Revelation 7:3

Revelation 7:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
• New International Version (NIV)“Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)saying, "Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads."
• New King James Version (NKJV)saying, “Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.”

Context of Revelation 7:3

1Then I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds so they did not blow on the earth or the sea, or even on any tree. 2And I saw another angel coming up from the east, carrying the seal of the living God. And he shouted to those four angels, who had been given power to harm land and sea, “Wait! Don’t harm the land or the sea or the trees until we have placed the seal of God on the foreheads of his servants.” 4And I heard how many were marked with the seal of God—144,000 were sealed from all the tribes of Israel: 5from Judah 12,000 from Reuben 12,000 from Gad 12,000

Revelation 7:3 word by word

λέγων· μὴ ἀδικήσητε τὴν γῆν μήτε τὴν θάλασσαν μήτε τὰ δένδρα ἄχρι σφραγίσωμεν τοὺς δούλους τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμῶν ἐπὶ τῶν μετώπων αὐτῶν.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Sayingλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• Hurtἀδικέωadikeō · to harmG91
• notμήmē · notG3361
• the earthὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the earthγῆgē · earth: planetG1093
• neitherμήτεmēte · neitherG3383
• the seaθάλασσαthalassa · seaG2281
• the treesδένδρονdendron · treeG1186
• tillἄχριachri achris · untilG891
• ·ὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• we have sealedσφραγίζωsphragizō · to sealG4972
• the servantsδοῦλοςdoulos · slaveG1401
• of ourἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• inἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
• theirαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• foreheadsμέτωπονmetopon · foreheadG3359

Cross-references for Revelation 7:3

• Revelation 6:6And I heard a voice from among the four living beings say, “A loaf of wheat bread or three loaves of barley will cost a day’s pay. And don’t waste the olive oil and wine.”
• Revelation 9:4They were told not to harm the grass or plants or trees, but only the people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads.
• Isaiah 6:13If even a tenth—a remnant—survive, it will be invaded again and burned. But as a terebinth or oak tree leaves a stump when it is cut down, so Israel’s stump will be a holy seed.”
• Isaiah 27:8No, but he exiled Israel to call her to account. She was exiled from her land as though blown away in a storm from the east.
• Isaiah 65:8“But I will not destroy them all,” says the Lord. “For just as good grapes are found among a cluster of bad ones (and someone will say, ‘Don’t throw them all away— some of those grapes are good!’), so I will not destroy all Israel. For I still have true servants there.
• Matthew 24:22In fact, unless that time of calamity is shortened, not a single person will survive. But it will be shortened for the sake of God’s chosen ones.
• Revelation 14:1Then I saw the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with him were 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.
• Exodus 12:13But the blood on your doorposts will serve as a sign, marking the houses where you are staying. When I see the blood, I will pass over you. This plague of death will not touch you when I strike the land of Egypt.
• Isaiah 26:20Go home, my people, and lock your doors! Hide yourselves for a little while until the Lord’s anger has passed.
• Exodus 9:4But the Lord will again make a distinction between the livestock of the Israelites and that of the Egyptians. Not a single one of Israel’s animals will die!
• Zephaniah 2:3Seek the Lord, all who are humble, and follow his commands. Seek to do what is right and to live humbly. Perhaps even yet the Lord will protect you— protect you from his anger on that day of destruction.
• Revelation 19:2His judgments are true and just. He has punished the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality. He has avenged the murder of his servants.”
• Isaiah 54:17But in that coming day no weapon turned against you will succeed. You will silence every voice raised up to accuse you. These benefits are enjoyed by the servants of the Lord; their vindication will come from me. I, the Lord, have spoken!
• Daniel 3:17If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty.
• Daniel 6:16So at last the king gave orders for Daniel to be arrested and thrown into the den of lions. The king said to him, “May your God, whom you serve so faithfully, rescue you.”
• Malachi 3:18Then you will again see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.”

Commentaries on Revelation 7:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3Till we have sealed the servants of our God - There is manifestly an allusion to Ezekiel 9:4; here. By sealing we are to understand consecrating the persons in a more especial manner to God, and showing, by this mark of God upon them, that they were under his more immediate protection, and that nothing should hurt them. It was a custom in the east, and indeed in the west too, to stamp with a hot iron the name of the owner upon the forehead or shoulder of…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea … - Let the winds be restrained until what is here designated shall be done. These destroying angels were commanded to suspend the work of destruction until the servants of God could be rendered secure. The division here, as in Revelation 7:1, of the “earth, the sea, and the trees,” seems to include everything - water, land, and the productions of the earth. Nothing was to be injured until the angel should…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-3Do not … until: God commands the four angels to hold back the winds for a short time. They must not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees until the servants of God receive his seal on their foreheads. The seal of the living God signifies belonging to God's family; God owns and protects his people (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13–14). In ancient times, sealing or tattooing showed ownership. The angel carrying the seal identified God's people, answering…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. Hurt not--by letting loose the destructive winds. till we have sealed the servants of our God--parallel to Mt 24:31, "His angels ... shall gather together His elect from the four winds." God's love is such, that He cannot do anything in the way of judgment, till His people are secured from hurt (Ge 19:22). Israel, at the eve of the Lord's coming, shall be found re-embodied as a nation; for its tribes are distinctly specified (Joseph, however, being…Read the comment

Topics related to Revelation 7:3

• Angel (a Spirit)
• Israel
• Righteous
• Seal
• Servant
• Vision

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• the sea, the Great Sea, the western sea
• Light
• Tribe
• Apocalyptic Literature
• Blow
• Company
• Ethics
• Firebrand

Commentaries on Revelation 7

• 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