Revelation 9:21
in Revelation 9Furthermore, they did not repent of their murder, sorcery, sexual immorality, and theft.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and they repented not of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.
KJV
Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.
⋯
This verse in Revelation 9
Commentary
10 notes on this verseNeither repented they of their murders,.... Of the saints and martyrs of Jesus, with whose blood the western antichrist is made drunk, and which will be found in her, and for which she is answerable.
This site's exposition
yet repented not of the works of their hands
on Revelation 9:20-21
The chapter's real tragedy is stated last: the rest of the men not killed by these plagues still repented not, the fourth mention in this chapter alone of judgment falling on the unrepentant and unsealed, and the sin named first is worship, devils and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood that can neither see, hear, nor walk, Isaiah's and the Psalter's old mockery of idolatry brought forward unchanged. Four further sins are listed without repentance, murders, sorceries, pharmakeia, the Greek word behind pharmacy and reaching further than potion-making into occult drug use, fornication, and thefts, and the list stands as the Bible's own diagnosis that hardened hearts under visible, undeniable judgment still do not turn.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
The prophet, striking the spiritual harp, recounted to us concerning those punished in Hades, saying to God: "that there is no one in death who remembers you; and in Hades, who will confess to you," (Ps. 6:6) depriving them both of joy according to God …
The Medieval Church3 voices
The rest of humankind, who were spared and did not suffer these things, yet remained unrepentant. They will suffer these same things, since they did not keep themselves from idolatries and murders and fornications and thefts and works of magic. It is clear that the …
Then, in order to show that the Gentiles also belong to this body, he said after that, And the rest of the men, who are not, and did not do penance from the works of their hands, that they should not adore devils, and idols …
And they did not repent of their murders, etc. To their impious religion, they also add wicked morals. After describing the cruelty of the Antichrist, he, in his manner, recapitulates the beginning of Christ's birth and the glory of the Church to show the ruin …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
The most formidable powers have limits set them, which they cannot transgress. When God's judgments are in the earth, he expects the inhabitants thereof should repent of sin, and learn righteousness. Impenitency under divine judgments is an iniquity that will be the ruin of sinners; for where God judges he will overcome.
3 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Neither repented of their murders, nor of their sorceries - Whoever reads the histories of the seventh, eighth, and ninth centuries, will find numberless instances of all these in every part of the Christian world. But though God cut off so many of these scandals to the Christian name, yet the rest went on in the same course.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
Neither repented they of their murders - Their cruelties towards the genuine followers of God, the Albigenses, and Waldenses, and others, against whom they published crusades, and hunted them down, and butchered them in the most shocking manner. The innumerable murders by the horrible inquisition need not be mentioned.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
The worship of images was established in the East in A.D. 842. fornication--singular: whereas the other sins are in the plural. Other sins are perpetrated at intervals: those lacking purity of heart indulge in one perpetual fornication [BENGEL].
The words behind it
22 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 |
| οὐ | ou | not | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| μετενόησαν | metenoesan | they repented | G3340 → | 34 times |
| ἐκ | ek | of | G1537 → | 911 times |
| τῶν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| φόνων | phonon | murders | G5408 → | |
| αὐτῶν | auton | of them | G846 → | 5565 times |
| οὔτε | oute | nor | G3777 → | 87 times |
| ἐκ | ek | of | G1537 → | 911 times |
| τῶν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| φαρμάκων | pharmakon | sorceries | G5333 → | 3 times |
| αὐτῶν | auton | of them | G846 → | 5565 times |
| οὔτε | oute | nor | G3777 → | 87 times |
| ἐκ | ek | of | G1537 → | 911 times |
| τῆς | tes | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| πορνείας | porneias | sexual immorality | G4202 → | 25 times |
| αὐτῶν | auton | of them | G846 → | 5565 times |
| οὔτε | oute | nor | G3777 → | 87 times |
| ἐκ | ek | of | G1537 → | 911 times |
| τῶν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| κλεμμάτων | klemmaton | thefts | G2809 → | |
| αὐτῶν.¶ | auton | of them. | G846 → | 5565 times |
καὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
οὐnot
ouG3756 →1664 times
μετενόησανthey repented
metenoesanG3340 →34 times
ἐκof
ekG1537 →911 times
τῶνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
φόνωνmurders
phononG5408 →
αὐτῶνof them
autonG846 →5565 times
οὔτεnor
outeG3777 →87 times
ἐκof
ekG1537 →911 times
τῶνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
φαρμάκωνsorceries
pharmakonG5333 →3 times
αὐτῶνof them
autonG846 →5565 times
οὔτεnor
outeG3777 →87 times
ἐκof
ekG1537 →911 times
τῆςthe
tesG3588 →19766 times
πορνείαςsexual immorality
porneiasG4202 →25 times
αὐτῶνof them
autonG846 →5565 times
οὔτεnor
outeG3777 →87 times
ἐκof
ekG1537 →911 times
τῶνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
κλεμμάτωνthefts
klemmatonG2809 →
αὐτῶν.¶of 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
Revelation 21:8But to the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and sexually immoral and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This…
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 6:9–10
Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who submit to or perform homosexual…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Revelation 2:11
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who overcomes will not be harmed by the second death.
- Ephesians 5:5–6
For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure, or greedy person (that is, an idolater), has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
- Revelation 22:15
But outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
- Revelation 20:14–15
Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death—the lake of fire.
- 1 Corinthians 6:9–10
Through
Revelation 22:15But outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
it leads to
- Revelation 21:8
But to the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and sexually immoral and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This…
- Galatians 5:19–21
The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery;
- Revelation 21:8
Through
Revelation 17:5And on her forehead a mysterious name was written: BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
it leads to
- Revelation 14:8
Then a second angel followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, who has made all the nations drink the wine of the passion of her immorality.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Revelation 14:8
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Revelation

This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Alcuin of York, COMMENTARY ON REVELATION; Andreas of Caesarea, COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 9:20-21; Bede, Commentary on Revelation; 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 and Oecumenius, Commentary on Revelation.
