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Revelation 21

Rev. 21:12 KJV (With Strong’s)

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12
And
ho (Greek #3588)
the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)
KJV usage: the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.
Pronounce: ho
Origin: ἡ (hay), and the neuter τό (to) in all their inflections
te (Greek #5037)
both or also (properly, as correlation of 2532)
KJV usage: also, and, both, even, then, whether. Often used in composition, usually as the latter participle.
Pronounce: teh
Origin: a primary particle (enclitic) of connection or addition
had
echo (Greek #2192)
(used in certain tenses only) a primary verb; to hold (used in very various applications, literally or figuratively, direct or remote; such as possession; ability, contiuity, relation, or condition)
KJV usage: be (able, X hold, possessed with), accompany, + begin to amend, can(+ -not), X conceive, count, diseased, do + eat, + enjoy, + fear, following, have, hold, keep, + lack, + go to law, lie, + must needs, + of necessity, + need, next, + recover, + reign, + rest, + return, X sick, take for, + tremble, + uncircumcised, use.
Pronounce: ekh'-o
Origin: σχέω (skheh'-o)
a wall
teichos (Greek #5038)
a wall (as formative of a house)
KJV usage: wall.
Pronounce: ti'-khos
Origin: akin to the base of 5088
great
megas (Greek #3173)
big (literally or figuratively, in a very wide application)
KJV usage: (+ fear) exceedingly, great(-est), high, large, loud, mighty, + (be) sore (afraid), strong, X to years.
Pronounce: meg'-as
Origin: (including the prolonged forms, feminine μεγάλη, plural μεγάλοι, etc.; compare also 3176, 3187)
and
kai (Greek #2532)
and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words
KJV usage: and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.
Pronounce: kahee
Origin: apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force
high
hupselos (Greek #5308)
lofty (in place or character)
KJV usage: high(-er, -ly) (esteemed).
Pronounce: hoop-say-los'
Origin: from 5311
, and had
echo (Greek #2192)
(used in certain tenses only) a primary verb; to hold (used in very various applications, literally or figuratively, direct or remote; such as possession; ability, contiuity, relation, or condition)
KJV usage: be (able, X hold, possessed with), accompany, + begin to amend, can(+ -not), X conceive, count, diseased, do + eat, + enjoy, + fear, following, have, hold, keep, + lack, + go to law, lie, + must needs, + of necessity, + need, next, + recover, + reign, + rest, + return, X sick, take for, + tremble, + uncircumcised, use.
Pronounce: ekh'-o
Origin: σχέω (skheh'-o)
twelve
dodeka (Greek #1427)
two and ten, i.e. a dozen
KJV usage: twelve.
Pronounce: do'-dek-ah
Origin: from 1417 and 1176
gates
pulon (Greek #4440)
a gate-way, door-way of a building or city; by implication, a portal or vestibule
KJV usage: gate, porch.
Pronounce: poo-lone'
Origin: from 4439
t, and
kai (Greek #2532)
and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words
KJV usage: and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.
Pronounce: kahee
Origin: apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force
at
epi (Greek #1909)
properly, meaning superimposition (of time, place, order, etc.), as a relation of distribution (with the genitive case), i.e. over, upon, etc.; of rest (with the dative case) at, on, etc.; of direction (with the accusative case) towards, upon, etc.
KJV usage: about (the times), above, after, against, among, as long as (touching), at, beside, X have charge of, (be-, (where-))fore, in (a place, as much as, the time of, -to), (because) of, (up-)on (behalf of), over, (by, for) the space of, through(-out), (un-)to(-ward), with. In compounds it retains essentially the same import, at, upon, etc. (literally or figuratively).
Pronounce: ep-ee'
Origin: a primary preposition
the gates
ho (Greek #3588)
the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)
KJV usage: the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.
Pronounce: ho
Origin: ἡ (hay), and the neuter τό (to) in all their inflections
pulon (Greek #4440)
a gate-way, door-way of a building or city; by implication, a portal or vestibule
KJV usage: gate, porch.
Pronounce: poo-lone'
Origin: from 4439
twelve
dodeka (Greek #1427)
two and ten, i.e. a dozen
KJV usage: twelve.
Pronounce: do'-dek-ah
Origin: from 1417 and 1176
angels
aggelos (Greek #32)
a messenger; especially an "angel"; by implication, a pastor
KJV usage: angel, messenger.
Pronounce: ang'-el-os
Origin: from ἀγγέλλω (probably derived from 71; compare 34) (to bring tidings)
, and
kai (Greek #2532)
and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words
KJV usage: and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.
Pronounce: kahee
Origin: apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force
names
onoma (Greek #3686)
a "name" (literally or figuratively) (authority, character)
KJV usage: called, (+ sur-)name(-d).
Pronounce: on'-om-ah
Origin: from a presumed derivative of the base of 1097 (compare 3685)
written thereon
epigrapho (Greek #1924)
to inscribe (physically or mentally)
KJV usage: inscription, write in (over, thereon).
Pronounce: ep-ee-graf'-o
Origin: from 1909 and 1125
, which
hos (Greek #3739)
the relatively (sometimes demonstrative) pronoun, who, which, what, that
KJV usage: one, (an-, the) other, some, that, what, which, who(-m, -se), etc. See also 3757.
Pronounce: hos
Origin: ἥ (hay), and neuter ὅ (ho) probably a primary word (or perhaps a form of the article 3588)
are
esti (Greek #2076)
he (she or it) is; also (with neuter plural) they are
KJV usage: are, be(-long), call, X can(-not), come, consisteth, X dure for a while, + follow, X have, (that) is (to say), make, meaneth, X must needs, + profit, + remaineth, + wrestle.
Pronounce: es-tee'
Origin: third person singular present indicative of 1510
the names of the twelve
dodeka (Greek #1427)
two and ten, i.e. a dozen
KJV usage: twelve.
Pronounce: do'-dek-ah
Origin: from 1417 and 1176
tribes
phule (Greek #5443)
an offshoot, i.e. race or clan
KJV usage: kindred, tribe.
Pronounce: foo-lay'
Origin: from 5453 (compare 5444)
of the children
ho (Greek #3588)
the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)
KJV usage: the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.
Pronounce: ho
Origin: ἡ (hay), and the neuter τό (to) in all their inflections
huios (Greek #5207)
a "son" (sometimes of animals), used very widely of immediate, remote or figuratively, kinship
KJV usage: child, foal, son.
Pronounce: hwee-os'
Origin: apparently a primary word
of Israel
Israel (Greek #2474)
Israel (i.e. Jisrael), the adopted name of Jacob, including his descendants (literally or figuratively)
KJV usage: Israel.
Pronounce: is-rah-ale'
Origin: of Hebrew origin (03478)
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t
Ezek. 48:31‑34• 31And the gates of the city shall be after the names of the tribes of Israel: three gates northward: the gate of Reuben, one; the gate of Judah, one; the gate of Levi, one.
 32And at the east side four thousand and five hundred, and three gates: the gate of Joseph, one; the gate of Benjamin, one; the gate of Dan, one.
 33And at the south side four thousand and five hundred cubits by measure, and three gates: the gate of Simeon, one; the gate of Issachar, one; the gate of Zebulun, one.
 34At the west side four thousand and five hundred, and their three gates: the gate of Gad, one; the gate of Asher, one; the gate of Naphtali, one. (Ezek. 48:31‑34)

More on:

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Angels,
Gate,
Israel,
The Twelve Tribes,
Twelve,
Twelve Tribes,
Walls,
Writing

Cross References

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Ministry on This Verse

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a wall.
Rev. 21:17‑20• 17And he measured its wall, a hundred and forty-four cubits, a man's measure, that is, the angel's.
 18And the building of its wall was jasper; and the city pure gold, like pure glass:
 19the foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every precious stone: the first foundation, jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, chalcedony; the fourth, emerald;
 20the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprasus; the eleventh, jacinth; the twelfth, amethyst. (Rev. 21:17‑20)
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Ezra 9:9• 9For we are bondmen; yet our God hath not forsaken us in our bondage, but hath extended mercy unto us before the kings of Persia, to give us a reviving, to set up the house of our God and to repair the ruins thereof, and to give us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem. (Ezra 9:9)
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Neh. 12:27• 27And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites out of all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem, to hold the dedication with gladness, both with thanksgivings, and with singing, with cymbals, lutes and harps. (Neh. 12:27)
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Psa. 51:18• 18Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion; build the walls of Jerusalem. (Psa. 51:18)
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Psa. 122:7• 7Peace be within thy bulwarks, prosperity within thy palaces. (Psa. 122:7)
twelve gates.
Rev. 21:21,25• 21And the twelve gates, twelve pearls; each one of the gates, respectively, was of one pearl; and the street of the city pure gold, as transparent glass.
 25And its gates shall not be shut at all by day, for night shall not be there. (Rev. 21:21,25)
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Isa. 54:12• 12and I will make thy battlements of rubies, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of precious stones. (Isa. 54:12)
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Isa. 60:18• 18Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise. (Isa. 60:18)
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Ezek. 48:31‑34• 31And the gates of the city shall be after the names of the tribes of Israel: three gates northward: the gate of Reuben, one; the gate of Judah, one; the gate of Levi, one.
 32And at the east side four thousand and five hundred, and three gates: the gate of Joseph, one; the gate of Benjamin, one; the gate of Dan, one.
 33And at the south side four thousand and five hundred cubits by measure, and three gates: the gate of Simeon, one; the gate of Issachar, one; the gate of Zebulun, one.
 34At the west side four thousand and five hundred, and their three gates: the gate of Gad, one; the gate of Asher, one; the gate of Naphtali, one. (Ezek. 48:31‑34)
twelve angels.
Matt. 18:10• 10See that ye do not despise one of these little ones; for I say unto you that their angels in the heavens continually behold the face of my Father who is in the heavens. (Matt. 18:10)
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Luke 15:10• 10Thus, I say unto you, there is joy before the angels of God for one repenting sinner. (Luke 15:10)
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Luke 16:22• 22And it came to pass that the poor man died, and that he was carried away by the angels into the bosom of Abraham. And the rich man also died and was buried. (Luke 16:22)
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Heb. 1:14• 14Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out for service on account of those who shall inherit salvation? (Heb. 1:14)
and names.
Rev. 7:4‑8• 4And I heard the number of the sealed, a hundred and forty-four thousand, sealed out of every tribe of the sons of Israel:
 5out of the tribe of Juda, twelve thousand sealed; out of the tribe of Reuben, twelve thousand; out of the tribe of Gad, twelve thousand;
 6out of the tribe of Aser, twelve thousand; out of the tribe of Nepthalim, twelve thousand; out of the tribe of Manasseh, twelve thousand;
 7out of the tribe of Simeon, twelve thousand; out of the tribe of Levi, twelve thousand; out of the tribe of Issachar, twelve thousand;
 8out of the tribe of Zabulun, twelve thousand; out of the tribe of Joseph, twelve thousand; out of the tribe of Benjamin, twelve thousand sealed. (Rev. 7:4‑8)
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Num. 2:2‑32• 2The children of Israel shall encamp every one by his standard, with the ensign of their father's house; round about the tent of meeting, afar off, opposite to it shall they encamp.
 3And for those encamping eastward toward the sun-rising there shall be the standard of the camp of Judah according to their hosts; and the prince of the sons of Judah shall be Nahshon the son of Amminadab;
 4and his host, even those that were numbered of them, were seventy-four thousand six hundred.
 5And those that encamp next unto him shall be the tribe of Issachar; and the prince of the sons of Issachar shall be Nethaneel the son of Zuar;
 6and his host, even those that were numbered thereof, fifty-four thousand four hundred.
 7With them shall be the tribe of Zebulun; and the prince of the sons of Zebulun shall be Eliab the son of Helon;
 8and his host, even those that were numbered thereof, fifty-seven thousand four hundred.
 9All that were numbered of the camp of Judah were a hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred, according to their hosts. They shall set forth first.
 10The standard of the camp of Reuben shall be southward according to their hosts; and the prince of the sons of Reuben shall be Elizur the son of Shedeur;
 11and his host, even those that were numbered thereof, forty-six thousand five hundred.
 12And those that encamp by him shall be the tribe of Simeon; and the prince of the sons of Simeon shall be Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai;
 13and his host, even those that were numbered of them, fifty-nine thousand three hundred.
 14And with them shall be the tribe of Gad; and the prince of the sons of Gad shall be Eliasaph the son of Reuel;
 15and his host, even those that were numbered of them, forty-five thousand six hundred and fifty.
 16All that were numbered of the camp of Reuben were a hundred and fifty-one thousand four hundred and fifty, according to their hosts. And they shall set forth second.
 17And the tent of meeting shall set forth, the camp of the Levites in the midst of the camps; as they encamp, so shall they set forth, every man in his place, according to their standards.
 18The standard of the camp of Ephraim according to their hosts shall be westward; and the prince of the sons of Ephraim shall be Elishama the son of Ammihud;
 19and his host, even those that were numbered of them, forty thousand five hundred.
 20And by him shall be the tribe of Manasseh; and the prince of the sons of Manasseh shall be Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur;
 21and his host, even those that were numbered of them, thirty-two thousand two hundred.
 22And with them shall be the tribe of Benjamin; and the prince of the sons of Benjamin shall be Abidan the son of Gideoni;
 23and his host, even those that were numbered of them, thirty-five thousand four hundred.
 24All that were numbered of the camp of Ephraim were a hundred and eight thousand one hundred, according to their hosts. And they shall set forth third.
 25The standard of the camp of Dan shall be northward according to their hosts; and the prince of the sons of Dan shall be Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai;
 26and his host, even those that were numbered of them, sixty-two thousand seven hundred.
 27And those that encamp by him shall be the tribe of Asher; and the prince of the sons of Asher shall be Pagiel the son of Ocran;
 28and his host, even those that were numbered of them, forty-one thousand five hundred.
 29And with them shall be the tribe of Naphtali; and the prince of the sons of Naphtali shall be Ahira the son of Enan;
 30and his host, even those that were numbered of them, fifty-three thousand four hundred.
 31All that were numbered of the camp of Dan were a hundred and fifty-seven thousand six hundred. They shall set forth last according to their standards.
 32These are those that were numbered of the children of Israel, according to their fathers' houses: all those that were numbered of the camps, according to their hosts, were six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty. (Num. 2:2‑32)
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Acts 26:7• 7to which our whole twelve tribes serving incessantly day and night hope to arrive; about which hope, O king, I am accused of the Jews. (Acts 26:7)
• The church, the Lamb’s wife, is displayed, not in her intimate relationship to Christ as seen in Paul’s epistles, but rather in connection with the government of the earth in the hands of Christ during the thousand years. (article #56798)
• All that God is, and all that God is in display, is the wall round about the New Jerusalem. But, as we may see further on, the wall not only encloses and secures the holy city, but it also excludes all evil. (article #56798)
• But God is pleased to remember that He is dealing with people on the earth, and the New Jerusalem has a very special relation to men during the millennium. Accordingly, there are twelve gates with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel written upon them. At the gates stand twelve angels, showing their subordination. (“Revelation 21” by J.N. Darby)
• It is secure, having a wall great and high. (“Revelation 21” by J.N. Darby)
• The twelve gates are full of human perfectness of governmental administrative power. The gate was the place of judgment. Twelve, we have often seen, denotes perfection and governmental power. (“Revelation 21” by J.N. Darby)
• It may be well to call attention to the recurrence of the number twelve in this description. It has the fixed meaning in Scripture of the perfection of governmental administration in man, that is, in Christ, and this in connection with Israel. (“Revelation 21” by J.N. Darby)
• Wall: Security; salvation (Isa. 26:1; 60:18; Zech. 2:5). (“Revelation 21 Symbols” by A.H. Burton)
• Twelve Gates: Perfect judicial administration. [Twelve is administrative perfection in man.] (Gen. 19:1; Deut. 22:15; Dan. 2:49; Amos 5:15). (“Revelation 21 Symbols” by A.H. Burton)
• At the Gates Twelve Angels: Providential administration. (“Revelation 21 Symbols” by A.H. Burton)
• Names of the Twelve Tribes: Direct earthly government, as in Israel. (“Revelation 21 Symbols” by A.H. Burton)

J. N. Darby Translation

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12
having a great and high wall; having twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names inscribed, which are those of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel.

W. Kelly Translation

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12
it hada a wall great and high; it had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angelsb, and names written thereon, which are the namesc of the twelve tribes of thed sons of Israel:

WK Translation Notes

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a
Critics generally adhere to the solecism without the word "te" (also) as read in the best copies, and largely.
b
Lachmann alone of the editors was bold enough to leave out "and at the gates twelve angels." It is a mere omission through similar ending in some copies.
c
Many and ancient copies support the addition of "names" (with or without "the") in the last clause. The T. R. and many Edd. omit them.
d
"The" should vanish before "sons" on good and full authority.

WK Verse Note

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(Note: Words in italics have been inserted from the J. N. Darby translation where the W. Kelly translation doesn’t exist.)