Revelation 13 · Verse 4

Revelation 13:4

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?

Revelation 13:4, King James Version

Revelation 13:4 in other translations

BSB	They 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?”
WEB	They worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”
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?
YLT	and they did bow before the dragon who did give authority to the beast, and they did bow before the beast, saying, ‘Who is like to the beast? who is able to war with it?'
DARBY	And they did homage to the dragon, because he gave the authority to the beast; and they did homage to the beast, saying, Who is like to the beast? and who can make war with it?
BBE	And they gave worship to the dragon, because he gave authority to the beast; and worshipping the beast, they said, Who is like the beast? and who is able to go to war with him?
Webster	And they worshiped the dragon which gave power to the beast: and they worshiped the beast, saying, Who is like the beast? who is able to make war with him?

What does Revelation 13:4 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

4. 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); Psa 35:10; 71:19; 113:5; Mi 7:18; blasphemously (Re 13:1, 5) assigned to the beast. It is a parody of the name "Michael" (compare Re 12:7), meaning, "Who is like unto God?"

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes

Verse 4. And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast. Rev 12:3; Rev 13:2. That is, they in fact worshipped him. The word worship--τροσκυνεω--is not always, however, used in a religious sense. It means, properly, to kiss; to kiss towards any one; that is, to kiss his own hand and to extend it towards a person, in token of respect and homage.-- Rob. Lex. 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. Mt 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 any one 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 any one 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 fulfilment of this, 2Thes 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 honours 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. It was the policy of rulers and princes in those times to augment in every way possible the respect in which they were held; to maintain that they were the vicegerents of heaven; to claim for themselves sacredness of character and of person; and to secure from the people a degree of reverence which was in fact idolatrous. Never was this more marked than in the times when the Papacy had the ascendency, for it was its policy to promote reverence for the power that sustained itself, and to secure for itself the idolatrous veneration of the people.

Who is able to make war with him? That is, he is invincible. They thus attributed to him omnipotence--an attribute belonging only to God. This found a fulfilment in the honour shown to the civil authority which sustained the Papacy; for the policy was to impress the public mind with the belief that that power was invincible. In fact, it was so regarded. Nothing was able to resist that absolute despotism; and the authority of princes and rulers that were allied with the Papal rule was of the most absolute kind, and the subjugation of the world was complete. There was no civil, as there was no-religious liberty; and the whole arrangement was so ordered as to subdue the world to an absolute and uncontrollable power.

(b) "who is able" Rev 17:14

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 4 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. The manner in which it is worshipped consists in the subjects of it: - Saying, Who is like unto the beast? - Is it not the only holy power in the universe? Is it possible for any person not a subject of it to be saved? Who is able to make war with him? - Can any nation successfully fight with it? Is not the Roman empire, which is its principal bulwark, invictissimum, most invincible? Invictissimus, most invincible, was the peculiar attribute of the emperors of Germany. See modern Universal History, vol. xxxii., p. 197.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Revelation 13:1-10

Chapter Outline A wild beast rises out of the sea, to whom the dragon gives his power. (1-10) Another beast, which has two horns like a lamb, but speaks as a dragon. (11-15) It obliges all to worship its image, and receive its mark, as persons devoted to it. (16-18) Verses 1-10 The apostle, standing on the shore, saw a savage beast rise out of the sea; a tyrannical, idolatrous, persecuting power, springing up out of…

Read the full comment on Revelation 13:1-10 →

Revelation 13:4 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

καὶkaiAndG2532

προσεκύνησανprosekunēsanthey worshipedG4352

τῷtōtheG3588

δράκοντιdrakontidragonG1404

ὅτιhotithatG3754

ἔδωκενedōkengaveG1325

τὴνtēn<the>G3588

ἐξουσίανexousianauthorityG1849

τῷtōto theG3588

θηρίῳthēriōbeastG2342

καὶkaiandG2532

προσεκύνησανprosekunēsanthey worshipedG4352

τῷtōtheG3588

θηρίῳthēriōbeastG2342

λέγοντες·legontessaying;G3004

τίςtisWhoG5101

ὅμοιοςhomoios[is] likeG3664

τῷtōas theG3588

θηρίῳthēriōbeastG2342

τίςtiswhoG5101

δύναταιdunataiis ableG1410

πολεμῆσαιpolemēsaito make warG4170

μετ᾽met᾽againstG3326

αὐτοῦ;autouit?G846

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Revelation 13:4

Revelation 13:2
And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.
Revelation 18:18
And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!
Revelation 13:12-13
And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
Revelation 12:3
And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.
Revelation 13:15
And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
Exodus 15:11
Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?
2 Thessalonians 2:4
Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
Daniel 11:36-37
And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done. Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.
2 Corinthians 4:4
In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
Revelation 9:20
And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:
Revelation 17:14
These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
1 Corinthians 10:20-22
But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils. Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

And they.
2; 9:20; Ps 106:37,38; 1Co 10:20-22; 2Co 4:4
and they.
12,13,15; Da 11:36,37; 2Th 2:4
Who is like.
18:18
who is able.
17:14; De 9:2; 1Sa 17:24

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Revelation 13:3
And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.
Revelation 13:4
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?
Revelation 13:5
And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.

Read all of Revelation 13

Revelation 13:4 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Y adoraron al dragón que había dado la potestad á la bestia, y adoraron á la bestia, diciendo: ¿Quién es semejante á la bestia, y quién podrá lidiar con ella?
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Et ils rendirent hommage au dragon, parce qu’il avait donné le pouvoir à la bête; et ils rendirent hommage à la bête, disant: Qui est semblable à la bête, et qui peut combattre contre elle?
German Elberfelder 1871	Und sie beteten den Drachen an, weil er dem Tiere die Gewalt gab, und sie beteten das Tier an und sagten: Wer ist dem Tiere gleich? Und wer vermag mit ihm zu kämpfen?
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Et adoraverunt draconem, qui dedit potestatem bestiæ: et adoraverunt bestiam, dicentes: Quis similis bestiæ? et quis poterit pugnare cum ea?