Revelation 13 · Verse 6

Revelation 13:6

And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.
Revelation 13:6, King James Version

Revelation 13:6 in other translations

BSBAnd the beast opened its mouth to speak blasphemies against God and to slander His name and His tabernacle—those who dwell in heaven.
WEBHe opened his mouth for blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, his dwelling, and those who dwell in heaven.
ASVAnd he opened his mouth for blasphemies against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, even them that dwell in the heaven.
YLTand it did open its mouth for evil-speaking toward God, to speak evil of His name, and of His tabernacle, and of those who in the heaven tabernacle,
DARBYAnd it opened its mouth for blasphemies against God, to blaspheme his name and his tabernacle, and those who have their tabernacle in the heaven.
BBEAnd his mouth was open to say evil against God, and against his name and his Tent, even against those who are in heaven.
WebsterAnd he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.

What does Revelation 13:6 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
6. opened ... mouth--The usual formula in the case of a set speech, or series of speeches. Re 13:6, 7 expand Re 13:5. blasphemy--So B and Andreas. A and C read "blasphemies." and them--So Vulgate, Coptic, Andreas, and Primasius read. A and C omit "and": "them that dwell (literally, 'tabernacle') in heaven," mean not only angels and the departed souls of the righteous, but believers on earth who have their citizenship in heaven, and whose true life is hidden from the Antichristian persecutor in the secret of God's tabernacle. See on Re 12:12; Joh 3:7.

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

Barnes' Notes
Verse 6. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name. By his own arrogant claims; by his assumed authority in matters of conscience; by setting aside the Divine authority; and by impious declarations in derogation of the Divine claims. Rev 13:1.

And his tabernacle. Literally, "his tent"--σκηνην. This is the word which is commonly applied to the sacred tent or tabernacle among the Hebrews, in which the ark was kept, and which was the seat of the Jewish worship before the building of the temple. It is thus used to denote a place of worship, considered as the dwelling-place of God, and is in this sense applied to heaven, Heb 8:2, 9:11, Rev 15:5. It seems to be used here in a general sense to denote the place where God was worshipped; and the meaning is, that there would be a course of conduct in regard to the true church--the dwelling-place of God on the earth--which could properly be regarded as blasphemy. Let any one remember the anathemas and excommunications uttered against the Waldenses and Albigenses, and those of kindred spirit that appeared in the long period of the Papal rule, and he will find no difficulty in perceiving a complete fulfilment of all that is here said.

And them that dwell in heaven. The true worshippers; the members of the true church, represented as dwelling in this holy tabernacle. No one acquainted with the reproaches cast on the devoted and sincere followers of the Saviour, during the dark periods of the Papal rule, can fail to see that there was, in that, a complete fulfilment of all that is here predicted.

(c) "tabernacle" Col 2:9, Heb 9:11,24 (d) "that dwell" Heb 12:22,23

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name - The Latin empire is here represented as a blasphemous power in three respects. First, he blasphemes the name of God. This has been most notoriously the case with the different popish princes, who continually blaspheme the sacred names of God by using them in their idolatrous worship. The mouth of blasphemy against God cannot be more evident than in the following impious words which form a part of the Golden Bull published by Charles IV. in January, 1356: "But thou, envy, how often hast thou attempted to ruin by division the Christian empire, which God hath founded upon the three cardinal virtues, faith, hope, and charity, as upon a holy and indivisible Trinity, vomiting the old venom of discord among the seven electors, who are the pillars and seven principal members of the holy empire; by the brightness of whom the holy empire ought to be illuminated as by seven torches, the light of which is reinforced by the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit!" And his tabernacle - Tabernacle is any kind of dwelling place, and in an eminent sense among the Jews was a kind of tent to take up and down as occasion required, which was as it were the palace of the Most High, the dwelling of the God of Israel. It was divided into two partitions, one called the holy place, and the other the most holy place, in the latter of which, before the building of the temple, the ark of the covenant was kept, which was a symbol of God's gracious presence with the Jewish Church. All this the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews, in the eighth and ninth chapters, explains to prefigure the human nature of Christ. The beast's blasphemy of the tabernacle of God is, therefore, as Dr. More and others properly observe, his impious doctrine of transubstantiation, in which it is most blasphemously asserted that the substance of the bread and wine in the sacrament is literally converted by the consecration of the priest, into the very body and blood of Jesus Christ! This doctrine was first advanced among the Latins in the tenth century; and in 1215, fully received as an article of the Roman Catholic faith. It is for the pages of ecclesiastical history to record the incredible numbers which have been martyred by the papists for their non-reception of this most unscriptural and antichristian doctrine. And them that dwell in heaven - By heaven is here meant the throne of God, and not the throne of the beast, because it is against God the beast blasphemes. This must therefore allude to his impious adoration of the saints and angels, whose residence is in heaven. He blasphemes against God by paying that adoration to the celestial inhabitants which belongs to God alone. That this sort of worship has been and still is kept up among the Roman Catholics, their mass book is a sufficient evidence.

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 13:6 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
ἤνοιξενēnoixenit openedG455
τὸtotheG3588
στόμαstomamouthG4750
αὐτοῦautouof itG846
εἰςeisuntoG1519
βλασφημίαςblasphēmiasblasphemiesG988
πρὸςprosagainstG4314
τὸνton<the>G3588
θεὸνtheonGodG2316
βλασφημῆσαιblasphēmēsaito blasphemeG987
τὸtotheG3588
ὄνομαonomanameG3686
αὐτοῦautouof HimG846
καὶkaiandG2532
τὴνtēntheG3588
σκηνὴνskēnēntabernacleG4633
αὐτοῦ,autouof Him,G846
τοὺςtousthoseG3588
ἐνeninG1722
τῷtō<the>G3588
οὐρανῷouranōheavenG3772
σκηνοῦντας.skēnountasdwelling.G4637

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

Cross references for Revelation 13:6

  • Revelation 12:12

    Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

  • Matthew 15:19

    For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:

  • Hebrews 9:24

    For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:

  • Matthew 12:34

    O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

  • Revelation 19:1-6

    And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God: For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia. …

  • Hebrews 12:22-23

    But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,

  • Revelation 21:3

    And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

  • Revelation 5:13

    And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.

  • Revelation 11:12

    And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.

  • Revelation 18:20

    Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.

  • Hebrews 9:11-12

    But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

  • Revelation 4:4

    And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
he opened.
Job 3:1; Mt 12:34; 15:19; Ro 3:13
and his.
21:3; Joh 1:14; *Gr:
Col 1:19; 2:9; Heb 9:2,11,12,24
and them.
4:1,4; 5:13; 7:9; 11:12; 12:12; 18:20; 19:1-6; Heb 12:22,23

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

Context

  • 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.

  • Revelation 13:6

    And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.

  • Revelation 13:7

    And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

Read all of Revelation 13

Revelation 13:6 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y abrió su boca en blasfemias contra Dios, para blasfemar su nombre, y su tabernáculo, y á los que moran en el cielo.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et elle ouvrit sa bouche en blasphèmes contre Dieu, pour blasphémer son nom, et son habitation, et ceux qui habitent dans le ciel.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und es öffnete seinen Mund zu Lästerungen wider Gott, seinen Namen zu lästern und seine Hütte und die, welche ihre Hütte in dem Himmel haben.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et aperuit os suum in blasphemias ad Deum, blasphemare nomen ejus, et tabernaculum ejus, et eos qui in cælo habitant.