English Standard Version
Revelation 17:12
12And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings for one hour, together with the beast.
Revelation 17:12 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
- New International Version (NIV)“The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast.
- New Living Translation (NLT)The ten horns of the beast are ten kings who have not yet risen to power. They will be appointed to their kingdoms for one brief moment to reign with the beast.
Context of Revelation 17:12
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. 11As for the beast that was and is not, it is an eighth but it belongs to the seven, and it goes to destruction. And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings for one hour, together with the beast. 13These are of one mind, and they hand over their power and authority to the beast. 14They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful."
Read all of Revelation 17Revelation 17:12 word by word
καὶ τὰ δέκα κέρατα ἃ εἶδες, δέκα βασιλεῖς εἰσιν, οἵτινες βασιλείαν οὔπω ἔλαβον ἀλλ᾽ ἐξουσίαν ὡς βασιλεῖς μίαν ὥραν λαμβάνουσιν μετὰ τοῦ θηρίου.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Andκαίkai · andG2532
- the tenδέκαdeka · tenG1176
- hornsκέραςkeras · hornG2768
- whichὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
- thou sawestὁράωhoraō · to see: seeG3708
- areεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- kingsβασιλεύςbasileus · kingG935
- whichὅστιςhostis hētis ho6ti · who/whichG3748
- have receivedλαμβάνωlambanō · to takeG2983
- noοὔπωoupō · not yetG3768
- kingdomβασιλείαbasileia · kingdomG932
- butἀλλάalla · butG235
- powerἐξουσίαexousia · authorityG1849
- asὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
- oneεἷςheis · oneG1520
- hourὥραhōra · hourG5610
- withμετάmeta · with/afterG3326
- the beastθηρίονthērion · wild animalG2342
Cross-references for Revelation 17:12
- Revelation 12:3And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems.
- 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.
- Daniel 2:40And there shall be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron, because iron breaks to pieces and shatters all things. And like iron that crushes, it shall break and crush all these.
- Daniel 7:7After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth; it devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.
- Zechariah 1:18And I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, four horns!
Commentaries on Revelation 17:12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast - The meaning of horns has already been defined when speaking of those of the dragon. The meaning is therefore as follows: Though the Latin empire be now in existence, the ten horns refer to ten Latin kingdoms yet in futurity, and consequently they have received no dominion As Yet; for that part of the Latin…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12And the ten horns which thou sawest - On the scarlet-colored beast, Revelation 17:3. Are ten kings - Represent or denote ten kings - that is, kingdoms or powers. See the notes on Daniel 7:24. Which have received no kingdom as yet - That is, they were not in existence when John wrote. It is implied, that during the period under review they would arise, and would become connected, in an important sense, with the power here represented by the “beast.” For a…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-14Verses 7-14 The beast on which the woman sat was, and is not, and yet is. It was a seat of idolatry and persecution, and is not; not in the ancient form, which was pagan: yet it is; it is truly the seat of idolatry and tyranny, though of another sort and form. It would deceive into stupid and blind submission all the inhabitants of the earth within its influence, except the remnant of the elect. This beast was seven heads, seven mountains, the seven hills…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12-13The ten horns, which symbolize world kingdoms following the beast, rule together under his guidance. These verses have led to speculation about a ten-nation alliance. People have guessed it could be the client kingdoms of Rome, the states against the Holy Roman Empire, or the European Union. However, these guesses miss the main point: all nations opposing God will be defeated (Revelation 17:14).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. ten kings ... received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings ... with the beast--Hence and from Re 17:14, 16, it seems that these ten kings or kingdoms, are to be contemporaries with the beast in its last or eighth form, namely, Antichrist. Compare Da 2:34, 44, "the stone smote the image upon his feet," that is, upon the ten toes, which are, in Da 2:41-44, interpreted to be "kings." The ten kingdoms are not, therefore, ten which arose in the…Read the comment
Topics related to Revelation 17:12
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Revelation 17
- 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
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