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Revelation 13:17

in Revelation 13

so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark—the name of the beast or the number of its name.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

and that no man should be able to buy or to sell, save he that hath the mark, even the name of the beast or the number of his name.

KJV

And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

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This verse in Revelation 13

Commentary

12 notes on this verse

A commentator

Bede

Commentary on Revelation · Written before 735.

Except one who has the mark, etc. That is, who shares in that deceit. For the mark, that is, the sign, and the name of the beast, and the number of his name are one. For it is the number of a man, so that …

This site's exposition

to receive a mark

on Revelation 13:16-17

The mark is required of all people small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, so that no one could buy or sell. It answers the seal on the foreheads of God's servants in 7:3 and 14:1.

This site's exposition

no one could buy or sell

Bede and Jamieson, Fausset and Brown both read the mark, the name and the number as one sign under three names. Albert Barnes ties the control of buying and selling to the merchants of Babylon in 18:11 to 13. Worship and trade stand or fall together.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers2 voices

A commentator

Hippolytus of Rome

Hippolytus Dogmatical and Historical Fragments · Written before 235.

proposed

Here the faith and the patience of the saints will appear, for he says: "And he will cause all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand or in their forehead; that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, the name of the beast, or the number of his name."

A commentator

Oecumenius

Commentary on Revelation · Written before 550.

proposed

And it says that the Antichrist also gives a mark and seal of his own name, without which no one will either buy or indeed sell.

The Medieval Church2 voices

A commentator

Andreas of Caesarea

COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 13:14-17 · Written before 614.

proposed

He will undertake to spread the mark of the beast everywhere through buying and selling, so that a violent death might come to all who do have the mark from the lack of necessities.

A commentator

Bede

Commentary on Revelation · Written before 735.

proposed

And that no one may buy or sell. By mentioning buying and selling, he taught that just as the Church, in a good way, has given a symbol for our salvation, so they in an evil way confine themselves to such a definition, so that …

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

And that no man might buy or sell,....
4 more voices on this verse

The Nineteenth Century4 voices

And that no man might buy or sell - That is, this mighty power would claim jurisdiction over the traffic of the world, and endeavor to make it tributary to its own purposes. Compare Rev 18:11-13, Rev 18:17-19. This is represented by saying that no one might “buy or sell” except by its permission; and it is clear that where this power exists of determining who may “buy and sell,” there is absolute control over the wealth of the world.

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

The "mark" (Greek, "charagma") and "name" are one and the same. The first two radical letters of Christ (Greek, "Christos"), Ch and R, are the same as the first two of charagma, and were the imperial monogram of Christian Rome.

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

And--So A, B, and Vulgate read. C, IRENÆUS, 316, Coptic, and Syriac omit it. might buy--Greek, "may be able to buy." the mark, or the name--Greek, "the mark (namely), the name of the beast." The mark may be, as in the case of the sealing of the saints in the forehead, not a visible mark, but symbolical of allegiance.

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark - “If any,” observes Bishop Newton, “dissent from the stated and authorized forms; they are condemned and excommunicated as heretics; and in consequence of that they are no longer suffered to buy or sell; they are interdicted from traffic and commerce, and all the benefits of civil society. So Roger Hoveden relates of William the Conqueror, that he was so dutiful to the pope that he would not permit any one in his power to buy or sell any thing whom he found disobedient to the apostolic see. So the canon of the council of Lateran, under Pope Alexander III., made against the Waldenses and Albigenses, enjoins, upon pain of anathema, that no man presume to entertain or cherish them in his house or land, or exercise traffic with them. The synod of Tours, in France, under the same pope, orders, under the like intermination, that no man should presume to receive or assist them, no, not so much as hold any communion with them, in selling or buying; that, being deprived of the comfort of humanity they may be compelled to repent of the error of their way.” In the tenth and eleventh centuries the severity against the excommunicated was carried to so high a pitch, that nobody might come near them, not even their own wives, children, or servants; they forfeited all their natural legal rights and privileges, and were excluded from all kinds of offices. The form of excommunication in the Romish Church is to take lighted torches, throw them upon the ground with curses and anathemas, and trample them out under foot to the ringing of the bells. It is in this and similar ways that the false prophet has terrified the Latin world, and kept it in subjection to the secular and spiritual powers. […]

The words behind it

24 Greek words

Every 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.

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

11 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Revelation 13:16And the second beast required all people small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their forehead,8 worksRevelation 14:11And the smoke of their torment rises forever and ever. Day and night there is no rest for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.”8 worksRevelation 15:2And I saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, beside which stood those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name. They were holding harps from God,7 worksRevelation 22:4They will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads.6 worksRevelation 14:9And a third angel followed them, calling out in a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and its image, and receives its mark on his forehead or on his hand,5 worksRevelation 13:18Here is a call for wisdom: Let the one who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and that number is 666.5 works
The other 5 cross-references, with their words ▾
Revelation 3:12The one who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will never again leave it. Upon him I will write the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God (the new Jerusalem that comes down out of heaven from My God), and My new name.4 works2 Timothy 3:3unloving, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, without love of good,3 worksRevelation 13:11Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. This beast had two horns like a lamb, but spoke like a dragon.3 worksRevelation 17:5And on her forehead a mysterious name was written: BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.2 worksJohn 9:34They replied, “You were born in utter sin, and you are instructing us?” And they threw him out.2 works

The walk

8 stops

Each 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

    Revelation 22:4

    They will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads.

    it leads to

    • Revelation 14:1

      Then I looked and saw the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him 144,000 who had His name and His Father’s name written on their foreheads.

    • Matthew 5:8

      Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

    • Revelation 3:12

      The one who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will never again leave it. Upon him I will write the name of My God, and the…

    • 1 John 3:2–3

      Beloved, we are now children of God, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when Christ appears, we will be like Him, for we will see Him as…

  • Through

    Revelation 15:2

    And I saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, beside which stood those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name. They were holding harps…

    it leads to

    • Revelation 4:6

      And before the throne was something like a sea of glass, as clear as crystal. In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, covered with eyes in front and back.

  • Through

    Revelation 13:16

    And the second beast required all people small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their forehead,

    it leads to

    • Revelation 20:4

      Then I saw the thrones, and those seated on them had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony of Jesus and for…

    • Revelation 19:20

      But the beast was captured along with the false prophet, who on its behalf had performed signs deceiving those who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. Both the beast and…

    • Ezekiel 9:4

      “Go throughout the city of Jerusalem,” said the LORD, “and put a mark on the foreheads of the men sighing and groaning over all the abominations committed there.”

Where this verse is studied

About Revelation

The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, Jan and Hubert van Eyck, about 1430 to 1432. Public domain.
The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, Jan and Hubert van Eyck, about 1430 to 1432. Public domain.
Revelation: the study guide →Read Revelation 13 →
This page draws on 9 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); Andreas of Caesarea, COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 13:14-17; Bede, Commentary on Revelation; Hippolytus of Rome, Hippolytus Dogmatical and Historical Fragments; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Oecumenius, Commentary on Revelation.

Read on in Revelation 13 →