Revelation 20:2

Revelation 20:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
• New International Version (NIV)He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years,
• New King James Version (NKJV)He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years;

Context of Revelation 20:2

1Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven holding the key to the abyss and a great chain in his hand. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. 3He threw him into the abyss, closed it, and put a seal on it so that he would no longer deceive the nations until the thousand years were completed. After that, he must be released for a short time. 4Then I saw thrones, and people seated on them who were given authority to judge. I also saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and who had not accepted the mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

Revelation 20:2 word by word

καὶ ἐκράτησεν τὸν δράκοντα, ὁ ὄφις ὁ ἀρχαῖος, ὅς ἐστιν διάβολος καὶ ὁ Σατανᾶς. καὶ ἔδησεν αὐτὸν χίλια ἔτηRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• he laid hold onκρατέωkrateō · to grasp/seizeG2902
• the dragonδράκωνdrakōn · dragonG1404
• that oldἀρχαῖοςarchaios · ancientG744
• serpentὄφιςophis · snakeG3789
• whichὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• the Devilδιάβολοςdiabolos · devilish/the DevilG1228
• SatanΣατανᾶςSatanas · SatanG4567
• boundδέωdeō · to bindG1210
• himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• a thousandχίλιοιchilioi · thousandG5507
• yearsἔτοςetos · yearG2094

Cross-references for Revelation 20:2

• Genesis 3:15I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.
• Isaiah 27:1On that day the Lord with his relentless, large, strong sword will bring judgment on Leviathan, the fleeing serpent — Leviathan, the twisting serpent. He will slay the monster that is in the sea.
• Isaiah 49:24Can the prey be taken from a mighty man, or the captives of a tyrant be delivered?
• Matthew 8:29Suddenly they shouted, “What do you have to do with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?”
• Matthew 19:29And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields because of my name will receive a hundred times more and will inherit eternal life.
• Mark 5:7And he cried out with a loud voice, “What do you have to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you before God, don’t torment me!”
• Luke 11:20If I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
• John 12:31Now is the judgment of this world. Now the ruler of this world will be cast out.
• John 16:11and about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.
• Romans 16:20The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.
• Hebrews 2:14Now since the children have flesh and blood in common, Jesus also shared in these, so that through his death he might destroy the one holding the power of death — that is, the devil —
• Revelation 9:11They had as their king the angel of the abyss; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek he has the name Apollyon.
• Revelation 12:9So the great dragon was thrown out — the ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the one who deceives the whole world. He was thrown to earth, and his angels with him.
• Revelation 13:2The beast I saw was like a leopard, its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. The dragon gave the beast his power, his throne, and great authority.
• Job 1:7The Lord asked Satan, “Where have you come from?” “From roaming through the earth,” Satan answered him, “and walking around on it.”
• Job 2:1One day the sons of God came again to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them to present himself before the Lord.

Commentaries on Revelation 20:2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2The dragon - See the notes on Revelation 12:9. That old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan - He who is called the old serpent is the Devil - the calumniator, and Satan - the opposer. He who supposes that the term old serpent here plainly proves that the creature that tempted our first parents was actually a snake, must enjoy his opinion; and those who can receive such a saying, why let them receive it. Selah. A thousand years - In what this binding of…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2And he laid hold on - Seized him by violence - ̓́ ekratēsenThe word denotes “the employment of strength” or “force”; and it implies that he had power superior to that of the dragon. Compare Matthew 14:3; Matthew 18:28; Matthew 21:46; Matthew 22:6; Matthew 26:4. We can at once see the propriety of the use of this word in this connection. The great enemy to be bound has himself mighty power, and can be overcome only by a superior. This may teach us that it…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-2Like the Old Testament angel of the LORD (see Genesis 16:7–11; 22:15; Exodus 3:2; Numbers 22:22–34; Judges 2:1–4; 6:11–22), the angel coming down from heaven has God's authority. This is symbolized by the key that controls the bottomless pit and the power to chain God's great enemy (see Revelation 12:7–9) for a thousand years. See the "The Thousand Years (The Millennium)" Theme Note.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. that old--ancient serpent (Re 12:9). thousand years--As seven mystically implies universality, so a thousand implies perfection, whether in good or evil [Aquinas on ch. 11]. Thousand symbolizes that the world is perfectly leavened and pervaded by the divine; since thousand is ten, the number of the world, raised to the third power, three being the number of God [Auberlen]. It may denote literally also a thousand years.Read the comment

Topics related to Revelation 20:2

• Dragon
• Millennium
• Satan
• Vision
• Year

In the dictionaries

• Satan
• Satan, devil, evil one
• Dragon
• Millennium
• Seal
• Serpent
• Eschatology of the New Testament
• Law, Judicial
• Print; Printing; Printed
• Revelation of John

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