God’s Word Translation
Revelation 10:9
9I went to the angel and asked him to give me the small scroll. He said to me, “Take it and eat it. It will be bitter in your stomach, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth.”
Revelation 10:9 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.
- New International Version (NIV)So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, “Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but ‘in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.’”
- English Standard Version (ESV)So I went to the angel and told him to give me the little scroll. And he said to me, "Take and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey."
- New King James Version (NKJV)So I went to the angel and said to him, “Give me the little book.” And he said to me, “Take and eat it; and it will make your stomach bitter, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth.”
Context of Revelation 10:9
7In the days when the seventh angel is ready to blow his trumpet, the mystery of God will be completed, as he had made this Good News known to his servants, the prophets.” 8The voice which I had heard from heaven spoke to me again. It said, “Take the opened scroll from the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.” I went to the angel and asked him to give me the small scroll. He said to me, “Take it and eat it. It will be bitter in your stomach, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth.” 10I took the small scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It was as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, it was bitter in my stomach. 11The seven thunders told me, “Again you must speak what God has revealed in front of many people, nations, languages, and kings.”
Read all of Revelation 10Revelation 10:9 word by word
καὶ ἀπῆλθα πρὸς τὸν ἄγγελον λέγων αὐτῷ δοῦναί μοι τὸ βιβλαρίδιον. καὶ λέγει μοι· λάβε καὶ κατάφαγε αὐτό. καὶ πικρανεῖ σου τὴν κοιλίαν, ἀλλ᾽ ἐν τῷ στόματί σου ἔσται γλυκὺ ὡς μέλι.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Andκαίkai · andG2532
- I wentἀπέρχομαιaperchomai · to go awayG565
- untoπρόςpros · to/withG4314
- the angelὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- the angelἄγγελοςaggelos · angelG32
- and saidλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- unto himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- Giveδίδωμιdidōmi · to giveG1325
- meἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- the little bookβιβλαρίδιονbibliaridion · little scrollG974
- Takeλαμβάνωlambanō · to takeG2983
- eatκατεσθίωkatesthiō · to devourG2719
- it shall makeπικραίνωpikrainō · to embitterG4087
- thyσύsu · youG4771
- bellyκοιλίαkoilia · belly/womb/stomachG2836
- butἀλλάalla · butG235
- it shall beεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- mouthστόμαstoma · mouthG4750
- sweetγλυκύςglukus · sweetG1099
- asὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
- honeyμέλιmeli · honeyG3192
Cross-references for Revelation 10:9
- Job 23:12I have not left his commands behind. I have treasured his words in my heart.
- Jeremiah 15:16Your words were found, and I devoured them. Your words are my joy and my heart’s delight, because I am called by your name, O Lord God of Armies.
- Ezekiel 2:8But you, son of man, listen to what I say. Don’t be rebellious like those rebellious people. Open your mouth, and eat what I am giving to you.”
- Ezekiel 3:1The Lord said to me, “Son of man, eat what you find. Eat this scroll. Then speak to the people of Israel.”
- Colossians 3:6It is because of these sins that God’s anger comes on those who refuse to obey him.
Commentaries on Revelation 10:9
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9Take it, and eat it up - Fully comprehend its meaning; study it thoroughly.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9And I went unto the angel - This is symbolic action, and is not to be understood literally. As it is not necessary to suppose that an angel literally descended, and stood upon the sea and the land, so it is not necessary to suppose that there was a literal act of going to him, and taking the book from his hand and eating it. Give me the little book - In accordance with the command in Revelation 10:8. We may suppose, in regard to this: (a)that the symbol…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 8-11Verses 8-11 Most men feel pleasure in looking into future events, and all good men like to receive a word from God. But when this book of prophecy was thoroughly digested by the apostle, the contents would be bitter; there were things so awful and terrible, such grievous persecutions of the people of God, such desolations in the earth, that the foresight and foreknowledge of them would be painful to his mind. Let us seek to be taught by Christ, and to…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8-10As in Ezekiel's experience, the scroll tasted sweet in the mouth (Ezekiel 3:1–3; see Jeremiah 15:16; see also Psalms 19:10; 119:103). The future experiences for God's people would be sweet, including the victory of God's plan and the vindication of his people. John's bitter stomach is similar to the effects of Ezekiel's tough message for Israel (Ezekiel 3:8–9). The process of fulfilling God's plan involves hardship.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. I went--Greek, "I went away." John here leaves heaven, his standing-point of observation heretofore, to be near the angel standing on the earth and sea. Give--A, B, C, and Vulgate read the infinitive, "Telling him to give." eat it up--appropriate its contents so entirely as to be assimilated with (as food), and become part of thyself, so as to impart them the more vividly to others. His finding the roll sweet to the taste at first, is because it was…Read the comment
Topics related to Revelation 10:9
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Revelation 10
- 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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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