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 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.

Context of Revelation 1:18

16He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp two-edged sword came from his mouth. And his face was like the sun in all its brilliance. 17When I saw him, I fell at his feet as if I were dead. But he laid his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last. 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. 19“Write down what you have seen—both the things that are now happening and the things that will happen. 20This is the meaning of the mystery of the seven stars you saw in my right hand and the seven gold lampstands: 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 19:25“But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and he will stand upon the earth at last.
• Psalms 18:46The Lord lives! Praise to my Rock! May the God of my salvation be exalted!
• John 14:19Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live.
• Romans 6:9We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him.
• 2 Corinthians 13:4Although he was crucified in weakness, he now lives by the power of God. We, too, are weak, just as Christ was, but when we deal with you we will be alive with him and will have God’s power.
• Galatians 2:20My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
• Colossians 3:3For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.
• Hebrews 7:25Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf.
• Romans 14:8If we live, it’s to honor the Lord. And if we die, it’s to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.
• 2 Corinthians 5:14Either way, Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life.
• Hebrews 1:3The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven.
• Hebrews 12:2We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.
• Revelation 4:9Whenever the living beings give glory and honor and thanks to the one sitting on the throne (the one who lives forever and ever),
• Revelation 5:14And the four living beings said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped the Lamb.
• Hebrews 7:16Jesus became a priest, not by meeting the physical requirement of belonging to the tribe of Levi, but by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed.
• Revelation 3:7“Write this letter to the angel of the church in Philadelphia. This is the message from the one who is holy and true, the one who has the key of David. What he opens, no one can close; and what he closes, 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