Revelation 12:17

Revelation 12:17 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
• New International Version (NIV)Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Context of Revelation 12:17

15Then the serpent spouted water like a river out of his mouth after the woman in an attempt to sweep her away by a flood, 16but the earth came to her rescue; the ground opened up and swallowed the river that the dragon had spewed from his mouth. So the dragon became enraged at the woman and went away to make war on the rest of her children, those who keep God’s commandments and hold to the testimony about Jesus. 18And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore.

Revelation 12:17 word by word

καὶ ὠργίσθη ὁ δράκων ἐπὶ τῇ γυναικὶ καὶ ἀπῆλθεν ποιῆσαι πόλεμον μετὰ τῶν λοιπῶν τοῦ σπέρματος αὐτῆς τῶν τηρούντων τὰς ἐντολὰς τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ἐχόντων τὴν μαρτυρίαν ἸησοῦRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• the dragonδράκωνdrakōn · dragonG1404
• was wrothὀργίζωorgizō · to angerG3710
• withἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
• the womanγυνήgunē · womanG1135
• wentἀπέρχομαιaperchomai · to go awayG565
• to makeποιέωpoieō · to do/make: doG4160
• warπόλεμοςpolēmos · warG4171
• withμετάmeta · with/afterG3326
• the remnantλοιπόςloipoi · remainingG3062
• of herαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• seedσπέρμαsperma · seed: offspringG4690
• keepτηρέωtēreō · to keep: observeG5083
• the commandmentsἐντολήentolē · commandmentG1785
• of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• haveἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
• the testimonyμαρτυρίαmarturia · testimonyG3141
• of JesusἸησοῦςIēsous · JesusG2424
• ChristΧριστόςChristos · ChristG5547

Cross-references for Revelation 12:17

• Revelation 12:12Therefore you heavens rejoice, and all who reside in them! But woe to the earth and the sea because the devil has come down to you! He is filled with terrible anger, for he knows that he only has a little time!”
• John 8:44You people are from your father the devil, and you want to do what your father desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not uphold the truth, because there is no truth in him. Whenever he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies.
• 1 Peter 5:8Be sober and alert. Your enemy the devil, like a roaring lion, is on the prowl looking for someone to devour.
• Revelation 11:7When they have completed their testimony, the beast that comes up from the abyss will make war on them and conquer them and kill them.
• Revelation 13:7The beast was permitted to go to war against the saints and conquer them. He was given ruling authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation,
• Revelation 17:6I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints and the blood of those who testified to Jesus. I was greatly astounded when I saw her.
• Revelation 18:20(Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, for God has pronounced judgment against her on your behalf!)
• Revelation 19:19Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to do battle with the one who rode the horse and with his army.
• Revelation 20:8and will go out to deceive the nations at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to bring them together for the battle. They are as numerous as the grains of sand in the sea.
• Genesis 3:15And I will put hostility between you and the woman and between your offspring and her offspring; her offspring will attack your head, and you will attack her offspring’s heel.”
• Daniel 7:23“This is what he told me: ‘The fourth beast means that there will be a fourth kingdom on earth that will differ from all the other kingdoms. It will devour all the earth and will trample and crush it.
• Daniel 11:36“Then the king will do as he pleases. He will exalt and magnify himself above every deity and he will utter presumptuous things against the God of gods. He will succeed until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been decreed must occur.
• Revelation 14:12This requires the steadfast endurance of the saints – those who obey God’s commandments and hold to their faith in Jesus.
• Revelation 22:14Blessed are those who wash their robes so they can have access to the tree of life and can enter into the city by the gates.
• Matthew 28:20teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
• 1 John 5:2By this we know that we love the children of God: whenever we love God and obey his commandments.

Commentaries on Revelation 12:17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17And the dragon was wroth with the woman - The heathen party, foiled in their subtle attempt to destroy Christianity, were greatly enraged, and endeavored to excite the hatred of the multitude against the religion of Jesus. "They alleged that before the coming of Christ the world was blessed with peace and prosperity; but that since the progress of their religion everywhere, the gods, filled with indignation to see their worship neglected and their altars…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17And the dragon was wroth with the woman - This wrath had been vented by his persecuting her Revelation 12:13; by his pursuing her; and by his pouring out the flood of water to sweep her away Revelation 12:15; and the same wrath was now vented against her children. As he could not reach and destroy the woman herself, he turned his indignation against all who were allied to her. Stripped of the imagery, the meaning is, that as he could not destroy the…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-17Verses 12-17 The church and all her friends might well be called to praise God for deliverance from pagan persecution, though other troubles awaited her. The wilderness is a desolate place, and full of serpents and scorpions, uncomfortable and destitute of provisions; yet a place of safety, as well as where one might be alone. But being thus retired could not protect the woman. The flood of water is explained by many to mean the invasions of barbarians…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 17The dragon becomes hostile towards the woman's children, who are believers. They follow God's commandments and continue to testify about Jesus.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1717. wroth with--Greek, "at." went--Greek, "went away." the remnant of her seed--distinct in some sense from the woman herself. Satan's first effort was to root out the Christian Church, so that there should be no visible profession of Christianity. Foiled in this, he wars (Re 11:7; 13:7) against the invisible Church, namely, "those who keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus" (A, B, and C omit "Christ"). These are "the remnant," or…Read the comment

Topics related to Revelation 12:17

• Obedience
• Temptation
• Vision
• War

In the dictionaries

• Christ
• God
• Jesus
• Christ, Messiah
• Jesus, Jesus Christ, Christ Jesus
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Jesus Christ
• Adultery
• Dragon
• Earth

Commentaries on Revelation 12

• 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
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings