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A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars;
Revelation 12:1 · New American Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB A great sign was seen in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.
  • KJV And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:
  • BSB And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed in the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head.
  • NKJV Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars.
  • NLT Then I witnessed in heaven an event of great significance. I saw a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon beneath her feet, and a crown of twelve stars on her head.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

A great sign appears: a woman clothed with the sun, moon underfoot, crowned with twelve stars. She represents God's covenant people from whom the Messiah comes.

Overview

This radiant woman is best understood as the faithful people of God—Israel leading to the church—drawing on Joseph's dream imagery of sun, moon, and stars (Genesis 37:9-11) and the twelve tribes. She is not Mary alone but the covenant community through whom the Messiah is born. The cosmic glory shows her dignity in God's plan. The vision pulls back the curtain to reveal the spiritual conflict behind history, centered on the coming of Christ.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 34

  • Luke 21:25There will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars; and on the earth anxiety of nations, in perplexity for the roaring of the sea and the waves;
  • Eph 5:32This mystery is great, but I speak concerning Christ and of the assembly.
  • Isa 62:3You will also be a crown of beauty in Yahweh‘s hand, and a royal diadem in your God‘s hand.
  • Luke 21:11There will be great earthquakes, famines, and plagues in various places. There will be terrors and great signs from heaven.
  • Isa 54:5–7For your Maker is your husband; Yahweh of Armies is his name. The Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer. He will be called the God of the whole earth.
  • Isa 60:19–20The sun will be no more your light by day; nor will the brightness of the moon give light to you, but Yahweh will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.
  • Ps 84:11For Yahweh God is a sun and a shield. Yahweh will give grace and glory. He withholds no good thing from those who walk blamelessly.
  • Song 6:10Who is she who looks out as the morning, beautiful as the moon, clear as the sun, and awesome as an army with banners?
  • Zech 9:16Yahweh their God will save them in that day as the flock of his people; for they are like the jewels of a crown, lifted on high over his land.
  • Matt 24:30and then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky. Then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory.
  • Isa 61:10I will greatly rejoice in Yahweh! My soul will be joyful in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation. He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
  • Mark 13:25the stars will be falling from the sky, and the powers that are in the heavens will be shaken.
  • Ps 104:2He covers himself with light as with a garment. He stretches out the heavens like a curtain.
  • 2 Chr 32:31However concerning the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, who sent to him to inquire of the wonder that was done in the land, God left him, to try him, that he might know all that was in his heart.
  • Rev 21:23The city has no need for the sun, neither of the moon, to shine, for the very glory of God illuminated it, and its lamp is the Lamb.
  • Isa 60:1–4“Arise, shine; for your light has come, and Yahweh’s glory has risen on you.
  • Rev 15:1I saw another great and marvelous sign in the sky: seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them God’s wrath is finished.
  • Isa 49:14–23But Zion said, “Yahweh has forsaken me, and the Lord has forgotten me.”
  • Acts 2:19I will show wonders in the sky above, and signs on the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and billows of smoke.
  • Rev 11:19God’s temple that is in heaven was opened, and the ark of the Lord’s covenant was seen in his temple. Lightnings, sounds, thunders, an earthquake, and great hail followed.
  • Mal 4:2But to you who fear my name shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing in its wings. You will go out, and leap like calves of the stall.
  • Rev 12:3Another sign was seen in heaven. Behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven crowns.
  • Titus 2:11–12For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men,
  • Gal 6:14But far be it from me to boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
  • Matt 12:38Then certain of the scribes and Pharisees answered, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.”
  • Rev 21:14The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them twelve names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb.
  • Gal 3:27For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
  • Eph 5:25–27Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the assembly, and gave himself up for it;
  • Rom 3:22even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all those who believe. For there is no distinction,
  • 2 Cor 11:2For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy. For I married you to one husband, that I might present you as a pure virgin to Christ.
  • John 3:29He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. This, my joy, therefore is made full.
  • Rev 1:20the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lamp stands. The seven stars are the angels of the seven assemblies. The seven lamp stands are seven assemblies.
  • Hos 2:19–20I will betroth you to me forever. Yes, I will betroth you to me in righteousness, in justice, in loving kindness, and in compassion.
  • Rom 13:14But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, for its lusts.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (5)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Revelation videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Revelation 12:1YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on RevelationMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Revelation ends the story with the slain-yet-standing Lamb who is worthy, the Lion of Judah, the Alpha and Omega, the returning King who makes all things new and dwells with his people forever.

How Revelation 12:1 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.