Albert Barnes Commentary Revelation 13:3

"And [I saw] one of his heads as though it had been smitten unto death; and his death-stroke was healed: and the whole earth wondered after the beast;" — Revelation 13:3 (ASV)

And I saw one of his heads, as it were wounded to death. The phrase "wounded to death" properly means that it received a mortal wound; that is, the wound would have been mortal if it had not been healed. A blow was struck that would naturally be fatal, but something prevented the fatal result.

John does not say, however, by whom the wound was inflicted, nor does he describe further the nature of the wound. He says that one of the heads—that is, one of the seven heads—was wounded in this way.

In Revelation 17:9, he says, the seven heads are seven mountains in which the woman sitteth. In Revelation 17:10, he says, there are seven kings. This would lead us to suppose that there were "seven" administrations, forms of dominion, or dynasties presented to John's eye. While the number "seven," as applied to the "heads," identified the power sufficiently to fix its location on the seven "hills" (Revelation 17:9), in another respect the number "seven" also suggested forms of administration or dynasties (Revelation 17:10).

What is meant by saying that one of these heads was wounded to death has been among the most perplexing of all inquiries concerning the book of Revelation. The use of the word seven, and the explanation in Revelation 17:9, make it morally certain that Rome, in some form of its administration, is referred to. Of this there can be no doubt, and on this all are agreed. It is not, however, the Papal power as such that is referred to here, for:

• The Papal power is designated under the image of the second beast.
• The descriptions pertaining to the first beast are all applicable to a secular power.
• There was no form of the Papal spiritual dominion that would properly correspond with what is said in Revelation 17:10.

The reference in this place is, therefore, to Rome considered as a civil or secular power, yet Rome regarded as giving support to the second beast—the Papal power. The general idea here is that a state of things would exist concerning that power, at the time referred to, as if one of the seven heads of the monster should receive a wound that would be fatal if it were not healed in some way.

That is, its power would be weakened, its dominion would be curtailed, and that portion of its power would have ended if there had not been something to, as it were, restore it and save it from the impending wrath. The great point of difficulty relates to the particular application of this—to the facts in history that would correspond with the symbol.

On this, there have been almost as many opinions as there have been interpreters of the Apocalypse, and there is no impropriety in saying that none of the solutions are entirely free from objection. The main difficulty, as far as the interpretation proposed above is concerned, lies in the fact that one of the seven heads is referred to as wounded to death, as if one-seventh part of the power was endangered.

I confess I am not able entirely to solve this difficulty. But, after all, is it certain that the meaning is that just one-seventh part of the power was in peril, that the blow affected just such a portion that it might be described as the one-seventh part? Is not the number seven so used in the Scriptures as to denote a considerable portion—a portion quite material and important?

And may not all that is intended here be that John saw a wound inflicted on that mighty power which would have been fatal if it had not been marvelously healed? And was it not true that the Roman civil and secular power was so waning and decaying that it might properly be represented as if one of the seven heads of the monster had received a fatal wound, until its power was restored by the influence of the spiritual domination of the church of Rome? If this is the correct exposition, then what is implied here may be stated thus:

• The general subject of the representation is the Roman power, as seen at first in its rigor and strength.
• Then that power is said to be greatly weakened, as if one of its heads were smitten with a deadly wound.
• Then the wound was healed—this power was restored—by being brought into alliance with the Papacy; that is, the whole Roman power over the world would have died away if it had not been restored and perpetuated by means of this new and mighty influence (Revelation 13:12). Under this new form, Rome had all the power it had ever had and was guilty of all the atrocities of which it had ever been guilty: it was Rome still.

Every wound inflicted on that power by the incursion of barbarians and by the separation of parts of the empire was healed by the Papacy. Under this form, its dominion became as wide and as formidable as under its ancient mode of administration. If a more particular application of this is sought, I see no reason to doubt that it may be found in the quite common interpretation of the passage given by Protestants: that the reference is to the forms of administration under which this power appeared in the world.

The number of distinct forms of government which the Roman power assumed from first to last was the following: kings, consuls, dictators, decemvirs, military tribunes, and emperors. These seven forms of administration were, at least, sufficiently prominent and marked to be represented by this symbol, or to attract the attention of one contemplating this formidable power—for it was under these forms that its conquests had been achieved and its dominion set up over the earth.

In John's time, and the time contemplated in this vision, all these had passed away except the imperial form. That, too, was soon to be smitten with a deadly wound by the invasion of the Northern hordes. It would have entirely and forever ceased if it had not been restored—the deadly wound being healed—by the influence of the Papal power, giving Rome its former ascendancy. (See Barnes on Revelation 13:15).

And his deadly wound was healed. That is, as explained above, the waning Roman secular power was restored by its connection with the spiritual power—the Papacy. This was:

• A simple matter of fact: that the waning secular power of Rome was thus restored by connecting itself with the spiritual or ecclesiastical power, thereby prolonging what might properly be called the Roman domination far beyond what it would otherwise have been.
• This would be properly represented by just the symbol employed here—the fatal wound inflicted on the head, and the healing of that wound, or preventing what would naturally be the effects. (On the fulfillment of this, see Barnes on Revelation 13:15, at the close).

And all the world wondered after the beast. The word used here—thaumazō (Greek: θαυμάζω)—properly means to be astonished, to be amazed, then to wonder at, then to admire and follow (Robinson's Lexicon).

In Revelation 13:4, it is said that the world worshipped the beast. The general idea is that the beast received such universal reverence, or inspired such universal awe, as to be properly called worship or adoration. There can be no doubt of the propriety of this, considered as applicable to that secular Roman power which sustained the Papacy. The homage was as wide as the limits of the Roman empire had ever been and might be said to embrace "all the world."