Revelation 11:9

Revelation 11:9 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.
• New International Version (NIV)For three and a half days some from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial.
• English Standard Version (ESV)For three and a half days some from the peoples and tribes and languages and nations will gaze at their dead bodies and refuse to let them be placed in a tomb,
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves.

Context of Revelation 11:9

7When they have finished their testimony, the beast that rises from the abyss will make war on them, and overcome them and kill them. 8And their corpses will lie in the open street of the great city that figuratively is called Sodom and Egypt—where also their Lord was crucified. Some from the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations will look at their corpses for three and a half days, not allowing them to be placed into a grave. 10Those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them. They will celebrate and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth. 11But after the three and a half days, the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet; and great fear fell on those who were watching them.

Revelation 11:9 word by word

καὶ βλέπουσιν ἐκ τῶν λαῶν καὶ φυλῶν καὶ γλωσσῶν καὶ ἐθνῶν τὸ πτῶμα αὐτῶν ἡμέρας τρεῖς καὶ ἥμισυ, καὶ τὰ πτώματα αὐτῶν οὐκ ἀφίουσιν τεθῆναι εἰς μνῆμα.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• they ofἐκek ex · out fromG1537
• the peopleὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the peopleλαόςlaos · a peopleG2992
• kindredsφυλήphulē · tribeG5443
• tonguesγλῶσσαglōssa · tongueG1100
• nationsἔθνοςethnos · GentilesG1484
• shall seeβλέπωblepō · to seeG991
• theirαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• dead bodiesπτῶμαptōma · corpseG4430
• threeτρεῖςtreis tria · ThreeG5140
• daysἡμέραhēmera · dayG2250
• an halfἥμισυςhēmisu · halfG2255
• shallἀφίημιaphiēmi · to release: leaveG863
• notοὐou · noG3756
• to be putτίθημιtithēmi · to placeG5087
• inεἰςeis · towardG1519
• gravesμνῆμαmnēma · tombG3418

Cross-references for Revelation 11:9

• Revelation 10:11And they tell me, “You must prophesy again about many peoples and nations and tongues and kings.”
• Revelation 13:7He was also permitted to make war against the kedoshim and overcome them, and he was given authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation.
• Revelation 17:15Then he tells me, “The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues.
• Revelation 11:2But do not measure the court outside the Temple—leave it out, because it has been given to the nations, and they shall trample the holy city for forty-two months.
• Revelation 5:8When He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense—which are the prayers of the kedoshim.
• Revelation 19:17Then I saw a single angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he cried out to all the birds flying high in the sky, “Come, gather for the great banquet of God—
• Psalms 79:2They gave the carcasses of Your servants as food to the birds of the skies, the flesh of Your kedoshim to the beasts of the earth.
• Ecclesiastes 6:3Even if a man should father a hundred children and live many years, however many the days of his years may be, yet his soul is never satisfied with his prosperity and he does not have a proper burial, then I say that it is better for the stillborn than him.
• Isaiah 33:1Oy , you destroyer, never destroyed, you traitor, never betrayed! When you have stopped destroying, you will be destroyed; and when you finish betraying, they will betray you.
• Jeremiah 7:33The carcasses of this people will be food for the birds of the sky and for the beasts of the earth, and no one will frighten them away.
• Matthew 7:2For with the judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

Commentaries on Revelation 11:9

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9Shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves - They shall be treated with the greatest barbarity. Refusal of burial to the dead was allowed to be the sum of brutality and cruelty. In popish lands they will not suffer a Protestant to have Christian burial, or to have a grave in a churchyard! Contemptible wretches!Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9And they of the people - Some of the people; a part of the people - ̓ ͂ ͂ ek tōn laōnThe language is such as would be employed to describe a scene where a considerable portion of a company of people should be referred to, without intending to include all. The essential idea is, that there would be an assemblage of different classes of people to whom their carcasses would be exposed, and that they would come and look upon them. We should expect to find…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. 9Leaving people's bodies out for public display was a way to dishonor them after death (see 1 Samuel 31:10; the usual Roman custom was to leave bodies hanging after crucifixion). peoples and tribes and tongues and nations: This phrase shows that all the peoples of the world are represented in this public display.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. they--rather, "(some) of the peoples." people--Greek, "peoples." kindreds--Greek, "tribes"; all save the elect (whence it is not said, The peoples ... but [some] of the peoples ... , or, some of the peoples ... may refer to those of the nations ..., who at the time shall hold possession of Palestine and Jerusalem). shall see--So Vulgate, Syriac, and Coptic. But A, B, C, and Andreas, the present, "see," or rather (Greek, "blepousin"), "look upon." The…Read the comment

Topics related to Revelation 11:9

• Burial
• Martyrdom
• Vision

In the dictionaries

• Body
• Burial
• Carcass; Carcase
• Corpse
• Kindred
• Revelation of John
• Sihon

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