New Living Translation
Revelation 4:8
8Each 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.”
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.
- New International Version (NIV)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.”
- 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!”
Context of Revelation 4:8
6In front of the throne was a shiny sea of glass, sparkling like crystal. In the center and around the throne were four living beings, each covered with eyes, front and back. 7The first of these living beings was like a lion; the second was like an ox; the third had a human face; and the fourth was like an eagle in flight. 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.” 9Whenever the living beings give glory and honor and thanks to the one sitting on the throne (the one who lives forever and ever), 10the twenty-four elders fall down and worship the one sitting on the throne (the one who lives forever and ever). And 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 6:2Attending him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew.
- Ezekiel 1:6except that each had four faces and four wings.
- Ezekiel 10:21for each had four faces and four wings and what looked like human hands under their wings.
- 2 Timothy 4:2Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching.
- Revelation 4:6In front of the throne was a shiny sea of glass, sparkling like crystal. In the center and around the throne were four living beings, each covered with eyes, front and back.
- 1 Timothy 4:16Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right for the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you.
- Revelation 7:15“That is why they stand in front of God’s throne and serve him day and night in his Temple. And he who sits on the throne will give them shelter.
- Isaiah 62:1Because I love Zion, I will not keep still. Because my heart yearns for Jerusalem, I cannot remain silent. I will not stop praying for her until her righteousness shines like the dawn, and her salvation blazes like a burning torch.
- Acts 20:31Watch out! Remember the three years I was with you—my constant watch and care over you night and day, and my many tears for you.
- 1 Thessalonians 2:9Don’t you remember, dear brothers and sisters, how hard we worked among you? Night and day we toiled to earn a living so that we would not be a burden to any of you as we preached God’s Good News to you.
- 2 Thessalonians 3:8We never accepted food from anyone without paying for it. We worked hard day and night so we would not be a burden to any of you.
- Revelation 3:7“Write this letter to the angel of the church in Philadelphia. This is the message from the one who is holy and true, the one who has the key of David. What he opens, no one can close; and what he closes, no one can open:
- Exodus 15:11“Who is like you among the gods, O Lord— glorious in holiness, awesome in splendor, performing great wonders?
- Isaiah 6:3They were calling out to each other, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies! The whole earth is filled with his glory!”
- Revelation 1:8“I am the Alpha and the Omega—the beginning and the end,” says the Lord God. “I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come—the Almighty One.”
- Revelation 11:17And they said, “We give thanks to you, Lord God, the Almighty, the one who is and who always was, for now you have assumed 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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