Revelation 13:18

Revelation 13:18 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.
• New International Version (NIV)This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is 666.
• English Standard Version (ESV)This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.

Context of Revelation 13:18

16The second beast forces all people—important and unimportant people, rich and poor people, free people and slaves—to be branded on their right hands or on their foreheads. 17It does this so that no one may buy or sell unless he has the brand, which is the beast’s name or the number of its name. In this situation wisdom is needed. Let the person who has insight figure out the number of the beast, because it is a human number. The beast’s number is 666.

Revelation 13:18 word by word

Ὧδε ἡ σοφία ἐστίν. ὁ ἔχων νοῦν ψηφισάτω τὸν ἀριθμὸν τοῦ θηρίου, ἀριθμὸς γὰρ ἀνθρώπου ἐστίν, καὶ ὁ ἀριθμὸς αὐτοῦ ἑξακόσιοι ἑξήκοντα ἕξ.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Hereὧδεhōde · hereG5602
• isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• wisdomὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• wisdomσοφίαsophia · wisdomG4678
• that hathἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
• understandingνοῦςnous · mindG3563
• countψηφίζωpsēphizō · to calculateG5585
• the numberἀριθμόςarithmos · numberG706
• of the beastθηρίονthērion · wild animalG2342
• forγάρgar · forG1063
• of a manἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• Six hundred threescoreχξϛchi xi stigma · 666G5516

Cross-references for Revelation 13:18

• Revelation 1:3Blessed is the one who reads, as well as those who hear the words of this prophecy and pay attention to what is written in it because the time is near.
• Revelation 17:9“In this situation a wise mind is needed. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is sitting.
• Psalms 107:43Let those who ⌞think⌟ they are wise pay attention to these things so that they may understand the Lord’s blessings.
• Daniel 12:10Many will be purified, made white, and refined. But wicked people will do wicked things, and none of them will understand. Only wise people will understand.
• Hosea 14:9Wise people will understand these things. A person with insight will recognize them. The Lord’s ways are right. Righteous people live by them. Rebellious people stumble over them.
• Mark 13:14“When you see the disgusting thing that will cause destruction standing where it should not (let the reader take note), those of you in Judea should flee to the mountains.
• Revelation 15:2Then I saw what looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire. Those who had won the victory over the beast, its statue, and the number of its name were standing on the glassy sea. They were holding God’s harps
• Revelation 21:17He measured its wall. According to human measurement, which the angel was using, it was 144 cubits.
• Deuteronomy 3:11(Of the Rephaim only King Og of Bashan was left. His bed was made of iron and was more than 13 feet long and 6 feet wide. It is still in the Ammonite city of Rabbah.)
• Romans 3:5But if what we do wrong shows that God is fair, what should we say? Is God unfair when he vents his anger on us? (I’m arguing the way humans would.)

Commentaries on Revelation 13:18

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast; for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six - In this verse we have the very name of the beast given under the symbol of the number 666. Before the invention of figures by the Arabs, in the tenth century, letters of the alphabet were used for numbers. The Greeks in the time of Homer, or soon after, are thought by some to have assigned to…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18Here is wisdom - That is, in what is stated respecting the name and the number of the name of the beast. The idea is, either that there would be need of special sagacity in determining what the “number” of the “beast” or of his “name” was, or that special “wisdom” was shown by the fact that the number could be thus expressed. The language used in the verse would lead the reader to suppose that the attempt to make out the “number” was not absolutely…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. 18a call for wisdom: John gives a clue to help his readers understand the meaning of the beast’s number. of a man: John hides the man’s identity, possibly to protect himself and his readers from danger (compare the use of Babylon as a symbol for Rome, Revelation 17:9). The number 666 represents supernatural evil (see “Symbolic Numbers” Theme Note). John might have used the transliteration Caesar Neron (a Hebrew spelling of the name) to reach the number 666…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1818. wisdom--the armory against the second beast, as patience and faith against the first. Spiritual wisdom is needed to solve the mystery of iniquity, so as not to be beguiled by it. count ... for--The "for" implies the possibility of our calculating or counting the beast's number. the number of a man--that is, counted as men generally count. So the phrase is used in Re 21:17. The number is the number of a man, not of God; he shall extol himself above the…Read the comment

Topics related to Revelation 13:18

• Vision

In the dictionaries

• Antichrist
• Dragon
• Eschatology of the New Testament
• Games
• Literature, Sub-Apostolic
• Nero
• Number
• 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