American Standard Version
Revelation 4:7
7And the first creature was like a lion, and the second creature like a calf, and the third creature had a face as of a man, and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle.
Revelation 4:7 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.
- New International Version (NIV)The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle.
- English Standard Version (ESV)the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight.
- New King James Version (NKJV)The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle.
Context of Revelation 4:7
5And out of the throne proceed lightnings and voices and thunders. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God; 6and before the throne, as it were a sea of glass like unto crystal; and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, four living creatures full of eyes before and behind. And the first creature was like a lion, and the second creature like a calf, and the third creature had a face as of a man, and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle. 8And the four living creatures, having each one of them six wings, are full of eyes round about and within: and they have no rest day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, isthe Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come. 9And when the living creatures shall give glory and honor and thanks to him that sitteth on the throne, to him that liveth for ever and ever,
Read all of Revelation 4Revelation 4:7 word by word
καὶ τὸ ζῷον τὸ πρῶτον ὅμοιον λέοντι, καὶ τὸ δεύτερον ζῷον ὅμοιον μόσχῳ, καὶ τὸ τρίτον ζῷον ἔχων τὸ πρόσωπον ὡς ἀνθρώπου, καὶ τὸ τέταρτον ζῷον ὅμοιον ἀετῷ πετομένῳ.Read the interlinear
- firstπρῶτοςprōtos · firstG4413
- creatureζῷονzōon · living thingG2226
- lionλέωνleōn · lionG3023
- secondδεύτεροςdeuteros · secondlyG1208
- calfμόσχοςmoschos · calfG3448
- thirdτρίτοςtritos · thirdG5154
- faceπρόσωπονprosōpon · faceG4383
- manἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
- flyingπέτομαιpetomai petaomai ptaomai · to flyG4072
- eagleἀετόςaetos · eagleG105
Cross-references for Revelation 4:7
- Revelation 4:6and before the throne, as it were a sea of glass like unto crystal; and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, four living creatures full of eyes before and behind.
- Genesis 49:9Judah is a lion’s whelp; From the prey, my son, thou art gone up: He stooped down, he couched as a lion, And as a lioness; who shall rouse him up?
- Numbers 2:2The children of Israel shall encamp every man by his own standard, with the ensigns of their fathers’ houses: over against the tent of meeting shall they encamp round about.
- Numbers 23:24Behold, the people riseth up as a lioness, And as a lion doth he lift himself up: He shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, And drink the blood of the slain.
- Numbers 24:9He couched, he lay down as a lion, And as a lioness; who shall rouse him up? Blessed be every one that blesseth thee, And cursed be every one that curseth thee.
- Proverbs 28:2For the transgression of a land many are the princes thereof; But by men of understandingandknowledge the state thereof shall be prolonged.
- Ezekiel 1:10As for the likeness of their faces, they had the face of a man; and they four had the face of a lion on the right side; and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four had also the face of an eagle.
- Ezekiel 10:14And every one had four faces: the first face was the face of the cherub, and the second face was the face of a man, and the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.
- 1 Corinthians 9:9For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn. Is it for the oxen that God careth,
- 1 Corinthians 14:20Brethren, be not children in mind: yet in malice be ye babes, but in mind be men.
- Deuteronomy 28:49Jehovah will bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as the eagle flieth; a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand;
- 2 Samuel 1:23Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, And in their death they were not divided: They were swifter than eagles, They were stronger than lions.
- Isaiah 40:31but they that wait for Jehovah shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint.
- Ezekiel 1:8And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings thus:
- Daniel 7:4The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made to stand upon two feet as a man; and a man’s heart was given to it.
- Obadiah 1:4Though thou mount on high as the eagle, and though thy nest be set among the stars, I will bring thee down from thence, saith Jehovah.
Commentaries on Revelation 4:7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7The first beast was like a lion - It is supposed that there is a reference here to the four standards or ensigns of the four divisions of the tribes in the Israelitish camp, as they are described by Jewish writers. The first living creature was like a lion; this was, say the rabbins, the standard of Judah on the east, with the two tribes of Issachar and Zabulon. The second, like a calf or ox, which was the emblem of Ephraim who pitched on the west, with…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7And the first beast was like a lion - A general description has been given, applicable to all, denoting that in whatever form the divine government is administered, these things will be found; a particular description now follows, contemplating that government under particular aspects, as symbolized by the living beings on which the throne rests. The first is that of a lion. The lion is the monarch of the woods, the king of beasts, and he becomes thus the…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7These four creatures symbolize different types of beings: a lion represents wild animals, an ox represents domesticated animals, a human represents humanity, and an eagle represents birds (see Ezekiel 1:10). These figures come from Ezekiel 1 (cherubim) and Isaiah 6 (seraphim). They likely represent the best of creation as worshiping God. Missing from this group of created beings are fish. Ancient people often connected fish with the dangerous or evil sea…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 77. calf--"a steer" [Alford]. The Septuagint often uses the Greek term here for an ox (Ex 22:1; 29:10, &c.). as a man--The oldest manuscripts have "as of a man."Read the comment
Topics related to Revelation 4:7
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Revelation 4
- 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
American Standard Version — 1901 — Public Domain
Commentaries