Revelation 19 · Verse 12

Revelation 19:12

His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.

Revelation 19:12, King James Version

Revelation 19:12 in other translations

BSB	He has eyes like blazing fire, and many royal crowns on His head. He has a name written on Him that only He Himself knows.
WEB	His eyes are a flame of fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has names written and a name written which no one knows but he himself.
ASV	And his eyes are a flame of fire, and upon his head are many diadems; and he hath a name written which no one knoweth but he himself.
YLT	and his eyes are as a flame of fire, and upon his head are many diadems--having a name written that no one hath known, except himself,
DARBY	And his eyes are a flame of fire, and upon his head many diadems, having a name written which no one knows but himself;
BBE	And his eyes are a flame of fire, and crowns are on his head; and he has a name in writing, of which no man has knowledge but himself.
Webster	His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.

What does Revelation 19:12 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

12. Identifying Him with the Son of man similarly described, Re 1:14. many crowns--Greek, "diadems": not merely (Greek, "stephanoi") garlands of victory, but royal crowns, as King of kings. Christ's diadem comprises all the diadems of the earth and of heavenly powers too. Contrast the papal tiara composed of three diadems. Compare also the little horn (Antichrist) that overcomes the three horns or kingdoms, Da 7:8, 24 (Quære, the Papacy? or some three kingdoms that succeed the papacy, which itself, as a temporal kingdom, was made up at first of three kingdoms, the exarchate of Ravenna, the kingdom of the Lombards, and the state of Rome, obtained by Pope Zachary and Stephen II from Pepin, the usurper of the French dominion). Also, the seven crowns (diadems) on the seven heads of the dragon (Re 12:3), and ten diadems on the ten heads of the beast. These usurpers claim the diadems which belong to Christ alone. he had a name written--B and Syriac insert, "He had names written, and a name written," &c., meaning that the names of the dominion which each diadem indicated were written on them severally. But A, Vulgate, Origen, and Cyprian omits the words, as English Version. name ... that no man knew but ... himself--(Jud 13:18; 1Co 2:9, 11; 1Jo 3:2). The same is said of the "new name" of believers. In this, as in all other respects, the disciple is made like his Lord. The Lord's own "new name" is to be theirs, and to be "in their foreheads"; whence we may infer that His as yet unknown name also is written on His forehead; as the high priest had "Holiness to the Lord" inscribed on the miter on his brow. John saw it as "written," but knew not its meaning. It is, therefore, a name which in all its glorious significancy can be only understood when the union of His saints with Him, and His and their joint triumph and reign, shall be perfectly manifested at the final consummation.

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

Barnes' Notes

Verse 12. His eyes were as a flame of fire. Rev 1:14.

And on his head were many crowns. Many diadems, indicative of his universal reign. It is not said how these were worn or arranged on his head--perhaps the various diadems worn by kings were in some way wreathed into one.

And he had a name written. That is, probably on the frontlet of this compound diadem. Compare Rev 13:1; Rev 14:1.

That no man knew but he himself. Rev 2:17. This cannot here mean that no one could read the name, but the idea is, that no one but himself could fully understand its import. It involved a depth of meaning, and a degree of sacredness, and a relation to the Father, which he alone could apprehend in its true import. This is true of the name here designated--"the word of God"--the Logos--λογος; and it is true of all the names which he bears. See Mt 11:27. Compare a quotation from Dr. Buchanan in the Asiatic Researches, vol. i., vi. p. 264, as quoted by Rosenmuller, Morgenland, in loc.

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 12 His eyes were as a flame of fire - To denote the piercing and all-penetrating nature of his wisdom. On his head were many crowns - To denote the multitude of his conquests, and the extent of his dominion. A name written, that no man knew - This is a reference to what the rabbins call the shem hammephorash, or tetragrammaton, יהוה Yhvh; or what we call Jehovah. This name the Jews never attempt to pronounce: when they meet with it in the Bible, they read אדני Adonai for it; but, to a man, they all declare that no man can pronounce it; and that the true pronunciation has been lost, at least since the Babylonish captivity; and that God alone knows its true interpretation and pronunciation. This, therefore, is the name which no man knew but he himself.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Revelation 19:11-21

Christ, the glorious Head of the church, is described as on a white horse, the emblem of justice and holiness. He has many crowns, for he is King of kings, and Lord of lords. He is arrayed in a vesture dipped in his own blood, by which he purchased his power as Mediator; and in the blood of his enemies, over whom he always prevails. His name is "The Word of God;" a name none fully knows but himself; only this we…

Read the full comment on Revelation 19:11-21 →

Revelation 19:12 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.

οἱhoi<the>G3588

δὲdeAndG1161

ὀφθαλμοὶophthalmoithe eyesG3788

αὐτοῦautouof HimG846

ὡςhōs[are] likeG5613

φλὸξphloxa flameG5395

πυρὸςpurosof fireG4442

καὶkaiandG2532

ἐπὶepiuponG1909

τὴνtēntheG3588

κεφαλὴνkephalēnheadG2776

αὐτοῦautouof HimG846

διαδήματαdiadēmataroyal crownsG1238

πολλὰpollamanyG4183

ἔχωνechōnhavingG2192

ὄνομαonomaa nameG3686

γεγραμμένονgegrammenonwrittenG1125

ὃhowhichG3739

οὐδεὶςoudeisno [one]G3762

οἶδενoidenknows

εἰeionlyG1487

μὴmēexceptG3361

αὐτὸςautosHe HimselfG846

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

Cross references for Revelation 19:12

Revelation 19:16
And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
Luke 10:22
All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him.
Matthew 11:27
All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.
Revelation 2:17-18
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it. And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass;
Revelation 1:14
His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;
Matthew 28:18
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Revelation 3:12
Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.
Isaiah 9:6
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Psalms 8:5
For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.
Hebrews 2:9
But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
Zechariah 9:16
And the Lord their God shall save them in that day as the flock of his people: for they shall be as the stones of a crown, lifted up as an ensign upon his land.
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.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

eyes.
1:14; 2:18
on his.
6:2; 12:3; 13:1; Ps 8:5; So 3:11; Isa 62:3; Zec 9:16; Mt 21:5; 28:18
Heb 2:9
a name.
16; 2:17; 3:12; Ge 32:29; Ex 23:21; Jud 13:18; Isa 9:6; Mt 11:27
Lu 10:22

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

Context

Revelation 19:11
And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
Revelation 19:12
His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
Revelation 19:13
And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.

Read all of Revelation 19

Revelation 19:12 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Y sus ojos eran como llama de fuego, y había en su cabeza muchas diademas; y tenía un nombre escrito que ninguno entendía sino él mismo.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Et ses yeux sont une flamme de feu; et sur sa tête il y a plusieurs diadèmes; et il porte un nom écrit que nul ne connaît que lui seul;
German Elberfelder 1871	Seine Augen aber sind eine Feuerflamme, und auf seinem Haupte sind viele Diademe, und er trägt einen Namen geschrieben, den niemand kennt, als nur er selbst;
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Oculi autem ejus sicut flamma ignis, et in capite ejus diademata multa, habens nomen scriptum, quod nemo novit nisi ipse.