English Standard Version
Revelation 7:3
3saying, "Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads."
Revelation 7:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
- New International Version (NIV)“Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.”
- New King James Version (NKJV)saying, “Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.”
- New Living Translation (NLT)“Wait! Don’t harm the land or the sea or the trees until we have placed the seal of God on the foreheads of his servants.”
Context of Revelation 7:3
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. 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, saying, "Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads." 4And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel: 512,000 from the tribe of Judah were sealed, 12,000 from the tribe of Reuben, 12,000 from the tribe of Gad,
Read all of Revelation 7Revelation 7:3 word by word
λέγων· μὴ ἀδικήσητε τὴν γῆν μήτε τὴν θάλασσαν μήτε τὰ δένδρα ἄχρι σφραγίσωμεν τοὺς δούλους τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμῶν ἐπὶ τῶν μετώπων αὐτῶν.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Sayingλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- Hurtἀδικέωadikeō · to harmG91
- notμήmē · notG3361
- the earthὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- the earthγῆgē · earth: planetG1093
- neitherμήτεmēte · neitherG3383
- the seaθάλασσαthalassa · seaG2281
- the treesδένδρονdendron · treeG1186
- tillἄχριachri achris · untilG891
- ·ὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
- we have sealedσφραγίζωsphragizō · to sealG4972
- the servantsδοῦλοςdoulos · slaveG1401
- of ourἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- inἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
- theirαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- foreheadsμέτωπονmetopon · foreheadG3359
Cross-references for Revelation 7:3
- 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!"
- Revelation 9:4They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any green plant or any tree, but only those people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.
- Isaiah 6:13And though a tenth remain in it, it will be burned again, like a terebinth or an oak, whose stump remains when it is felled." The holy seed is its stump.
- 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.
- Isaiah 65:8Thus says the Lord: "As the new wine is found in the cluster, and they say, 'Do not destroy it, for there is a blessing in it,' so I will do for my servants' sake, and not destroy them all.
- Matthew 24:22And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.
- Revelation 14:1Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads.
- Exodus 12:13The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.
- Isaiah 26:20Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until the fury has passed by.
- Exodus 9:4But the Lord will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that nothing of all that belongs to the people of Israel shall die."'"
- Zephaniah 2:3Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land, who do his just commands; seek righteousness; seek humility; perhaps you may be hidden on the day of the anger of the Lord.
- Revelation 19:2for his judgments are true and just; for he has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality, and has avenged on her the blood of his servants."
- Isaiah 54:17no weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their vindication from me, declares the Lord."
- Daniel 3:17If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king.
- Daniel 6:16Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. The king declared to Daniel, "May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!"
- Malachi 3:18Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.
Commentaries on Revelation 7:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3Till we have sealed the servants of our God - There is manifestly an allusion to Ezekiel 9:4; here. By sealing we are to understand consecrating the persons in a more especial manner to God, and showing, by this mark of God upon them, that they were under his more immediate protection, and that nothing should hurt them. It was a custom in the east, and indeed in the west too, to stamp with a hot iron the name of the owner upon the forehead or shoulder of…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea - Let the winds be restrained until what is here designated shall be done. These destroying angels were commanded to suspend the work of destruction until the servants of God could be rendered secure. The division here, as in Revelation 7:1, of the “earth, the sea, and the trees,” seems to include everything - water, land, and the productions of the earth. Nothing was to be injured until the angel should…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. 33. Hurt not--by letting loose the destructive winds. till we have sealed the servants of our God--parallel to Mt 24:31, "His angels ... shall gather together His elect from the four winds." God's love is such, that He cannot do anything in the way of judgment, till His people are secured from hurt (Ge 19:22). Israel, at the eve of the Lord's coming, shall be found re-embodied as a nation; for its tribes are distinctly specified (Joseph, however, being…Read the comment
Topics related to Revelation 7:3
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
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