Revelation 11:5
in Revelation 11If anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouths and devours their enemies. In this way, anyone who wants to harm them must be killed.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And if any man desireth to hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth and devoureth their enemies; and if any man shall desire to hurt them, in this manner must he be killed.
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.
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This verse in Revelation 11
Commentary
13 notes on this verseA commentator
Victorinus of PettauCommentary on the Apocalypse of the Blessed John · Written before 304.
"If any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies." That fire proceedeth out of the mouth of those prophets against the adversaries, bespeaks the power of the world. For all afflictions, however many there are, shall be sent by their messengers in their word. Many think that there is Elisha, or Moses, with Elijah; but both of these died; while the death of Elijah is not heard of, with whom all our ancients have believed that it was Jeremiah.
This site's exposition
fire proceeds from their mouths
on Revelation 11:5-6
When anyone would harm them, fire proceeds from their mouths and devours their enemies, as fire fell on Elijah's captains in 2 Kings 1. They can shut the sky so that no rain will fall, as Elijah did, and turn the waters into blood, as Moses did.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
And he says that those who wish to wrong them are defended by fire going forth from their mouths, and they have the authority to shut the sky so that no rain falls during the days of their prophecy. This is among the most probable; …
A commentator
Caesarius of ArlesEXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 11:5, HOMILY 8 · Written before 542.
proposed
Should anyone harm the church or wish to harm her, through the prayers of her mouth he shall be consumed by a divine fire either in the present age for his correction or in the future age for his damnation.
This means that should anyone wish to harm the church, as one condemned he is consumed by a fire, which harms in the very same manner as a sort of reciprocal judgment. That is, he receives justly that very thing which he desired to inflict …
The Medieval Church2 voices
And if any man will hurt them, fire shall come out of their mouths, and shall devour their enemies. And if any man will hurt them, in this manner must he be slain. What is symbolized by fire but holy preaching kindled by the firebrands …
And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth, etc. If anyone harms the Church, he is consumed by the fire of judgment, reciprocating the harm. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword (Matthew XXVI). Hence, the Chaldean …
6 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Some think this alludes to Elias's calling for the fire from heaven, to consume the captains and their companies that came to seize him, 2 Kings i. God promised the prophet Jeremiah ( ch.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
So they began to do, before St. John wrote. And it has been trodden almost ever since by the Romans, Persians, Saracens, and Turks. But that severe kind of treading which is here peculiarly spoken of, will not be till under the trumpet of the seventh angel, and toward the end of the troublous times.
And if any man will hurt them,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
And 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,” θέλεὶ thelei - “if any man wills or purposes to injure them.” See a similar use of the word in 1Ti 6:
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
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).
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
Fire 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.
The words behind it
27 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| καὶ | kai | And | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| εἴ | ei | if | G1487 → | 508 times |
| τις | tis | anyone | G5100 → | 528 times |
| αὐτοὺς | autous | them | G846 → | 5565 times |
| θέλει | thelei | should desire | G2309 → | 208 times |
| ἀδικῆσαι, | adikesai | to harm, | G91 → | 28 times |
| πῦρ | pur | fire | G4442 → | 70 times |
| ἐκπορεύεται | ekporeuetai | goes out | G1607 → | 33 times |
| ἐκ | ek | of | G1537 → | 911 times |
| τοῦ | tou | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| στόματος | stomatos | mouth | G4750 → | 78 times |
| αὐτῶν | auton | of them | G846 → | 5565 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| κατεσθίει | katesthiei | devours | G2719 → | 14 times |
| τοὺς | tous | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἐχθροὺς | echthrous | enemies | G2190 → | |
| αὐτῶν· | auton | of them; | G846 → | 5565 times |
| καὶ | kai | And | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| εἴ | ei | if | G1487 → | 508 times |
| τις | tis | anyone | G5100 → | 528 times |
| θελήσῃ | thelese | shall desire | G2309 → | 208 times |
| αὐτοὺς | autous | them | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ἀδικῆσαι, | adikesai | to harm, | G91 → | 28 times |
| οὕτως | houtos | thus | G3779 → | 208 times |
| δεῖ | dei | it is necessary | G1163 → | 101 times |
| αὐτὸν | auton | for him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ἀποκτανθῆναι. | apoktanthenai | to be killed. | G615 → | 74 times |
καὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
εἴif
eiG1487 →508 times
τιςanyone
tisG5100 →528 times
αὐτοὺςthem
autousG846 →5565 times
θέλειshould desire
theleiG2309 →208 times
ἀδικῆσαι,to harm,
adikesaiG91 →28 times
πῦρfire
purG4442 →70 times
ἐκπορεύεταιgoes out
ekporeuetaiG1607 →33 times
ἐκof
ekG1537 →911 times
τοῦthe
touG3588 →19766 times
στόματοςmouth
stomatosG4750 →78 times
αὐτῶνof them
autonG846 →5565 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
κατεσθίειdevours
katesthieiG2719 →14 times
τοὺςthe
tousG3588 →19766 times
ἐχθροὺςenemies
echthrousG2190 →
αὐτῶν·of them;
autonG846 →5565 times
καὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
εἴif
eiG1487 →508 times
τιςanyone
tisG5100 →528 times
θελήσῃshall desire
theleseG2309 →208 times
αὐτοὺςthem
autousG846 →5565 times
ἀδικῆσαι,to harm,
adikesaiG91 →28 times
οὕτωςthus
houtosG3779 →208 times
δεῖit is necessary
deiG1163 →101 times
αὐτὸνfor him
autonG846 →5565 times
ἀποκτανθῆναι.to be killed.
apoktanthenaiG615 →74 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Jeremiah 5:14Therefore this is what the LORD God of Hosts says: “Because you have spoken this word, I will make My words a fire in your mouth and this people the wood it consumes.
it leads to
- Jeremiah 23:29
“Is not My word like fire,” declares the LORD, “and like a hammer that smashes a rock?”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Jeremiah 1:9
Then the LORD reached out His hand, touched my mouth, and said to me: “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.
- Hosea 6:5
Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of My mouth, and My judgments go forth like lightning.
- Jeremiah 23:29
Through
Isaiah 11:4but with righteousness He will judge the poor, and with equity He will decide for the lowly of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth and slay the…
it leads to
- Revelation 19:15
And from His mouth proceeds a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and He will rule them with an iron scepter. He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath…
- 2 Thessalonians 2:8
And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will slay with the breath of His mouth and annihilate by the majesty of His arrival.
- Job 4:9
By the breath of God they perish, and by the blast of His anger they are consumed.
- Proverbs 31:8–9
Open your mouth for those with no voice, for the cause of all the dispossessed.
- Malachi 4:6
And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers. Otherwise, I will come and strike the land with a curse.”
- Revelation 19:15
Where this verse is studied
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About Revelation

This page draws on 12 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Alcuin of York, COMMENTARY ON REVELATION; Bede, Commentary on Revelation; Caesarius of Arles, EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 11:5, HOMILY 8; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, Commentary on Revelation; Ticonius, COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 11:5 and Victorinus of Pettau, Commentary on the Apocalypse of the Blessed John.
