God’s Word Translation
Revelation 14:3
3They were singing a new song in front of the throne, the four living creatures, and the leaders. Only the 144,000 people who had been bought on earth could learn the song.
Revelation 14:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.
- New International Version (NIV)And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth.
- English Standard Version (ESV)and they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders. No one could learn that song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth.
- New King James Version (NKJV)They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, and the elders; and no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth.
Context of Revelation 14:3
1I looked, and the lamb was standing on Mount Zion. There were 144,000 people with him who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. 2Then I heard a sound from heaven like the noise of raging water and the noise of loud thunder. The sound I heard was like the music played by harpists. They were singing a new song in front of the throne, the four living creatures, and the leaders. Only the 144,000 people who had been bought on earth could learn the song. 4These 144,000 virgins are pure. They follow the lamb wherever he goes. They were bought from among humanity as the first ones offered to God and to the lamb. 5They’ve never told a lie. They are blameless.
Read all of Revelation 14Revelation 14:3 word by word
καὶ ᾄδουσιν ὡς ᾠδὴν καινὴν ἐνώπιον τοῦ θρόνου καὶ ἐνώπιον τῶν τεσσάρων ζῴων καὶ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων, καὶ οὐδεὶς ἐδύνατο μαθεῖν τὴν ᾠδὴν εἰ μὴ αἱ ἑκατὸν τεσσεράκοντα τέσσαρες χιλιάδες, οἱ ἠγορασμένοι ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Andκαίkai · andG2532
- they sungᾄδωadō · to singG103
- as it wereὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
- a newκαινόςkainos · newG2537
- songᾠδήōdē · songG5603
- beforeἐνώπιονenōpion · beforeG1799
- the throneθρόνοςthronos · throneG2362
- the fourτέσσαρεςtessares tessara · fourG5064
- beastsζῷονzōon · living thingG2226
- the eldersπρεσβύτεροςpresbuteros · elder (leader)G4245
- no manοὐδείςoudeis · noneG3762
- couldδύναμαιdunamai · be ableG1410
- learnμανθάνωmanthanō · to learnG3129
- thatεἰei · if: notG1487
- butμήmē · notG3361
- the hundredἑκατόνhekaton · hundredG1540
- fortyτεσσαράκονταtessarakonta · fortyG5062
- thousandχιλιάςchilias · thousandG5505
- were redeemedἀγοράζωagorazō · to buyG59
- fromἀπόapo · away fromG575
- the earthγῆgē · earth: planetG1093
Cross-references for Revelation 14:3
- Revelation 5:9Then they sang a new song, “You deserve to take the scroll and open the seals on it, because you were slaughtered. You bought people with your blood to be God’s own. They are from every tribe, language, people, and nation.
- Revelation 15:3and singing the song of God’s servant Moses and the song of the lamb. They sang, “The things you do are spectacular and amazing, Lord God Almighty. The way you do them is fair and true, King of the Nations.
- Psalms 33:3Sing a new song to him. Play beautifully and joyfully on stringed instruments.
- Psalms 40:3He placed a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see this and worship. They will trust the Lord.
- Psalms 96:1Sing to the Lord a new song! Sing to the Lord, all the earth!
- Psalms 98:1Sing a new song to the Lord because he has done miraculous things. His right hand and his holy arm have gained victory for him.
- Psalms 144:9O God, I will sing a new song to you. I will sing a psalm to you on a ten-stringed harp.
- Psalms 149:1Hallelujah! Sing a new song to the Lord. Sing his praise in the assembly of godly people.
- Isaiah 42:10Sing a new song to the Lord. Sing his praise from the ends of the earth, you people who sail on the seas and all the creatures that live in them, you coastlands and all who live on them.
- Revelation 4:2Instantly, I came under the Spirit’s power. I saw a throne in heaven, and someone was sitting on it.
- Revelation 14:1I looked, and the lamb was standing on Mount Zion. There were 144,000 people with him who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.
- Revelation 2:17Let the person who has ears listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. I will give some of the hidden manna to everyone who wins the victory. I will also give each person a white stone with a new name written on it, a name that is known only to the person who receives it.
- Psalms 25:14The Lord advises those who fear him. He reveals to them the intent of his promise.
- Matthew 11:25At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for hiding these things from wise and intelligent people and revealing them to little children.
- 1 Corinthians 1:18The message about the cross is nonsense to those who are being destroyed, but it is God’s power to us who are being saved.
- 1 Corinthians 2:14A person who isn’t spiritual doesn’t accept the teachings of God’s Spirit. He thinks they’re nonsense. He can’t understand them because a person must be spiritual to evaluate them.
Commentaries on Revelation 14:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3They sung - a new song - See on Revelation 5:9; (note). No man could learn that song - As none but genuine Christians can worship God acceptably, because they approach him through the only Mediator, so none can understand the deep things of God but such; nor can others know the cause why true believers exult so much in God through Christ, because they know not the communion which such hold with the Father and the Son through the Holy Ghost.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3And they sung as it were a new song - See the notes on Revelation 5:9. It was proper to call this “new,” because it was on a new occasion, or pertained to a new object. The song here was in celebration of the complete redemption of the church, and was the song to be sung in view of its final triumph over all its foes. Compare notes on Revelation 7:9-10. Before the throne - The throne of God in heaven. See the notes on Revelation 4:2. And before the four…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2-3This great choir sang a new song that only those redeemed from the earth could learn. These people had died and were already with the Lord. This might explain why John did not include the content of their refrain for readers still facing life's challenges (compare 2 Corinthians 12:4).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. sung--Greek, "sing." as it were--So A, C, and Vulgate read. It is "as it were" a new song; for it is, in truth, as old as God's eternal purpose. But B, Syriac, Coptic, Origen, and Andreas omit these words. new song--(Re 5:9, 10). The song is that of victory after conflict with the dragon, beast, and false prophet: never sung before, for such a conflict had never been fought before; therefore new: till now the kingdom of Christ on earth had been…Read the comment
Topics related to Revelation 14:3
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Revelation 14
- 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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries