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

1And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore. Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names. And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority. 3I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed. And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast; 4they worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?”

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

• And the beastθηρίονthērion · wild animalG2342
• whichὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• I sawὁράωhoraō · to see: seeG3708
• likeὅμοιοςhomoios · likeG3664
• a leopardπάρδαλιςpardalis · leopardG3917
• and his feetπούςpous · footG4228
• a bearἄρκτοςarktos · bearG715
• and his mouthστόμαstoma · mouthG4750
• likeὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
• a lionλέωνleōn · lionG3023
• dragonδράκωνdrakōn · dragonG1404
• gaveδίδωμιdidōmi · to giveG1325
• him his powerδύναμιςdunamis · powerG1411
• throneθρόνοςthronos · throneG2362
• and greatμέγαςmegas · greatG3173
• authorityἐξουσίαexousia · authorityG1849

Cross-references for Revelation 13:2

• Jeremiah 5:6Therefore a lion from the forest will slay them, A wolf of the deserts will destroy them, A leopard is watching their cities. Everyone who goes out of them will be torn in pieces, Because their transgressions are many, Their apostasies are numerous.
• Jeremiah 13:23Can the Ethiopian change his skin Or the leopard his spots? Then you also can do good Who are accustomed to doing evil.
• Daniel 7:6After this I kept looking, and behold, another one, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird; the beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it.
• Hosea 13:7So I will be like a lion to them; Like a leopard I will lie in wait by the wayside.
• Habakkuk 1:8Their horses are swifter than leopards And keener than wolves in the evening. Their horsemen come galloping, Their horsemen come from afar; They fly like an eagle swooping down to devour.
• 1 Samuel 17:34But David said to Saul, “Your servant was tending his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and took a lamb from the flock,
• 2 Kings 2:24When he looked behind him and saw them, he cursed them in the name of the Lord. Then two female bears came out of the woods and tore up forty-two lads of their number.
• Proverbs 17:12Let a man meet a bear robbed of her cubs, Rather than a fool in his folly.
• Proverbs 28:15Like a roaring lion and a rushing bear Is a wicked ruler over a poor people.
• Daniel 7:4The first was like a lion and had the wings of an eagle. I kept looking until its wings were plucked, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man; a human mind also was given to it.
• Hosea 13:8I will encounter them like a bear robbed of her cubs, And I will tear open their chests; There I will also devour them like a lioness, As a wild beast would tear them.
• Amos 5:19As when a man flees from a lion And a bear meets him, Or goes home, leans his hand against the wall And a snake bites him.
• Psalms 22:21Save me from the lion’s mouth; From the horns of the wild oxen You answer me.
• Isaiah 5:29Its roaring is like a lioness, and it roars like young lions; It growls as it seizes the prey And carries it off with no one to deliver it.
• Hosea 11:10They will walk after the Lord, He will roar like a lion; Indeed He will roar And His sons will come trembling from the west.
• Amos 3:12Thus says the Lord, “Just as the shepherd snatches from the lion’s mouth a couple of legs or a piece of an ear, So will the sons of Israel dwelling in Samaria be snatched away-- With the corner of a bed and the cover 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