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Revelation 19:18

in Revelation 19

so that you may eat the flesh of kings and commanders and mighty men, of horses and riders, of everyone slave and free, small and great.”

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

that ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses and of them that sit thereon, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, and small and great.

KJV

That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.

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This verse in Revelation 19

Commentary

10 notes on this verse

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

The "kings" are "the ten" who "give their power unto the beast." free and bond--specified in Re 13:16, as "receiving the mark of the beast." The repetition of flesh (in the Greek it is plural: masses of flesh) five times in this verse, marks the gross carnality of the followers of the beast.

This site's exposition

an angel standing in the sun

on Revelation 19:17-18

A second supper answers the marriage supper of verse 9: the great supper of God, to which birds are summoned. The summons echoes Ezekiel 39:17-20, where birds and beasts feast on the fallen army of Gog. Its list runs from kings and commanders to slave and free, small and great.

This site's exposition

horses and riders

Jamieson, Fausset and Brown note that the Greek repeats flesh five times, in the plural, and read it as the carnality of the beast's followers. The pairs slave and free, small and great repeat the ranks that took the mark at 13:16. No rank is spared.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers2 voices

A commentator

Caesarius of Arles

EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 19:17-18, HOMILY 17 · Written before 542.

proposed

We know that this in fact happens in the church. For when all nations are incorporated in the church, they are spiritually devoured. Indeed, those who have been devoured by the devil become the body of the devil, while those who have been received by …

A commentator

Oecumenius

Commentary on Revelation · Written before 550.

proposed

He says, that you may eat the flesh of kings. And he calls the feast over the death of enemies an eating of these and those; for therefore also the Lord names joy when speaking to his disciples and apostles: "I have a food to …

The Medieval Church2 voices

A commentator

Andreas of Caesarea

COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 19:17-18 · Written before 614.

proposed

That will of God is to be regarded as foremost which is called both his "good pleasure" and the supper most desired by him, namely, that "people be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth" and that they turn and live. But second, …

A commentator

Bede

Commentary on Revelation · Written before 735.

proposed

And the flesh of horses and those who sit on them. I think these are the riders he described as coming against the white horse of the Lord during the opening of the seals.

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

That ye may eat the flesh of kings,....
2 more voices on this verse

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

That ye may eat the flesh of kings - There shall be a universal destruction; the kings, generals, captains, and all their host, shall be slain.
That ye may eat the flesh of kings - Of the kings under the control of the beast and the false prophet, Rev 16:14; Rev 17:12-14. And the flesh of captains - Of those subordinate to kings in command. The Greek word is χιλιάρχων chiliarchōn - “chiliarchs” - denoting captains of a thousand, or, as we should say, commanders of a regiment. The word “colonel” would better convey the idea with us; as he is the commander of a regiment, and a regiment is usually composed of about one thousand people. And the flesh of mighty men - The word here means “strong,” and the reference is to the robust soldiery - rank and file in the army. And the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them - Cavalry - for most armies are composed in part of horsemen. And the flesh of all men, both free and bond - Freemen and slaves. It is not uncommon that freemen and slaves are mingled in the same army. This was the case in the American Revolution, and is common in the East. Both small and great - Young and old; of small size and of great size; of those of humble, and those of exalted rank. The later armies of Napoleon were composed in great part of conscripts, many of whom were only about eighteen years of age, and to this circumstance many of his later defeats are to be traced. In the army that was raised after the invasion of Russia no less than one hundred and fifty thousand of the conscripts were between eighteen and nineteen years of age (Alison’s History of Europe, vol. 4, p. 27). Indeed, it is common in most armies that a considerable portion of the enlistments are from those in early life; and besides this, it is usual to employ mere boys on various services about a camp.

The words behind it

29 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

18 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.

Daniel 7:9As I continued to watch, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took His seat. His clothing was white as snow, and the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze.9 worksRevelation 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 worksEzekiel 39:18–20You will eat the flesh of the mighty and drink the blood of the princes of the earth as though they were rams, lambs, goats, and bulls—all the fattened animals of Bashan.7 worksEzekiel 39:20And at My table you will eat your fill of horses and riders, of mighty men and warriors of every kind,’ declares the Lord GOD.6 worksRevelation 6:15Then the kings of the earth, the nobles, the commanders, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and free man hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains.5 works1 Samuel 17:46This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand. This day I will strike you down, cut off your head, and give the carcasses of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the creatures of the earth. Then the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel.5 works
The other 12 cross-references, with their words ▾
Jeremiah 34:20I will deliver into the hands of their enemies who seek their lives. Their corpses will become food for the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth.4 worksJeremiah 19:7And in this place I will ruin the plans of Judah and Jerusalem. I will make them fall by the sword before their enemies, by the hands of those who seek their lives, and I will give their carcasses as food to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth.4 works1 Samuel 17:44“Come here,” he called to David, “and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!”4 worksJeremiah 16:4“They will die from deadly diseases. They will not be mourned or buried, but will lie like dung on the ground. They will be finished off by sword and famine, and their corpses will become food for the birds of the air and beasts of the earth.”4 worksDeuteronomy 28:26Your corpses will be food for all the birds of the air and beasts of the earth, with no one to scare them away.4 worksJeremiah 7:33The corpses of this people will become food for the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and there will be no one to scare them away.4 worksPsalms 110:5–6The Lord is at Your right hand; He will crush kings in the day of His wrath.3 worksEzekiel 29:5I will leave you in the desert, you and all the fish of your streams. You will fall on the open field and will not be taken away or gathered for burial. I have given you as food to the beasts of the earth and the birds of the air.3 worksMatthew 24:28Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.3 worksLuke 17:37“Where, Lord?” they asked. Jesus answered, “Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.”3 worksJeremiah 51:21With you I shatter the horse and rider; with you I shatter the chariot and driver.3 worksPsalms 107:40He pours out contempt on the nobles and makes them wander in a trackless wasteland.3 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

    Jeremiah 34:20

    I will deliver into the hands of their enemies who seek their lives. Their corpses will become food for the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth.

    it leads to

    • Jeremiah 7:33

      The corpses of this people will become food for the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and there will be no one to scare them away.

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • Jeremiah 16:4

      “They will die from deadly diseases. They will not be mourned or buried, but will lie like dung on the ground. They will be finished off by sword and famine, and their corpses will…

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

  • Through

    1 Samuel 17:46

    This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand. This day I will strike you down, cut off your head, and give the carcasses of the Philistines to the birds of the air…

    it leads to

    • Isaiah 52:10

      The LORD has bared His holy arm in the sight of all the nations; all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.

    • Joshua 4:24

      He did this so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, and so that you may always fear the LORD your God.”

    • 2 Kings 19:19

      And now, O LORD our God, please save us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone, O LORD, are God.”

    • 1 Kings 8:43

      then may You hear from heaven, Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You. Then all the peoples of the earth will know Your name and fear…

    • Deuteronomy 28:26

      Your corpses will be food for all the birds of the air and beasts of the earth, with no one to scare them away.

  • Through

    Revelation 6:15

    Then the kings of the earth, the nobles, the commanders, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and free man hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains.

    it leads to

    • Isaiah 2:19

      Men will flee to caves in the rocks and holes in the ground, away from the terror of the LORD and from the splendor of His majesty, when He rises to shake the earth.

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 19 →
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 19:17-18; Bede, Commentary on Revelation; Caesarius of Arles, EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 19:17-18, HOMILY 17; 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 19 →