Revelation 9:21

Furthermore, they did not repent of their murder, sorcery, sexual immorality, and theft.

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — John records a vision following the fifth trumpet plague, describing the unrepentant state of the surviving human population. The text notes that despite witnessing divine judgments, the remainder of mankind persists in idolatry and specific violent and moral transgressions.

The words — οὐ (ou) = not and μετενὴησαν (metenoēsan) = they repented form the grammatical core, establishing a definitive refusal to change direction or mindset. The genitive plural φόνων (phonōn) = murders anchors the list of unaddressed sins in concrete violence.

The thread — This refusal to abandon murder, sorcery, sexual immorality, and theft reappears in Revelation 21:8 as part of the condemned list for the lake of fire. The same cluster of vices echoes Revelation 17:5, where Babylon is labeled the mother of prostitutes and abominations.

Why it lands — The verse demands recognition that exposure to judgment does not automatically produce moral change. It requires the reader to confront the reality of hardened rebellion and the necessity of deliberate, ongoing repentance rather than passive observation.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Greek words

King James Version

Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.

Cross-references

Revelation 21:8 But to the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and sexually immoral and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This is the second death.”
2 Corinthians 12:21 I am afraid that when I come again, my God will humble me before you, and I will be grieved over many who have sinned earlier and have not repented of their acts of impurity, sexual immorality, and debauchery.
Revelation 17:5 And on her forehead a mysterious name was written: BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
Revelation 22:15 But outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
Revelation 17:2 The kings of the earth were immoral with her, and those who dwell on the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her immorality.”
Isaiah 47:9 These two things will overtake you in a moment, in a single day: loss of children, and widowhood. They will come upon you in full measure, in spite of your many sorceries and the potency of your spells.
Revelation 18:3 All the nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her immorality. The kings of the earth were immoral with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown wealthy from the extravagance of her luxury.”
Revelation 18:23 The light of a lamp will never shine in you again, and the voices of a bride and bridegroom will never call out in you again. For your merchants were the great ones of the earth, because all the nations were deceived by your sorcery.”
Isaiah 47:12 So take your stand with your spells and with your many sorceries, with which you have wearied yourself from your youth. Perhaps you will succeed; perhaps you will inspire terror!
Isaiah 57:3 “But come here, you sons of a sorceress, you offspring of adulterers and prostitutes!