Revelation 11:17
in Revelation 11saying: “We give thanks to You, O Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who art and who wast; because thou hast taken thy great power, and didst reign.
KJV
Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.
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This verse in Revelation 11
Commentary
13 notes on this verseAnd adored God, saying: We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, who wast, and who art. By the fact that they do not say "who art to come," it is made clear that all this will be said or done at the last judgment. …
This site's exposition
the twenty-four elders who sit
on Revelation 11:16-17
The elders thank God as the One who is and who was, without the future clause of 1:4 and 4:8, for His coming has arrived. They give thanks that You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign.
This site's exposition
have begun to reign
The elders thank God that You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign, a power always His now taken up. Verse 18 then unfolds the reign in the judgment of the dead and the reward of His servants.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
He is now mentioning both the beginning and the end of the dispensation of Christ. For when he says, "You have begun to reign and the nations raged," he is speaking of the first coming of Christ. But, indeed, when it follows that "your wrath …
When this voice arose, the elders worshiped God, also offering their own thanksgiving, saying, "We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who is and who was." The phrase "who is" is properly attributed to the Holy Trinity, and "who was," although primarily said concerning …
He speaks of the beginning and the end. When he says, "You have begun to reign and the nations raged," he indicates the first coming, for at his birth Herod and the people of Jerusalem were troubled. However, the time of the second coming is …
The Medieval Church2 voices
Here again he says that the holy angels and those who live as do the angels send a hymn of thanksgiving to God, because for our sake he has become worthy to receive as man that kingdom that as God he possessed from the beginning.
Who are, and who were, etc. You indeed have reigned from eternity, even with the wicked rebelling, but now their fury, judged by you, will be crushed. For the Lord reigns; let the peoples be angry (Psalm XCVIII).
5 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Here it is mentioned, how the kingdom is the Lord's; afterwards, how it is the kingdom of his Christ. Thou hast taken thy great power - This is the beginning of what is done under the trumpet of the seventh angel.
Saying, we give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
The consummation having actually come, they do not address Him as they did when it was still future, "Thou that art to come." Compare Re 11:18, "is come." From the sounding of the seventh trumpet He is to His people JAH, the ever present Lord, WHO IS, more peculiarly than JEHOVAH "who is, was, and is to come." taken to thee thy great power--"to Thee" is not in the Greek.
O Lord God Almighty, which art - This gives a proper view of God in his eternity; all times are here comprehended, the present, the past, and the future. This is the infinitude of God. Hast taken to thee - Thou hast exercised that power which thou ever hast; and thou hast broken the power of thy enemies, and exalted thy Church.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Saying, We give thee thanks - We, as the representatives of the church, and as identified in our feelings with it (see the notes on Rev 4:4), acknowledge thy goodness in tires delivering the church from all its troubles, and having conducted it through the times of fiery persecution, thus establishing it upon the earth. The language here used is an expression of their deep interest in the church, and of the fact that they felt themselves identified with it. They, as representatives of the church, would of course rejoice in its prosperity and final triumph.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| λέγοντες· | legontes | saying: | G3004 → | 1325 times |
| εὐχαριστοῦμέν | eucharistoumen | We give thanks | G2168 → | |
| σοι, | soi | to You, | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| κύριε | kurie | Lord | G2962 → | 711 times |
| ὁ | ho | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θεὸς | theos | God | G2316 → | 1312 times |
| ὁ | ho | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| παντοκράτωρ, | pantokrator | Almighty, | G3841 → | 10 times |
| ὁ | ho | who | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ὢν | on | is being | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ὁ | ho | who | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἦν | en | was | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| ὅτι | hoti | for | G3754 → | 1292 times |
| εἴληφας | eilephas | You have taken | G2983 → | 257 times |
| τὴν | ten | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| δύναμίν | dunamin | power | G1411 → | 119 times |
| σου | sou | of You | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| τὴν | ten | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| μεγάλην | megalen | great | G3173 → | 243 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἐβασίλευσας. | ebasileusas | began to reign. | G936 → | 21 times |
λέγοντες·saying:
legontesG3004 →1325 times
εὐχαριστοῦμένWe give thanks
eucharistoumenG2168 →
σοι,to You,
soiG4771 →2973 times
κύριεLord
kurieG2962 →711 times
ὁ<the>
hoG3588 →19766 times
θεὸςGod
theosG2316 →1312 times
ὁ<the>
hoG3588 →19766 times
παντοκράτωρ,Almighty,
pantokratorG3841 →10 times
ὁwho
hoG3588 →19766 times
ὢνis being
onG1510 →2333 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ὁwho
hoG3588 →19766 times
ἦνwas
enG1510 →2333 times
ὅτιfor
hotiG3754 →1292 times
εἴληφαςYou have taken
eilephasG2983 →257 times
τὴνthe
tenG3588 →19766 times
δύναμίνpower
dunaminG1411 →119 times
σουof You
souG4771 →2973 times
τὴν<the>
tenG3588 →19766 times
μεγάληνgreat
megalenG3173 →243 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἐβασίλευσας.began to reign.
ebasileusasG936 →21 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 1:8“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, who is and was and is to come—the Almighty.
it leads to
- Isaiah 44:6
Thus says the LORD, the King and Redeemer of Israel, the LORD of Hosts: “I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God but Me.
- Revelation 22:13
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”
- Isaiah 48:12
Listen to Me, O Jacob, and Israel, whom I have called: I am He; I am the first, and I am the last.
- Isaiah 43:10
“You are My witnesses,” declares the LORD, “and My servant whom I have chosen, so that you may consider and believe Me and understand that I am He. Before Me no god was formed,…
- Revelation 21:6
And He told me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give freely from the spring of the water of life.
- Isaiah 44:6
Through
Revelation 1:4John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from Him who is and was and is to come, and from the seven Spirits before His throne,
it leads to
- Isaiah 11:2
The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him—the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and strength, the Spirit of knowledge and fear of the LORD.
- John 1:1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
- Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
- Isaiah 11:2
Where this verse is studied
About Revelation
This page draws on 13 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the New Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Alcuin of York, COMMENTARY ON REVELATION; Andreas of Caesarea, COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 11:15-18; Bede, Commentary on Revelation; 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; Ticonius, COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 11:15-19 and Ticonius, COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 11:16-18.