New King James Version
Revelation 11:5
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.
Revelation 11:5 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.
- New International Version (NIV)If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And if anyone would harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes. If anyone would harm them, this is how he is doomed to be killed.
- New Living Translation (NLT)If anyone tries to harm them, fire flashes from their mouths and consumes their enemies. This is how anyone who tries to harm them must die.
Context of Revelation 11:5
3And 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. And 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. 6These have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire. 7When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them.
Read all of Revelation 11Revelation 11:5 word by word
καὶ εἴ τις αὐτοὺς θέλει ἀδικῆσαι, πῦρ ἐκπορεύεται ἐκ τοῦ στόματος αὐτῶν καὶ κατεσθίει τοὺς ἐχθροὺς αὐτῶν· καὶ εἴ τις θελήσῃ αὐτοὺς ἀδικῆσαι, οὕτως δεῖ αὐτὸν ἀποκτανθῆναι.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Andκαίkai · andG2532
- ifεἰei · ifG1487
- any manτιςtis · oneG5100
- willθέλωthelō ethelō · to will/desireG2309
- hurtἀδικέωadikeō · to harmG91
- themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- fireπῦρpur · fireG4442
- proceedethἐκπορεύωekporeuomai · to departG1607
- out ofἐκek ex · out fromG1537
- mouthστόμαstoma · mouthG4750
- devourethκατεσθίωkatesthiō · to devourG2719
- enemiesἐχθρόςechthros · enemyG2190
- mustδεῖdei · be necessaryG1163
- in this mannerοὕτωςhoutō · thus(-ly)G3779
- be killedἀποκτείνωapokteinō · to killG615
Cross-references for Revelation 11:5
- Numbers 16:28And Moses said: “By this you shall know that the Lord has sent me to do all these works, for I have not done them of my own will.
- 2 Kings 1:10So Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, “If I am a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.” And fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.
- Psalms 18:8Smoke went up from His nostrils, And devouring fire from His mouth; Coals were kindled by it.
- Isaiah 11:4But with righteousness He shall judge the poor, And decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked.
- Jeremiah 1:10See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, To root out and to pull down, To destroy and to throw down, To build and to plant.”
- Jeremiah 5:14Therefore thus says the Lord God of hosts: “Because you speak this word, Behold, I will make My words in your mouth fire, And this people wood, And it shall devour them.
- Ezekiel 43:3It was like the appearance of the vision which I saw—like the vision which I saw when I came to destroy the city. The visions were like the vision which I saw by the River Chebar; and I fell on my face.
- Hosea 6:5Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets, I have slain them by the words of My mouth; And your judgments are like light that goes forth.
- Zechariah 1:6Yet surely My words and My statutes, Which I commanded My servants the prophets, Did they not overtake your fathers? “So they returned and said: ‘Just as the Lord of hosts determined to do to us, According to our ways and according to our deeds, So He has dealt with us.’ ” ’ ”
- Zechariah 2:8For thus says the Lord of hosts: “He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye.
- Acts 9:4Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”
Commentaries on Revelation 11:5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5Fire proceedeth out of their mouth - That is, they are commissioned to denounce the judgments of God against all who would attempt to prevent them from proceeding in their ministry.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5And if any man will hurt them - This implies that there would be those who would be disposed to injure or wrong them; that is, that they would be liable to persecution. The word “will” is here more than the mere sign of the future; it denotes “intention, purpose, design,” ́̀ thelei- “if any man wills or purposes to injure them.” See a similar use of the word in 1 Timothy 6:9. The word “hurt” here means to do “injury” or “injustice” - ̓͂ adikēsai- and may…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. 5In one of the psalms, God is described as having fire coming from his mouth, symbolizing judgment on his enemies (Psalm 18:8; see also 2 Samuel 22:9). Compare with Elijah, 2 Kings 1:1–15.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. will hurt--Greek, "wishes," or "desires to hurt them." fire ... devoureth--(Compare Jr 5:14; 23:29). out of their mouth--not literally, but God makes their inspired denunciations of judgment to come to pass and devour their enemies. if any man will hurt them--twice repeated, to mark the immediate certainty of the accomplishment. in this manner--so in like manner as he tries to hurt them (compare Re 13:10). Retribution in kind.Read the comment
Topics related to Revelation 11:5
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