Revelation 16:15
in Revelation 16“Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who remains awake and clothed, so that he will not go naked and let his shame be exposed.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
(Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.)
KJV
Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
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This verse in Revelation 16
Commentary
13 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Behold, I come as a thief - That is, suddenly and unexpectedly. See the Mat 24:43 note; 1Th 5:2 note. This is designed evidently to admonish people to watch, or to be in readiness for his coming, since, whenever it would occur, it would be at a time when people were not expecting him. Blessed is he that watcheth - Compare Mat 24:42-
This site's exposition
who remains awake and clothed
The Lord breaks in on the gathering armies: Behold, I am coming like a thief, as He warned Sardis at 3:3 and as Paul wrote at 1 Thessalonians 5:2. Blessed is the one who remains awake and clothed is the book's third beatitude.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
A commentator
CyprianTreatise XII Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews · Written before 258.
proposed
Of the benefits of martyrdom. In the Proverbs of Solomon: "The faithful martyr delivers his soul from evils." Also in the same place: "Then shall the righteous stand in great boldness against them who have afflicted them, and who took away their labours.
The apostle also says, "He will come like a thief in the night." … [The apostle] says, "As many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ." I think that here he urges that these vestments be preserved so that they will …
Behold, I come like a thief, says the Lord. He says "like a thief" because of the sudden and unexpected nature of his second coming. Blessed is he that watches and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked. He persevered in the way of the …
The Medieval Church2 voices
"To be awake and to keep one's garments" means to remain vigilant and always concerned with good works. For [good works] are the garments of the saints, and were one to be without these, one would necessarily be made ashamed as one naked and full …
Behold, I come like a thief. Another edition more fittingly has: To the great day of Almighty God. Behold, he comes like a thief.
6 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
Blessed is he who watches and keeps his garments, etc. Blessed are those whose sins are covered (Psalm 31), who cover the shame of a blameworthy life before the eyes of the just with the cloak of subsequent good works. And in the Gospel, the …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Observe the beautiful abruptness. Happy is he that watcheth. - Looking continually for him that "cometh quickly." And keepeth on his garments - Which men use to put off when they sleep. Lest he walk naked, and they see his shame - Lest he lose the graces which he takes no care to keep, and others see his sin and punishment.
17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. 18 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture
Behold I come as a thief,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
The gathering of the world kings with the beast against the Lamb is the signal for Christ's coming; therefore He here gives the charge to be watching for His coming and clothed in the garments of justification and sanctification, so as to be accepted. thief-- (Mt 24:43;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
Behold, I come as a thief - Here is a sudden but timely warning to put every man on his guard, when this sudden and generally unexpected tribulation should take place. Keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked - Here is a plain allusion to the office of him who was called the prefect or overseer, of the mountain of the temple. His custom was to go his rounds during the watches of the night; and if he found any of the Levites sleeping on his watch, he had authority to beat him with a stick, and burn his vestments. See Middoth, fol. 34, 1, and Tamid. fol. 27, 2; 28, 1. Such a person being found on his return home naked, it was at once known that he had been found asleep at his post, had been beaten, and his clothes burnt; thus his shame was seen - he was reproached for his infidelity and irreligion.
The words behind it
21 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἰδοὺ | idou | Behold | G2400 → | 200 times |
| ἔρχομαι | erchomai | I am coming | G2064 → | 628 times |
| ὡς | hos | like | G5613 → | 500 times |
| κλέπτης. | kleptes | a thief. | G2812 → | |
| μακάριος | makarios | Blessed [is] | G3107 → | 50 times |
| ὁ | ho | the [one] | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| γρηγορῶν | gregoron | watching | G1127 → | 22 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| τηρῶν | teron | keeping | G5083 → | 70 times |
| τὰ | ta | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἱμάτια | himatia | garments | G2440 → | 60 times |
| αὐτοῦ, | autou | of him, | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ἵνα | ina | so that | G2443 → | 668 times |
| μὴ | me | not | G3361 → | 1066 times |
| γυμνὸς | gumnos | naked | G1131 → | 15 times |
| περιπατῇ | peripatea | he may walk | G4043 → | 94 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| βλέπωσιν | bleposin | they may see | G991 → | 132 times |
| τὴν | ten | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀσχημοσύνην | aschemosunen | shame | G808 → | |
| αὐτοῦ. | autou | of him. | G846 → | 5565 times |
ἰδοὺBehold
idouG2400 →200 times
ἔρχομαιI am coming
erchomaiG2064 →628 times
ὡςlike
hosG5613 →500 times
κλέπτης.a thief.
kleptesG2812 →
μακάριοςBlessed [is]
makariosG3107 →50 times
ὁthe [one]
hoG3588 →19766 times
γρηγορῶνwatching
gregoronG1127 →22 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
τηρῶνkeeping
teronG5083 →70 times
τὰthe
taG3588 →19766 times
ἱμάτιαgarments
himatiaG2440 →60 times
αὐτοῦ,of him,
autouG846 →5565 times
ἵναso that
inaG2443 →668 times
μὴnot
meG3361 →1066 times
γυμνὸςnaked
gumnosG1131 →15 times
περιπατῇhe may walk
peripateaG4043 →94 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
βλέπωσινthey may see
bleposinG991 →132 times
τὴνthe
tenG3588 →19766 times
ἀσχημοσύνηνshame
aschemosunenG808 →
αὐτοῦ.of him.
autouG846 →5565 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
2 Peter 3:10But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar, the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and its works will be laid…
it leads to
- Revelation 21:1
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.
- Matthew 24:35
Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.
- 2 Peter 3:7
And by that same word, the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.
- Isaiah 51:6
Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look at the earth below; for the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment, and its people will die like…
- 1 Thessalonians 5:2
For you are fully aware that the Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.
- Revelation 21:1
Through
Revelation 3:18I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, white garments so that you may be clothed and your shameful nakedness not exposed, and salve to…
it leads to
- 1 Peter 1:7
so that the proven character of your faith—more precious than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
- Isaiah 55:1
“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you without money, come, buy, and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost!
- Revelation 19:8
She was given clothing of fine linen, bright and pure.” For the fine linen she wears is the righteous acts of the saints.
- 1 Peter 1:7
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies3
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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); Albert Barnes, Notes on the New Testament; Andreas of Caesarea, COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 16:15-16; Bede, Commentary on Revelation; Cyprian, Treatise XII Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews; 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 and Ticonius, COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 16:15.