Revelation 21 · Verse 13

Revelation 21:13

On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.

Revelation 21:13, King James Version

Revelation 21:13 in other translations

BSB	There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south, and three on the west.
WEB	On the east were three gates, and on the north three gates, and on the south three gates, and on the west three gates.
ASV	on the east were three gates; and on the north three gates; and on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.
YLT	at the east three gates, at the north three gates, at the south three gates, at the west three gates;
DARBY	On the east three gates; and on the north three gates; and on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.
BBE	And on the east were three doors; and on the north three doors; and on the south three doors; and on the west three doors.
Webster	On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.

What does Revelation 21:13 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

13. On the north ... on the south--A, B, Vulgate, Syriac, and Coptic read, "And on the north and on the south." In Ezekiel, Joseph, Benjamin, Dan (for which Manasseh is substituted in Re 7:6), are on the east (Eze 48:32); Reuben, Judah, Levi, are on the north (Eze 48:31); Simeon, Issachar, Zebulun, on the south (Eze 48:33); Gad, Asher, Naphtali, on the west (Eze 48:34). In Numbers, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun are on the east (Nu 2:3, 5, 7). Reuben, Simeon, Gad, on the south (Nu 2:10, 12, 14). Ephraim, Manasseh, Benjamin, on the west (Nu 2:18, 20, 22). Dan, Asher, Naphtali, on the north (Nu 2:25, 27, 29).

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

Barnes' Notes

Verse 13. On the east three gates, etc. The city was square, (Rev 21:16,) and the same number of gates is assigned to each quarter. There does not appear to be any special significancy in this fact, unless it be to denote that there is access to this city from all quarters of the world, and that they who dwell there will have come from each of the great divisions of the earth; that is, from every land.

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 13 On the east three gates - The city is here represented as standing to the four cardinal points of heaven, and presenting one side to each of these points.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Revelation 21:9-21

God has various employments for his holy angels. Sometimes they sound the trumpet of Divine Providence, and warn a careless world; sometimes they discover things of a heavenly nature of the heirs of salvation. Those who would have clear views of heaven, must get as near to heaven as they can, on the mount of meditation and faith. The subject of the vision is the church of God in a perfect, triumphant state, shining…

Read the full comment on Revelation 21:9-21 →

Revelation 21:13 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.

ἀπὸapoOnG575

ἀνατολῆςanatolēs[the] eastG395

πυλῶνεςpulōnes[were] gatesG4440

τρεῖς,treisthree,G5140

ἀπὸapoonG575

βορρᾶborra[the] northG1005

πυλῶνεςpulōnesgatesG4440

τρεῖς,treisthree,G5140

ἀπὸapoonG575

νότουnotou[the] southG3558

πυλῶνεςpulōnesgatesG4440

τρεῖς,treisthree,G5140

καὶkaiandG2532

ἀπὸapoonG575

δυσμῶνdusmōn[the] westG1424

πυλῶνεςpulōnesgatesG4440

τρεῖς.treisthree.G5140

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

Cross references for Revelation 21:13

Ezekiel 48:31-34
And the gates of the city shall be after the names of the tribes of Israel: three gates northward; one gate of Reuben, one gate of Judah, one gate of Levi. And at the east side four thousand and five hundred: and three gates; and one gate of Joseph, one gate of Benjamin, one gate of Dan. And at the south side four thousand and five hundred measures: and three gates; one gate of Simeon, one gate of Issachar, one gate of Zebulun. At the west side four thousand and five hundred, with their three gates; one gate of Gad, one gate of Asher, one gate of Naphtali.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Eze 48:31-34

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

Context

Revelation 21:12
And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:
Revelation 21:13
On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.
Revelation 21:14
And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

Read all of Revelation 21

Revelation 21:13 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Al oriente tres puertas; al norte tres puertas; al mediodía tres puertas; al poniente tres puertas.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	à l’orient, trois portes; et au nord, trois portes; et au midi, trois portes; et à l’occident, trois portes.
German Elberfelder 1871	Nach Osten drei Tore, und nach Norden drei Tore, und nach Süden drei Tore, und nach Westen drei Tore.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	ab oriente portæ tres, et ab aquilone portæ tres, et ab austro portæ tres, et ab occasu portæ tres.