Revelation 11:9

Revelation 11:9 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.
• New International Version (NIV)For three and a half days some from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial.
• English Standard Version (ESV)For three and a half days some from the peoples and tribes and languages and nations will gaze at their dead bodies and refuse to let them be placed in a tomb,
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves.

Context of Revelation 11:9

7When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them and kill them. 8And their dead bodies will lie on the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. Those from the peoples, tribes, languages, and nations will look at their dead bodies for three and a half days, and will not allow their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb. 10And those who live on the earth will rejoice over them and celebrate; and they will send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who live on the earth. 11And after the three and a half days, the breath of life from God came into them, and they stood on their feet; and great fear fell upon those who were watching them.

Revelation 11:9 word by word

καὶ βλέπουσιν ἐκ τῶν λαῶν καὶ φυλῶν καὶ γλωσσῶν καὶ ἐθνῶν τὸ πτῶμα αὐτῶν ἡμέρας τρεῖς καὶ ἥμισυ, καὶ τὰ πτώματα αὐτῶν οὐκ ἀφίουσιν τεθῆναι εἰς μνῆμα.Read the interlinear

• the peoplesλαόςlaos · a peopleG2992
• tribesφυλήphulē · tribeG5443
• languagesγλῶσσαglōssa · tongueG1100
• and nationsἔθνοςethnos · GentilesG1484
• lookβλέπωblepō · to seeG991
• at their deadπτῶμαptōma · corpseG4430
• for threeτρεῖςtreis tria · ThreeG5140
• and a halfἥμισυςhēmisu · halfG2255
• daysἡμέραhēmera · dayG2250
• will not allowἀφίημιaphiēmi · to release: permitG863
• to be laidτίθημιtithēmi · to placeG5087
• in a tombμνῆμαmnēma · tombG3418

Cross-references for Revelation 11:9

• Revelation 10:11And they said to me, “You must prophesy again concerning many peoples, nations, languages, and kings.”
• Revelation 13:7It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority was given to him over every tribe, people, language, and nation.
• Revelation 17:15And he said to me, “The waters which you saw where the prostitute sits are peoples and multitudes, and nations and languages.
• Revelation 11:2Leave out the courtyard which is outside the temple and do not measure it, because it has been given to the nations; and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months.
• Revelation 5:8When He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
• Revelation 19:17Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in midheaven, “Come, assemble for the great feast of God,
• Psalms 79:2They have given the dead bodies of Your servants to the birds of the sky as food, The flesh of Your godly ones to the animals of the earth.
• Ecclesiastes 6:3If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, however many they may be, but his soul is not satisfied with good things and he does not even have a proper burial, then I say, “Better the miscarriage than he,
• Isaiah 33:1Woe to you, destroyer, While you were not destroyed; And he who is treacherous, while others did not deal treacherously with him. As soon as you finish destroying, you will be destroyed; As soon as you cease to deal treacherously, others will deal treacherously with you.
• Jeremiah 7:33The dead bodies of this people will be food for the birds of the sky and for the animals of the earth; and no one will frighten them away.
• Matthew 7:2For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.

Commentaries on Revelation 11:9

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9Shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves - They shall be treated with the greatest barbarity. Refusal of burial to the dead was allowed to be the sum of brutality and cruelty. In popish lands they will not suffer a Protestant to have Christian burial, or to have a grave in a churchyard! Contemptible wretches!Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9And they of the people - Some of the people; a part of the people - ̓ ͂ ͂ ek tōn laōnThe language is such as would be employed to describe a scene where a considerable portion of a company of people should be referred to, without intending to include all. The essential idea is, that there would be an assemblage of different classes of people to whom their carcasses would be exposed, and that they would come and look upon them. We should expect to find…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 3-13Verses 3-13 In the time of treading down, God kept his faithful witnesses to attest the truth of his word and worship, and the excellence of his ways, The number of these witnesses is small, yet enough. They prophesy in sackcloth. It shows their afflicted, persecuted state, and deep sorrow for the abominations against which they protested. They are supported during their great and hard work, till it is done. When they had prophesied in sackcloth the…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9Leaving people's bodies out for public display was a way to dishonor them after death (see 1 Samuel 31:10; the usual Roman custom was to leave bodies hanging after crucifixion). peoples and tribes and tongues and nations: This phrase shows that all the peoples of the world are represented in this public display.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. they--rather, "(some) of the peoples." people--Greek, "peoples." kindreds--Greek, "tribes"; all save the elect (whence it is not said, The peoples ... but [some] of the peoples ... , or, some of the peoples ... may refer to those of the nations ..., who at the time shall hold possession of Palestine and Jerusalem). shall see--So Vulgate, Syriac, and Coptic. But A, B, C, and Andreas, the present, "see," or rather (Greek, "blepousin"), "look upon." The…Read the comment

Topics related to Revelation 11:9

• Burial
• Martyrdom
• Vision

In the dictionaries

• Body
• Burial
• Carcass; Carcase
• Corpse
• Kindred
• Revelation of John
• Sihon

Commentaries on Revelation 11

• 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