Revelation 20:1
Translations
King James Version (KJV)
And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
American King James Version (AKJV)
And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
American Standard Version (ASV)
And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand.
Basic English Translation (BBE)
And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key of the great deep and a great chain in his hand.
Webster's Revision
And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
World English Bible
I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand.
English Revised Version (ERV)
And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand.
Definitions for Revelation 20:1
Clarke's Revelation 20:1 Bible Commentary
An angel came down from heaven - One of the executors of the Divine justice, who receives criminals, and keeps them in prison, and delivers them up only to be tried and executed.
The key of the prison and the chain show who he is; and as the chain was great, it shows that the culprit was impeached of no ordinary crimes.
Barnes's Revelation 20:1 Bible Commentary
And I saw an angel come down from heaven - Compare the notes on Revelation 10:1. He does not say whether this angel had appeared to him before, but the impression is rather that it was a different one. The whole character of the composition of the book leads us to suppose that different angels were employed to make these communications to John, and that, in fact, in the progress of things disclosed in the book, he had contact with a considerable number of the heavenly inhabitants. The scene that is recorded here occurred after the destruction of the beast and the false prophet Revelation 19:18-21, and therefore, according to the principles expressed in the explanation of the previous chapters, what is intended to be described here will take place after the final destruction of the papal and Muhammedan powers.
Having the key of the bottomless pit - See the notes on Revelation 1:18; Revelation 9:1. The fact that he has the key of that underworld is designed to denote here, that he can fasten it on Satan so that it shall become his prison.
And a great chain in his hand - With which to bind the dragon, Revelation 20:2. It is called great because of the strength of him that was to be bound. The chain only appears to have been in his hand. Perhaps the key was suspended to his side.
Wesley's Revelation 20:1 Bible Commentary
20:1 And I saw an angel decending out of heaven - Coming down with a commission from God. Jesus Christ himselfoverthrew the beast: the proud dragon shall be bound by an angel; even as he and his angels were cast out of heaven by Michael and his angels. Having the key of the bottomless pit - Mentioned before, Revelation 9:1 .And a great chain in his hand - The angel of the bottomless pit was shut up therein before the beginning of the first woe. But it is now first that Satan, after he had occasioned the third woe, is both chained and shut up.