Revelation 14:2

Revelation 14:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:
• New International Version (NIV)And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And I heard a voice from heaven like the roar of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder. The voice I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps,
• New King James Version (NKJV)And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps.

Context of Revelation 14:2

1Then I looked, and here was the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with him were one hundred and forty-four thousand, who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. I also heard a sound coming out of heaven like the sound of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder. Now the sound I heard was like that made by harpists playing their harps, 3and they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one was able to learn the song except the one hundred and forty-four thousand who had been redeemed from the earth. 4These are the ones who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These were redeemed from humanity as firstfruits to God and to the Lamb,

Revelation 14:2 word by word

Καὶ ἤκουσα φωνὴν ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ὡς φωνὴν ὑδάτων πολλῶν καὶ ὡς φωνὴν βροντῆς μεγάλης, καὶ ἡ φωνὴ ἣν ἤκουσα ὡς κιθαρῳδῶν κιθαριζόντων ἐν ταῖς κιθάραις αὐτῶν.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• I heardἀκούωakouō · to hearG191
• a voiceφωνήphōnē · voice/sound: voiceG5456
• fromἐκek ex · out fromG1537
• heavenὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• heavenοὐρανόςouranos · heavenG3772
• asὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
• of manyπολύςpolus polos · muchG4183
• watersὕδωρhudōr hudatos · waterG5204
• of a greatμέγαςmegas · greatG3173
• thunderβροντήbrontē · thunderG1027
• of harpersκιθαρῳδόςkitharōdos · harpistG2790
• harpingκιθαρίζωkitharizō · to play the harpG2789
• withἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• theirαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• harpsκιθάραkithara · harpG2788

Cross-references for Revelation 14:2

• Revelation 10:4When the seven thunders spoke, I was preparing to write, but just then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Seal up what the seven thunders spoke and do not write it down.”
• Revelation 11:12Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them: “Come up here!” So the two prophets went up to heaven in a cloud while their enemies stared at them.
• Revelation 19:1After these things I heard what sounded like the loud voice of a vast throng in heaven, saying, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God,
• Revelation 1:15His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters.
• Revelation 19:6Then I heard what sounded like the voice of a vast throng, like the roar of many waters and like loud crashes of thunder. They were shouting: “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the All-Powerful, reigns!
• Psalms 93:4Above the sound of the surging water, and the mighty waves of the sea, the Lord sits enthroned in majesty.
• Isaiah 17:13Though these people make an uproar as loud as the roaring of powerful waves, when he shouts at them, they will flee to a distant land, driven before the wind like dead weeds on the hills, or like dead thistles before a strong gale.
• Ezekiel 43:2I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east; the sound was like that of rushing water; and the earth radiated his glory.
• Revelation 1:10I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day when I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet,
• Revelation 8:7The first angel blew his trumpet, and there was hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was thrown at the earth so that a third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.
• Revelation 9:1Then the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the abyss.
• Revelation 10:3Then he shouted in a loud voice like a lion roaring, and when he shouted, the seven thunders sounded their voices.
• Revelation 11:15Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven saying: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever.”
• Exodus 19:16On the third day in the morning there was thunder and lightning and a dense cloud on the mountain, and the sound of a very loud horn; all the people who were in the camp trembled.
• Exodus 20:18All the people were seeing the thundering and the lightning, and heard the sound of the horn, and saw the mountain smoking – and when the people saw it they trembled with fear and kept their distance.
• Zechariah 9:14Then the Lord will appear above them, and his arrow will shoot forth like lightning; the Lord God will blow the trumpet and will sally forth on the southern storm winds.

Commentaries on Revelation 14:2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2The voice of many waters - That is, of multitudes of various nations. The voice of harpers - Though the sounds were many and apparently confused, yet both harmony and melody were preserved.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2And I heard a voice from heaven - Showing that the scene is laid in heaven, but that John in the vision was on the earth. As the voice of many waters - As the sound of the ocean, or of a mighty cataract. That is, it was so loud that it could be heard from heaven to earth. No comparison could express this more sublimely than to say that it was like the roar of the ocean. As the voice of a great thunder - As the loud sound of thunder. And I heard the voice…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. 22. from--Greek, "out of." voice of many waters--as is the voice of Himself, such also is the voice of His people. I heard the voice of harpers--A, B, C, and Origen read, "the voice which I heard (was) as of harpers."Read the comment

Topics related to Revelation 14:2

• Celibacy
• Chastity
• Harp
• Heaven
• Music
• Praise
• Righteous
• Song
• Vision

In the dictionaries

• Bless
• Cloud
• Harp
• Thrust
• Torment
• Ascension
• Chaldea; Chaldeans
• Innocents, Massacre of the
• Print; Printing; Printed
• Revelation of John

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