Revelation 13:2

Revelation 13:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.
• New International Version (NIV)The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear's, and its mouth was like a lion's mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority.

Context of Revelation 13:2

1Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads, and on its horns were ten diadem crowns, and on its heads a blasphemous name. Now the beast that I saw was like a leopard, but its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. The dragon gave the beast his power, his throne, and great authority to rule. 3One of the beast’s heads appeared to have been killed, but the lethal wound had been healed. And the whole world followed the beast in amazement; 4they worshiped the dragon because he had given ruling authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast too, saying: “Who is like the beast?” and “Who is able to make war against him?”

Revelation 13:2 word by word

καὶ τὸ θηρίον ὃ εἶδον ἦν ὅμοιον παρδάλει καὶ οἱ πόδες αὐτοῦ ὡς ἄρκου καὶ τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ ὡς στόμα λέοντος. καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ ὁ δράκων τὴν δύναμιν αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸν θρόνον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐξουσίαν μεγάλην.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• the beastὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the beastθηρίονthērion · wild animalG2342
• whichὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• I sawὁράωhoraō · to see: seeG3708
• wasεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• like untoὅμοιοςhomoios · likeG3664
• a leopardπάρδαλιςpardalis · leopardG3917
• hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• feetπούςpous · footG4228
• were asὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
• of a bearἄρκτοςarktos · bearG715
• mouthστόμαstoma · mouthG4750
• of a lionλέωνleōn · lionG3023
• the dragonδράκωνdrakōn · dragonG1404
• gaveδίδωμιdidōmi · to giveG1325
• powerδύναμιςdunamis · powerG1411
• seatθρόνοςthronos · throneG2362
• greatμέγαςmegas · greatG3173
• authorityἐξουσίαexousia · authorityG1849

Cross-references for Revelation 13:2

• Jeremiah 5:6So like a lion from the thicket their enemies will kill them. Like a wolf from the desert they will destroy them. Like a leopard they will lie in wait outside their cities and totally destroy anyone who ventures out. For they have rebelled so much and done so many unfaithful things.
• Jeremiah 13:23But there is little hope for you ever doing good, you who are so accustomed to doing evil. Can an Ethiopian change the color of his skin? Can a leopard remove its spots?
• Daniel 7:6“After these things, as I was watching, another beast like a leopard appeared, with four bird-like wings on its back. This beast had four heads, and ruling authority was given to it.
• Hosea 13:7So I will pounce on them like a lion; like a leopard I will lurk by the path.
• Habakkuk 1:8Their horses are faster than leopards and more alert than wolves in the desert. Their horses gallop, their horses come a great distance; like a vulture they swoop down quickly to devour their prey.
• 1 Samuel 17:34David replied to Saul, “Your servant has been a shepherd for his father’s flock. Whenever a lion or bear would come and carry off a sheep from the flock,
• 2 Kings 2:24When he turned around and saw them, he called God’s judgment down on them. Two female bears came out of the woods and ripped forty-two of the boys to pieces.
• Proverbs 17:12It is better for a person to meet a mother bear being robbed of her cubs, than to encounter a fool in his folly.
• Proverbs 28:15Like a roaring lion or a roving bear, so is a wicked ruler over a poor people.
• Daniel 7:4“The first one was like a lion with eagles’ wings. As I watched, its wings were pulled off and it was lifted up from the ground. It was made to stand on two feet like a human being, and a human mind was given to it.
• Hosea 13:8I will attack them like a bear robbed of her cubs – I will rip open their chests. I will devour them there like a lion – like a wild animal would tear them apart.
• Amos 5:19Disaster will be inescapable, as if a man ran from a lion only to meet a bear, then escaped into a house, leaned his hand against the wall, and was bitten by a poisonous snake.
• Psalms 22:21Rescue me from the mouth of the lion, and from the horns of the wild oxen! You have answered me!
• Isaiah 5:29Their roar is like a lion’s; they roar like young lions. They growl and seize their prey; they drag it away and no one can come to the rescue.
• Hosea 11:10He will roar like a lion, and they will follow the Lord; when he roars, his children will come trembling from the west.
• Amos 3:12This is what the Lord says: “Just as a shepherd salvages from the lion’s mouth a couple of leg bones or a piece of an ear, so the Israelites who live in Samaria will be salvaged. They will be left with just a corner of a bed, and a part of a couch.”

Commentaries on Revelation 13:2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard - This similitude of the beast to a leopard appears to be an allusion to the third beast of Daniel, which is well known to represent the empire of the Greeks. The Latin empire greatly resembled the modern empire of the Greeks; for that the power of the Greeks was still said to be like a leopard, even after its subjugation by the Romans, is evident from Daniel 7:12; : "As concerning the rest of the beasts…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard - For a description of the leopard, see the notes on Daniel 7:6. It is distinguished for bloodthirstiness and cruelty, and thus becomes an emblem of a fierce, tyrannical power. In its general character it resembles a lion and the lion and the leopard are often referred to together. In this description, it is observable that John has combined in one animal or monster, all those which Daniel brought…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2Satan turns the beast into a false god by giving it his power, throne, and authority. In the first century, Roman emperors often claimed to be gods.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. leopard ... bear ... lion--This beast unites in itself the God-opposed characteristics of the three preceding kingdoms, resembling respectively the leopard, bear, and lion. It rises up out of the sea, as Daniel's four beasts, and has ten horns, as Daniel's fourth beast, and seven heads, as Daniel's four beasts had in all, namely, one on the first, one on the second, four on the third, and one on the fourth. Thus it represents comprehensively in one…Read the comment

Topics related to Revelation 13:2

• Lion
• Vision

In the dictionaries

• Leopard
• Authority in Religion
• Bear
• Dragon
• Eschatology of the New Testament
• Goat
• Literature, Sub-Apostolic
• Nero
• Print; Printing; Printed
• Revelation of John

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