Revelation 13:3

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.
• English Standard Version (ESV)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.
• 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.

Context of Revelation 13:3

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. 2The 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. One 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?” 5The beast was allowed to speak arrogant and insulting things. It was given authority to act for 42 months.

Revelation 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 13:1I 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.
• Revelation 17:10They are also seven kings. Five of them have fallen, one is ruling now, and the other has not yet come. When he comes, he must remain for a little while.
• Ezekiel 30:24I will make the arms of the king of Babylon strong. I will put my sword in his hand, but I will break Pharaoh’s arms. Pharaoh will groan like a person who is dying.
• Revelation 17:6I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God’s holy people and of those who testify about Jesus. I was very surprised when I saw her.
• Luke 2:1At that time the Emperor Augustus ordered a census of the Roman Empire.
• John 12:19The Pharisees said to each other, “This is getting us nowhere. Look! The whole world is following him!”
• Acts 8:10Everyone from children to adults paid attention to him. They said, “This man is the power of God, and that power is called great.”
• 2 Thessalonians 2:9The man of sin will come with the power of Satan. He will use every kind of power, including miraculous and wonderful signs. But they will be lies.

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

• Vision

In the dictionaries

• Deadly
• Dragon
• Eschatology of the New Testament
• 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