English Standard Version
Revelation 13:3
3One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast.
Revelation 13:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.
- New International Version (NIV)One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was filled with wonder and followed the beast.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast.
- New Living Translation (NLT)I saw that one of the heads of the beast seemed wounded beyond recovery—but the fatal wound was healed! The whole world marveled at this miracle and gave allegiance to the beast.
Context of Revelation 13:3
1And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads. 2And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear's, and its mouth was like a lion's mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority. One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast. 4And they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?" 5And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months.
Read all of Revelation 13Revelation 13:3 word by word
καὶ μίαν ἐκ τῶν κεφαλῶν αὐτοῦ ὡς ἐσφαγμένην εἰς θάνατον, καὶ ἡ πληγὴ τοῦ θανάτου αὐτοῦ ἐθεραπεύθη, καὶ ἐθαυμάσθη ὅλη ἡ γῆ ὀπίσω τοῦ θηρίου.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Andκαίkai · andG2532
- I sawὁράωhoraō · to see: seeG3708
- oneεἷςheis · oneG1520
- of hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- headsὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- headsκεφαλήkephalē · headG2776
- as it wereὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
- woundedσφάζωsphazō · to slaughterG4969
- toεἰςeis · towardG1519
- deathθάνατοςthanatos · deathG2288
- woundπληγήplēgē · plague/blow/woundG4127
- was healedθεραπεύωtherapeuō · to serve/healG2323
- ·ἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- allὅλοςholos · allG3650
- the worldγῆgē · earth: planetG1093
- wonderedθαυμάζωthaumazō · to marvelG2296
- afterὀπίσωopisō · afterG3694
- the beastθηρίονthērion · wild animalG2342
Cross-references for Revelation 13:3
- Revelation 13:1And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads.
- Revelation 17:10they are also seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he does come he must remain only a little while.
- Ezekiel 30:24And I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon and put my sword in his hand, but I will break the arms of Pharaoh, and he will groan before him like a man mortally wounded.
- Revelation 17:6And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. When I saw her, I marveled greatly.
- Luke 2:1In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.
- John 12:19So the Pharisees said to one another, "You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him."
- Acts 8:10They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, "This man is the power of God that is called Great."
- 2 Thessalonians 2:9The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders,
Commentaries on Revelation 13:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death - This is the second and last place where the heads of the beast are mentioned with any description; and therefore the meaning here must be forms of government, as these were noticed last in the angel's double explanation. The head that was wounded to death can be no other than the seventh draconic head, which was the sixth head of the beast, viz., the imperial power; for "this head," as Bishop Newton…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3And I saw one of his heads, as it were wounded to death - The phrase “wounded to death” means properly that it received a mortal wound, that is, the wound would have been mortal if it had not been healed. A blow was struck that would be naturally fatal, but there was something that prevented the fatal result. John does not say, however, by whom the wound was inflicted, nor does he describe further the nature of the wound. He says that “one of the heads”…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3Satan often imitates God. Here, the beast copies the death and resurrection of Jesus. One of the beast’s heads appears to have been fatally wounded but then healed. This detail has led many interpreters to connect the beast with the Roman emperor Nero, who ruled from AD 54 to 68. A tradition developed that Nero was so evil that he either did not really die or would return as another tyrant like Domitian, who ruled from AD 81 to 96. In Revelation 17:9–10…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. One of--literally, "from among." wounded ... healed--twice again repeated emphatically (Re 13:12, 14); compare Re 17:8, 11, "the beast that was, and is not, and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit" (compare Re 13:11); the Germanic empire, the seventh head (revived in the eighth), as yet future in John's time (Re 17:10). Contrast the change whereby Nebuchadnezzar, being humbled from his self-deifying pride, was converted from his beast-like form and…Read the comment
Topics related to Revelation 13:3
In the dictionaries
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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries