Revelation 21:16

Revelation 21:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.
• New International Version (NIV)The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length, and as wide and high as it is long.
• English Standard Version (ESV)The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia. Its length and width and height are equal.
• New King James Version (NKJV)The city is laid out as a square; its length is as great as its breadth. And he measured the city with the reed: twelve thousand furlongs. Its length, breadth, and height are equal.

Context of Revelation 21:16

14The wall of the city had 12 foundations. The 12 names of the 12 apostles of the lamb were written on them. 15The angel who was talking to me had a gold measuring stick to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. The city was square. It was as wide as it was long. He measured the city with the stick. It was 12,000 stadia long. Its length, width, and height were the same. 17He measured its wall. According to human measurement, which the angel was using, it was 144 cubits. 18Its wall was made of gray quartz. The city was made of pure gold, as clear as glass.

Revelation 21:16 word by word

καὶ ἡ πόλις τετράγωνος κεῖται, καὶ τὸ μῆκος αὐτῆς ὅσον καὶ τὸ πλάτος. καὶ ἐμέτρησεν τὴν πόλιν τῷ καλάμῳ ἐπὶ σταδίων δώδεκα χιλιάδων τὸ μῆκος καὶ τὸ πλάτος καὶ τὸ ὕψος αὐτῆς ἴσα ἐστίν.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• the cityὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the cityπόλιςpolis · cityG4172
• liethκεῖμαιkeimai · to lay/be appointedG2749
• foursquareτετράγωνοςtetragōnos · squareG5068
• the lengthμῆκοςmēkos · lengthG3372
• ·αὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• as largeτοσοῦτοςtosoutos · so greatG5118
• asὅσοςhosos · just as/how muchG3745
• the breadthπλάτοςplatos · widthG4114
• he measuredμετρέωmetreō · to measureG3354
• with the reedκάλαμοςkalamos · reed/stick/penG2563
• twelveδώδεκαdōdeka · twelveG1427
• thousandχιλιάςchilias · thousandG5505
• ·ἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
• furlongsστάδιοςstadion · stadiumG4712
• the heightὕψοςhupsos · heightG5311
• equalἴσοςisos · equalG2470

Cross-references for Revelation 21:16

• Ezekiel 48:17The city’s pastureland will be 4,375 feet on the north, 4,375 feet on the south, 4,375 feet on the east, and 4,375 feet on the west.
• Ezekiel 48:8The land that you set aside as a special gift for the Lord will border Judah on the south. It will be 43,750 feet wide, and it will be as long as one of the sections of the tribes. It will extend from the eastern border to the western border, and the holy place will be in the middle of it.

Commentaries on Revelation 21:16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16The city lieth foursquare - Each side was equal, consequently the length and breadth were equal; and its height is here said to be equal to its length. It is hard to say how this should be understood. It cannot mean the height of the buildings, nor of the walls, for neither houses nor walls could be twelve thousand furlongs in height; some think this means the distance from the plain country to the place where the city stood. But what need is there of…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16And the city lieth four-square - It was an exact square. That is, there was nothing irregular about it; there were no crooked walls; there was no jutting out, and no indentation in the walls, as if the city had been built at different times without a plan, and had been accommodated to circumstances. Most cities have been determined in their outline by the character of the ground - by hills, streams, or ravines; or have grown up by accretions, where one…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 9-21Verses 9-21 God has various employments for his holy angels. Sometimes they sound the trumpet of Divine Providence, and warn a careless world; sometimes they discover things of a heavenly nature of the heirs of salvation. Those who would have clear views of heaven, must get as near to heaven as they can, on the mount of meditation and faith. The subject of the vision is the church of God in a perfect, triumphant state, shining in its lustre; glorious in…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16The city is a perfect cube. Each side measures 2253 kilometers (Greek 12,000 stadia). The number 12,000 symbolically represents the people of God (see “Symbolic Numbers” Theme Note).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1616. twelve thousand furlongs--literally, "to twelve thousand stadii": one thousand furlongs being the space between the several twelve gates. Bengel makes the length of each side of the city to be twelve thousand stadii. The stupendous height, length, and breadth being exactly alike, imply its faultless symmetry, transcending in glory all our most glowing conceptions.Read the comment

Topics related to Revelation 21:16

• Church
• Furlong
• Jerusalem
• Readings, Select
• Reed

In the dictionaries

• Furlong
• Jacinth
• Tabernacle
• Unbelieving
• Wall
• Breadth
• Citizenship
• Foursquare
• Heavens, New (and Earth, New)
• Height; Heights

Commentaries on Revelation 21

• 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
• 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