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

8I looked, and I saw a grey horse. The name of the person who was riding the horse was Death. The place for dead people, called Hades, was following near to him. They had authority to kill people in a quarter of the earth. They could kill people in different ways. They could kill them in wars. They could cause people to die because there was no food. They could cause people to become very ill so that they died. They could also cause wild animals to kill people. 9Then the Lamb opened the fifth seal. I saw an altar where people offered gifts to God. I saw the souls of some of God's people under the altar. These people had died because they had believed God's message. They had continued to speak the true message about Jesus Christ. That is why people had killed them. These believers called out loudly, ‘Lord, you have all authority. You are completely good. You always do what is right. When will you decide to judge the people who live on the earth? Do not wait! You should quickly punish the people who killed us!’ 11Then each believer received white clothes. God told them to wait for a short time more. They must wait until other believers on earth also died. These believers are also servants of God. God will wait until people kill those believers too. Then the number of them will be complete. 12I watched again. I saw the Lamb open the sixth seal. Then the ground shook with a great earthquake. The sun became black like thick black cloth. The whole moon became red 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 4:10Then the Lord God said, ‘Why have you done this bad thing? Now your brother's blood is lying there on the ground. That is like his voice which is shouting to me for help.
• Psalms 9:12God punishes murderers, and he takes care of people who receive pain from others. When they call to him, he does not refuse to help them.
• Luke 18:7But as for God, he always helps those that he has chosen to be his children. When they continue to ask him for help, in the day and in the night, he will answer them. He will not wait.
• Hebrews 12:24You have come to Jesus, who brought the new agreement from God to his people. In that agreement, the blood of Jesus' death makes us clean from our sins. It tells us that God has forgiven us. When Cain killed his brother Abel, Abel's blood brought God's punishment. So we see that Jesus' blood brought us something much better than that.
• Psalms 13:1Lord, will you forget about me for ever? When will you remember to come and help me?
• Psalms 35:17My Lord, how long will you continue to watch as they do this to me? Keep me safe when they attack me. They attack me like hungry lions. Do not let them kill me!
• Psalms 74:9We no longer see any signs that God is with us. There are no more prophets among us. Nobody can tell us how long this will continue.
• Psalms 94:3How long will wicked people continue to be happy? Yes, Lord, how long?
• Daniel 8:13Then I heard two angels as they talked to each other. One angel asked, ‘How long will the things in this vision continue to happen? How long will this disgusting thing stop the sacrifices each day? How long will it stand against God and stamp on his temple and his army?’
• Daniel 12:6One of them spoke to the man who wore linen clothes and who now stood above the river. He asked that man, ‘How long will it be until these wonderful things finish?’
• Zechariah 1:12Then the angel of the Lord said, ‘Lord Almighty, how long will you be angry with Jerusalem? How long will you be angry with the cities of Judah? You have already been angry for 70 years.’
• Revelation 3:7‘Write this to the angel of the church at Philadelphia: “This is my message to you. I am the one who is completely good, the true God. I have King David's key in my hand. When I open a door, nobody can shut it. And when I shut a door, nobody can open it.
• Revelation 15:3Now they sang the song of God's servant, Moses, and the Lamb's song. They sang this: ‘Lord God with all power, what you do is great and wonderful! Everything that you do is completely fair and honest. You are King of all nations of the world.
• Revelation 11:18The nations of the world were very angry. But now it is time for you to be angry with them. Now you will judge all the people who have died. You will give good things to your servants, the prophets, and to all your people. You will bless everyone who respects and obeys you, whether they are important people or not. But you will destroy all those people who destroy the earth. The time has now come for all this to happen.’
• Revelation 16:5Then I heard the voice of the angel who had authority over the waters. He said to God, ‘Holy One, you are alive now and you always have been alive. You are right in everything that you decide. Now you have judged these people.
• Revelation 18:20Yes, you who live in heaven, be happy! Be happy because God has punished Babylon! God's people and his apostles and his prophets, be happy! God has punished the city because of what she did to you.

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