Revelation 13 10

Revelation 13:10 kjv

He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

Revelation 13:10 nkjv

He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

Revelation 13:10 niv

"If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity they will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword they will be killed." This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God's people.

Revelation 13:10 esv

If anyone is to be taken captive, to captivity he goes; if anyone is to be slain with the sword, with the sword must he be slain. Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.

Revelation 13:10 nlt

Anyone who is destined for prison
will be taken to prison.
Anyone destined to die by the sword
will die by the sword.
This means that God's holy people must endure persecution patiently and remain faithful.

Revelation 13 verses

Revelation 13 10 meaning

Revelation 13:10 declares a profound truth about suffering and divine justice within the tribulation, especially for God's people under the power of the Beast. The verse presents an inescapable reality for some believers—that they are destined for captivity or death by the sword. This suffering is not arbitrary but divinely ordained or permitted. In the face of such severe persecution, the verse asserts that true believers are called to respond not with resistance by worldly means, but with steadfast patient endurance and unwavering faithfulness to God and Christ, trusting in God's sovereign control and ultimate justice. This call implies that believers are to accept God’s will, even when it involves suffering, understanding that divine justice will prevail, and those who persecute will face their own inevitable judgment, echoing the principle of divine retribution.

Revelation 13 10 Context

Revelation chapter 13 introduces two beasts, symbolic representations of antichristian powers in the end times. The first Beast, rising from the sea, embodies political power and represents the Roman Empire in John’s day, but also universal political systems that defy God and persecute His people (Rev 13:1-8). It demands worship and wages war against the saints, conquering them (Rev 13:7). The second Beast, rising from the earth (Rev 13:11-17), acts as its propagandist, forcing worship of the first Beast and controlling economic life through the "mark of the Beast."Within this chilling portrayal of intense satanic-inspired persecution and deception, Revelation 13:10 serves as a pivotal interpretive statement and a direct admonition to the persecuted Church. It stands as a sober reminder of the inevitable suffering that some believers will face at the hands of these powers, juxtaposed with the foundational virtues required for Christians to remain faithful in the face of such tribulation. The historical context for John’s audience was one of Roman imperial cult worship and sporadic but intense persecution under emperors like Domitian, where loyalty to Christ could literally cost one their life or freedom.

Revelation 13 10 Word analysis

• If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity they will go. (εἰς αἰχμαλωσίαν εἰς αἰχμαλωσίαν ὑπάγει – eis aichmalōsian eis aichmalōsian hypagei):
  • αἰχμαλωσίαν (aichmalōsian): "captivity," "exile," or "imprisonment." This word strongly evokes images of forced relocation or subjugation, commonly seen in Old Testament accounts of Israel's punishment or exile (e.g., Jer 15:2). It signifies a loss of freedom and control, often involving suffering.
  • ὑπάγει (hypagei): "he goes," "he departs." Used here, it conveys inevitability—a preordained destiny or consequence. The repetition of "into captivity" emphasizes its certainty and serves as a stark decree of what will transpire.
  • Phrase meaning: This is a solemn declaration of divine decree concerning the unavoidable suffering some of God's people will endure, facing capture or imprisonment. It also contains an echo of a "lex talionis" (law of retaliation) principle that those who lead into captivity will themselves go into captivity, a judgment later fulfilled on the Beast and its followers in Revelation (cf. Rev 18:6).
• If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword they must be killed. (ἐν μαχαίρῃ ἐν μαχαίρῃ ἀποκτανθῆναι αὐτὸν δεῖ – en machairē en machairē apoktanthēnai auton dei):
  • μαχαίρῃ (machairē): "sword." This term symbolizes violent death, execution, or warfare. It directly refers to the instrument of persecution and the Roman imperial power’s authority to execute.
  • ἀποκτανθῆναι (apoktanthēnai): "to be killed," "to be slain." This passive infinitive emphasizes that the death is inflicted upon them by an outside agent.
  • δεῖ (dei): "it is necessary," "it must be." This Greek word denotes divine compulsion, necessity, or an unalterable divine purpose. It signifies that this outcome is decreed by God's sovereign will, allowing for the tribulation to refine His people and for His justice to unfold.
  • Phrase meaning: This part mirrors the first, foretelling that some believers will face martyrdom. Again, it underlines an inevitable divine necessity and subtly hints at divine justice—those who kill with the sword will ultimately be killed by it (cf. Mt 26:52, a principle of poetic justice and divine judgment).
• This calls for patient endurance (ὧδε ἡ ὑπομονὴ – hōde hē hypomonē):
  • ὧδε (hōde): "here," "in this case," "this is where." It marks a turning point or conclusion, indicating that the preceding truths necessitate what follows. It points to the core requirement.
  • ὑπομονὴ (hypomonē): "patient endurance," "perseverance," "steadfastness," "fortitude." This is not passive resignation but active and steadfast continuance under difficulty, suffering, or pressure without yielding. It is the ability to bear up nobly, persisting in faith despite tribulations. This word appears frequently in Revelation (1:9, 2:2, 2:19, 3:10, 14:12), highlighting its importance for Christians facing the Beast’s hostility.
  • Phrase meaning: In light of the inevitable suffering and death that God’s people may face, this is the appropriate and commanded response. It requires active perseverance and refusal to compromise their faith.
• and faithfulness (καὶ ἡ πίστις – kai hē pistis):
  • πίστις (pistis): "faith," "trust," "loyalty," "fidelity." It encompasses belief in God and Christ, trustworthiness, and unwavering allegiance, especially crucial when temptations to compromise or abandon one’s faith are immense. In this context, it is steadfast loyalty even unto death.
  • Phrase meaning: Alongside patient endurance, believers must maintain their firm trust in God and unwavering loyalty to Christ, resisting the Beast's demands and false worship. It is the active living out of one's conviction.
• on the part of God’s people. (τῶν ἁγίων – tōn hagiōn):
  • ἁγίων (hagiōn): "saints," "holy ones." This term refers to believers in Christ who are set apart for God and consecrated to Him, reflecting their new nature in Christ and their call to a holy life. They are God’s chosen ones, even amidst their earthly struggles.
  • Phrase meaning: The call to patient endurance and faithfulness is specifically directed to Christians, God's chosen and consecrated people, distinguishing them from the world and highlighting their distinct calling and destiny.

Revelation 13 10 Bonus section

This verse serves as a crucial theological boundary, instructing believers on the nature of their fight against overwhelming evil: it is a spiritual battle requiring spiritual virtues, not a worldly one to be fought with worldly weapons. It provides a prophetic lens, framing the inevitable suffering of some of God’s people within a divine decree that validates their witness and ensures ultimate justice for their persecutors. It implies that resistance to the Beast’s system is primarily expressed through unyielding faithfulness and unwavering endurance, not physical rebellion, transforming what might seem like defeat into a spiritual victory and a powerful testimony. This aligns with Christ's own path of suffering and victory through faithful obedience (Heb 12:2).

Revelation 13 10 Commentary

Revelation 13:10 stands as a crucial interpretive pivot in the apocalyptic narrative. Following the description of the Beast's authority to wage war and conquer the saints (Rev 13:7), this verse confronts believers with the sobering reality that some will indeed face literal captivity or martyrdom. This suffering is presented not as a random occurrence but as an unavoidable, perhaps even divinely ordained or permitted, part of God’s larger plan (indicated by "dei"). It reassures the persecuted by implicitly teaching that God is in sovereign control even amidst overwhelming evil.

Crucially, the verse pivots from describing the external threats to defining the required internal response of believers. Instead of calling for armed resistance or flight (though prudent withdrawal might be an option, some are divinely appointed to endure captivity or death), the call is for "patient endurance" and "faithfulness." Patient endurance (hypomonē) is active steadfastness under pressure, while faithfulness (pistis) is unwavering loyalty to Christ and unwavering trust in God, even unto death. This highlights that the ultimate victory for the saints is not found in military triumph but in persevering allegiance to Jesus. The verse simultaneously acts as a profound statement of divine retribution—a subtle yet clear implication, reinforced elsewhere in Revelation (Rev 16:6, 18:6), that the same violence and subjugation inflicted by the Beast and its followers will ultimately be meted out to them by God's justice. The verse thus encourages the saints to remain steadfast, knowing that God's justice is sure, even if delayed, and their steadfastness is their true witness.