EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Revelation 5:8
8When he had taken the book, the four beings and the 24 leaders fell down to the ground in front of the Lamb. They worshipped him. Each leader had a harp to make music. They were also holding gold bowls which were full of incense. That nice smell shows what it is like when God's people pray to him.
Revelation 5:8 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.
- New International Version (NIV)And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
Context of Revelation 5:8
6Then I saw a Lamb. He was standing in the middle of the throne. The four beings that are alive and the leaders were around him. The Lamb appeared to be like a lamb that someone had killed. He had seven horns and seven eyes. His eyes are the seven spirits of God, that God has sent into all parts of the world. 7The Lamb came and he took the book. He took it from the right hand of the one who was sitting on the throne. When he had taken the book, the four beings and the 24 leaders fell down to the ground in front of the Lamb. They worshipped him. Each leader had a harp to make music. They were also holding gold bowls which were full of incense. That nice smell shows what it is like when God's people pray to him. 9The beings that are alive and the leaders sang a new song. They sang: ‘You are so good! You are good enough to take the book. You can break its seals and open it. You can do this because they killed you. When you died, you bought people for God with your blood. You bought them from every tribe, from every language and every nation. 10You have caused them to belong to the kingdom of our God. You have made them priests, so that they serve God. And they will rule on the earth.’
Read all of Revelation 5Revelation 5:8 word by word
καὶ ὅτε ἔλαβεν τὸ βιβλίον, τὰ τέσσαρα ζῷα καὶ οἱ εἴκοσι τέσσαρες πρεσβύτεροι ἔπεσαν ἐνώπιον τοῦ ἀρνίου ἔχοντες ἕκαστος κιθάραν καὶ φιάλας χρυσᾶς γεμούσας θυμιαμάτων αἵ εἰσιν αἱ προσευχαὶ τῶν ἁγίων.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Andκαίkai · andG2532
- whenὅτεhote ho te hē te tō te · whenG3753
- he had takenλαμβάνωlambanō · to takeG2983
- the bookὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- the bookβιβλίονbiblion · scrollG975
- theζῷονzōon · living thingG2226
- fourτέσσαρεςtessares tessara · fourG5064
- fourεἴκοσιeikosi · twentyG1501
- eldersπρεσβύτεροςpresbuteros · elder (leader)G4245
- fell downπίπτωpiptō petō · to collapseG4098
- beforeἐνώπιονenōpion · beforeG1799
- the Lambἀρνίονarnion · lambG721
- havingἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
- every one of themἕκαστοςhekastos · eachG1538
- harpsκιθάραkithara · harpG2788
- goldenχρύσεοςchruseos · goldenG5552
- vialsφιάληphialē · bowlG5357
- fullγέμωgemō · be fullG1073
- of odoursθυμίαμαthumiama · incenseG2368
- whichὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
- areεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- the prayersπροσευχήproseuchē · prayerG4335
- of saintsἅγιοςhagios · holy: saintG40
Cross-references for Revelation 5:8
- Revelation 5:14The four beings that are alive agreed. They said, ‘Yes, this is true.’ The leaders fell down and they worshipped God and the Lamb.
- Revelation 4:4All around the throne there were 24 other thrones. 24 leaders were sitting on these thrones. They were wearing white clothes and they had gold crowns on their heads.
- Revelation 7:10They shouted loudly: ‘We worship our God who sits on the throne. And we worship the Lamb. They have saved us from Satan's power.’
- Revelation 19:4The 24 leaders and the four beings that are alive then threw themselves down on the ground. They worshipped God, who was sitting on the throne. They said, ‘It is true! Praise the Lord God!’
- John 5:23Then all people will respect the Son as a great person. They will respect him in the way that they respect the Father. The Father sent the Son. So if people refuse to respect the Son, it shows that they do not respect the Father either.
- Romans 14:10So then, if you eat only vegetables, you must not judge other believers. Also, if you eat anything, you must not think that you are better than other believers. Remember that all of us will have to stand in front of God. He will decide whether we have done what is right or wrong.
- Philippians 2:9Because of that, God then raised Jesus Christ to the most important place. God gave him the name that is greater than every other name.
- Hebrews 1:6Also, when God was ready to bring his greatest Son into the world, he said: ‘All God's angels must worship him.’
- Revelation 14:2Then I heard a loud sound which came from heaven. The noise was like water that pours along a river very fast. It was like the loud noise of thunder. The sound was like people who were making music with harps.
- Revelation 15:2Then I saw what seemed to be a glass sea. Fire was mixed in it. I also saw people who were standing at the edge of the glass sea. Those people had fought against the wild animal and they had won. They had won against its image and the number that means its name. They had fought and they had won. God had given them harps. They held the harps to make music.
- Psalms 33:2Pick up your harp and praise the Lord! Make music for him with a lyre that has ten strings.
- Psalms 43:4Then I will go to your altar, to worship you, the God who makes me happy. You are my God and I will praise you there. I will sing to thank you, God, with my harp.
- Psalms 81:2Start the music! Beat your tambourines! Make beautiful music on your harps and lyres.
- Psalms 150:3Praise him with music! Yes! Use trumpets, harps and lyres to praise God!
- Revelation 15:7Then one of the four beings that were alive gave seven gold bowls to the seven angels. God had poured his anger into the bowls. He is the God who is alive for ever.
- Revelation 8:3Then another angel came. He stood at the altar where people offered gifts to God. He had a gold bowl to put incense in. He received a lot of incense and he burned it as a gift to God. It made a nice smell and it mixed with the prayers of God's people. The angel offered the incense and the prayers on the gold altar that was in front of God's throne.
Commentaries on Revelation 5:8
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8The four beasts - fell down before the Lamb - The whole Church of God, and all his children in heaven and earth, acknowledge that Jesus Christ is alone worthy and able to unfold and execute all the mysteries and counsels of God. See on Revelation 5:9; (note). Having every one of them harps - There were harps and vials; and each of the elders and living creatures had one. Odours, which are the prayers of saints - The frankincense and odours offered at the…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8And when he had taken the book, the four beasts - The acts of adoration here described as rendered by the four living creatures and the elders are, according to the explanation given in Revelation 4:4-7, emblematic of the honor done to the Redeemer by the church, and by the course of providential events in the government of the world. Fell down before the Lamb - The usual posture of profound worship. Usually in such worship there was entire prostration…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 8-14Verses 8-14 It is matter of joy to all the world, to see that God deals with men in grace and mercy through the Redeemer. He governs the world, not merely as a Creator, but as our Saviour. The harps were instruments of praise; the vials were full of odours, or incense, which signify the prayers of the saints: prayer and praise should always go together. Christ has redeemed his people from the bondage of sin, guilt, and Satan. He has not only purchased…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8fell down before the Lamb: The crucified and risen Christ has the divine authority to start the events of this age. He is fully worthy of worship. The prayers of God's people play a significant role in the judgments and plagues (Revelation 6:9–11; 8:2–5).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 88. had taken--Greek, "took." fell down before the Lamb--who shares worship and the throne with the Father. harps--Two oldest manuscripts, A, B, Syriac and Coptic read, "a harp": a kind of guitar, played with the hand or a quill. vials--"bowls" [Tregelles]; censers. odours--Greek, "incense." prayers of saints--as the angel offers their prayers (Re 8:3) with incense (compare Psa 141:2). This gives not the least sanction to Rome's dogma of our praying to…Read the comment
Topics related to Revelation 5:8
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Revelation 5
- 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
EasyEnglish Bible 2018 — Copyright © MissionAssist 2018
Commentaries