Revelation 12:1-5 NIV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Revelation 12:1-11

Here we see that early prophecy eminently fulfilled in which God said he would put enmity between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent, Gen. 3:15. You will observe, I. The attempts of Satan and his agents to prevent the increase of the church, by devouring her offspring as soon as it was born; of this we have a very lively description in the most proper images. 1. We see how the church is represented in this vision. (1.) As a woman, the weaker part of the world, but the spouse of... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Revelation 12:1-17

It is necessary to read this chapter as a whole before we examine it in detail. 12:1-17 A great sign appeared in the sky--a woman clothed with the sun, and with the moon beneath her feet, and with a crown of twelve stars on her head; and she was with child, and she cried aloud in her labour and in her agony to bear the child. And another sign appeared in heaven--lo! a great flame-coloured dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and with seven royal diadems upon its heads. Its tail... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 12:1

And there appeared a great wonder in heaven ,.... This vision begins a new account of things, and represents the church in the apostles' times, and purer ages of Christianity, and under the Heathen and Arian persecutions; after which an account is given of the beast, mentioned in Revelation 11:7 , of his rise, power, and reign, and then of the victories of the saints over him and of the vials of God's wrath upon him, and of his utter ruin and destruction; when comes on the marriage of the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 12:2

And she being big with child ,.... Which may be expressive of the fruitfulness of the church in bearing and bringing forth many souls to Christ, and which were very numerous in this period of time, when it was said of Zion that this and that man was born in her; and particularly of her pregnancy with the kingdom of Christ, to be brought forth, and set up in the Roman empire, under the influence of a Roman emperor: and this being her case, she cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 12:3

And there appeared another wonder in heaven ,.... Or "sign"; which represents the woman, or the church's adversary, Satan; not that he was in heaven, in the third heaven, the place of glory and happiness, for out of that he had been cast long ago; but in his great power and authority here on, earth, particularly in the Roman empire, where the church was labouring to bring forth her man child: and behold a great red dragon ; the devil, as it is explained in Revelation 12:9 ; though not... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 12:4

And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth ,.... So Solinus F5 Polyhist. c. 43. speaks of dragons that have power not only in their teeth, but in their tails, and do more hurt by striking than by biting; and the great serpent, which Attilius Regulus and his army fought with, not only destroyed many of his soldiers with its vast mouth, but dashed many to pieces with its tail F6 Valer. Maxim. l. 1. c. 8. ; which serpent, Pliny F7 ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 12:5

And she brought forth a man child ,.... Not Christ, literally and personally considered, or Christ in his human nature, as made of a woman, and born of a virgin, which was a fact that had been years ago; but Christ mystically, or Christ in his members, who are called by his name, because he is formed in them, and they are the seed of the woman, the church; and many of these were brought forth to Christ by the church in the primitive times, who were a manly birth, hale, strong, and robust... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Revelation 12:1

There appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun - That the woman here represents the true Church of Christ most commentators are agreed. In other parts of the Apocalypse, the pure Church of Christ is evidently portrayed by a woman. In Revelation 19:7 , a great multitude are represented as saying, "Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him; for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his Wife hath made herself ready." In Revelation 21:9 , an angel talks with... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Revelation 12:2

And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, etc. - This, when taken in connection with the following verses, is a striking figure of the great persecution which the Church of Christ should suffer under the heathen Roman emperors, but more especially of that long and most dreadful one under Diocletian. The woman is represented as Being with child, to show that the time would speedily arrive when God's patient forbearance with the heathen would be terminated, and that a deliverer... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Revelation 12:3

There appeared another wonder - a great red dragon - The dragon here is a symbol, not of the Roman empire in general, but of the Heathen Roman empire. This great pagan power must have, therefore, been thus represented from the religion which it supported. But what is a dragon? An entirely fabulous beast of antiquity, consequently, in this respect, a most proper emblem of the heathen worship, which consisted in paying adoration to numerous imaginary beings, termed gods, goddesses, etc. The... read more

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Revelation 12:1-11

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Revelation 12:1-17

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 12:1

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 12:2

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 12:3

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 12:4

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 12:5

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Revelation 12:1

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Revelation 12:2

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Revelation 12:3

Group of Brands