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

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. 2And 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. I 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?” 5There was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him.

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

• oneεἷςheis · oneG1520
• of his headsκεφαλήkephalē · headG2776
• as ifὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
• slainσφάζωsphazō · to slaughterG4969
• fatalθάνατοςthanatos · deathG2288
• woundπληγήplēgē · plague/blow/woundG4127
• was healedθεραπεύωtherapeuō · to serve/healG2323
• And the wholeὅλοςholos · allG3650
• earthγῆgē · earth: planetG1093
• was amazedθαυμάζωthaumazō · to marvelG2296
• afterὀπίσωopisō · afterG3694
• the beastθηρίονthērion · wild animalG2342

Cross-references for Revelation 13:3

• Revelation 13:1And 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.
• Revelation 17:10and they are seven kings; five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must remain a little while.
• Ezekiel 30:24For I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon and put My sword in his hand; and I will break the arms of Pharaoh, so that he will groan before him with the groanings of a wounded man.
• Revelation 17:6And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. When I saw her, I wondered greatly.
• Luke 2:1Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth.
• John 12:19So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are not doing any good; look, the world has gone after Him.”
• Acts 8:10and they all, from smallest to greatest, were giving attention to him, saying, “This man is what is called the Great Power of God.”
• 2 Thessalonians 2:9that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders,

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