have clear views of heaven, must get as near to heaven as they can, on the mount of meditation and faith. The subject of the vision is the church of God in a perfect, triumphant state, shining in its lustre; glorious in…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15-17measure the city: Measuring sets accepted boundaries. This contrasts with the unmeasured section of the temple (see Revelation 11:2 and Ezekiel 40:3–42:20).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1515. had a golden reed--so Coptic. But A, B, Vulgate, and Syriac read, "had (as) a measure, a golden reed." In Re 11:2 the non-measuring of the outer courts of the temple implied its being given up to secular and heathen desecration. So here, on the contrary, the city being measured implies the entire consecration of every part, all things being brought up to the most exact standard of God's holy requirements, and also God's accurate guardianship…Read the comment

Topics related to Revelation 21:15

• Church
• Jerusalem
• Readings, Select
• Reed

In the dictionaries

• Jacinth
• Tabernacle
• Unbelieving
• Wall
• Architecture
• Citizenship
• Heavens, New (and Earth, New)
• Measuring Reed
• Reed
• Reed, Measuring

Commentaries on Revelation 21

• 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
• 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