Revelation 6:10

Revelation 6:10 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
• New International Version (NIV)They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?”
• English Standard Version (ESV)They cried out with a loud voice, "O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?"
• New King James Version (NKJV)And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”

Context of Revelation 6:10

8So I looked, and behold, an ashen (pale greenish gray) horse [like a corpse, representing death and pestilence]; and its rider’s name was Death; and Hades (the realm of the dead) was following with him. They were given authority and power over a fourth part of the earth, to kill with the sword and with famine and with plague (pestilence, disease) and by the wild beasts of the earth. 9When He (the Lamb) broke open the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slaughtered because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained [out of loyalty to Christ]. They cried in a loud voice, saying, “O Lord, holy and true, how long now before You will sit in judgment and avenge our blood on those [unregenerate ones] who dwell on the earth?” 11Then they were each given a white robe; and they were told to rest and wait quietly for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers and sisters who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed. 12I looked when He (the Lamb) broke open the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth [made] of hair, and the whole moon became like blood;

Revelation 6:10 word by word

καὶ ἔκραξαν φωνῇ μεγάλῃ λέγοντες· ἕως πότε, ὁ δεσπότης ὁ ἅγιος καὶ ἀληθινός, οὐ κρίνεις καὶ ἐκδικεῖς τὸ αἷμα ἡμῶν ἐκ τῶν κατοικούντων ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς;Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• they criedκράζωkrazō · to cryG2896
• with a loudμέγαςmegas · greatG3173
• voiceφωνήphōnē · voice/sound: voiceG5456
• sayingλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• Howἕωςheōs · untilG2193
• longπότεpote · when?G4219
• O Lordὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• O Lordδεσπότηςdespotēs · masterG1203
• holyἅγιοςhagios · holyG40
• trueἀληθινόςalēthinos · trueG228
• dost thouκρίνωkrinō · to judgeG2919
• notοὐou · noG3756
• avengeἐκδικέωekdikeō · to avengeG1556
• ourἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• bloodαἷμαaima · bloodG129
• onἀπόapo · away fromG575
• them that dwellκατοικέωkatoikeō · to dwellG2730
• onἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
• the earthγῆgē · earth: planetG1093

Cross-references for Revelation 6:10

• Genesis 4:10The Lord said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s [innocent] blood is crying out to Me from the ground [for justice].
• Psalms 9:12For He who avenges blood [unjustly shed] remembers them (His people); He does not forget the cry of the afflicted and abused.
• Luke 18:7And will not [our just] God defend and avenge His elect [His chosen ones] who cry out to Him day and night? Will He delay [in providing justice] on their behalf?
• Hebrews 12:24and to Jesus, the Mediator of a new covenant [uniting God and man], and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks [of mercy], a better and nobler and more gracious message than the blood of Abel [which cried out for vengeance].
• Psalms 13:1How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me?
• Psalms 35:17Lord, how long will You look on [without action]? Rescue my life from their destructions, My only life from the young lions.
• Psalms 74:9We do not see our symbols; There is no longer any prophet [to guide us], Nor does any among us know for how long.
• Psalms 94:3O Lord, how long will the wicked, How long will the wicked rejoice in triumph?
• Daniel 8:13Then I heard a holy one (angel) speaking, and another holy one said to the one who was speaking, “How much time will be required to complete the vision regarding the regular sacrifice, the transgression that brings horror, and the trampling underfoot of both the sanctuary and the host [of the people]?”
• Daniel 12:6And one said to the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, “How long will it be until the end of these wonders?”
• Zechariah 1:12Then the Angel of the Lord said, “O Lord of hosts, how long will You withhold mercy and compassion from Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, against which You have had indignation and anger these seventy years [of the Babylonian captivity]?”
• Revelation 3:7“And to the angel (divine messenger) of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of the Holy One, the True One, He who has the key [to the house] of David, He who opens and no one will [be able to] shut, and He who shuts and no one opens:
• Revelation 15:3And they sang the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, “Great and wonderful and awe-inspiring are Your works [in judgment], O Lord God, the Almighty [the Omnipotent, the Ruler of all]; Righteous and true are Your ways, O King of the nations!
• Revelation 11:18And the nations (Gentiles) became enraged, and Your wrath and indignation came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and [the time came] to reward Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints (God’s people) and those who fear Your name, the small and the great, and [the time came] to destroy the destroyers of the earth.”
• Revelation 16:5And I heard the angel of the waters saying, “Righteous and just are You, Who are and Who were, O Holy One, because You judged these things;
• Revelation 18:20Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints (God’s people) and apostles and prophets [who were martyred], because God has executed vengeance for you [through righteous judgment] upon her.”

Commentaries on Revelation 6:10

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 10And they cried with a loud voice - That is, their blood, like that of Abel, cried for vengeance; for we are not to suppose that there was any thing like a vindictive spirit in those happy and holy souls who had shed their blood for the testimony of Jesus. We sometimes say Blood cries for blood; that is, in the order of Divine justice, every murderer, and every murdering persecutor, shall be punished. O Lord - ̔ · Sovereign Lord, supreme Ruler; one having…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9-11Verses 9-11 And when he had opened the fifth seal - notes at Revelation 5:1; Revelation 6:1. I saw under the altar - The four living creatures are no longer heard as in the opening of the first four seals. No reason is given for the change in the manner of the representation; and none can be assigned, unless it be, that having represented each one of the four living creatures in their turn as calling attention to the remarkable events about to occur…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 9-11Verses 9-11 The sight the apostle beheld at the opening the fifth seal was very affecting. He saw the souls of the martyrs under the altar; at the foot of the altar in heaven, at the feet of Christ. Persecutors can only kill the body; after that there is no more they can do; the soul lives. God has provided a good place in the better world, for those who are faithful unto death. It is not their own death, but the sacrifice of Christ, that gives them…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 10The martyrs called out to God because they trusted his power to address their grievances. How long: Is God slow to act? Will justice be served? God acts decisively (see Revelation 6:12–14). His wrath (Revelation 6:16–17) should be understood as justice, fairness, and righteousness (see Exodus 34:5–7; Nehemiah 9:17; Psalms 103:8; 145:8; Joel 2:13; Jonah 4:2; Romans 2:6–11). avenge our blood: This plea for God’s justice follows the pattern of psalms calling…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1010. How long--Greek, "Until when?" As in the parable the woman (symbol of the Church) cries day and night to the unjust judge for justice against her adversary who is always oppressing her (compare below, Re 12:10); so the elect (not only on earth, but under Christ's covering, and in His presence in Paradise) cry day and night to God, who will assuredly, in His own time, avenge His and their cause, "though He bear long with them." These passages need not…Read the comment

Topics related to Revelation 6:10

• God
• God Continued...
• Martyrdom
• Persecution

In the dictionaries

• Conquer
• Hurt
• Mighty
• Shake
• Abel (1)
• Abiezer
• Ascension
• Cry, Crying
• Eschatology of the New Testament
• Ethics

Commentaries on Revelation 6

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings