English Standard Version
Revelation 7:1
1After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree.
Revelation 7:1 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.
- New International Version (NIV)After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree.
- New King James Version (NKJV)After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree.
- New Living Translation (NLT)Then I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds so they did not blow on the earth or the sea, or even on any tree.
Context of Revelation 7:1
After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree. 2Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, 3saying, "Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads."
Read all of Revelation 7Revelation 7:1 word by word
μετὰ τοῦτο εἶδον τέσσαρας ἀγγέλους ἑστῶτας ἐπὶ τὰς τέσσαρας γωνίας τῆς γῆς κρατοῦντας τοὺς τέσσαρας ἀνέμους τῆς γῆς ἵνα μὴ πνέῃ ἄνεμος ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς μήτε ἐπὶ τῆς θαλάσσης μήτε ἐπὶ πᾶν δένδρον.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Andκαίkai · andG2532
- afterμετάmeta · with/afterG3326
- these thingsοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
- I sawὁράωhoraō · to see: seeG3708
- fourτέσσαρεςtessares tessara · fourG5064
- angelsἄγγελοςaggelos · angelG32
- standingἵστημιhistēmi · to standG2476
- onἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
- cornersγωνίαgōnia · cornerG1137
- of the earthὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- of the earthγῆgē · earth: planetG1093
- holdingκρατέωkrateō · to grasp/seizeG2902
- windsἄνεμοςanemos · windG417
- thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
- notμήmē · notG3361
- blowπνέωpneō · to blowG4154
- norμήτεmēte · neitherG3383
- the seaθάλασσαthalassa · seaG2281
- anyπᾶςpas · allG3956
- treeδένδρονdendron · treeG1186
Cross-references for Revelation 7:1
- Revelation 4:1After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this."
- Revelation 4:6and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal. And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind:
- Revelation 9:14saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates."
- Ezekiel 7:2"And you, O son of man, thus says the Lord God to the land of Israel: An end! The end has come upon the four corners of the land.
- Ezekiel 37:9Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live."
- Zechariah 1:18And I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, four horns!
- Zechariah 6:1Again I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, four chariots came out from between two mountains. And the mountains were mountains of bronze.
- Matthew 24:31And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
- Mark 13:27And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.
- Isaiah 27:8Measure by measure, by exile you contended with them; he removed them with his fierce breath in the day of the east wind.
- Jeremiah 49:36And I will bring upon Elam the four winds from the four quarters of heaven. And I will scatter them to all those winds, and there shall be no nation to which those driven out of Elam shall not come.
- Daniel 7:2Daniel declared, "I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea.
- Daniel 8:8Then the goat became exceedingly great, but when he was strong, the great horn was broken, and instead of it there came up four conspicuous horns toward the four winds of heaven.
- Jonah 1:4But the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up.
- Matthew 8:26And he said to them, "Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?" Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.
- Revelation 6:6And I heard what seemed to be a voice in the midst of the four living creatures, saying, "A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius, and do not harm the oil and wine!"
Commentaries on Revelation 7:1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1And after these things - Immediately after the preceding vision. I saw four angels - Instruments which God employs in the dispensation of his providence; we know not what. On the four corners of the earth - On the extreme parts of the land of Judea, called ̔ , the land, or earth, by way of eminence. Holding the four winds - Preventing evil from every quarter. Earth - sea, nor on any tree; keeping the whole of the land free from evil, till the Church of…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1And after these things - After the vision of the things referred to in the opening of the sixth seal. The natural interpretation would be, that what is here said of the angels and the winds occurred after those things which are described in the previous chapter. The exact chronology may not be always observed in these symbolical representations, but doubtless there is a general order which is observed. I saw four angels - He does not describe their forms…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1A pause between two great periods. (1-3) The peace, happiness, and safety of the saints, as signified by an angel's sealing 144,000. (4-8) A song of praise. (9-12) The blessedness and glory of those that suffered martyrdom for Christ. (13-17) Verses 1-8 In the figurative language of Scripture, the blowing of the four winds together, means a dreadful and general destruction. But the destruction is delayed. Seals were used to mark for each person his own…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-3Do not … until: God commands the four angels to hold back the winds for a short time. They must not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees until the servants of God receive his seal on their foreheads. The seal of the living God signifies belonging to God's family; God owns and protects his people (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13–14). In ancient times, sealing or tattooing showed ownership. The angel carrying the seal identified God's people, answering…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-171. And--so B and Syriac. But A, C, Vulgate, and Coptic omit "and." after these things--A, B, C, and Coptic read, "after this." The two visions in this chapter come in as an episode after the sixth seal, and before the seventh seal. It is clear that, though "Israel" may elsewhere designate the spiritual Israel, "the elect (Church) on earth" [Alford], here, where the names of the tribes one by one are specified, these names cannot have any but the literal…Read the comment
Topics related to Revelation 7:1
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Revelation 7
- 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
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries