Revelation 9:20
What does Revelation 9:20 mean?
A plain-English look at Revelation 9:20 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Revelation 9:20 means
Those not killed by the plagues do not repent. They persist in the works of their hands—idolatry and the worship of demons—and cling to lifeless idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which cannot see, hear, or walk. The indictment exposes idolatry as both demonic and absurd: it serves spiritual evil and honors powerless objects. Judgment that should have awakened them only hardens them. This verse reveals the deeper issue beneath calamity: stubborn allegiance to false worship. It teaches that catastrophic events, apart from God’s grace, do not produce saving change. The problem is not information but the will bound to its idols.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000And the rest of mankind, who were not killed with these plagues, repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and the idols of gold, and of silver, and of brass, and of stone, and of wood; which can neither see, nor hear, nor walk:
KJV
King James Version · 1611And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901And the rest of mankind, who were not killed with these plagues, repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and the idols of gold, and of silver, and of brass, and of stone, and of wood; which can neither see, nor hear, nor walk:
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949And the rest of the people, who were not put to death by these evils, were not turned from the works of their hands, but went on giving worship to evil spirits, and images of gold and silver and brass and stone and wood which have no power of seeing or hearing or walking:
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862and the rest of men, who were not killed in these plagues, neither did reform from the works of their hands, that they may not bow before the demons, and idols, those of gold, and those of silver, and those of brass, and those of stone, and those of wood, that are neither able to see, nor to hear, nor to walk,
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752And the rest of the men, who were not slain by these plagues, did not do penance from the works of their hands, that they should not adore devils and idols of gold and silver and brass and stone and wood, which neither can see nor hear nor walk:
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890And the rest of men who were not killed with these plagues repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and the golden and silver and brazen and stone and wooden idols, which can neither see nor hear nor walk.
Context
After the scenes of death and devastation in verses 16–19, the narrative now records human response. Instead of turning to God, survivors persist in idolatry. The focus is on worship—whom they serve and what they trust. Verse 21 will extend the indictment to their moral conduct, listing persistent crimes. Together, these verses close the chapter by explaining why judgment continues and why further Woes remain necessary.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Revelation 2:21
And I gave her time that she should repent; and she willeth not to repent of her fornication.
- Isaiah 46:5
To whom will ye liken me, and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be like?
- Psalms 106:37
Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto demons,
- Deuteronomy 32:17
They sacrificed unto demons, which were no God, To gods that they knew not, To newgodsthat came up of late, Which your fathers dreaded not.
- Isaiah 2:8
Their land also is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made.
- Jeremiah 15:19
Therefore thus saith Jehovah, If thou return, then will I bring thee again, that thou mayest stand before me; and if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth: they shall return unto thee, but thou shalt not return unto them.
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