Revelation 12:4

Revelation 12:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.
• New International Version (NIV)Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born.
• English Standard Version (ESV)His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it.
• New King James Version (NKJV)His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born.

Context of Revelation 12:4

2She was pregnant, and she cried out because of her labor pains and the agony of giving birth. 3Then I witnessed in heaven another significant event. I saw a large red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, with seven crowns on his heads. His tail swept away one-third of the stars in the sky, and he threw them to the earth. He stood in front of the woman as she was about to give birth, ready to devour her baby as soon as it was born. 5She gave birth to a son who was to rule all nations with an iron rod. And her child was snatched away from the dragon and was caught up to God and to his throne. 6And the woman fled into the wilderness, where God had prepared a place to care for her for 1,260 days.

Revelation 12:4 word by word

καὶ ἡ οὐρὰ αὐτοῦ σύρει τὸ τρίτον τῶν ἀστέρων τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ ἔβαλεν αὐτοὺς εἰς τὴν γῆν. καὶ ὁ δράκων ἕστηκεν ἐνώπιον τῆς γυναικὸς τῆς μελλούσης τεκεῖν, ἵνα ὅταν τέκῃ τὸ τέκνον αὐτῆς καταφάγῃ.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• tailὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• tailοὐράoura · tailG3769
• drewσύρωsurō · to dragG4951
• the third partτρίτοςtritos · thirdG5154
• of the starsἀστήρastēr · starG792
• of heavenοὐρανόςouranos · heavenG3772
• did castβάλλωballō · to throw: throwG906
• toεἰςeis · towardG1519
• the earthγῆgē · earth: planetG1093
• the dragonδράκωνdrakōn · dragonG1404
• stoodἵστημιhistēmi · to standG2476
• beforeἐνώπιονenōpion · beforeG1799
• the womanγυνήgunē · womanG1135
• which was readyμέλλωmellō · to ensueG3195
• to be deliveredτίκτωtiktō · to give birth toG5088
• forἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
• to devourκατεσθίωkatesthiō · to devourG2719
• childτέκνονteknon · childG5043
• as soon asὅτανhotan · when(-ever)G3752

Cross-references for Revelation 12:4

• Revelation 9:10They had tails that stung like scorpions, and for five months they had the power to torment people.
• Daniel 8:9Then from one of the prominent horns came a small horn whose power grew very great. It extended toward the south and the east and toward the glorious land of Israel.
• Revelation 17:18And this woman you saw in your vision represents the great city that rules over the kings of the world.”
• Revelation 12:2She was pregnant, and she cried out because of her labor pains and the agony of giving birth.
• Exodus 1:16“When you help the Hebrew women as they give birth, watch as they deliver. If the baby is a boy, kill him; if it is a girl, let her live.”
• Matthew 2:3King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem.
• John 8:44For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.
• 1 Peter 5:8Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.

Commentaries on Revelation 12:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven - It is not unusual in Scripture, as Dr. Mitchell observes, to call the hindmost of an enemy the tail, as in Joshua 10:19; : Ye shall cut off the hindmost of them, which is literally in Hebrew, אותם וזנבתם "Ye shall cut off their tail." See also Deuteronomy 25:18. It is also observable that the word , in this verse, has been used by the Greeks in the same sense with the Hebrew word זנב already…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven - The word rendered “drew” - surō- means to “draw, drag, haul.” Prof. Stuart renders it “drew along”; and explains it as meaning that “the danger is represented as being in the upper region of the air, so that his tail may be supposed to interfere with and sweep down the stars, which, as viewed by the ancients, were all set in the visible expanse or welkin.” So Daniel 8:10, speaking of the little…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3-4The large red dragon symbolizes Satan (see Revelation 12:9). seven heads, ten horns: These numbers symbolize a mix of divine and created powers (see Revelation 17:7–14). The historic battle between evil and God's people occurs on a cosmic scale (see Genesis 3:1–7, 14–15; Job 1:9–12). Herod’s wish to kill Jesus showed Satan’s attempt to destroy her baby after birth (see Matthew 2:7–8, 16).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. drew--Greek, present tense, "draweth," "drags down." His dragging down the stars with his tail (lashed back and forward in his fury) implies his persuading to apostatize, like himself, and to become earthy, those angels and also once eminent human teachers who had formerly been heavenly (compare Re 12:1; 1:20; Is 14:12). stood--"stands" [Alford]: perfect tense, Greek, "hesteken." ready to be delivered--"about to bring forth." for to devour, &c.--"that…Read the comment

Topics related to Revelation 12:4

• Astronomy
• Meteorology and Celestial Phenomena
• Stars
• Vision

In the dictionaries

• Adultery
• Dragon
• Earth
• Star
• About
• Astronomy
• Deliver
• Mary
• Michael
• Mizpah; Mizpeh

Commentaries on Revelation 12

• 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