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

16In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came forth a sharp, two-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining at full strength. 17When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. But He placed His right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid! I am the First and the Last, and the One who lives. I was dead, but look—I am alive forever and ever! Moreover, I hold the keys of death and Sheol. 19Therefore write down what you have seen, what is, and what will happen after these things. 20As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden menorot—the seven stars are the angels of Messiah’s seven communities, and the seven menorahs are the seven communities.”

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“Yet I know that my Redeemer lives, and in the end, He will stand on earth.
• Psalms 18:46Children of foreigners lose heart and come trembling from their hideouts.
• John 14:19In a little while, the world will no longer behold Me, but you will behold Me. Because I live, you also will live!
• Romans 6:9We know that Messiah, having been raised from the dead, no longer dies; death no longer is master over Him.
• 2 Corinthians 13:4For He was crucified in weakness, yet He lives through the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, yet we shall live with Him by God’s power toward you.
• Galatians 2:20and it is no longer I who live, but Messiah lives in me. And the life I now live in the body, I live by trusting in Ben-Elohim—who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
• Colossians 3:3For you have died, and your life is hidden with Messiah in God.
• Hebrews 7:25Therefore He is also able to save completely those who draw near to God through Him, always living to make intercession for them.
• Romans 14:8For if we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.
• 2 Corinthians 5:14For the love of Messiah compels us, since we have concluded that One died for all; as a result all died.
• Hebrews 1:3This Son is the radiance of His glory and the imprint of His being, upholding all things by His powerful word. When He had made purification for our sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
• Hebrews 12:2focusing on Yeshua, the initiator and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before Him, He endured the cross, disregarding its shame; and He has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of God.
• Revelation 4:9And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to the One seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever,
• Revelation 5:14And the four living creatures kept saying, “Amen!” And the elders fell down and worshiped.
• Hebrews 7:16one made not by virtue of a Torah requirement of physical descent, but by virtue of the power of an indestructible life.
• Revelation 3:7To the angel of Messiah’s community in Philadelphia write: “Thus says the Holy One, the True One, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who 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