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Revelation 21:15

in Revelation 21

The angel who spoke with me had a golden measuring rod to measure the city and its gates and walls.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And he that spake with me had for a measure a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.

KJV

And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.

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This verse in Revelation 21

Commentary

14 notes on this verse
And he that talked with me - The angel, Rev 21:9. Had a golden reed to measure the city - See the notes on Rev 11:1. The reed, or measuring rod, here, is of gold, because all about the city is of the most rich and costly materials. The rod is thus suited to the personage who uses it, and to the occasion. Compare a similar description in Eze 40:3-5; Eze 43:16. The object of this measuring is to show that the city has proper architectural proportions.

This site's exposition

a golden measuring rod

on Revelation 21:15-17

The angel has a golden measuring rod to measure the city, as the temple was measured in Ezekiel 40-42. Its length, width and height are equal at 12,000 stadia, a cube, the shape of the temple's inner room in 1 Kings 6:20. The wall is 144 cubits, twelve times twelve.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers4 voices

A commentator

Apringius of Beja

TRACTATE ON THE APOCALYPSE 21:15 · Written before 600.

proposed

The wall of fire surrounding it is the Lord, as we have already said. The golden measuring rod is the faith concerning the Lord's incarnation, for on account of its purity and sinlessness his body is revealed to be clearer and more brilliant than any …

A commentator

Caesarius of Arles

EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 21:15, HOMILY 19 · Written before 542.

proposed

In the golden rod he shows the members of the church, who, although weak in the flesh, are well founded in the golden faith. As the apostle says, "[We] have this treasure in earthen vessels."

A commentator

Primasius of Hadrumetum

COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 21:15-16 · Written before 560.

proposed

Earlier John had said that a measuring rod was given to him, namely, the commission given to him to preach. Now he says that the angel speaking with him has a golden measuring rod to measure the city and its gates and walls. It is …

A commentator

Oecumenius

Commentary on Revelation · Written before 550.

proposed

The reed with which he measured the holy city was geometric; and it was golden because of the preciousness of both the measuring angel and the city being measured.

The Medieval Church1 voice

A commentator

Andreas of Caesarea

COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 21:15 · Written before 614.

proposed

The "golden measuring rod" indicates the excellence of the angel who measures, whom he saw in the form of a man. It indicates as well the excellence of the city that is being measured, whose wall we have interpreted to be Christ. The city is …
7 more voices on this verse

The Medieval Church2 voices

A commentator

Alcuin of York

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS MANUAL ON REVELATION · Written before 804.

proposed

QUESTION: And he that spoke with me, had a measure of a reed of gold. ANSWER: Christ, who is the Father's wisdom, measures the holy city, because he distributes the gifts of spiritual graces to every one of the faithful while ordering all things in …

A commentator

Bede

Commentary on Revelation · Written before 735.

proposed

And the one who spoke with me, etc. Christ, who is the wisdom of God (1 Cor. 1), reaching from end to end mightily and ordering all things sweetly (Wis. 8), measures the holy city. For, establishing all things in number, measure, and weight, he …

The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices

A commentator

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)

The gold, the pearls, the precious stones, the walls, foundations, gates, are undoubtedly figurative expressions; seeing the city itself is in glory, and the inhabitants of it have spiritual bodies: yet these spiritual bodies are also real bodies, and the city is an abode distinct from its inhabitants, and proportioned to them who take up a finite and a determinate space.

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

): Twelve thousand furlongs each way, each side, which is forty-eight thousand furlongs in the whole compass, or fifteen hundred German miles. Here is room sufficient for all the people of God-- many mansions in their Father's house. [5.] The foundation of the wall, for heaven is a city that hath her foundations (

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation

And he that talked with me,....

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

So here, on the contrary, the city being measured implies the entire consecration of every part, all things being brought up to the most exact standard of God's holy requirements, and also God's accurate guardianship henceforth of even the most minute parts of His holy city from all evil.

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

Had a golden reed - Several excellent MSS. add μετρον, a measure; he had a measuring rod made of gold. This account of measuring the city seems to be copied, with variations, from Eze 40:3, etc.

The words behind it

21 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

8 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.

Revelation 11:1Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff and was told, “Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count the number of worshipers there.12 worksZechariah 2:1Then I lifted up my eyes and saw a man with a measuring line in his hand.8 worksEzekiel 40:3So He took me there, and I saw a man whose appearance was like bronze. He was standing in the gateway with a linen cord and a measuring rod in his hand.5 worksEzekiel 41:1–5Then the man brought me into the outer sanctuary and measured the side pillars to be six cubits wide on each side.3 worksEzekiel 47:3As the man went eastward with a measuring line in his hand, he measured off a thousand cubits and led me through ankle-deep water.3 worksAmos 7:7This is what He showed me: Behold, the Lord was standing by a wall true to plumb, with a plumb line in His hand.3 works
The other 2 cross-references, with their words ▾
Exodus 40:3–5Put the ark of the Testimony in it and screen off the ark with the veil.1 worksRevelation 17:1Then one of the seven angels with the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits on many waters.-2 works

The walk

5 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

    Zechariah 2:1

    Then I lifted up my eyes and saw a man with a measuring line in his hand.

    it leads to

    • Ezekiel 40:3

      So He took me there, and I saw a man whose appearance was like bronze. He was standing in the gateway with a linen cord and a measuring rod in his hand.

    • Zechariah 1:16

      Therefore this is what the LORD says: ‘I will return to Jerusalem with mercy, and there My house will be rebuilt, declares the LORD of Hosts, and a measuring line will be stretched out…

    • Ezekiel 40:5

      And I saw a wall surrounding the temple area. Now the length of the measuring rod in the man’s hand was six long cubits (each measuring a cubit and a handbreadth), and he measured…

    • Revelation 11:1

      Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff and was told, “Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count the number of worshipers there.

    • Ezekiel 47:4

      Then he measured off a thousand cubits and led me through knee-deep water. Again he measured a thousand cubits and led me through waist-deep water.

Where this verse is studied

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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 21 →
This page draws on 15 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); Albert Barnes, Notes on the New Testament; Alcuin of York, QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS MANUAL ON REVELATION; Andreas of Caesarea, COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 21:15; Apringius of Beja, TRACTATE ON THE APOCALYPSE 21:15; Bede, Commentary on Revelation; Caesarius of Arles, EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 21:15, HOMILY 19; 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; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, Commentary on Revelation and Primasius of Hadrumetum, COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 21:15-16.

Read on in Revelation 21 →