Revelation 17:9

Revelation 17:9 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.
• New International Version (NIV)“This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits.
• English Standard Version (ESV)This calls for a mind with wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated;
• New King James Version (NKJV)“Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits.

Context of Revelation 17:9

7But the angel said to me, “Why are you astounded? I will interpret for you the mystery of the woman and of the beast with the seven heads and ten horns that carries her. 8The beast you saw was, and is not, but is about to come up from the abyss and then go to destruction. The inhabitants of the earth – all those whose names have not been written in the book of life since the foundation of the world – will be astounded when they see that the beast was, and is not, but is to come. (This requires a mind that has wisdom.) The seven heads are seven mountains the woman sits on. They are also seven kings: 10five have fallen; one is, and the other has not yet come, but whenever he does come, he must remain for only a brief time. 11The beast that was, and is not, is himself an eighth king and yet is one of the seven, and is going to destruction.

Revelation 17:9 word by word

ὧδε ὁ νοῦς ὁ ἔχων σοφίαν. αἱ ἑπτὰ κεφαλαὶ ἑπτὰ ὄρη εἰσίν, ὅπου ἡ γυνὴ κάθηται ἐπ᾽ αὐτῶν. καὶ βασιλεῖς ἑπτά εἰσιν·Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• And hereὧδεhōde · hereG5602
• the mindνοῦςnous · mindG3563
• which hathἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
• wisdomσοφίαsophia · wisdomG4678
• The sevenἑπτάhepta · sevenG2033
• headsκεφαλήkephalē · headG2776
• areεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• mountainsὄροςoros · mountainG3735
• ·ὅπουhopou · where(-ever)G3699
• onἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
• whichαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• the womanγυνήgunē · womanG1135
• sittethκάθημαιkathēmai · to sitG2521

Cross-references for Revelation 17:9

• Revelation 13:18This 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.
• Daniel 12:4“But you, Daniel, close up these words and seal the book until the time of the end. Many will dash about, and knowledge will increase.”
• 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.
• Matthew 13:11He replied, “You have been given the opportunity to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but they have not.
• Matthew 24:15“So when you see the abomination of desolation – spoken about by Daniel the prophet – standing in the holy place (let the reader understand),
• Revelation 17:3So he carried me away in the Spirit to a wilderness, and there I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns.
• Revelation 13:1Then 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.

Commentaries on Revelation 17:9

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9Here is the mind which hath wisdom - It was said before, Revelation 13:18, Here is wisdom. Let him that hath A Mind, or understanding, ( ), count the number of the beast. Wisdom, therefore, here means a correct view of what is intended by the number 666; consequently the parallel passage, Here is The Mind which hath Wisdom, is a declaration that the number of the beast must first be understood, before the angel's interpretation of the vision concerning…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9And here is the mind which hath wisdom - Here is what requires wisdom to interpret it; or, here is a case in which the mind that shows itself able to explain it will evince true sagacity. So in Revelation 13:18. See the notes on that place. Prof. Stuart renders this, “Here is a meaning which compriseth wisdom.” It is undoubtedly implied that the symbol might be understood - whether in the time of John, or afterward, he does not say; but it was a matter…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-14Verses 7-14 The beast on which the woman sat was, and is not, and yet is. It was a seat of idolatry and persecution, and is not; not in the ancient form, which was pagan: yet it is; it is truly the seat of idolatry and tyranny, though of another sort and form. It would deceive into stupid and blind submission all the inhabitants of the earth within its influence, except the remnant of the elect. This beast was seven heads, seven mountains, the seven hills…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9The seven heads of the beast symbolize the seven hills where Rome was built (refer to study note on Revelation 16:10–11). the woman: See Revelation 17:3–6.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. Compare Re 13:18; Da 12:10, where similarly spiritual discernment is put forward as needed in order to understand the symbolical prophecy. seven heads and seven mountains--The connection between mountains and kings must be deeper than the mere outward fact to which incidental allusion is made, that Rome (the then world city) is on seven hills (whence heathen Rome had a national festival called Septimontium, the feast of the seven-hilled city…Read the comment

Topics related to Revelation 17:9

• Horn
• Seven

In the dictionaries

• Antichrist
• Carry
• Babylon in the New Testament
• Eschatology of the New Testament
• Number
• Palestine
• Revelation of John
• Rome

Commentaries on Revelation 17

• 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