Revelation 6:9

Revelation 6:9 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
• New International Version (NIV)When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained.
• English Standard Version (ESV)When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne.
• New King James Version (NKJV)When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held.

Context of Revelation 6:9

7And when he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, Come. 8And I saw, and behold, a pale horse: and he that sat upon him, his name was Death; and Hades followed with him. And there was given unto them authority over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with famine, and with death, and by the wild beasts of the earth. And when he opened the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of them that had been slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: 10and they cried with a great voice, saying, How long, O Master, the holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? 11And there was given them to each one a white robe; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little time, until their fellow-servants also and their brethren, who should be killed even as they were, should have fulfilled their course.

Revelation 6:9 word by word

Καὶ ὅτε ἤνοιξεν τὴν πέμπτην σφραγῖδα, εἶδον ὑποκάτω τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου τὰς ψυχὰς τῶν ἐσφαγμένων διὰ τὸν λόγον τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ διὰ τὴν μαρτυρίαν ἣν εἶχον.Read the interlinear

• whenὅτεhote ho te hē te tō te · whenG3753
• openedἀνοίγωanoigō · to openG455
• fifthπέμπτοςpemptos · fifthG3991
• sealσφραγίςsphragis · sealG4973
• sawὁράωhoraō · to see: seeG3708
• altarθυσιαστήριονthusiastērion · altarG2379
• soulsψυχήpsuchē · soulG5590
• slainσφάζωsphazō · to slaughterG4969
• wordλόγοςlogos · wordG3056
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• testimonyμαρτυρίαmarturia · testimonyG3141
• heldἔχωechō · to have/beG2192

Cross-references for Revelation 6:9

• Revelation 8:3And another angel came and stood over the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should add it unto the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.
• Revelation 9:13And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the horns of the golden altar which is before God,
• Revelation 14:18And another angel came out from the altar, he that hath power over fire; and he called with a great voice to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Send forth thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.
• Leviticus 4:7And the priest shall put of the blood upon the horns of the altar of sweet incense before Jehovah, which is in the tent of meeting; and all the blood of the bullock shall he pour out at the base of the altar of burnt-offering, which is at the door of the tent of meeting.
• John 16:2They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the hour cometh, that whosoever killeth you shall think that he offereth service unto God.
• Philippians 2:17Yea, and if I am offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all:
• 2 Timothy 4:6For I am already being offered, and the time of my departure is come.
• Revelation 20:4And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus, and for the word of God, and such as worshipped not the beast, neither his image, and received not the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand; and they lived, and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
• 2 Corinthians 5:8we are of good courage, I say, and are willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be at home with the Lord.
• Philippians 1:23But I am in a strait betwixt the two, having the desire to depart and be with Christ; for it is very far better:
• Revelation 1:9I John, your brother and partaker with you in the tribulation and kingdom and patiencewhich arein Jesus, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.
• Revelation 2:13I know where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s throne is; and thou holdest fast my name, and didst not deny my faith, even in the days of Antipas my witness, my faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwelleth.
• Revelation 11:3And I will give unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
• Revelation 12:11And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb, and because of the word of their testimony; and they loved not their life even unto death.
• Revelation 19:10And I fell down before his feet to worship him. And he saith unto me, See thou do it not: I am a fellow-servant with thee and with thy brethren that hold the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
• 2 Timothy 1:8Be not ashamed therefore of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but suffer hardship with the gospel according to the power of God;

Commentaries on Revelation 6:9

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9The fifth seal - There is no animal nor any other being to introduce this seal, nor does there appear to be any new event predicted; but the whole is intended to comfort the followers of God under their persecutions, and to encourage them to bear up under their distresses. I saw under the altar - A symbolical vision was exhibited, in which he saw an altar; and under it the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God - martyred for their…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. 9Instead of following the destructive ways of the world, the martyrs (those who died for their faith) chose to give their lives because they remained faithful to the word of God.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. The three last seals relate to the invisible, as the first four to the visible world; the fifth, to the martyrs who have died as believers; the sixth, to those who have died, or who shall be found at Christ's coming, unbelievers, namely, "the kings ... great men ... bondman ... freeman"; the seventh, to the silence in heaven. The scene changes from earth to heaven; so that interpretations which make these three last consecutive to the first four seals…Read the comment

Topics related to Revelation 6:9

• Martyrdom
• Persecution

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Word of God
• Conquer
• Hurt
• Mighty
• Shake
• Abel (1)
• Ascension
• Eschatology of the New Testament

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