Berean Bible

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Revelation

11

:

9

And those of the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations gaze upon their bodies three and a half days, and they will not allow their bodies to be put into a tomb.

Lexicon

Verse part Definition: Part of speech: Strong's: Greek: Transliteration:
peoples (a) a people, characteristically of God's chosen people, first the Jews, then the Christians, (b) sometimes, but rarely, the people, the crowd. N-GMP H2992 λαῶν laōn
tribes A tribe or race of people. N-GFP H5443 φυλῶν phulōn
tongues The tongue, a language, a nation (usually distinguished by their speech). N-GFP H1100 γλωσσῶν glōssōn
nations A race, people, nation; the nations, heathen world, Gentiles. N-GNP H1484 ἔθνων ethnōn
gaze upon To look, see, perceive, discern. V-PIA-3P H991 βλέπουσιν blepousin
bodies A fall; a carcass, corpse, dead body. N-ANP H4430 πτῶμα ptōma
- The, the definite article. N-ANP H4430 πτώματα ptōmata
three Three. Adj-AFP H5140 τρεῖς treis
Analysis:

Three: Purposes of God in: Testing, revealing, proving, documenting, victory and if applied to God, holiness

The number "three" is one of the most significant numbers in the Scriptures. Its primary purpose is for the sake of revealing or documenting something as fact (testing to validate something). It is also connected to the outcome of the will of God. One of the most famous occurrences for the number three is found in the book of Jonah, where Jonah is in the belly of the fish "three days and three nights."  A major aspect of the book of Jonah is that the prophet was fleeing from the presence of HaShem. Instead of Jonah going to Nineveh as God had commanded, the prophet desired not to obey this commandment, even if it meant that his relationship with God would be destroyed. HaShem decided to test to see if Jonah preferred to end his relationship with God rather than go to Nineveh. By placing Jonah in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights, it would be revealed whether it was true that Jonah wanted to end his relationship with God over this commandment to go to Nineveh. It is most significant that immediately after (in the next verse) the reader is informed that Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights.  What does Jonah do? The text states that Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from within the fish. Hence, the three days and three nights ultimately revealed, proved, or documented that what Jonah said he wanted was not true. One could also say that Jonah was tested for those three days and three nights and the test results showed that he did not want to end his relationship with God and in the end Jonah went to Nineveh.

In a similar manner, Peter rejects Yeshua's statement that he will deny Him. Therefore, Yeshua says to Peter that he will deny Him three times. These three denials prove, document, and reveal to the reader that Yeshua's statement was factual. It is not a coincidence that when Yeshua reinstated Peter after the resurrection, He asked him three times, "do you love Me?” In this context, Yeshua was testing the validity of Peter's statement. 

Yeshua also revealed that He, in a similar manner to Jonah being in the belly of the fish three days and three nights, would be in the belly of the earth three days and three nights and then rise from the dead. In this passage, the number three not only documents the fact that He died, but also the resurrection. It is also very significant that Yeshua rose on the third day.

The number three also relates to victory, as in the completion of God's purposes and plans. In the book of Genesis, one reads about the offering of Isaac. This passage has great theological significance and is one of the first passages which is read in the morning synagogue service each day. This section begins with HaShem commanding Abraham to offer his son as a burnt offering on one of the mountains in the land of Moriah. The climax of this portion of Scripture comes about on the third day. It was on the third day that HaShem provided the ram so that Isaac would live. In this passage, Isaac represents the promise (of God) which would have died (ended) had not HaShem acted. There is not a conflict between the two concepts for the number three of victory (the fulfillment of God’s will) and revelation or documentation. Often, it is the climax of what HaShem wants to do, which is simply being revealed or proved with the use of the number three.

Please note that when the number three is applied to God, then it can relate to holiness; whereas the number seven relates to holiness when this number is about man (see explanation for the number seven).

Loveisrael.org - Baruch Korman, Ph.D. - All Rights Reserved - Used with Permission 2016

a half Half. Adj-ANS H2255 ἥμισυ ēmisu
days, A day, the period from sunrise to sunset. N-AFP H2250 ἡμέρας ēmeras
they will not allow (a) to send away, (b) to let go, release, permit to depart, (c) to remit, forgive, (d) to permit, suffer. V-PIA-3P H863 ἀφίουσιν aphiousin
bodies A fall; a carcass, corpse, dead body. N-ANP H4430    
to be put To put, place, lay, set, fix, establish. V-ANP H5087 τεθῆναι tethēnai
a tomb. A tomb, monument, memorial. N-ANS H3418 μνῆμα mnēma

Locations

Put

PUTput (puT; Phoud, in Genesis and Chronicles, variant for Genesis Phout, for Chronicles, Phouth):1. Renderings:In consequence of the identification at the time, the prophets have "Libya" (Libues), except Nab 3:9, where the Greek renders the word as phuge, "flight." The Vulgate (Jerome's Latin Bible, 390-405 A.D.) has "Phut," "Phuth," and in the Prophets "Li... View Details

People

Put

a son of Ham, also his desc. and their land

Parallel Verses

Removed text
Added text
Berean Bible And those of the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations gaze upon their bodies three and a half days, and they will not allow their bodies to be put into a tomb.
King James Bible And those they of the peoples people and tribes kindreds and tongues and nations gaze upon shall see their dead bodies three days and a half days, an half, and they will shall not allow suffer their dead bodies to be put into a tomb.in graves.
Hebrew Greek English And those of Those from the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations gaze upon will look at their dead bodies for three and a half days, and they will not allow permit their dead bodies to be put into laid in a tomb.
New American Standard Bible 1995 And those of Those from the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations gaze upon will look at their dead bodies for three and a half days, and they will not allow permit their dead bodies to be put into laid in a tomb.