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

7Then the Lamb opened the fourth seal. I heard the last being say, ‘Come!’ 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. Then 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. 10These 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.

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

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• whenὅτεhote ho te hē te tō te · whenG3753
• he had openedἀνοίγωanoigō · to openG455
• the fifthπέμπτοςpemptos · fifthG3991
• sealσφραγίςsphragis · sealG4973
• I sawὁράωhoraō · to see: seeG3708
• underὑποκάτωhupokatō · underG5270
• the altarὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the altarθυσιαστήριονthusiastērion · altarG2379
• the soulsψυχήpsuchē · soulG5590
• that were slainσφάζωsphazō · to slaughterG4969
• forδιάdia · through/because ofG1223
• the wordλόγοςlogos · wordG3056
• of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• the testimonyμαρτυρίαmarturia · testimonyG3141
• whichὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• they heldἔχωechō · to have/beG2192

Cross-references for Revelation 6:9

• 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.
• Revelation 9:13Then the sixth angel made a sound with his trumpet. I heard a voice that spoke to him from the four corners of the gold altar. This altar is near to God himself.
• Revelation 14:18Again, another angel came from the altar where people offered gifts to God. This angel had authority for the fire on the altar. He shouted with a loud voice to the angel who had the sharp knife. He told him, ‘Use your knife and cut the grapes off the earth's vine. The grapes are ready now to make wine.’
• Leviticus 4:7He must put some of the blood on the horns of the incense altar in front of the Lord. The priest must pour the blood that he did not use onto the floor in front of the altar. That altar is near the door outside the Tent of Meeting.
• John 16:2People will send you away from their meeting places. There will be a time when people will want to kill you. When they do this, they will even think that they are doing what God wants.
• Philippians 2:17You believe in Christ, and you are his servants. That is like you are offering yourselves as a sacrifice to God. Perhaps I will soon have to die. Then my blood would be like drink that I am pouring on your sacrifice, to please God. So, if I have to die now, I will be happy. And we should all be happy together.
• 2 Timothy 4:6As for me, it is nearly time for me to die. My death will be like a drink offering that they pour out to God. My life as God's servant will end.
• Revelation 20:4Then I saw some thrones, and I saw people who were sitting on them. These people had received authority to judge other people. I also saw the souls of people who had died because they served Jesus. People had cut off their heads because they had told the truth about Jesus, and they had spoken God's message. These believers had not worshipped the wild animal or his image. They had not received the wild animal's mark on their heads or on their hands. Now they became alive again. They ruled as kings together with Christ for 1,000 years.
• 2 Corinthians 5:8We are brave because we trust God. We would like to go away from our body here on earth. Then we would go to be at home with the Lord. And that would be better!
• Philippians 1:23Both of them seem very good to me. I want to leave this world so that I can be with Christ. That is a much better thing.
• Revelation 1:9I am John. I am a believer, as you are. I am like your brother and your friend. Because we belong to Jesus' kingdom, we are having trouble and pain. So we all need to be strong and patient, as Jesus helps us. The Roman leaders punished me because I taught God's message. I told people the true message about Jesus. That is why they sent me to Patmos island.
• Revelation 2:13I know where you live. It is the place where Satan sits as king. But you still continue to trust me. You remember Antipas who spoke a clear message about me. Because of that, some people in your city killed him. You saw what happened to him, but you continued to believe in me. You still serve me, even there where Satan lives.
• Revelation 11:3I will give authority to my two servants who speak my message clearly. They will tell people my messages for 1,260 days. They will wear rough clothes made from goats' hair.’
• Revelation 12:11Our brothers and sisters fought against him and they won. They could do this because of the death of the Lamb as a sacrifice. They continued to speak God's true message. They were also ready to die as God's servants. That is why they were able to win against Satan.
• Revelation 19:10Then I bent down low at the angel's feet to worship him. But he said to me, ‘You must not do that! I am only a servant of God, the same as you are. I am a servant, like all believers who show clearly that they trust in Jesus. God is the one that you should worship! When God gave a message to his prophets, it was Jesus that they spoke about.’
• 2 Timothy 1:8So do not be ashamed of the message about our Lord that we tell people. And do not be ashamed of me because I am in a prison. I am a prisoner because I serve Christ. You must understand that you will have trouble because you tell people the good news about Jesus Christ. So be ready to have the same kind of trouble as I have. Let God make you strong when you have trouble.

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