English Standard Version
Revelation 12:4
4His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it.
Revelation 12:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.
- New International Version (NIV)Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born.
- New King James Version (NKJV)His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born.
- New Living Translation (NLT)His tail swept away one-third of the stars in the sky, and he threw them to the earth. He stood in front of the woman as she was about to give birth, ready to devour her baby as soon as it was born.
Context of Revelation 12:4
2She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth. 3And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems. His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it. 5She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne, 6and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days.
Read all of Revelation 12Revelation 12:4 word by word
καὶ ἡ οὐρὰ αὐτοῦ σύρει τὸ τρίτον τῶν ἀστέρων τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ ἔβαλεν αὐτοὺς εἰς τὴν γῆν. καὶ ὁ δράκων ἕστηκεν ἐνώπιον τῆς γυναικὸς τῆς μελλούσης τεκεῖν, ἵνα ὅταν τέκῃ τὸ τέκνον αὐτῆς καταφάγῃ.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Andκαίkai · andG2532
- hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- tailὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- tailοὐράoura · tailG3769
- drewσύρωsurō · to dragG4951
- the third partτρίτοςtritos · thirdG5154
- of the starsἀστήρastēr · starG792
- of heavenοὐρανόςouranos · heavenG3772
- did castβάλλωballō · to throw: throwG906
- toεἰςeis · towardG1519
- the earthγῆgē · earth: planetG1093
- the dragonδράκωνdrakōn · dragonG1404
- stoodἵστημιhistēmi · to standG2476
- beforeἐνώπιονenōpion · beforeG1799
- the womanγυνήgunē · womanG1135
- which was readyμέλλωmellō · to ensueG3195
- to be deliveredτίκτωtiktō · to give birth toG5088
- forἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
- to devourκατεσθίωkatesthiō · to devourG2719
- childτέκνονteknon · childG5043
- as soon asὅτανhotan · when(-ever)G3752
Cross-references for Revelation 12:4
- Revelation 9:10They have tails and stings like scorpions, and their power to hurt people for five months is in their tails.
- Daniel 8:9Out of one of them came a little horn, which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the glorious land.
- Revelation 17:18And the woman that you saw is the great city that has dominion over the kings of the earth."
- Revelation 12:2She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth.
- Exodus 1:16"When you serve as midwife to the Hebrew women and see them on the birthstool, if it is a son, you shall kill him, but if it is a daughter, she shall live."
- Matthew 2:3When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him;
- John 8:44You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
- 1 Peter 5:8Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
Commentaries on Revelation 12:4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven - It is not unusual in Scripture, as Dr. Mitchell observes, to call the hindmost of an enemy the tail, as in Joshua 10:19; : Ye shall cut off the hindmost of them, which is literally in Hebrew, אותם וזנבתם "Ye shall cut off their tail." See also Deuteronomy 25:18. It is also observable that the word , in this verse, has been used by the Greeks in the same sense with the Hebrew word זנב already…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven - The word rendered “drew” - surō- means to “draw, drag, haul.” Prof. Stuart renders it “drew along”; and explains it as meaning that “the danger is represented as being in the upper region of the air, so that his tail may be supposed to interfere with and sweep down the stars, which, as viewed by the ancients, were all set in the visible expanse or welkin.” So Daniel 8:10, speaking of the little…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3-4The large red dragon symbolizes Satan (see Revelation 12:9). seven heads, ten horns: These numbers symbolize a mix of divine and created powers (see Revelation 17:7–14). The historic battle between evil and God's people occurs on a cosmic scale (see Genesis 3:1–7, 14–15; Job 1:9–12). Herod’s wish to kill Jesus showed Satan’s attempt to destroy her baby after birth (see Matthew 2:7–8, 16).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. drew--Greek, present tense, "draweth," "drags down." His dragging down the stars with his tail (lashed back and forward in his fury) implies his persuading to apostatize, like himself, and to become earthy, those angels and also once eminent human teachers who had formerly been heavenly (compare Re 12:1; 1:20; Is 14:12). stood--"stands" [Alford]: perfect tense, Greek, "hesteken." ready to be delivered--"about to bring forth." for to devour, &c.--"that…Read the comment
Topics related to Revelation 12:4
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Revelation 12
- 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
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