Revelation 11:3

Revelation 11:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
• New International Version (NIV)And I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth."
• New King James Version (NKJV)And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.”

Context of Revelation 11:3

1Someone gave me a stick, like the sticks that people use to measure things. He told me, ‘Go and measure the size of the temple and the altar. Also count the number of people who worship God there. 2But do not measure the yard that is outside God's house. Do not measure it, because God has given that yard to Gentiles who do not believe in him. They will stamp all over God's own city for 42 months and they will destroy it. I will give authority to my two servants who speak my message clearly. They will tell people my messages for 1,260 days. They will wear rough clothes made from goats' hair.’ 4These servants are the two olive trees and the two lampstands. They stand in front of God who is the Lord of the earth. 5If anyone tries to hurt them, fire comes out of the servants' mouths. This fire destroys their enemies. Anyone who wants to hurt the two servants must die in this way.

Revelation 11:3 word by word

Καὶ δώσω τοῖς δυσὶν μάρτυσίν μου, καὶ προφητεύσουσιν ἡμέρας χιλίας διακοσίας ἑξήκοντα περιβεβλημένοι σάκκους.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• I will giveδίδωμιdidōmi · to giveG1325
• untoδύοduo · twoG1417
• myἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• witnessesμάρτυςmartus · witnessG3144
• they shall prophesyπροφητεύωprophēteuō · to prophesyG4395
• a thousandχίλιοιchilioi · thousandG5507
• two hundredδιακόσιοιdiakosioi · two hundredG1250
• threescoreἑξήκονταhexēkonta · sixtyG1835
• daysἡμέραhēmera · dayG2250
• clothedπεριβάλλωperiballō · to clotheG4016
• in sackclothσάκκοςsakkos · sackclothG4526

Cross-references for Revelation 11:3

• John 3:27John replied, ‘A man can receive only what God gives to him, nothing else.
• 1 Corinthians 12:28Like the parts of a body, God has put people in different places in his church. First, there are apostles. Second, there are people who speak messages from God. Third, there are teachers. After that, there are people who do miracles. There are people who have gifts to make sick people well. There are people who help others in special ways. There are people who can lead others. And there are people who can speak different kinds of languages.
• Ephesians 4:11It was Christ who chose to give different gifts to his people. He chose some to be apostles. He chose some to speak messages from God. He chose some to tell God's good news to many people. He chose some to take care of his people, and to teach them.
• Numbers 11:26But two men had stayed in the camp. Their names were Eldad and Medad. They were among the men that Moses had chosen. But they had not gone to meet with God in the special Tent. God's Spirit also came on them. So they prophesied in the camp.
• Deuteronomy 17:6But two or three people must agree about what the person has done. You must never kill anyone because of the words of only one person.
• Deuteronomy 19:15If only one person says that he has seen someone do something wrong, that is not enough. There must be at least two or three people who saw the sin. Then the judge may say that the person is guilty.
• Matthew 18:16But maybe he does not want to listen to you. Then take one or two other people with you to speak to him. They will then know what wrong things your friend has done. Remember what the Bible says: “There must be two or three people to say certainly that another person has done something wrong. Two or three people must agree what has happened.”
• 2 Corinthians 13:1This is the third time that I will be coming to visit you. Remember this: ‘There must be two or three people to say certainly that another person has done something wrong. Two or three people must agree what has happened.’
• Revelation 20:4Then I saw some thrones, and I saw people who were sitting on them. These people had received authority to judge other people. I also saw the souls of people who had died because they served Jesus. People had cut off their heads because they had told the truth about Jesus, and they had spoken God's message. These believers had not worshipped the wild animal or his image. They had not received the wild animal's mark on their heads or on their hands. Now they became alive again. They ruled as kings together with Christ for 1,000 years.
• Luke 24:48You are the people who have seen what has happened here. You must tell other people about it.
• John 15:27You also must speak to people about me, because you have been with me from the beginning.’
• Acts 1:8But the Holy Spirit will come to you, and he will give you power. The Holy Spirit will make your spirit strong. Then you will tell other people everywhere in the world about me. You will do that in Jerusalem, in Judea, in Samaria and in places far away.’
• Acts 2:32This man that David talked about is Jesus. After his death, God caused him to become alive again. We ourselves saw this happen. All of us saw it.
• Acts 3:15But Jesus is the person who leads people to true life. When you refused him, it meant that you killed him. But God made him alive again and raised him up from death. We ourselves saw him alive after he had died and we are telling you about it.
• Acts 13:31For many days after this, Jesus appeared to his disciples. The people who had earlier travelled with him from Galilee to Jerusalem saw him. They are now telling the people of Israel all about it.
• Revelation 19:10Then I bent down low at the angel's feet to worship him. But he said to me, ‘You must not do that! I am only a servant of God, the same as you are. I am a servant, like all believers who show clearly that they trust in Jesus. God is the one that you should worship! When God gave a message to his prophets, it was Jesus that they spoke about.’

Commentaries on Revelation 11:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3My two witnesses - This is extremely obscure; the conjectures of interpreters are as unsatisfactory as they are endless on this point. Conjecturas conjecturis superstruunt, parum verosimiles, says Rosenmuller: quorum sententias enarrare, meum non est. I say the same. Those who wish to be amused or bewildered, may have recourse both to ancients and moderns on this subject.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3And I will give power unto my two witnesses - In respect to this important passage Revelation 11:3-13 I propose to pursue the same method which I have pursued all along in this exposition: first, to examine the meaning of the words and phrases in the symbol, with a purpose to ascertain the fair signification of the symbols; and, secondly, to inquire into the application - that is, to inquire whether any events have occurred which, in respect to their…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 3-13Verses 3-13 In the time of treading down, God kept his faithful witnesses to attest the truth of his word and worship, and the excellence of his ways, The number of these witnesses is small, yet enough. They prophesy in sackcloth. It shows their afflicted, persecuted state, and deep sorrow for the abominations against which they protested. They are supported during their great and hard work, till it is done. When they had prophesied in sackcloth the…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3During the period of persecution, God will not abandon the world. He will send two witnesses to announce the coming judgment, similar to how God sent Jonah to Nineveh (Jonah 1:2; 4:11). Burlap clothing symbolized mourning or repentance (see Genesis 37:34; 2 Samuel 3:31; Nehemiah 9:1; Esther 4:1; Jonah 3:6).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. I will give power--There is no "power" in the Greek, so that "give" must mean "give commission," or some such word. my two witnesses--Greek, "the two witnesses of me." The article implies that the two were well known at least to John. prophesy--preach under the inspiration of the Spirit, denouncing judgments against the apostate. They are described by symbol as "the two olive trees" and "the two candlesticks," or lamp-stands, "standing before the God…Read the comment

Topics related to Revelation 11:3

• Day
• Vision
• Witness

In the dictionaries

• Astronomy
• Revelation of John
• Thessalonians, the Second Epistle of Paul to the
• Enoch

Commentaries on Revelation 11

• 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