Revelation 20:8

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

He will go out to deceive the nations at the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—and gather them for battle. Their number is like the sand on the seashore.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

Καὶ ἐξελεύσεται πλανῆσαι τὰ ἔθνη τὰ ἐν ταῖς τέσσαρσιν γωνίαις τῆς γῆς, τὸν Γὼγ καὶ τὸν Μαγώγ, συναγαγεῖν αὐτοὺς εἰς πόλεμον: ὧν ὁ ἀριθμὸς ὡς ἡ ἄμμος τῆς θαλάσσης.

Transliteration

And he will exeleusetai to planēsai the ethnē that are in the tessarsin gōniais of the gēs, the Gōg and the Magōg, to synagagein them into polemon: of whom the arithmos as the ammos of the thalassēs.

Grammar Details

• *exeleusetai*: future middle indicative, 3rd person singular - will go out/come forth
• *planēsai*: aorist active infinitive - to deceive/mislead
• *ethnē*: accusative, neuter, plural - nations/gentiles
• *tessarsin*: dative, feminine, plural - four
• *gōniais*: dative, feminine, plural - corners/angles
• *gēs*: genitive, feminine, singular - earth/land
• *Gōg*: accusative, masculine, singular - Gog (proper name)
• *Magōg*: accusative, masculine, singular - Magog (proper name)
• *synagagein*: aorist active infinitive - to gather together/assemble
• *polemon*: accusative, masculine, singular - war/battle
• *arithmos*: nominative, masculine, singular - number
• *ammos*: nominative, feminine, singular - sand
• *thalassēs*: genitive, feminine, singular - sea

Word Meanings

• *exeleusetai*: will go out/come forth/proceed
• *planēsai*: to deceive/mislead/lead astray
• *ethnē*: nations/gentiles/peoples
• *gōniais*: corners/angles/extremities
• *polemon*: war/battle/conflict
• *arithmos*: number/amount/quantity

Other Translations

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  And shall go out to deceive the nations which a in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

• KJV1611 – Modern English

  And will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for battle; the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

• King James Version 1611 (Original)

  And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  and shall come forth to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to the war: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

• Tyndale Bible (1526/1534)

  and shall goo oute to deceave the people which are in the foure quarters of the erth Gog and Magog to gadder them to gedder to batayle whose nombre is as the sonde of the see:

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  and shal go out to deceaue the people which are in the foure quarters of the earth. Gog and Magog, to gadder them togedder to batayle, whose nombre is as the sonde off the see:

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  And shal go out to deceiue the people, which are in the foure quarters of the earth: euen Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battell, whose number is, as the sand of the sea.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  And shall go out to deceaue the people which are in the foure quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battayle, whose number is as the sande of the sea.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom [is] as the sand of the sea.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  and he will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to the war; the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  and he shall go forth to lead the nations astray, that are in the four corners of the earth -- Gog and Magog -- to gather them together to war, of whom the number `is' as the sand of the sea;

• American Standard Version (1901)

  and shall come forth to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to the war: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  and shall come forth to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to the war: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  And will go out to put in error the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to get them together to the war, the number of whom is like the sands of the sea.

• World English Bible (2000)

  and he will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to the war; the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  and will go out to deceive the nations at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to bring them together for the battle. They are as numerous as the grains of sand in the sea.

Referenced Verses

• Rev 16:14 : 14 They are demonic spirits performing miraculous signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world to gather them for battle on the great day of God Almighty.
• Rev 20:3 : 3 He threw him into the abyss, locked it, and sealed it over him, so that he could not deceive the nations anymore until the thousand years were completed. After that, he must be released for a short time.
• Rev 20:10 : 10 And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet are. They will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
• Ezek 38:1-39:1 : 1 The word of the LORD came to me, saying: 2 Son of man, set your face against Gog of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him. 3 Say, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says: Behold, I am against you, Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. 4 I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws, and bring you out with your whole army—your horses, horsemen fully armed, and a great horde with large and small shields, all of them wielding swords. 5 Persia, Cush, and Put will be with them, all of them with shields and helmets. 6 Gomer and all its troops, the house of Togarmah from the far north with all its troops, and many nations with you. 7 Prepare yourself and be ready, you and all your company gathered around you, and you will be their commander. 8 After many days, you will be called to attention. In the latter years, you will go against a land that has been brought back from the sword and gathered from many peoples upon the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate. Its people were brought out from the nations, and now they dwell securely, all of them. 9 You will ascend, coming like a storm; you will be like a cloud covering the land—you and all your troops and the many peoples with you. 10 This is what the Lord GOD says: On that day, thoughts will arise in your heart, and you will devise an evil plan. 11 You will say, ‘I will go up against a land of unwalled villages; I will attack peaceful people who live securely—all of them living without walls, without gates and bars.’ 12 You will come to seize spoil and carry off plunder, to turn your hand against resettled ruins and against a people gathered from the nations, people acquiring livestock and goods, who live at the center of the land. 13 Sheba, Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish with all their young lions will say to you: ‘Have you come to seize spoil? Have you gathered your hordes to carry off silver and gold, to take away livestock and possessions, to make off with great plunder?’ 14 Therefore, prophesy, son of man, and say to Gog: ‘This is what the Lord GOD says: On that day when my people Israel are living securely, will you not be aware of it? 15 You will come from your place out of the far north—you and many peoples with you, all riding on horses, a great assembly and a mighty army. 16 You will advance against my people Israel like a cloud covering the land. In the latter days I will bring you against my land so that the nations may know me, as I show myself holy through you before their eyes, O Gog. 17 This is what the Lord GOD says: Are you the one I spoke of in former days through my servants the prophets of Israel? At that time, they prophesied for years that I would bring you against them. 18 On that day, when Gog comes against the land of Israel, declares the Lord GOD, my fury will rise up in my face. 19 In my zeal and fiery wrath I declare: On that day, there will be a great earthquake in the land of Israel. 20 The fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the animals of the field, every creature that moves along the ground, and all the people on the face of the earth will tremble at my presence. The mountains will be overturned, the cliffs will crumble, and every wall will fall to the ground. 21 I will call for a sword against him on all my mountains, declares the Lord GOD. The sword of every man will be against his brother. 22 I will execute judgment upon him with plague and bloodshed. I will pour down torrential rain, hailstones, fire, and brimstone on him and on his troops and on the many peoples with him. 23 Thus I will show my greatness and my holiness, and I will make myself known in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the LORD. 1 You, son of man, prophesize against Gog, and say, 'This is what the Lord GOD says: Behold, I am against you, Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.'
• Heb 11:12 : 12 And so from one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.
• Judg 7:12 : 12 Midian, Amalek, and all the people of the east were lying in the valley as thick as locusts. Their camels were too numerous to count, like the sand on the seashore.
• 1 Sam 13:5 : 5 The Philistines assembled to fight Israel with 30,000 chariots, 6,000 horsemen, and troops as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They came up and camped at Michmash, east of Beth Aven.
• 1 Kgs 4:20 : 20 Judah and Israel were numerous, as countless as the sand on the seashore. They ate, drank, and were joyful.
• Isa 10:22 : 22 Even though your people, O Israel, are like the sand of the sea, only a remnant will return. Destruction has been decreed, overwhelming and righteous.
• Jer 33:22 : 22 Just as the stars in the sky cannot be counted and the sand on the seashore cannot be measured, so will I multiply the descendants of David my servant and the Levites who minister before me.