Revelation 1:18

Revelation 1:18 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
• English Standard Version (ESV)and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.
• New King James Version (NKJV)I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.
• New Living Translation (NLT)I am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.

Context of Revelation 1:18

16In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. 17When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. 19“Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later. 20The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

Revelation 1:18 word by word

καὶ ὁ ζῶν, καὶ ἐγενόμην νεκρὸς καὶ ἰδοὺ ζῶν εἰμι εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων καὶ ἔχω τὰς κλεῖς τοῦ θανάτου καὶ τοῦ ᾅδου.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• he that livethζάωzaō · to liveG2198
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• wasγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
• deadνεκρόςnekros · deadG3498
• beholdὁράωhoraō · to see: seeG3708
• I amεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• forεἰςeis · towardG1519
• evermoreὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• evermoreαἰώνaiōn · an age: eternityG165
• Amenἀμήνamēn · amenG281
• haveἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
• the keysκλείςkleis · keyG2807
• of hellᾍδηςhadēs · hell: HadesG86
• of deathθάνατοςthanatos · deathG2288

Cross-references for Revelation 1:18

• Job 19:25I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth.
• Psalms 18:46The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God my Savior!
• John 14:19Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.
• Romans 6:9For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.
• 2 Corinthians 13:4For to be sure, he was crucified in weakness, yet he lives by God’s power. Likewise, we are weak in him, yet by God’s power we will live with him in our dealing with you.
• Galatians 2:20I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
• Colossians 3:3For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
• Hebrews 7:25Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.
• Romans 14:8If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.
• 2 Corinthians 5:14For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.
• Hebrews 1:3The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.
• Hebrews 12:2fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
• Revelation 4:9Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever,
• Revelation 5:14The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.
• Hebrews 7:16one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life.
• Revelation 3:7“To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.

Commentaries on Revelation 1:18

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18I am he that liveth, and was dead - I am Jesus the Savior, who, though the fountain of life, have died for mankind; and being raised from the dead I shall die no more, the great sacrifice being consummated. And have the keys of death and the grave, so that I can destroy the living and raise the dead. The key here signifies the power and authority over life, death, and the grave. This is also a rabbinical form of speech. In the Jerusalem Targum, on Genesis…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18I am he that liveth, and was dead - I was indeed once dead, but now I live, and shall continue to live forever. This would at once identify him who thus appeared as the Lord Jesus Christ, for to no one else could this apply. He had been put to death; but he had risen from the grave. This also is given as a reason why John should not fear; and nothing would allay his fears more than this. He now saw that he was in the presence of that Saviour whom more…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-20Verses 12-20 The churches receive their light from Christ and the gospel, and hold it forth to others. They are golden candlesticks; they should be precious and pure; not only the ministers, but the members of the churches; their light should so shine before men, as to engage others to give glory to God. And the apostle saw as though of the Lord Jesus Christ appeared in the midst of the golden candlesticks. He is with his churches always, to the end of…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 18the Living One: The Son of Man (Revelation:13) has defeated death, so he holds the keys to death and controls the outcome of our greatest fear (see Revelation 20:14; Hebrews 2:14–15). Jesus has full authority to offer hope in a hostile world. Hades: See study note on Revelation 6:7–8.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1818. Translate as Greek, "And THE Living One": connected with last sentence, Re 1:17. and was--Greek, "and (yet) I became." alive for evermore--Greek, "living unto the ages of ages": not merely "I live," but I have life, and am the source of it to My people. "To Him belongs absolute being, as contrasted with the relative being of the creature; others may share, He only hath immortality: being in essence, not by mere participation, immortal" [Theodoret in…Read the comment

Topics related to Revelation 1:18

• Amen
• Death
• Hades
• Hell
• Jesus Continued
• Jesus, the Christ
• Key
• Life
• Resurrection
• Vision
• Word of God

In the dictionaries

• Alpha
• Beginning
• Eternal death
• Hell
• Key
• Star
• Abolish
• Alliance
• Ascension
• Asia Minor

Commentaries on Revelation 1

• 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