What Does Revelation 13:6 Mean?
And he opens his mouth in wounding speech against God, to wound his name, and his tent, and those who pitch their tents in heaven.
Key words are shown with the Hebrew or Greek and what each word meant.
Selah Decoded Version The Selah Decoded Version renders what the Hebrew and Greek words meant to the people who first heard them.
King James wording
King James Version
And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.THE KEY
The Greek links “tabernacle” and “dwell” through the same tent-root, so the mouth attacks God’s dwelling and those within it as one target.
THE MEANING
This verse exposes a voice speaking against God’s nature, God’s dwelling, and those who dwell in heaven. The Greek joins the dwelling and its inhabitants through the language of a tent, binding them together in the attack.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
The lie this undoes is that speech can dishonor God’s name while leaving God’s dwelling and its inhabitants untouched.
THE ROOT
σκηνή
skēnē
GROWS FROM
σκην-
skēn-
Tent; the word-family carries the sense of a tent and dwelling in a tent.
English gives “tabernacle” and “dwell” different sounds, but the Greek uses related tent-words for both. Those in heaven are pictured as tenting there, so the attack reaches the dwelling and its inhabitants together.
ALSO GROWS
skēnē: Tent, tabernacle
σκηνή
This is the word translated “tabernacle,” the dwelling the mouth attacks.
skēnoō: To pitch a tent, dwell
σκηνόω
The verse’s “dwell” is a form of this related verb, describing those who tent in heaven.
βλασφημία
blasphēmia
GROWS FROM
βλασφημ-
blasphēm-
A Greek word-family for slanderous or reproachful speech.
“wound” in this verse is blasphēmia. The word carries the force of injurious speech: the mouth does not merely mention God but speaks in a way that defames. The verse shows that this speech reaches beyond God’s name to God’s dwelling and its inhabitants.
ALSO GROWS
blasphēmeō: To blaspheme, speak abusively
βλασφημέω
This is the verb behind “to blaspheme,” making the attack an action of the mouth.
blasphēmos: Slanderous, abusive
βλάσφημος
This related form describes speech marked by reproach, clarifying the character of the voice.
ὄνομα
onoma
GROWS FROM
ὀνοματ-
onomat-
Name or designation; the word-family can also refer to the person or reputation represented by a name.
God’s name is named alongside God’s tabernacle as a target of the speech. The verse treats the name as bound to the one it names: the attack reaches God’s identity, dwelling, and heavenly household.
ALSO GROWS
onomazō: To name, call, or designate
ὀνομάζω
This related verb shows the family’s basic connection to naming and identifying.
onomastos: Named, renowned
ὀνομαστός
This form can describe one who is known by name, echoing the public identity implicated in the verse.
THE PATTERN
Speech against God’s name is not abstract: it can reach the people and realities associated with God.
How long, God, shall the adversary reproach? Shall the enemy spurn your name for the ages?For the nature of God is spoken against among the nations through you, as it stands written.Who was before a speaker of harm, and a pursuer, and one who oversteps; but I was shown faithful love, for I did it unknowing, and not leaning my full weight.THE THREAD
And I hear a great voice from the throne, saying, Look, the tent of God is with humankind, and he will pitch his tent among them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.The Greek again uses the tent-root for both “tabernacle” and “dwell.” Revelation 13:6 shows that dwelling and its inhabitants under attack; here the same root describes God dwelling with people.
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