Revelation 11:8 (KJV)

What does Revelation 11:8 mean?

Revelation 11:8 describes the public humiliation of two witnesses after they are killed. Their bodies are left in the open in the city associated with Jesus’ crucifixion. The verse uses the names Sodom and Egypt to portray the city in a harsh light.

After the witnesses are killed in verse 7, the scene moves to a public street. For the first hearers, Sodom recalled a place known for wickedness, while Egypt recalled the land where Israel had been enslaved. Calling the city by those names gives the place a meaning beyond its ordinary name.

The Greek behind Revelation 11:8

• “bodies” — πτῶμα (ptōma): This word means a dead body or corpse. It makes clear that the witnesses have been killed, as the KJV’s phrase “dead bodies” shows.
• “street” — πλατεῖα (plateia): This word can mean a broad street or public square. It pictures an open place where the bodies could be seen.
• “spiritually” — πνευματικῶς (pneumatikōs): This word carries the sense of “in a spiritual way.” It signals that Sodom and Egypt are names used to describe the city’s character, rather than its ordinary name.

Why Revelation 11:8 matters

• The place is identified by its connection to Jesus. The words “where also our Lord was crucified” point readers toward Jerusalem.
• The bodies’ public exposure is part of the scene’s meaning. In verse 9, people look at them and refuse to let them be buried, adding to the disgrace pictured in verse 8.