New International Version
Revelation 4:8
8Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying: “ ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,’ who was, and is, and is to come.”
Revelation 4:8 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!"
- New King James Version (NKJV)The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!”
- New Living Translation (NLT)Each of these living beings had six wings, and their wings were covered all over with eyes, inside and out. Day after day and night after night they keep on saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty— the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come.”
Context of Revelation 4:8
6Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal. In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. 7The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying: “ ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,’ who was, and is, and is to come.” 9Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, 10the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:
Read all of Revelation 4Revelation 4:8 word by word
καὶ τὰ τέσσαρα ζῷα, ἓν καθ᾽ ἓν αὐτῶν ἔχων ἀνὰ πτέρυγας ἕξ κυκλόθεν καὶ ἔσωθεν γέμουσιν ὀφθαλμῶν καὶ ἀνάπαυσιν οὐκ ἔχουσιν ἡμέρας καὶ νυκτὸς λέγοντες· ἅγιος ἅγιος ἅγιος κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὁ παντοκράτωρ, ὁ ἦν καὶ ὁ ὢν καὶ ὁ ἐρχόμενος.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Andκαίkai · andG2532
- the fourτέσσαρεςtessares tessara · fourG5064
- beastsζῷονzōon · living thingG2226
- hadἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
- eachἀνάana · eachG303
- ·εἷςheis · oneG1520
- ·κατάkata · according toG2596
- of themἑαυτοῦheautou · themselfG1438
- sixἕξhex · sixG1803
- wingsπτέρυξpterux · wingG4420
- aboutκυκλόθενkuklothen · aroundG2943
- fullγέμωgemō · be fullG1073
- of eyesὀφθαλμόςophthalmos · eyeG3788
- withinἔσωθενesōthen · inwardlyG2081
- they restἀνάπαυσιςanapausis · restG372
- notοὐou · noG3756
- dayἡμέραhēmera · dayG2250
- nightνύξnux · nightG3571
- sayingλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- Holyἅγιοςhagios · holyG40
- Lordκύριοςkurios · lord: GodG2962
- Godὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- Almightyπαντοκράτωρpantokratōr · almightyG3841
- wasεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- is to comeἔρχομαιerchomai · to come/goG2064
Cross-references for Revelation 4:8
- Isaiah 6:2Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying.
- Ezekiel 1:6but each of them had four faces and four wings.
- Ezekiel 10:21Each had four faces and four wings, and under their wings was what looked like human hands.
- 2 Timothy 4:2Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.
- Revelation 4:6Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal. In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back.
- 1 Timothy 4:16Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.
- Revelation 7:15Therefore, “they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.
- Isaiah 62:1For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet, till her vindication shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch.
- Acts 20:31So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.
- 1 Thessalonians 2:9Surely you remember, brothers and sisters, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you.
- 2 Thessalonians 3:8nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you.
- Revelation 3:7“To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.
- Exodus 15:11Who among the gods is like you, Lord? Who is like you— majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?
- Isaiah 6:3And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”
- Revelation 1:8“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”
- Revelation 11:17saying: “We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign.
Commentaries on Revelation 4:8
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8The four beasts had each of them six wings - I have already observed, in the preface to this book, that the phraseology is rabbinical; I might have added, and the imagery also. We have almost a counterpart of this description in Pirkey Elieser. chap. 4. I shall give the substance of this from Schoettgen. "Four troops of ministering angels praise the holy blessed God: the first is Michael, at the right hand; the next is Gabriel, at the left; the third is…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him - An emblem common to them all, denoting that, in reference to each and all the things here symbolized, there was one common characteristic - that in heaven there is the utmost promptness in executing the divine commands. Compare Isaiah 6:2; Psalm 18:10; Psalm 104:3; Jeremiah 48:40. No mention is made of the manner in which these wings were arranged, and conjecture in regard to that is vain. The…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8Day and night: The four beings continuously praised God's main qualities: his holiness, his power (the Almighty), and his eternity (see study note on Revelation 1:4). Holy, holy, holy comes from Isaiah 6:3 and is the highest form of worship in Scripture. Repeating something two times shows strong emphasis. Repeating it three times shows the highest level of emphasis.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 88. about him--Greek, "round about him." Alford connects this with the following sentence: "All round and within (their wings) they are (so two oldest manuscripts, A, B, and Vulgate read) full of eyes." John's object is to show that the six wings in each did not interfere with that which he had before declared, namely, that they were "full of eyes before and behind." The eyes were round the outside of each wing, and up the inside of each when half…Read the comment
Topics related to Revelation 4:8
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Revelation 4
- 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
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