Revelation 17:7
in Revelation 17“Why are you so amazed?” said the angel. “I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and ten horns.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou wonder? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and the ten horns.
KJV
And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.
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This verse in Revelation 17
Commentary
8 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
Why are you so amazed
on Revelation 17:7-8
The mystery is a hidden truth made known. The beast that was, and is not, and yet will be echoes God's name at 1:4 and the risen Christ at 1:18. The marvelers are those whose names were not written in the Book of Life, as at 20:15.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
"I will tell you what the mystery of the woman and the beast is": that is, in a mystical way these things which are written to you as in a figure are revealed through the Revelation.
A commentator
Caesarius of ArlesEXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 17:6, HOMILY 14 · Written before 542.
proposed
There is one body that opposes the church within and without. For within the church there are false Christians, and outside the church there are heretics and pagans. And although this body might seem to be separated in terms of place, yet when it persecutes …
The Medieval Church2 voices
From many examples we learn that descriptive names can be ascribed to cities because of their reputations. Ancient Babylon is named in this way and is called a "pleasant harlot, skilled in sorcery," and ancient Jerusalem is named "you had a whore's face," and in …
And I wondered when I saw her, with great admiration. And the angel said to me: Why do you marvel? etc. That is, the devil once ruled in the world, who, after the Lord was crucified, was cast out; but at the end of the …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And the angel said unto me,....
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel! I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carried her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns - The apostle was greatly astonished, as well he might be, at the woman’s being drunk with the blood of the saints, when the beast which carried her abounded with sacred appellations, such as holy, most holy, most Christian, sacred, most sacred. The angel undertakes to explain to St. John the vision which had excited in him so great astonishment; and the explication is of such great importance, that, had it not been given, the mystery of the dragon and the beast could never have been satisfactorily explained in all its particulars. The angel begins with saying: -
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? - He was doubtless struck with the appearance of John as he stood fixed in astonishment. The question asked him, “why” he wondered, was designed to show him that the cause of his surprise would be removed or lessened, for that he would proceed so to explain this that he might have a correct view of its design. I will tell thee the mystery of the woman - On the word “mystery,” see the notes on Rev 17:
The words behind it
30 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 |
| εἶπέν | eipen | said | G2036 → | 925 times |
| μοι | moi | to me | G3165 → | 1936 times |
| ὁ | ho | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἄγγελος· | angelos | angel; | G32 → | 175 times |
| διὰ | dia | Because of | G1223 → | 664 times |
| τί | ti | why | G5101 → | 563 times |
| ἐθαύμασας; | ethaumasas | did you marvel? | G2296 → | 43 times |
| ἐγὼ | ego | I myself | G1473 → | 839 times |
| ἐρῶ | ero | will tell | G4483 → | |
| σοι | soi | you | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| τὸ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| μυστήριον | musterion | mystery | G3466 → | 27 times |
| τῆς | tes | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| γυναικὸς | gunaikos | woman | G1135 → | 211 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| τοῦ | tou | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θηρίου | theriou | beast | G2342 → | 46 times |
| τοῦ | tou | who | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| βαστάζοντος | bastazontos | is carrying | G941 → | 27 times |
| αὐτὴν | auten | her | G846 → | 5565 times |
| τοῦ | tou | who | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἔχοντος | echontos | is having | G2192 → | 707 times |
| τὰς | tas | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἑπτὰ | hepta | seven | G2033 → | 86 times |
| κεφαλὰς | kephalas | heads | G2776 → | 75 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| τὰ | ta | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| δέκα | deka | ten | G1176 → | 27 times |
| κέρατα.¶ | kerata | horns. | G2768 → | 11 times |
καὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
εἶπένsaid
eipenG2036 →925 times
μοιto me
moiG3165 →1936 times
ὁthe
hoG3588 →19766 times
ἄγγελος·angel;
angelosG32 →175 times
διὰBecause of
diaG1223 →664 times
τίwhy
tiG5101 →563 times
ἐθαύμασας;did you marvel?
ethaumasasG2296 →43 times
ἐγὼI myself
egoG1473 →839 times
ἐρῶwill tell
eroG4483 →
σοιyou
soiG4771 →2973 times
τὸthe
toG3588 →19766 times
μυστήριονmystery
musterionG3466 →27 times
τῆςof the
tesG3588 →19766 times
γυναικὸςwoman
gunaikosG1135 →211 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
τοῦof the
touG3588 →19766 times
θηρίουbeast
theriouG2342 →46 times
τοῦwho
touG3588 →19766 times
βαστάζοντοςis carrying
bastazontosG941 →27 times
αὐτὴνher
autenG846 →5565 times
τοῦwho
touG3588 →19766 times
ἔχοντοςis having
echontosG2192 →707 times
τὰςthe
tasG3588 →19766 times
ἑπτὰseven
heptaG2033 →86 times
κεφαλὰςheads
kephalasG2776 →75 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
τὰthe
taG3588 →19766 times
δέκαten
dekaG1176 →27 times
κέρατα.¶horns.
kerataG2768 →11 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
5 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
Revelation 17:8The beast that you saw—it was, and now is no more, but is about to come up out of the Abyss and go to its destruction. And those who dwell on the earth whose…
it leads to
- Revelation 11:7
When the two witnesses have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will wage war with them, and will overpower and kill them.
- Revelation 17:11
The beast that was, and now is not, is an eighth king, who belongs to the other seven and is going into destruction.
- Revelation 3:10
Because you have kept My command to persevere, I will also keep you from the hour of testing that is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the…
- Revelation 9:1–2
Then the fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from heaven to earth, and it was given the key to the pit of the Abyss.
- Revelation 19:15–21
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…
- Revelation 11:7
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies6
About Revelation

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 Book of Revelation; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Andreas of Caesarea, COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 17:6-7; Bede, Commentary on Revelation; Caesarius of Arles, EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 17:6, HOMILY 14; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748) and Oecumenius, Commentary on Revelation.
