ESV omits the stance clause "I stood upon the sand of the sea" and attaches the standing to the dragon in 12:18: "he stood on the sand of the sea".This translation difference from the KJV is due to differences among early manuscripts and to the ESV's use of the critical text based on those manuscripts. Based on the unbroken message about the three beasts, it seems very unlikely that it is John who stands on the sea.

Compare Revelation 13:1 with Revelation 17. In chapter 17, the ten kings act together, yet remain ten distinct individuals. They are identified with the ten horns of the dragon, not themselves being a beast as a whole.

In Revelation 13, however, the sea beast is presented as a single authority bearing ten crowns. This points not to ten rulers in unity, but to one ruler holding their authority.

At most, this suggests the sea beast has taken the crowns of the ten kings and now rules over the kings of the earth—including those ten—consistent with Daniel 7, where the little horn rises and subdues three. Thus, the beast possesses the combined authority of those before him.

This does not mean the ten kings cease to function; they may still operate under his authority. However, the emphasis in Revelation 13 is on a single individual exercising dominion and speaking with authority.

Greek is θρονον which is also "throne".

He does not die; it was only deadly, but did not kill. In the ESV, "seemed to have a mortal wound".

The phrase "I saw one of his heads" is referring to the sea beast and not the dragon.

The phrase "power was given unto him to act" in this text differs from the KJV, which renders "power was given unto him to continue". The word "continue" in the KJV does not need to be understood as continuing from a prior period, because the Greek verb ποιησαι (to do, make, practice, produce, a generic term of action or performance) does not carry that meaning intrinsically. While the text does not grammatically assert an extension from an earlier point in time, neither does it contradict such a reading when considered within the broader narrative context. The verb itself simply expresses permitted activity across a defined duration; any sense of continuation from an earlier phase must come from contextual synthesis, not from this clause directly. We find possible grounds for this in Revelation 11:2. So it is not impossible to think of this as the gentile power continuing for another 42 months to complete 84 months of rule, which is 7 years and matches the prophetic 70th week in Daniel 9:24-27, found in verse 27.

The [and] (καί) is not present in the critical text of Revelation, so it is not clear whether “those who dwell in heaven” are to be identified as distinct from the tabernacle. The NASB renders this in English as "to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven." Such an identification is doubtful, since Revelation describes the church as a lampstand, while Hebrews 9:2 places the lampstand within the tabernacle (“For there was a tabernacle prepared… in which were the lampstand…”), indicating distinction rather than identity. Likewise, Revelation 21:3 (“the tabernacle of God is with men”) maintains a distinction between the dwelling and its inhabitants, not a metaphorical equivalence. So, while the Greek may or may not include the καί, it should likely be understood the way it is rendered in English with the [and].

The dragon makes war through the sea beast.

After the "a time, and times, and half a time" comes to its end, the saints will no longer be worn out (Daniel 7:25). Their patience will come to completion.

Here, the "first beast" is the one with the wound. This is a helpful identification because, in Revelation 11, we technically encounter our first beast, who comes out of the bottomless pit (Satan only). This further helps us know that 12-13 is meant to be parenthetical.

The NASB reads, “the beast who had the wound of the sword and has come to life,” which may suggest a full resurrection. However, the KJV’s rendering, “did live,” more closely reflects the ambiguity of the Greek. While the same verb (ἔζησεν, ezēsen, “he lived”) is used of both Christ (Rev 2:8) and the beast (Rev 13:14), the surrounding language distinguishes the two events. Christ is explicitly said to have “become dead” (ἐγένετο νεκρός), whereas the beast is described as having a “wound of the sword” and, notably, as “as it were slain” (ὡς ἐσφαγμένην, Rev 13:3). The phrase ὡς (“as, as if”) introduces the idea of appearance rather than confirmed reality. Thus, the text appears to present an imitation of death and life, evoking resurrection imagery without explicitly affirming that the beast truly died and rose again.

ESV "breath" not "life". In Greek πνεῦμα "spirit, wind, breath".

Based on Revelation 14:11, "whosoever receives the mark of his name," The mark is not distinct from the name. The mark is the number of the name.

Greek, for calculate is ψηφισατω is "compute, reckon, count, calculate, estimate". It might be that calculate is not a riddle per-say but a mock. The only mathematical reference in Revelation that fits this is the 1/3 stars in 12:4; the remainder of 1/3 is 66.666%. This might be telling us that the number of beast is Satan's numbered failure for claiming all of heaven's angels and also trying to set himself up as God. Thus, the number 666 is a mockery of him, "Your number is your failure: 66.6%. You are not a god, you are a man."