Revelation 13:10 Meaning and Explanation
“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.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →What the beast metes out will return upon it, and in the meantime the saints are called to patient endurance and faith.
What Does Revelation 13:10 Mean?
A proverb of just recompense is spoken: those who lead into captivity will be led into captivity, and those who kill with the sword will fall by the sword. The measure that the persecuting power uses will be measured back to it. The verse closes by naming the response this calls for: Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.
The point is not personal revenge but the certainty that God's justice will not fail; the oppressor's violence rebounds in the end. Until that day, the holy ones are not told to take up the sword but to endure. Their calling is patience and faith, a steadfast trust that leaves judgment in God's hands. The reader is shaped toward the hard, quiet strength of those who wait on the Lord rather than repay evil for evil.
Revelation 13:10 in the Original Language
hupomone (ὑπομονή), 'patience' -- steadfast endurance that holds firm under pressure without giving way.
Frequently Asked Questions About Revelation 13:10
What does Revelation 13:10 mean?
What the beast metes out will return upon it, and in the meantime the saints are called to patient endurance and faith.