New King James Version
Revelation 11:3
3And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.”
Revelation 11:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
- New International Version (NIV)And I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth."
- New Living Translation (NLT)And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will be clothed in burlap and will prophesy during those 1,260 days.”
Context of Revelation 11:3
1Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. And the angel stood, saying, “Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there. 2But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months. And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.” 4These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth. 5And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner.
Read all of Revelation 11Revelation 11:3 word by word
Καὶ δώσω τοῖς δυσὶν μάρτυσίν μου, καὶ προφητεύσουσιν ἡμέρας χιλίας διακοσίας ἑξήκοντα περιβεβλημένοι σάκκους.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Andκαίkai · andG2532
- I will giveδίδωμιdidōmi · to giveG1325
- untoδύοduo · twoG1417
- myἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- witnessesμάρτυςmartus · witnessG3144
- they shall prophesyπροφητεύωprophēteuō · to prophesyG4395
- a thousandχίλιοιchilioi · thousandG5507
- two hundredδιακόσιοιdiakosioi · two hundredG1250
- threescoreἑξήκονταhexēkonta · sixtyG1835
- daysἡμέραhēmera · dayG2250
- clothedπεριβάλλωperiballō · to clotheG4016
- in sackclothσάκκοςsakkos · sackclothG4526
Cross-references for Revelation 11:3
- John 3:27John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.
- 1 Corinthians 12:28And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues.
- Ephesians 4:11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,
- Numbers 11:26But two men had remained in the camp: the name of one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad. And the Spirit rested upon them. Now they were among those listed, but who had not gone out to the tabernacle; yet they prophesied in the camp.
- Deuteronomy 17:6Whoever is deserving of death shall be put to death on the testimony of two or three witnesses; he shall not be put to death on the testimony of one witness.
- Deuteronomy 19:15“One witness shall not rise against a man concerning any iniquity or any sin that he commits; by the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established.
- Matthew 18:16But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’
- 2 Corinthians 13:1This will be the third time I am coming to you. “By the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established.”
- Revelation 20:4And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
- Luke 24:48And you are witnesses of these things.
- John 15:27And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning.
- Acts 1:8But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
- Acts 2:32This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses.
- Acts 3:15and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses.
- Acts 13:31He was seen for many days by those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are His witnesses to the people.
- Revelation 19:10And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
Commentaries on Revelation 11:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3My two witnesses - This is extremely obscure; the conjectures of interpreters are as unsatisfactory as they are endless on this point. Conjecturas conjecturis superstruunt, parum verosimiles, says Rosenmuller: quorum sententias enarrare, meum non est. I say the same. Those who wish to be amused or bewildered, may have recourse both to ancients and moderns on this subject.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3And I will give power unto my two witnesses - In respect to this important passage Revelation 11:3-13 I propose to pursue the same method which I have pursued all along in this exposition: first, to examine the meaning of the words and phrases in the symbol, with a purpose to ascertain the fair signification of the symbols; and, secondly, to inquire into the application - that is, to inquire whether any events have occurred which, in respect to their…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 3-13Verses 3-13 In the time of treading down, God kept his faithful witnesses to attest the truth of his word and worship, and the excellence of his ways, The number of these witnesses is small, yet enough. They prophesy in sackcloth. It shows their afflicted, persecuted state, and deep sorrow for the abominations against which they protested. They are supported during their great and hard work, till it is done. When they had prophesied in sackcloth the…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3During the period of persecution, God will not abandon the world. He will send two witnesses to announce the coming judgment, similar to how God sent Jonah to Nineveh (Jonah 1:2; 4:11). Burlap clothing symbolized mourning or repentance (see Genesis 37:34; 2 Samuel 3:31; Nehemiah 9:1; Esther 4:1; Jonah 3:6).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. I will give power--There is no "power" in the Greek, so that "give" must mean "give commission," or some such word. my two witnesses--Greek, "the two witnesses of me." The article implies that the two were well known at least to John. prophesy--preach under the inspiration of the Spirit, denouncing judgments against the apostate. They are described by symbol as "the two olive trees" and "the two candlesticks," or lamp-stands, "standing before the God…Read the comment
Topics related to Revelation 11:3
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Revelation 11
- 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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries