Christian Standard Bible
Revelation 13:18
18This calls for wisdom: Let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, because it is the number of a person. Its number is 666.
Revelation 13:18 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.
- New International Version (NIV)This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is 666.
- English Standard Version (ESV)This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.
Context of Revelation 13:18
16And it makes everyone — small and great, rich and poor, free and slave — to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, 17so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark: the beast’s name or the number of its name. This calls for wisdom: Let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, because it is the number of a person. Its number is 666.
Read all of Revelation 13Revelation 13:18 word by word
Ὧδε ἡ σοφία ἐστίν. ὁ ἔχων νοῦν ψηφισάτω τὸν ἀριθμὸν τοῦ θηρίου, ἀριθμὸς γὰρ ἀνθρώπου ἐστίν, καὶ ὁ ἀριθμὸς αὐτοῦ ἑξακόσιοι ἑξήκοντα ἕξ.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Hereὧδεhōde · hereG5602
- isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- wisdomὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- wisdomσοφίαsophia · wisdomG4678
- that hathἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
- understandingνοῦςnous · mindG3563
- countψηφίζωpsēphizō · to calculateG5585
- the numberἀριθμόςarithmos · numberG706
- of the beastθηρίονthērion · wild animalG2342
- forγάρgar · forG1063
- of a manἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- Six hundred threescoreχξϛchi xi stigma · 666G5516
Cross-references for Revelation 13:18
- Revelation 1:3Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear the words of this prophecy and keep what is written in it, because the time is near.
- Revelation 17:9This calls for a mind that has wisdom. “The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated. They are also seven kings:
- Psalms 107:43Let whoever is wise pay attention to these things and consider the Lord’s acts of faithful love.
- Daniel 12:10Many will be purified, cleansed, and refined, but the wicked will act wickedly; none of the wicked will understand, but those who have insight will understand.
- Hosea 14:9Let whoever is wise understand these things, and whoever is insightful recognize them. For the ways of the Lord are right, and the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them.
- Mark 13:14“When you see the abomination of desolation standing where it should not be” (let the reader understand), “then those in Judea must flee to the mountains.
- Revelation 15:2I also saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who had won the victory over the beast, its image, and the number of its name, were standing on the sea of glass with harps from God.
- Revelation 21:17Then he measured its wall, 144 cubits according to human measurement, which the angel used.
- Deuteronomy 3:11(Only King Og of Bashan was left of the remnant of the Rephaim. His bed was made of iron. Isn’t it in Rabbah of the Ammonites? It is 13½ feet long and 6 feet wide by a standard measure.)
- Romans 3:5But if our unrighteousness highlights God’s righteousness, what are we to say? I am using a human argument: Is God unrighteous to inflict wrath?
Commentaries on Revelation 13:18
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast; for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six - In this verse we have the very name of the beast given under the symbol of the number 666. Before the invention of figures by the Arabs, in the tenth century, letters of the alphabet were used for numbers. The Greeks in the time of Homer, or soon after, are thought by some to have assigned to…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18Here is wisdom - That is, in what is stated respecting the name and the number of the name of the beast. The idea is, either that there would be need of special sagacity in determining what the “number” of the “beast” or of his “name” was, or that special “wisdom” was shown by the fact that the number could be thus expressed. The language used in the verse would lead the reader to suppose that the attempt to make out the “number” was not absolutely…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 11-18Verses 11-18 Those who understand the first beast to denote a worldly power, take the second to be also a persecuting and assumed power, which acts under the disguise of religion, and of charity to the souls of men. It is a spiritual dominion, professing to be derived from Christ, and exercised at first in a gentle manner, but soon spake like the dragon. Its speech betrayed it; for it gives forth those false doctrines and cruel decrees, which show it to…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 18a call for wisdom: John gives a clue to help his readers understand the meaning of the beast’s number. of a man: John hides the man’s identity, possibly to protect himself and his readers from danger (compare the use of Babylon as a symbol for Rome, Revelation 17:9). The number 666 represents supernatural evil (see “Symbolic Numbers” Theme Note). John might have used the transliteration Caesar Neron (a Hebrew spelling of the name) to reach the number 666…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1818. wisdom--the armory against the second beast, as patience and faith against the first. Spiritual wisdom is needed to solve the mystery of iniquity, so as not to be beguiled by it. count ... for--The "for" implies the possibility of our calculating or counting the beast's number. the number of a man--that is, counted as men generally count. So the phrase is used in Re 21:17. The number is the number of a man, not of God; he shall extol himself above the…Read the comment
Topics related to Revelation 13:18
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Revelation 13
- 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
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