Revelation 12:4

Revelation 12:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.
• New International Version (NIV)Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born.
• English Standard Version (ESV)His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it.
• New King James Version (NKJV)His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born.

Context of Revelation 12:4

2She was pregnant and was screaming in labor pains, struggling to give birth. 3Then another sign appeared in heaven: a huge red dragon that had seven heads and ten horns, and on its heads were seven diadem crowns. Now the dragon’s tail swept away a third of the stars in heaven and hurled them to the earth. Then the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child as soon as it was born. 5So the woman gave birth to a son, a male child, who is going to rule over all the nations with an iron rod. Her child was suddenly caught up to God and to his throne, 6and she fled into the wilderness where a place had been prepared for her by God, so she could be taken care of for 1,260 days.

Revelation 12:4 word by word

καὶ ἡ οὐρὰ αὐτοῦ σύρει τὸ τρίτον τῶν ἀστέρων τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ ἔβαλεν αὐτοὺς εἰς τὴν γῆν. καὶ ὁ δράκων ἕστηκεν ἐνώπιον τῆς γυναικὸς τῆς μελλούσης τεκεῖν, ἵνα ὅταν τέκῃ τὸ τέκνον αὐτῆς καταφάγῃ.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• tailὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• tailοὐράoura · tailG3769
• drewσύρωsurō · to dragG4951
• the third partτρίτοςtritos · thirdG5154
• of the starsἀστήρastēr · starG792
• of heavenοὐρανόςouranos · heavenG3772
• did castβάλλωballō · to throw: throwG906
• toεἰςeis · towardG1519
• the earthγῆgē · earth: planetG1093
• the dragonδράκωνdrakōn · dragonG1404
• stoodἵστημιhistēmi · to standG2476
• beforeἐνώπιονenōpion · beforeG1799
• the womanγυνήgunē · womanG1135
• which was readyμέλλωmellō · to ensueG3195
• to be deliveredτίκτωtiktō · to give birth toG5088
• forἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
• to devourκατεσθίωkatesthiō · to devourG2719
• childτέκνονteknon · childG5043
• as soon asὅτανhotan · when(-ever)G3752

Cross-references for Revelation 12:4

• Revelation 9:10They have tails and stingers like scorpions, and their ability to injure people for five months is in their tails.
• Daniel 8:9From one of them came a small horn. But it grew to be very big, toward the south and the east and toward the beautiful land.
• Revelation 17:18As for the woman you saw, she is the great city that has sovereignty over the kings of the earth.”
• Revelation 12:2She was pregnant and was screaming in labor pains, struggling to give birth.
• Exodus 1:16“When you assist the Hebrew women in childbirth, observe at the delivery: If it is a son, kill him, but if it is a daughter, she may live.”
• Matthew 2:3When King Herod heard this he was alarmed, and all Jerusalem with him.
• 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.

Commentaries on Revelation 12:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven - It is not unusual in Scripture, as Dr. Mitchell observes, to call the hindmost of an enemy the tail, as in Joshua 10:19; : Ye shall cut off the hindmost of them, which is literally in Hebrew, אותם וזנבתם "Ye shall cut off their tail." See also Deuteronomy 25:18. It is also observable that the word , in this verse, has been used by the Greeks in the same sense with the Hebrew word זנב already…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven - The word rendered “drew” - surō- means to “draw, drag, haul.” Prof. Stuart renders it “drew along”; and explains it as meaning that “the danger is represented as being in the upper region of the air, so that his tail may be supposed to interfere with and sweep down the stars, which, as viewed by the ancients, were all set in the visible expanse or welkin.” So Daniel 8:10, speaking of the little…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3-4The large red dragon symbolizes Satan (see Revelation 12:9). seven heads, ten horns: These numbers symbolize a mix of divine and created powers (see Revelation 17:7–14). The historic battle between evil and God's people occurs on a cosmic scale (see Genesis 3:1–7, 14–15; Job 1:9–12). Herod’s wish to kill Jesus showed Satan’s attempt to destroy her baby after birth (see Matthew 2:7–8, 16).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. drew--Greek, present tense, "draweth," "drags down." His dragging down the stars with his tail (lashed back and forward in his fury) implies his persuading to apostatize, like himself, and to become earthy, those angels and also once eminent human teachers who had formerly been heavenly (compare Re 12:1; 1:20; Is 14:12). stood--"stands" [Alford]: perfect tense, Greek, "hesteken." ready to be delivered--"about to bring forth." for to devour, &c.--"that…Read the comment

Topics related to Revelation 12:4

• Astronomy
• Meteorology and Celestial Phenomena
• Stars
• Vision

In the dictionaries

• Adultery
• Dragon
• Earth
• Star
• About
• Astronomy
• Deliver
• Mary
• Michael
• Mizpah; Mizpeh

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