Lexical Summary oura: Tail Original Word: οὐρά Strong's Exhaustive Concordance tail. Apparently a primary word; a tail -- tail. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originappar. a prim. word Definition a tail NASB Translation tail (1), tails (4). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 3769: οὐράοὐρά, οὐράς, ἡ, a tail: Revelation 9:10, 19; Revelation 12:4. (From Homer down. The Sept. several times for זָנָב.) Topical Lexicon Definition and Scope The term signifies the tail of an animal. While the literal sense is preserved, each New Testament occurrence employs the image as an instrument of destructive power or deceit, inviting reflection on Old Testament precedents where the tail functions as a metaphor for what is base, deceptive, or subordinate. Occurrences in Revelation 1. Revelation 9:10 – The demonic locusts have “tails with stingers like scorpions, which had the power to injure people for five months”. Though the word appears five times, these three scenes trace a single prophetic thread: Satanic or demonic forces exercising deceptive and injurious power in the final judgment era. Old Testament Foundations Deuteronomy 28:13–44 contrasts head and tail to describe covenant blessing or curse: obedience makes Israel “the head and not the tail.” Isaiah 9:15 identifies “the prophet who teaches lies” as “the tail.” The tail thus comes to symbolize false guidance that drags others into ruin. These antecedents prepare readers to recognize the tail in Revelation as a figure of deceptive influence. Symbolic Associations 1. Deception: The dragon’s tail sweeps stars (angelic beings), mirroring the persuasive fall of a third of the heavenly host. Eschatological Drama The three visions progress from demonic torment (Revelation 9) to cosmic rebellion (Revelation 12). Together they portray escalating spiritual warfare culminating in the dragon’s ultimate defeat (Revelation 12:9–11). The tail imagery underscores that Satan’s power is derivative and destined for judgment, reinforcing the sovereignty of God over history. Historical Reception Early church commentators (e.g., Hippolytus, Victorinus) saw in the dragon’s tail a reference to the Antichrist’s deceptive miracles. Reformers emphasized the danger of false teaching within the church, applying Isaiah’s metaphor to any doctrine that drags believers from the truth of the gospel. Practical Ministry Implications 1. Discernment in Teaching: Isaiah’s warning links false prophecy to the tail; faithful ministry must guard the flock from doctrinal “stings.” Christological Perspective The dragon’s tail cannot outmatch the Lamb. Revelation 12 moves quickly from celestial sweep to the victorious birth of the Messiah, reminding readers that Christ’s incarnation, death, and resurrection decisively answer every satanic assault. Summary Strong’s Greek 3769 gathers the biblical threads of what is low, deceptive, and destructive into a vivid eschatological symbol. The tail in Revelation is Satan’s instrument, yet its every lash only hastens the fulfillment of God’s purpose in Christ. Standing on Scripture’s firm foundation, the church reads these passages not with fear but with confident expectation of the coming triumph of the Lamb. Forms and Transliterations ουρα ουρά οὐρὰ ουραγίαν ουραι ουραί οὐραὶ ουραις ουραίς οὐραῖς ουράν ουρας ουράς οὐρὰς oura ourà ourai ouraì ourais ouraîs ouras ouràsLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Revelation 9:10 N-AFPGRK: καὶ ἔχουσιν οὐρὰς ὁμοίας σκορπίοις NAS: They have tails like scorpions, KJV: they had tails like INT: and they have tails like scorpions Revelation 9:10 N-DFP Revelation 9:19 N-DFP Revelation 9:19 N-NFP Revelation 12:4 N-NFS Strong's Greek 3769 |
    |