Revelation 21:17

Revelation 21:17 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.
• New International Version (NIV)The angel measured the wall using human measurement, and it was 144 cubits thick.
• English Standard Version (ESV)He also measured its wall, 144 cubits by human measurement, which is also an angel's measurement.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then he measured its wall: one hundred and forty-four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of an angel.

Context of Revelation 21:17

15The angel who was talking to me had a gold measuring stick to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. 16The 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. He 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. 19The foundations of the city wall were beautifully decorated with all kinds of gems: The first foundation was gray quartz, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald,

Revelation 21:17 word by word

καὶ ἐμέτρησεν τὸ τεῖχος αὐτῆς ἑκατὸν τεσσεράκοντα τεσσάρων πηχῶν, μέτρον ἀνθρώπου ὅ ἐστιν ἀγγέλου.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• he measuredμετρέωmetreō · to measureG3354
• the wallὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the wallτεῖχοςteichos · wallG5038
• thereofαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• an hundredἑκατόνhekaton · hundredG1540
• fortyτεσσαράκονταtessarakonta · fortyG5062
• fourτέσσαρεςtessares tessara · fourG5064
• cubitsπῆχυςpēchus · cubit/hourG4083
• the measureμέτρονmetron · measureG3358
• of a manἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
• thatὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• of the angelἄγγελοςaggelos · angelG32

Cross-references for Revelation 21:17

• Revelation 7:4I heard how many were sealed: 144,000. Those who were sealed were from every tribe of the people of Israel:
• Revelation 14:3They were singing a new song in front of the throne, the four living creatures, and the leaders. Only the 144,000 people who had been bought on earth could learn the song.

Commentaries on Revelation 21:17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17The wall - a hundred and forty and four cubits - This is twelve, the number of the apostles, multiplied by itself: for twelve times twelve make one hundred and forty-four. The measure of a man, that is, of the angel - The cubit, so called from cubitus, the elbow, is the measure from the tip of the elbow to the tip of the middle finger, and is generally reckoned at one foot and a half, or eighteen inches; though it appears, from some measurements at the…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17And he measured the wall thereof - In respect to its “height.” Of course, its length corresponded with the extent of the city. An hundred and forty and four cubits - This would be, reckoning the cubit at eighteen inches, two hundred and sixteen feet. This is less than the height of the walls of Babylon, which Herodotus says were three hundred and fifty feet high. See the introduction to chapter 13 of Isaiah. As the walls of a city are designed to protect…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. 17In the ancient world, walls were important for a city's defense, boundaries, and status. These walls, 65.8 meters thick (Greek 144 cubits), show the strength of God's redeemed people. The measurement of 144 cubits uses a multiple of 12 to symbolize God's people. A cubit was the length of a man's forearm, typically about 45.8 centimeters.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1717. hundred ... forty ... four cubits--twelve times twelve: the Church-number squared. The wall is far beneath the height of the city. measure of a man, that is, of the angel--The ordinary measure used by men is the measure here used by the angel, distinct from "the measure of the sanctuary." Men shall then be equal to the angels.Read the comment

Topics related to Revelation 21:17

• Church
• Cubit
• Jerusalem
• Readings, Select
• Walls, of the Cities

In the dictionaries

• Jacinth
• Tabernacle
• Unbelieving
• Wall
• Citizenship
• Cubit
• Heavens, New (and Earth, New)
• Revelation of John

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