Revelation 13:2

Revelation 13:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.
• New International Version (NIV)The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And 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.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority.

Context of Revelation 13:2

1I saw a beast coming out of the sea. It had ten horns, seven heads, and ten crowns on its horns. There were insulting names on its heads. The beast that I saw was like a leopard. Its feet were like bear’s feet. Its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. The serpent gave its power, kingdom, and far-reaching authority to the beast. 3One of the beast’s heads looked like it had a fatal wound, but its fatal wound was healed. All the people of the world were amazed and followed the beast. 4They worshiped the serpent because it had given authority to the beast. They also worshiped the beast and said, “Who is like the beast? Who can fight a war with it?”

Revelation 13:2 word by word

καὶ τὸ θηρίον ὃ εἶδον ἦν ὅμοιον παρδάλει καὶ οἱ πόδες αὐτοῦ ὡς ἄρκου καὶ τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ ὡς στόμα λέοντος. καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ ὁ δράκων τὴν δύναμιν αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸν θρόνον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐξουσίαν μεγάλην.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• the beastὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the beastθηρίονthērion · wild animalG2342
• whichὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• I sawὁράωhoraō · to see: seeG3708
• wasεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• like untoὅμοιοςhomoios · likeG3664
• a leopardπάρδαλιςpardalis · leopardG3917
• hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• feetπούςpous · footG4228
• were asὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
• of a bearἄρκτοςarktos · bearG715
• mouthστόμαstoma · mouthG4750
• of a lionλέωνleōn · lionG3023
• the dragonδράκωνdrakōn · dragonG1404
• gaveδίδωμιdidōmi · to giveG1325
• powerδύναμιςdunamis · powerG1411
• seatθρόνοςthronos · throneG2362
• greatμέγαςmegas · greatG3173
• authorityἐξουσίαexousia · authorityG1849

Cross-references for Revelation 13:2

• Jeremiah 5:6That is why a lion from the forest will attack them. A wolf from the wilderness will destroy them. A leopard will lie in ambush outside their cities. All who leave the cities will be torn to pieces, because they rebel so often and they become more and more unfaithful.
• Jeremiah 13:23Can Ethiopians change the color of their skin or leopards change their spots? Can you do good when you’re taught to do wrong?
• Daniel 7:6After this, I saw another animal. It looked like a leopard. On its back it had four wings, like the wings of a bird. The animal also had four heads. It was given power to rule.
• Hosea 13:7So I will be like a lion. Like a leopard I will wait by the road to ambush you.
• Habakkuk 1:8Their horses will be faster than leopards and quicker than wolves in the evening. Their riders will gallop along proudly. Their riders will come from far away. They will fly like an eagle that swoops down for its prey.
• 1 Samuel 17:34David replied to Saul, “I am a shepherd for my father’s sheep. Whenever a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock,
• 2 Kings 2:24Looking back, he saw them and cursed them in the Lord’s name. Two bears came out of the woods and tore 42 of these youths apart.
• Proverbs 17:12Better to meet a bear robbed of its cubs than a fool ⌞carried away⌟ with his stupidity.
• Proverbs 28:15⌞Like⌟ a roaring lion and a charging bear, ⌞so⌟ a wicked ruler is a threat to poor people.
• Daniel 7:4The first animal was like a lion, but it had wings like an eagle. I watched until its wings were plucked off and it was lifted off the ground. It was made to stand on two feet like a human and was given a human mind.
• Hosea 13:8Like a bear that has lost her cubs, I will attack you. I will rip you open. Like a lion I will devour you. Like a wild animal I will tear you apart.
• Amos 5:19It is like a person who flees from a lion only to be attacked by a bear. It is like a person who goes home and puts his hand on the wall only to be bitten by a snake.
• Psalms 22:21Save me from the mouth of the lion and from the horns of wild oxen. You have answered me.
• Isaiah 5:29They roar like a lioness. They growl like a young lion. They growl as they snatch their prey and carry it off to where no one can rescue it.
• Hosea 11:10“My people will follow me when I roar like a lion. When I roar, my children will come trembling from the west.
• Amos 3:12This is what the Lord says: As a shepherd rescues two legs or a piece of an ear out of a lion’s mouth, so the Israelites living in Samaria will be rescued, ⌞having only⌟ a corner of a bed or a piece of a couch.

Commentaries on Revelation 13:2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard - This similitude of the beast to a leopard appears to be an allusion to the third beast of Daniel, which is well known to represent the empire of the Greeks. The Latin empire greatly resembled the modern empire of the Greeks; for that the power of the Greeks was still said to be like a leopard, even after its subjugation by the Romans, is evident from Daniel 7:12; : "As concerning the rest of the beasts…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard - For a description of the leopard, see the notes on Daniel 7:6. It is distinguished for bloodthirstiness and cruelty, and thus becomes an emblem of a fierce, tyrannical power. In its general character it resembles a lion and the lion and the leopard are often referred to together. In this description, it is observable that John has combined in one animal or monster, all those which Daniel brought…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2Satan turns the beast into a false god by giving it his power, throne, and authority. In the first century, Roman emperors often claimed to be gods.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. leopard ... bear ... lion--This beast unites in itself the God-opposed characteristics of the three preceding kingdoms, resembling respectively the leopard, bear, and lion. It rises up out of the sea, as Daniel's four beasts, and has ten horns, as Daniel's fourth beast, and seven heads, as Daniel's four beasts had in all, namely, one on the first, one on the second, four on the third, and one on the fourth. Thus it represents comprehensively in one…Read the comment

Topics related to Revelation 13:2

• Lion
• Vision

In the dictionaries

• Leopard
• Authority in Religion
• Bear
• Dragon
• Eschatology of the New Testament
• Goat
• Literature, Sub-Apostolic
• Nero
• Print; Printing; Printed
• Revelation of John

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