New English Translation
Revelation 13:18
18This calls for wisdom: Let the one who has insight calculate the beast’s number, for it is man’s number, and his number is 666.
Revelation 13:18 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.
- New International Version (NIV)This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is 666.
- English Standard Version (ESV)This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.
Context of Revelation 13:18
16He also caused everyone (small and great, rich and poor, free and slave) to obtain a mark on their right hand or on their forehead. 17Thus no one was allowed to buy or sell things unless he bore the mark of the beast – that is, his name or his number. This calls for wisdom: Let the one who has insight calculate the beast’s number, for it is man’s number, and his number is 666.
Read all of Revelation 13Revelation 13:18 word by word
Ὧδε ἡ σοφία ἐστίν. ὁ ἔχων νοῦν ψηφισάτω τὸν ἀριθμὸν τοῦ θηρίου, ἀριθμὸς γὰρ ἀνθρώπου ἐστίν, καὶ ὁ ἀριθμὸς αὐτοῦ ἑξακόσιοι ἑξήκοντα ἕξ.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Hereὧδεhōde · hereG5602
- isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- wisdomὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- wisdomσοφίαsophia · wisdomG4678
- that hathἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
- understandingνοῦςnous · mindG3563
- countψηφίζωpsēphizō · to calculateG5585
- the numberἀριθμόςarithmos · numberG706
- of the beastθηρίονthērion · wild animalG2342
- forγάρgar · forG1063
- of a manἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- Six hundred threescoreχξϛchi xi stigma · 666G5516
Cross-references for Revelation 13:18
- Revelation 1:3Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy aloud, and blessed are those who hear and obey the things written in it, because the time is near!
- Revelation 17:9(This requires a mind that has wisdom.) The seven heads are seven mountains the woman sits on. They are also seven kings:
- Psalms 107:43Whoever is wise, let him take note of these things! Let them consider the Lord’s acts of loyal love!
- Daniel 12:10Many will be purified, made clean, and refined, but the wicked will go on being wicked. None of the wicked will understand, though the wise will understand.
- Hosea 14:9Who is wise? Let him discern these things! Who is discerning? Let him understand them! For the ways of the Lord are right; the godly walk in them, but in them the rebellious stumble.
- Mark 13:14“But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where it should not be (let the reader understand), then those in Judea must flee to the mountains.
- Revelation 15:2Then I saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who had conquered the beast and his image and the number of his name. They were standing by the sea of glass, holding harps given to them by God.
- Revelation 21:17He also measured its wall, one hundred forty-four cubits according to human measurement, which is also the angel’s.
- Deuteronomy 3:11Only King Og of Bashan was left of the remaining Rephaites. (It is noteworthy that his sarcophagus was made of iron. Does it not, indeed, still remain in Rabbath of the Ammonites? It is thirteen and a half feet long and six feet wide according to standard measure.)
- Romans 3:5But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is he? (I am speaking in human terms.)
Commentaries on Revelation 13:18
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast; for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six - In this verse we have the very name of the beast given under the symbol of the number 666. Before the invention of figures by the Arabs, in the tenth century, letters of the alphabet were used for numbers. The Greeks in the time of Homer, or soon after, are thought by some to have assigned to…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18Here is wisdom - That is, in what is stated respecting the name and the number of the name of the beast. The idea is, either that there would be need of special sagacity in determining what the “number” of the “beast” or of his “name” was, or that special “wisdom” was shown by the fact that the number could be thus expressed. The language used in the verse would lead the reader to suppose that the attempt to make out the “number” was not absolutely…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 11-18Verses 11-18 Those who understand the first beast to denote a worldly power, take the second to be also a persecuting and assumed power, which acts under the disguise of religion, and of charity to the souls of men. It is a spiritual dominion, professing to be derived from Christ, and exercised at first in a gentle manner, but soon spake like the dragon. Its speech betrayed it; for it gives forth those false doctrines and cruel decrees, which show it to…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 18a call for wisdom: John gives a clue to help his readers understand the meaning of the beast’s number. of a man: John hides the man’s identity, possibly to protect himself and his readers from danger (compare the use of Babylon as a symbol for Rome, Revelation 17:9). The number 666 represents supernatural evil (see “Symbolic Numbers” Theme Note). John might have used the transliteration Caesar Neron (a Hebrew spelling of the name) to reach the number 666…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1818. wisdom--the armory against the second beast, as patience and faith against the first. Spiritual wisdom is needed to solve the mystery of iniquity, so as not to be beguiled by it. count ... for--The "for" implies the possibility of our calculating or counting the beast's number. the number of a man--that is, counted as men generally count. So the phrase is used in Re 21:17. The number is the number of a man, not of God; he shall extol himself above the…Read the comment
Topics related to Revelation 13:18
In the dictionaries
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
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