Revelation 13:15

Revelation 13:15 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
• New International Version (NIV)The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain.
• New King James Version (NKJV)He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.

Context of Revelation 13:15

13The second wild animal did great miracles. It even caused fire to come down from heaven to the earth, while people watched. 14It used the authority of the first wild animal to do many miracles. In that way, it deceived the people who lived on the earth. It told them to make an image of the first wild animal. This was the animal that was still alive after a sword had given it a bad wound. The second wild animal received power to give life to the image of the first wild animal. As a result, the image could speak. It said, ‘Anyone who refuses to worship me must die!’ 16The second wild animal also caused everyone to receive a mark. Everyone received a mark on their right hand or on the front of their head. This included important people and ordinary people, rich people and poor people, free people and slaves. 17Nobody could buy anything unless they had this mark on them. Nor could they sell anything. This mark shows the wild animal's name or the number of its name.

Revelation 13:15 word by word

καὶ ἐδόθη αὐτῷ δοῦναι πνεῦμα τῇ εἰκόνι τοῦ θηρίου ἵνα καὶ λαλήσῃ ἡ εἰκὼν τοῦ θηρίου, καὶ ποιήσῃ, ἵνα ὅσοι ἐὰν μὴ προσκυνήσωσιν τῇ εἰκόνι τοῦ θηρίου ἀποκτανθῶσιν.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• heαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• had powerδίδωμιdidōmi · to giveG1325
• lifeπνεῦμαpneuma · spirit/breath: breathG4151
• unto the imageὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• unto the imageεἰκώνeikōn · imageG1504
• of the beastθηρίονthērion · wild animalG2342
• thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
• shouldλαλέωlaleō · to speakG2980
• causeποιέωpoieō · to do/make: doG4160
• as manyὅσοςhosos · just as/how muchG3745
• asἄνan · ifG302
• wouldπροσκυνέωproskuneō · to worshipG4352
• notμήmē · notG3361
• should be killedἀποκτείνωapokteinō · to killG615

Cross-references for Revelation 13:15

• Genesis 2:7Then the Lord God took some soil from the ground and he made a man. He breathed air into the nose of the man to give him life. So the man became alive.
• Psalms 135:17They have ears, but they cannot hear! They cannot even breathe!
• Jeremiah 10:14People who worship idols are stupid. They do not understand what they are doing. The men who make idols will be ashamed. They make images of gods that are false. None of their idols have the breath of life in them.
• Jeremiah 51:17People who worship idols are stupid. They do not understand what they are doing. The men who make idols will be ashamed. They make images of gods that are false. None of their idols have the breath of life in them.
• Habakkuk 2:19It will be very bad for anyone who says to a piece of wood, “Wake up!” It will be bad for anyone who says to a stone that cannot speak, “Get up and help me!” It cannot teach you! It has gold or silver to make it look nice, but it is not alive.
• James 2:26If our bodies have no spirit, they are dead. In the same way, if our faith does not lead us to do good things, it is dead.
• Psalms 115:5Each idol has a mouth, but it cannot speak! It has eyes, but it cannot see!
• Psalms 135:16Their idols have mouths, but they cannot speak! They have eyes, but they cannot see!
• Jeremiah 10:5Those idols cannot speak. They are like scarecrows that a farmer puts in his field of vegetables. The idols cannot walk, so people have to carry them. So do not be afraid of them. They cannot hurt you. And they do not have any power to help you.’
• Revelation 13:14It used the authority of the first wild animal to do many miracles. In that way, it deceived the people who lived on the earth. It told them to make an image of the first wild animal. This was the animal that was still alive after a sword had given it a bad wound.
• Revelation 16:2The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land. As a result, very bad and painful sores appeared on people's skin. Everyone who had the wild animal's mark on them and who worshipped the animal's image had those sores.
• Revelation 17:6I saw that the woman was like a drunk. She was like someone who had drunk the blood of God's people. She had killed them because they had told other people about Jesus. When I saw her, I was very surprised.
• Revelation 18:20Yes, you who live in heaven, be happy! Be happy because God has punished Babylon! God's people and his apostles and his prophets, be happy! God has punished the city because of what she did to you.
• Revelation 19:20But the rider and his army caught the wild animal. They also caught the false prophet who had done miracles to help the wild animal. He used those miracles to deceive the people who had the wild animal's mark on them. Those people worshipped his image. Now the rider and his army threw the wild animal and the false prophet into the lake of fire. They were still alive when they threw them into the lake that burns with sulphur.
• 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.
• Daniel 7:20I wanted to know the meaning of the ten horns on its head. I also wanted to know about the little horn that came up among them. It pushed out three of the other horns. This horn had eyes, and a mouth that spoke proud words. The little horn seemed to be greater than the other horns.

Commentaries on Revelation 13:15

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed - I would just observe that the Brahmins, by repeating incantations, profess to give eyes and a soul to an image recently made, before it is worshipped; afterwards, being supposed to be the residence of the god or goddess it represents, it has a legal right to worship…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast - That is, that image of the beast would be naturally powerless, or would have no life in itself. The second beast, however, had power to impart life to it, so that it would be invested with authority, and would exercise that authority in the manner specified. If this refers, as is supposed, to the Roman civil power - the power of the empire restored - it would find a fulfillment in some act of the…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. 14-15it was given … was permitted: God never gives up ultimate authority. These evil creatures can rebel against God, but they are not in control.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1515. he had power--Greek, "it was given to him." to give life--Greek, "breath," or "spirit." image--Nebuchadnezzar set up in Dura a golden image to be worshipped, probably of himself; for his dream had been interpreted, "Thou art this head of gold"; the three Hebrews who refused to worship the image were east into a burning furnace. All this typifies the last apostasy. Pliny, in his letter to Trajan, states that he consigned to punishment those Christians…Read the comment

Topics related to Revelation 13:15

• Vision

In the dictionaries

• Antichrist
• Dragon
• Eschatology of the New Testament
• Literature, Sub-Apostolic
• Nero
• Print; Printing; Printed
• Revelation of John
• Alpha

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