Revelation 17:9
in Revelation 17This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Here is the mind that hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth:
KJV
And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.
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This verse in Revelation 17
Commentary
11 notes on this verseThese things, beloved, we impart to you with fear, and yet readily, on account of the love of Christ, which surpasseth all. For if the blessed prophets who preceded us did not choose to proclaim these things, though they knew them, openly and boldly, lest they should disquiet the souls of men, but recounted them mystically in parables and dark sayings, speaking thus, "Here is the mind which hath wisdom," how much greater risk shall we run in venturing to declare openly things spoken by them in obscure terms!
This site's exposition
a mind with wisdom
on Revelation 17:9-10
The call for wisdom repeats 13:18, where it was spoken over the number of the beast. The seven heads are both seven mountains and seven kings: Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
A commentator
Victorinus of PettauCommentary on the Apocalypse of the Blessed John · Written before 304.
proposed
"The seven heads are the seven hills, on which the woman sitteth." That is, the city of Rome.
Therefore, he says, "here is the mind that has wisdom." Therefore, so says the mind that has been made wise: let the riddle be known how it "was and is not", and is about to ascend from the abyss. For even for that which departs …
The Medieval Church2 voices
Since what is to be interpreted is spiritual, there is need, it says, for a spiritual wisdom, not a worldly wisdom to understand what is being said.… We believe that the seven heads and the seven mountains are to be interpreted as seven places that …
The seven heads are seven mountains, etc. The heads of the beast, he says, are the kings of the world, equated to lofty mountains because of their pride. In these impiety wantonly rests, to oppress with force and to deceive with fraud.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Here is the mind that hath wisdom - Only those who are wise will understand this. The seven heads are seven hills.
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And here is the mind which hath wisdom,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
The seven heads can hardly be at once seven kings or kingdoms (Re 17:10), and seven geographical mountains. The true connection is, as the head is the prominent part of the body, so the mountain is prominent in the land. Like "sea" and "earth"and "waters . . . peoples" (Re 17:15), so "mountains" have a symbolical meaning, namely, prominent seats of power.
Here is the mind which hath wisdom - It was said before, Rev 13:18, Here is wisdom. Let him that hath A Mind, or understanding, (νουν), count the number of the beast. Wisdom, therefore, here means a correct view of what is intended by the number 666; consequently the parallel passage, Here is The Mind which hath Wisdom, is a declaration that the number of the beast must first be understood, before the angel’s interpretation of the vision concerning the whore and the beast can admit of a satisfactory explanation. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth - This verse has been almost universally considered to allude to the seven hills upon which Rome originally stood. But it has been objected that modern Rome is not thus situated, and that, consequently, pagan Rome is intended in the prophecy. This is certainly a very formidable objection against the generally received opinion among Protestants, that papal Rome is the city meant by the woman sitting upon seven mountains. It has been already shown that the woman here mentioned is an emblem of the Latin Church in her highest state of antichristian prosperity; and therefore the city of Rome, seated upon seven mountains, is not at all designed in the prophecy. In order to understand this scripture aright, the word mountains must be taken in a figurative and not a literal sense, as in Rev 6:14; Rev 16:20. See also Isa 2:2, Isa 2:14; Jer 51:25; Dan 2:35, etc.; in which it is unequivocally the emblem of great and mighty power. The mountains upon which the woman sitteth must be, therefore, seven great powers; and as the mountains are heads of the beast, they must be the seven Greatest eminences of the Latin world. As no other power was acknowledged at the head of the Latin empire but that of Germany, how can it be said that the beast has seven heads? […]
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
And here is the mind which hath wisdom - Here is what requires wisdom to interpret it; or, here is a case in which the mind that shows itself able to explain it will evince true sagacity. So in Rev 13:18. See the notes on that place. Prof.
The words behind it
18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ὧδε | hode | Here [is] | G5602 → | 61 times |
| ὁ | ho | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| νοῦς | nous | mind | G3563 → | |
| ὁ | ho | which | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἔχων | echon | is having | G2192 → | 707 times |
| σοφίαν. | sophian | wisdom. | G4678 → | 51 times |
| αἱ | hai | The | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἑπτὰ | hepta | seven | G2033 → | 86 times |
| κεφαλαὶ | kephalai | heads | G2776 → | 75 times |
| ἑπτὰ | hepta | seven | G2033 → | 86 times |
| ὄρη | ore | mountains | G3735 → | 62 times |
| εἰσίν, | eisin | are | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| ὅπου | hopou | where | G3699 → | 82 times |
| ἡ | he | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| γυνὴ | gune | woman | G1135 → | 211 times |
| κάθηται | kathetai | sits | G2521 → | 91 times |
| ἐπ᾽ | ep᾽ | on | G1909 → | 883 times |
| αὐτῶν. | auton | them. | G846 → | 5565 times |
ὧδεHere [is]
hodeG5602 →61 times
ὁthe
hoG3588 →19766 times
νοῦςmind
nousG3563 →
ὁwhich
hoG3588 →19766 times
ἔχωνis having
echonG2192 →707 times
σοφίαν.wisdom.
sophianG4678 →51 times
αἱThe
haiG3588 →19766 times
ἑπτὰseven
heptaG2033 →86 times
κεφαλαὶheads
kephalaiG2776 →75 times
ἑπτὰseven
heptaG2033 →86 times
ὄρηmountains
oreG3735 →62 times
εἰσίν,are
eisinG1510 →2333 times
ὅπουwhere
hopouG3699 →82 times
ἡthe
heG3588 →19766 times
γυνὴwoman
guneG1135 →211 times
κάθηταιsits
kathetaiG2521 →91 times
ἐπ᾽on
ep᾽G1909 →883 times
αὐτῶν.them.
autonG846 →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
Daniel 12:4But you, Daniel, shut up these words and seal the book until the time of the end. Many will roam to and fro, and knowledge will increase.”
it leads to
- Daniel 12:9
“Go on your way, Daniel,” he replied, “for the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end.
- Revelation 22:10
Then he told me, “Do not seal up the words of prophecy in this book, because the time is near.
- Daniel 8:26
The vision of the evenings and the mornings that has been spoken is true. Now you must seal up the vision, for it concerns the distant future.”
- Daniel 12:9
Through
Hosea 14:9Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; whoever is discerning, let him know them. For the ways of the LORD are right, and the righteous walk in them but the rebellious stumble in…
it leads to
- Proverbs 10:29
The way of the LORD is a refuge to the upright, but destruction awaits those who do evil.
- Daniel 12:10
Many will be purified, made spotless, and refined, but the wicked will continue to act wickedly. None of the wicked will understand, but the wise will understand.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 107:43
Let him who is wise pay heed to these things and consider the loving devotion of the LORD.
- John 8:47
Whoever belongs to God hears the words of God. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”
- Proverbs 10:29
Through
Revelation 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.
it leads to
- 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…
- Revelation 15:2
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies6
About Revelation
This page draws on 11 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 17:9; 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; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Oecumenius, Commentary on Revelation and Victorinus of Pettau, Commentary on the Apocalypse of the Blessed John.