Revelation 16:15

Revelation 16:15 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
• New International Version (NIV)“Look, I come like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake and remains clothed, so as not to go naked and be shamefully exposed.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)("Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!")
• New King James Version (NKJV)“Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.”

Context of Revelation 16:15

13Then I saw three bad spirits that looked like frogs. One bad spirit came out of the dragon's mouth. Another one came out of the first wild animal's mouth. The third one came out of the false prophet's mouth. 14Those bad spirits are the spirits of demons. They had the power to do miracles. They went to all the rulers in the whole world, to bring them together to fight in a big war. That war will happen on the great day of God, who has all power and authority. The Lord says: ‘Listen! I will come secretly, like someone who robs people. If you continue to watch carefully, you will be happy. Keep your clothes with you all the time. Then, when I come, you will not be ashamed because you have no clothes.’ 16Then the bad spirits brought the rulers together to fight in the big war. They came to the place that is called Armageddon in the Hebrew language. 17Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air. A voice spoke loudly from the throne in God's house. The voice said, ‘Now it has happened!’

Revelation 16:15 word by word

ἰδοὺ ἔρχομαι ὡς κλέπτης. μακάριος ὁ γρηγορῶν καὶ τηρῶν τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ, ἵνα μὴ γυμνὸς περιπατῇ καὶ βλέπωσιν τὴν ἀσχημοσύνην αὐτοῦ.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Beholdὁράωhoraō · to see: seeG3708
• I comeἔρχομαιerchomai · to come/goG2064
• asὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
• a thiefκλέπτηςkleptēs · thiefG2812
• Blessedμακάριοςmakarios · blessedG3107
• heὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• that watchethγρηγορέωgrēgoreuō · to keep watchG1127
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• keepethτηρέωtēreō · to keep: protectG5083
• hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• garmentsἱμάτιονhimation · clothingG2440
• lestἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
• ·μήmē · notG3361
• he walkπεριπατέωperipateō · to walkG4043
• nakedγυμνόςgumnos · nakedG1131
• they seeβλέπωblepō · to seeG991
• shameἀσχημοσύνηaschēmosunē · indecencyG808

Cross-references for Revelation 16:15

• Revelation 3:3So remember God's message that you have heard. Obey what God has said. Turn away from the wrong things that you do. Change the way that you live. If you do not wake up, I will come to punish you. I will come secretly, like someone who robs people. So you will not know what time I will come to you.
• Matthew 24:43You can be sure about this. The master of a house does not know at what time of night a man would come to rob him. If he knew the time, he would watch his house more carefully. He would not let the robber come into his house and take away his things.
• 1 Thessalonians 5:2You know very well about how the great day of the Lord will happen. That day will surprise people very much, like when a robber comes in the night.
• 2 Peter 3:10The great day of the Lord will suddenly happen. That will surprise people, like when someone comes to rob them. There will be a very loud noise in the sky. The whole sky will go away. Fire will burn the whole universe and it will destroy everything. The earth and everything that people have made will then become clear.
• Matthew 24:42So you must watch carefully! You do not know the day when your Master will come back.
• Matthew 25:13Then Jesus said to the people, ‘So you must watch carefully. You do not know on what day or at what time I will return.’
• Matthew 26:41You must stay awake and pray. God can help you, so that you will not do something wrong. You really want to do the right thing, but your bodies are weak.’
• Mark 13:33Watch carefully! Keep awake! You do not know the time when all these things will happen.
• Mark 14:38You must keep awake and you must pray. Then you will not want to do something wrong. You really want to do the right thing, but your body is weak.’
• Luke 12:37Those servants will be very happy if their master finds them awake. I tell you this: The master will dress himself to give them food. He will say to them, “Sit at the table. I will come to serve you.”
• Luke 21:36So watch all the time! Continue to pray that you will be strong. Then you will be safe through all these things! You will stand in front of the Son of Man and you will not be afraid.’
• Acts 20:31So be very careful! For three years I taught you, in the day and in the night. I warned you to be careful, so that I even cried about it.
• 1 Thessalonians 5:6So we must watch carefully. We should be like people who stay awake. We should not be like other people who are sleeping.
• 1 Peter 4:7All things in this world will soon come to an end. So you must think clearly. Then you will be able to pray in a serious way.
• Revelation 3:4But you have a few people among you in Sardis who have not done these bad things. They are like people who have kept their clothes clean. They will walk with me and they will wear white clothes. They are good people and it is right for them to wear these white clothes.
• Exodus 32:25Moses saw that the people were running about everywhere. Aaron had not been able to control them. If their enemies could see them, they would see how foolish they were.

Commentaries on Revelation 16:15

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15Behold, I come as a thief - Here is a sudden but timely warning to put every man on his guard, when this sudden and generally unexpected tribulation should take place. Keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked - Here is a plain allusion to the office of him who was called the prefect or overseer, of the mountain of the temple. His custom was to go his rounds during the watches of the night; and if he found any of the Levites sleeping on his watch, he had…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15Behold, I come as a thief - That is, suddenly and unexpectedly. See the Matthew 24:43 note; 1 Thessalonians 5:2 note. This is designed evidently to admonish people to watch, or to be in readiness for his coming, since, whenever it would occur, it would be at a time when people were not expecting him. Blessed is he that watcheth - Compare Matthew 24:42-44. The meaning here is, that he who watches for these events, who marks the indications of their…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-16Verses 12-16 This probably shows the destruction of the Turkish power, and of idolatry, and that a way will be made for the return of the Jews. Or, take it for Rome, as mystical Babylon, the name of Babylon being put for Rome, which was meant, but was not then to be directly named. When Rome is destroyed, her river and merchandise must suffer with her. And perhaps a way will be opened for the eastern nations to come into the church of Christ. The great…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15Readers are warned to stay alert because the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief (see also Revelation 3:3; Matthew 24:43; 25:13; 1 Thessalonians 5:2; 2 Peter 3:10). Being ready for his coming requires preparation. Those who are not prepared will lack proper clothing and will find themselves exposed (see Matthew 22:11–13). This imagery refers to two failing churches: lifeless Sardis, which is told to “wake up” (Revelation 3:2), and lukewarm Laodicea…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1515. The gathering of the world kings with the beast against the Lamb is the signal for Christ's coming; therefore He here gives the charge to be watching for His coming and clothed in the garments of justification and sanctification, so as to be accepted. thief--(Mt 24:43; 2Pe 3:10). they--saints and angels. shame--literally, "unseemliness" (Greek, "aschemosunee"): Greek, 1Co 13:5: a different word from the Greek in Re 3:18 (Greek, "aischunee").Read the comment

Topics related to Revelation 16:15

• Garment
• Good and Evil
• Jesus Continued
• Perseverance
• Righteous
• Temple
• Watchfulness
• Wicked (People)

In the dictionaries

• Angel
• Gnaw
• Vial
• Dragon
• Justification
• Print; Printing; Printed
• Retribution
• Revelation of John
• War; Warfare

Commentaries on Revelation 16

• 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
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings