Revelation 13:4
in Revelation 13They worshiped the dragon who had given authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can wage war against it?”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and they worshipped the dragon, because he gave his authority unto the beast; and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? and who is able to war with him?
KJV
And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?
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This verse in Revelation 13
Commentary
11 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
which gave--A, B, C, Vulgate, Syriac, and ANDREAS read, "because he gave." power--Greek, "the authority" which it had; its authority. Who is like unto the beast?--The very language appropriated to God, Ex 15:11 (whence, in the Hebrew, the Maccabees took their name; the opponents of the Old Testament Antichrist, Antiochus);
Hand restore 2026-08-25 under the only-carrier rule from the silent-verse audit.
This site's exposition
Who is like the beast
The world asks who is like the beast, turning Israel's praise of the LORD in Exodus 15:11 into praise of a counterfeit. Its strength is taken as grounds for worship, and verse 8 names those who refuse.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
A commentator
Caesarius of ArlesEXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 13:3-4, HOMILY 10 · Written before 542.
proposed
That which "seemed wounded" are the heretics who hypocritically seem to confess Christ and blaspheme since they do not believe as the catholic faith has it. They prophesy that he who was wounded is also raised again, for even Satan himself transfigures himself into an …
And the whole earth, he says, was astonished at the beast. For how could not even the God-fearing nation of Israel have bowed down to it? And this is what was spoken by Isaiah before God concerning Israel: "for your sake my name is continually …
One of its heads refers to the antichrist, because there are seven heads not in regard to number but as a sign of the universality of that earthly kingdom that is hostile to the Lamb. It is evident that the dragon, that is, the devil, …
The Medieval Church2 voices
That he had a head that was wounded indicates that one of his lieutenants, having been put to death, deceptively seems to be raised again by him through his sorcery, in a way similar to Simon the magician, who, in light of his magic tricks, …
And they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast. They claim to worship God, who gave authority to Christ.
4 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
And they worshiped the beast, saying: Who is like the beast? They say: Who is like Christ? Or who can defeat him?
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And they worshipped the dragon,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
And they worshipped the dragon - Worshipping the dragon here evidently means the voluntary religious subjection of the members of the Latin Church to the revived western empire, because of the eminent part it has taken in the support of their faith. And they worshipped the beast - Not only the dragon or revived western empire was worshipped; the beast, the whole Latin empire, is a partaker in the adoration.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast - See the notes at Rev 12:3; Rev 13:2. That is, they in fact worshipped him. The word “worship” - προσκυνέω proskuneō - is not always, however, used in a religious sense. It means, properly, “to kiss”; to kiss toward anyone; that is, to kiss his own hand and to extend it toward a person, in token of respect and homage (Robinson, Lexicon). Compare Job 31:27. Then it means to show respect to one who is our superior; to kings and princes; to parents; and pre-eminently to God. See the notes on Mat 2:2. The word may be used here to mean that homage or reverence, as to a higher power, was rendered to the “dragon”; not strictly that he was openly worshipped in a religious sense as God. Can anyone doubt that this was the case under papal Rome; that the power which was set up under that entire domination, civil and ecclesiastical, was such as Satan approved, and such as he sought to have established on the earth? And can anyone doubt that the homage thus rendered, so contrary to the law of God, and so much in derogation of his claims, was in fact homage rendered to this presiding spirit of evil? And they worshipped the beast - That is, they did it, as is immediately specified, by saying that he was “incomparable” and “invincible”; in other words, that he was superior to all others, and that he was almighty. For the fulfillment of this, see the notes on 2Th 2:4. Who is like unto the beast? - That is, he is to be regarded as unequalled and as supreme. This was, in fact, ascribing honors to him which belonged only to God; and this was the manner in which that civil and secular power was regarded in the period here supposed to be referred to. […]
The words behind it
25 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 |
| προσεκύνησαν | prosekunesan | they worshiped | G4352 → | 60 times |
| τῷ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| δράκοντι | drakonti | dragon | G1404 → | 13 times |
| ὅτι | hoti | that | G3754 → | 1292 times |
| ἔδωκεν | edoken | gave | G1325 → | 412 times |
| τὴν | ten | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἐξουσίαν | exousian | authority | G1849 → | 102 times |
| τῷ | to | to the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θηρίῳ | therio | beast | G2342 → | 46 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| προσεκύνησαν | prosekunesan | they worshiped | G4352 → | 60 times |
| τῷ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θηρίῳ | therio | beast | G2342 → | 46 times |
| λέγοντες· | legontes | saying; | G3004 → | 1325 times |
| τίς | tis | Who | G5101 → | 563 times |
| ὅμοιος | homoios | [is] like | G3664 → | 45 times |
| τῷ | to | as the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θηρίῳ | therio | beast | G2342 → | 46 times |
| καὶ | kai | And | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| τίς | tis | who | G5101 → | 563 times |
| δύναται | dunatai | is able | G1410 → | 207 times |
| πολεμῆσαι | polemesai | to make war | G4170 → | 7 times |
| μετ᾽ | met᾽ | against | G3326 → | 461 times |
| αὐτοῦ; | autou | it? | G846 → | 5565 times |
καὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
προσεκύνησανthey worshiped
prosekunesanG4352 →60 times
τῷthe
toG3588 →19766 times
δράκοντιdragon
drakontiG1404 →13 times
ὅτιthat
hotiG3754 →1292 times
ἔδωκενgave
edokenG1325 →412 times
τὴν<the>
tenG3588 →19766 times
ἐξουσίανauthority
exousianG1849 →102 times
τῷto the
toG3588 →19766 times
θηρίῳbeast
therioG2342 →46 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
προσεκύνησανthey worshiped
prosekunesanG4352 →60 times
τῷthe
toG3588 →19766 times
θηρίῳbeast
therioG2342 →46 times
λέγοντες·saying;
legontesG3004 →1325 times
τίςWho
tisG5101 →563 times
ὅμοιος[is] like
homoiosG3664 →45 times
τῷas the
toG3588 →19766 times
θηρίῳbeast
therioG2342 →46 times
καὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
τίςwho
tisG5101 →563 times
δύναταιis able
dunataiG1410 →207 times
πολεμῆσαιto make war
polemesaiG4170 →7 times
μετ᾽against
met᾽G3326 →461 times
αὐτοῦ;it?
autouG846 →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 12:3Then another sign appeared in heaven: a huge red dragon with seven heads, ten horns, and seven royal crowns on his heads.
it leads to
- Revelation 17:12
The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but will receive one hour of authority as kings, along with the beast.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Revelation 12:9
And the great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Daniel 7:24
And the ten horns are ten kings who will rise from this kingdom. After them another king, different from the earlier ones, will rise and subdue three kings.
- Revelation 17:16
And the ten horns and the beast that you saw will hate the prostitute. They will leave her desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh and burn her with fire.
- Daniel 7:20
I also wanted to know about the ten horns on its head and the other horn that came up, before which three of them fell—the horn whose appearance was more imposing than the others,…
- Revelation 17:12
Through
Revelation 13:2The beast I saw was like a leopard, with the feet of a bear and the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority.
it leads to
- Daniel 7:4–7
The first beast was like a lion, and it had the wings of an eagle. I watched until its wings were torn off and it was lifted up from the ground and made to…
- Revelation 20:2
He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.
- Daniel 7:4–7
Through
Revelation 13:15The second beast was permitted to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship it to be killed.
it leads to
- Revelation 16:2
So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and loathsome, malignant sores broke out on those who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.
- Revelation 16:2
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies13
On this chapter
About Revelation
This page draws on 10 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); Andreas of Caesarea, COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 13:3-4; Bede, Commentary on Revelation; Caesarius of Arles, EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 13:3-4, HOMILY 10; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Oecumenius, Commentary on Revelation and Ticonius, COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 13:3.