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.
• New International Version (NIV)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.
• 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 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

16He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. 17And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. 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. 19Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this. 20The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw 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 19:25For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth;
• Psalms 18:46The Lord lives! Blessed be my Rock! Let the God of my salvation be exalted.
• John 14:19“A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also.
• Romans 6:9knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him.
• 2 Corinthians 13:4For though He was crucified in weakness, yet He lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, but we shall live with Him by the power of God toward you.
• Galatians 2:20I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh 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 hidden with Christ in God.
• Hebrews 7:25Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.
• Romans 14:8For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.
• 2 Corinthians 5:14For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died;
• Hebrews 1:3who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
• Hebrews 12:2looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
• Revelation 4:9Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever,
• Revelation 5:14Then the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever.
• Hebrews 7:16who has come, not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life.
• Revelation 3:7“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, ‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens”:

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