Revelation 21:17
◄  Revelation 21:17  ►
New International Version (©2011)
The angel measured the wall using human measurement, and it was 144 cubits thick.

New Living Translation (©2007)
Then he measured the walls and found them to be 216 feet thick (according to the human standard used by the angel).

English Standard Version (©2001)
He also measured its wall, 144 cubits by human measurement, which is also an angel’s measurement.

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
And he measured its wall, seventy-two yards, according to human measurements, which are also angelic measurements.

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.

Holman Christian Standard Bible (©2009)
Then he measured its wall, 144 cubits according to human measurement, which the angel used.

International Standard Version (©2012)
He also measured its wall. According to the human measurement that the angel was using, it was 144 cubits.

NET Bible (©2006)
He also measured its wall, one hundred forty-four cubits according to human measurement, which is also the angel's.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English (©2010)
And he measured its wall 144 cubits by the measure of a man, that is, of the Angel.

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
He measured its wall. According to human measurement, which the angel was using, it was 144 cubits.

King James 2000 Bible (©2003)
And he measured the wall thereof, a hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.

American King James Version
And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.

American Standard Version
And he measured the wall thereof, a hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of an angel.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And he measured the wall thereof an hundred and forty-four cubits, the measure of a man, which is of an angel.

Darby Bible Translation
And he measured its wall, a hundred and forty-four cubits, a man's measure, that is, the angel's.

English Revised Version
And he measured the wall thereof, a hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of an angel.

Webster's Bible Translation
And he measured the wall of it a hundred and forty four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.

Weymouth New Testament
And he measured the wall of it--a wall of a hundred and forty-four cubits, according to human measure, which was also that of the angel.

World English Bible
Its wall is one hundred forty-four cubits, by the measure of a man, that is, of an angel.

Young's Literal Translation
and he measured its wall, an hundred forty-four cubits, the measure of a man, that is, of the messenger;

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

21:9-21 God has various employments for his holy angels. Sometimes they sound the trumpet of Divine Providence, and warn a careless world; sometimes they discover things of a heavenly nature of the heirs of salvation. Those who would have clear views of heaven, must get as near to heaven as they can, on the mount of meditation and faith. The subject of the vision is the church of God in a perfect, triumphant state, shining in its lustre; glorious in relation to Christ; which shows that the happiness of heaven consists in intercourse with God, and in conformity to him. The change of emblems from a bride to a city, shows that we are only to take general ideas from this description. The wall is for security. Heaven is a safe state; those who are there, are separated and secured from all evils and enemies. This city is vast; here is room for all the people of God. The foundation of the wall; the promise and power of God, and the purchase of Christ, are the strong foundations of the safety and happiness of the church. These foundations are set forth by twelve sorts of precious stones, denoting the variety and excellence of the doctrines of the gospel, or of the graces of the Holy Spirit, or the personal excellences of the Lord Jesus Christ. Heaven has gates; there is a free admission to all that are sanctified; they shall not find themselves shut out. These gates were all of pearls. Christ is the Pearl of great price, and he is our Way to God. The street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. The saints in heaven tread gold under foot. The saints are there at rest, yet it is not a state of sleep and idleness; they have communion, not only with God, but with one another. All these glories but faintly represent heaven.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 17. - And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits. (For the signification of the number, see on Revelation 7:4.) The parallel between the shape of the city as just related and the holy of holies (vide supra) almost seems to have insensibly suggested the transition from stadia to cubits. The discrepancy between the height of the city, which is twelve thousand furlongs (ver. 16), and the height of the wall, which is a hundred and forty-four cubits, has led to the suggestion that in the height of the city is included the hill on which it stands (Alford). Others understand that the wall is purposely described as of small height, because the writer wishes to indicate that "the most inconsiderable wall is sufficient to exclude all that is impure" (Dusterdieck). According to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel; of an angel. That is, the measure here used by the angel is that used by men (cf. "the number of a man," Revelation 13:18).

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits,.... The root of which is twelve, for twelve times twelve is a hundred and forty four; which number is mystical and apostolical, and suited to the perfect state of this church: hence twelve gates, and twelve angels at them, and the names of the twelve tribes on them, and twelve foundations of the wall, and twelve thousand furlongs, the measure of the city.

According to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel; who talked with John, and measured the city, gates, and wall, and who appeared in the form of a man; and his reed might be, as some have supposed, the length of a man, six cubits, or six feet, as in Ezekiel 40:5 and may denote that this business requires the utmost wisdom and understanding of a man, and even of an angel, to look into, and find out; see Revelation 13:18 and also may signify the angelic state of the saints at this time, when the children of the resurrection will be like the angels of God, for immortality and glory.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

17. hundred … forty … four cubits—twelve times twelve: the Church-number squared. The wall is far beneath the height of the city.

measure of a man, that is, of the angel—The ordinary measure used by men is the measure here used by the angel, distinct from "the measure of the sanctuary." Men shall then be equal to the angels.

Revelation 21:17 Parallel Commentaries

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The New Jerusalem
…16And the city lies foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal. 17And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel. 18And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like to clear glass. …

Deuteronomy 3:11 (Og king of Bashan was the last of the Rephaites. His bed was decorated with iron and was more than nine cubits long and four cubits wide. It is still in Rabbah of the Ammonites.)
Revelation 13:18 This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is 666.
Revelation 21:9 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, "Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb."
Revelation 21:16 The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length, and as wide and high as it is long.