Revelation 16:15

Revelation 16:15 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
• New International Version (NIV)“Look, I come like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake and remains clothed, so as not to go naked and be shamefully exposed.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)("Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!")
• New King James Version (NKJV)“Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.”

Context of Revelation 16:15

13Then I saw three unclean spirits that looked like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14For they are the spirits of the demons performing signs who go out to the kings of the earth to bring them together for the battle that will take place on the great day of God, the All-Powerful. (Look! I will come like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays alert and does not lose his clothes so that he will not have to walk around naked and his shameful condition be seen.) 16Now the spirits gathered the kings and their armies to the place that is called Armageddon in Hebrew. 17Finally the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air and a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne, saying: “It is done!”

Revelation 16:15 word by word

ἰδοὺ ἔρχομαι ὡς κλέπτης. μακάριος ὁ γρηγορῶν καὶ τηρῶν τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ, ἵνα μὴ γυμνὸς περιπατῇ καὶ βλέπωσιν τὴν ἀσχημοσύνην αὐτοῦ.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Beholdὁράωhoraō · to see: seeG3708
• I comeἔρχομαιerchomai · to come/goG2064
• asὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
• a thiefκλέπτηςkleptēs · thiefG2812
• Blessedμακάριοςmakarios · blessedG3107
• heὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• that watchethγρηγορέωgrēgoreuō · to keep watchG1127
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• keepethτηρέωtēreō · to keep: protectG5083
• hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• garmentsἱμάτιονhimation · clothingG2440
• lestἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
• ·μήmē · notG3361
• he walkπεριπατέωperipateō · to walkG4043
• nakedγυμνόςgumnos · nakedG1131
• they seeβλέπωblepō · to seeG991
• shameἀσχημοσύνηaschēmosunē · indecencyG808

Cross-references for Revelation 16:15

• Revelation 3:3Therefore, remember what you received and heard, and obey it, and repent. If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will never know at what hour I will come against you.
• Matthew 24:43But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have been alert and would not have let his house be broken into.
• 1 Thessalonians 5:2For you know quite well that the day of the Lord will come in the same way as a thief in the night.
• 2 Peter 3:10But the day of the Lord will come like a thief; when it comes, the heavens will disappear with a horrific noise, and the celestial bodies will melt away in a blaze, and the earth and every deed done on it will be laid bare.
• Matthew 24:42“Therefore stay alert, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.
• Matthew 25:13Therefore stay alert, because you do not know the day or the hour.
• Matthew 26:41Stay awake and pray that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
• Mark 13:33Watch out! Stay alert! For you do not know when the time will come.
• Mark 14:38Stay awake and pray that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
• Luke 12:37Blessed are those slaves whom their master finds alert when he returns! I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, have them take their place at the table, and will come and wait on them!
• Luke 21:36But stay alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that must happen, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
• Acts 20:31Therefore be alert, remembering that night and day for three years I did not stop warning each one of you with tears.
• 1 Thessalonians 5:6So then we must not sleep as the rest, but must stay alert and sober.
• 1 Peter 4:7For the culmination of all things is near. So be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of prayer.
• Revelation 3:4But you have a few individuals in Sardis who have not stained their clothes, and they will walk with me dressed in white, because they are worthy.
• Exodus 32:25Moses saw that the people were running wild, for Aaron had let them get completely out of control, causing derision from their enemies.

Commentaries on Revelation 16:15

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15Behold, I come as a thief - Here is a sudden but timely warning to put every man on his guard, when this sudden and generally unexpected tribulation should take place. Keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked - Here is a plain allusion to the office of him who was called the prefect or overseer, of the mountain of the temple. His custom was to go his rounds during the watches of the night; and if he found any of the Levites sleeping on his watch, he had…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15Behold, I come as a thief - That is, suddenly and unexpectedly. See the Matthew 24:43 note; 1 Thessalonians 5:2 note. This is designed evidently to admonish people to watch, or to be in readiness for his coming, since, whenever it would occur, it would be at a time when people were not expecting him. Blessed is he that watcheth - Compare Matthew 24:42-44. The meaning here is, that he who watches for these events, who marks the indications of their…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-16Verses 12-16 This probably shows the destruction of the Turkish power, and of idolatry, and that a way will be made for the return of the Jews. Or, take it for Rome, as mystical Babylon, the name of Babylon being put for Rome, which was meant, but was not then to be directly named. When Rome is destroyed, her river and merchandise must suffer with her. And perhaps a way will be opened for the eastern nations to come into the church of Christ. The great…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15Readers are warned to stay alert because the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief (see also Revelation 3:3; Matthew 24:43; 25:13; 1 Thessalonians 5:2; 2 Peter 3:10). Being ready for his coming requires preparation. Those who are not prepared will lack proper clothing and will find themselves exposed (see Matthew 22:11–13). This imagery refers to two failing churches: lifeless Sardis, which is told to “wake up” (Revelation 3:2), and lukewarm Laodicea…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1515. The gathering of the world kings with the beast against the Lamb is the signal for Christ's coming; therefore He here gives the charge to be watching for His coming and clothed in the garments of justification and sanctification, so as to be accepted. thief--(Mt 24:43; 2Pe 3:10). they--saints and angels. shame--literally, "unseemliness" (Greek, "aschemosunee"): Greek, 1Co 13:5: a different word from the Greek in Re 3:18 (Greek, "aischunee").Read the comment

Topics related to Revelation 16:15

• Garment
• Good and Evil
• Jesus Continued
• Perseverance
• Righteous
• Temple
• Watchfulness
• Wicked (People)

In the dictionaries

• Angel
• Gnaw
• Vial
• Dragon
• Justification
• Print; Printing; Printed
• Retribution
• Revelation of John
• War; Warfare

Commentaries on Revelation 16

• 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