EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Revelation 4:7
7The first of these beings was like a lion. The second being was like an ox. The third being had a face like a man's face. And the fourth being was like an eagle that was flying.
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
5A storm with bright lightning came from the throne. There was the loud noise of thunder. In front of the throne there were seven lights of fire burning brightly. These lights are the seven spirits of God. 6Also in front of the throne there was something like a sea of glass that shone with light. In the middle, round the throne, there were four other beings that were alive. They had eyes all over them, on their fronts and on their backs. The first of these beings was like a lion. The second being was like an ox. The third being had a face like a man's face. And the fourth being was like an eagle that was flying. 8Each of these four beings had six wings. They had eyes all over them, even under their wings. All day and all night they never stop saying: ‘The Lord God has all power and authority. He has no bad thing in him. He is completely good. He has always been alive. He is alive now. He will continue to be alive for ever.’ 9God sits on the throne and he is alive for ever. The four beings that are alive worship him and they thank him.
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
Words taken from the KJV.
- Andκαίkai · andG2532
- theὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- theζῷονzōon · living thingG2226
- firstπρῶτοςprōtos · firstG4413
- likeὅμοιοςhomoios · likeG3664
- a lionλέωνleōn · lionG3023
- secondδεύτεροςdeuteros · secondlyG1208
- a calfμόσχοςmoschos · calfG3448
- thirdτρίτοςtritos · thirdG5154
- hadἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
- a faceπρόσωπονprosōpon · faceG4383
- asὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
- a manἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
- fourthτέταρτοςtetartos · fourthG5067
- a flyingπέτομαιpetomai petaomai ptaomai · to flyG4072
- eagleἀετόςaetos · eagleG105
Cross-references for Revelation 4:7
- Revelation 4:6Also in front of the throne there was something like a sea of glass that shone with light. In the middle, round the throne, there were four other beings that were alive. They had eyes all over them, on their fronts and on their backs.
- Genesis 49:9Judah is like a young lion who has eaten good food. He has eaten what he killed and now he rests. Nobody would want to try and wake him up!
- Numbers 2:2‘The Israelites must put up their tents on each side of the Tent of Meeting. They must not be very near to it but they must be all around it. They must live together in their tribes. Each person must be with his own tribe. Each tribe must have its own flag.
- Numbers 23:24The Israelites are like a strong lion. It eats the animals that it has killed. It does not rest until it has eaten as much as it wants. It also drinks their blood.’
- Numbers 24:9The Israelites are like a lion. When it is asleep, nobody is brave enough to wake it. God blesses those who bless you, Israel. And those who curse you are truly cursed.’
- Proverbs 28:2When the people in a country refuse to obey the law, they will have many rulers. But if a country has a wise ruler who understands what is right, it will continue to be strong.
- Ezekiel 1:10This is what their faces looked like: Each of the living things had four faces. There was a human face at the front. There was a lion's face on the right side. There was a bull's face on the left side. Each of them also had the face of an eagle.
- Ezekiel 10:14Each of the cherubs had four faces. One face was the face of a bull. The second face was the face of a man. The third face was a lion's face. And the fourth face was an eagle's face.
- 1 Corinthians 9:9God's Law that he gave to Moses says this: ‘Do not tie shut the mouth of your ox while it walks on your grain.’ But God's Law does not teach this only to help bulls.
- 1 Corinthians 14:20My Christian friends, do not continue to think like children think. Instead, think properly like men and women should think. The only way you should be like babies is to keep away from evil things.
- Deuteronomy 28:49The Lord will bring a nation from far away in the world to attack you. You will not understand their language. They will come quickly to attack you, like an eagle that comes down from the sky.
- 2 Samuel 1:23People loved Saul and Jonathan as great people while they lived. They were still together when they died. They moved faster than eagles They were stronger than lions.
- Isaiah 40:31But people who wait for the Lord to help them will receive new strength. They will rise up high, as if they have the wings of eagles. They will run and they will not become tired. They will walk and they will not become weak.
- Ezekiel 1:8They had human hands under their wings on the four sides. Each of these four living things had faces and wings that were like this:
- Daniel 7:4The first animal seemed like a lion, but it had the wings of an eagle. As I watched, someone pulled its wings off. They lifted it up and it stood on two feet like a man. They gave a man's mind to it.
- Obadiah 1:4You may be like a strong bird that flies high. And you may make your home in the highest places among the stars. But I will bring you down from there.’ That is what the Lord says.
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
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