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Revelation 4:8

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.

KJV

καὶ τὰ τέσσερα 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.

Greek NT

Et quatuor animalia, singula eorum habebant alas senas : et in circuitu, et intus plena sunt oculis : et requiem non habebant die ac nocte, dicentia : Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus Dominus Deus omnipotens, qui erat, et qui est, et qui venturus est.

Vulgate

And the four living creatures, having each one of them six wings, are full of eyes round about and within: and they have no rest day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, isthe Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.

ASV

And the four living creatures had each of them six wings: and round about and within they are full of eyes. And they rested not day and night, saying: Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.

Douay-Rheims

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In the original Greek

26 distinct Greek words appear in this verse.

αὐτός
autos
pronoun · 5564×
γέμω
gemo
verb · 11×
εἰμί
eimi
verb · 2461×
εἷς
eis
adjective · 336×
ζῶον
zoon
noun · 23×
θεός
theos
noun · 1311×
καί
kai
conjunction · 8973×
κατά
kata
preposition · 470×
κυκλόθεν
kuklothen
adverb · 3×
κύριος
kurios
noun · 717×
λέγω
lego
verb · 2256×
νύξ
nux
noun · 61×
οὐ
ou
particle · 1626×
παντοκράτωρ
pantokrator
noun · 10×
πτέρυξ
pterux
noun · 5×
τέσσαρες
tessares
adjective · 41×
ἀνά
ana
preposition · 13×
ἀνάπαυσις
anapausis
noun · 5×
ἅγιος
agios
adjective · 233×
ἔρχομαι
erchomai
verb · 627×
ἔσωθεν
esothen
adverb · 12×
ἔχω
echo
verb · 707×
ἕξ
ex
adjective · 12×
ἡμέρα
emera
noun · 388×
ὀφθαλμός
ophthalmos
noun · 100×
o
article · 19778×

Intertextual echoes

This verse quotes or alludes to 1 earlier text.

  • Isa 6:3 · echo
    "And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory."
    Isaiah: holy holy holy — the four living creatures repeat the trisagion

Textual variants

3 variant units attested by manuscript witnesses and modern critical editions.

minor
SBLGNT: καθ᾽ ἓν | WH/NIV/RP: καθ᾽ ἓν | Treg: ἕκαστον
  • καθ᾽ ἓνSBLGNT
  • καθ᾽ ἓνWestcott-Hort, Reader's GNT (NA27), Robinson-Pierpont
  • ἕκαστονTregelles
source: sblgnt-apparatus
trivial
SBLGNT: αὐτῶν | WH/Treg/NIV: αὐτῶν
  • αὐτῶνSBLGNT
  • αὐτῶνWestcott-Hort, Tregelles, Reader's GNT (NA27)
source: sblgnt-apparatus
minor
SBLGNT: ἔχων | WH/Treg/NIV: ἔχων | RP: ἔχον
  • ἔχωνSBLGNT
  • ἔχωνWestcott-Hort, Tregelles, Reader's GNT (NA27)
  • ἔχονRobinson-Pierpont
source: sblgnt-apparatus

Themes

Theophany

Historic Christian voices

11 passages from patristic writers, Reformers, and church catechisms citing this verse.

§662"and I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself."541 The lifting up of Jesus on the cross signifies and announces his lifting up by his Ascension into heaven, and indeed begins it. Jesus Christ, the one priest of the new and eternal Covenant, "entered, not into a sanctuary made by human hands. . . but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of …
§1137The book of Revelation of St. John, read in the Church's liturgy, first reveals to us, "A throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne": "the Lord God."1 It then shows the Lamb, "standing, as though it had been slain": Christ crucified and risen, the one high priest of the true sanctuary, the same one "who offers and is offered, who gives and is given."2 Finally it pre…
§2642The Revelation of "what must soon take place," the Apocalypse, is borne along by the songs of the heavenly liturgy127 but also by the intercession of the "witnesses" (martyrs).128 The prophets and the saints, all those who were slain on earth for their witness to Jesus, the vast throng of those who, having come through the great tribulation, have gone before us into the Kingdom…
In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up. The vision of the divine majesty which Isaiah received at his calling is one of the most sublime passages in all of Scripture. The seraphim cry "Holy, holy, holy" — the threefold repetition pointing to the three persons of the Trinity. Isaiah's cry "Woe is me! for I am undone" shows…
Chapter 1. On God. 1. I know that some will attempt to say that, even according to the declarations of our own Scriptures, God is a body, because in the writings of Moses they find it said, that our God is a consuming fire; and in the Gospel according to John, that God is a Spirit, and they who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth. Fire and spirit, according to t…
Basil defends the doxology "Glory to the Father WITH the Son, TOGETHER WITH the Holy Spirit" as reflecting the co-equal dignity of all three Persons. The seraphim cry "Holy, holy, holy" — a threefold ascription to the one God. The heavenly worship in Isaiah and Revelation models the worship the church owes to the Trinity.
Ambrose argues against those who deny the divinity of the Holy Spirit by reducing Him to a creature. The Spirit is worshipped and glorified together with the Father and the Son in the baptismal formula — "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." If the Spirit were a creature, the Church would be commanding worship of a created being alongside the Crea…

Cross-references

  • 1John 2:20 — But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.
  • 1Pet 1:15 — But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
  • 1Tim 1:17 — Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
  • 2Cor 6:18 — And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
  • Eph 4:6 — One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
  • Exod 3:14 — And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
  • Exod 15:11 — Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?
  • Exod 15:11 — Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?
  • Ezek 1:6 — And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings.
  • Ezek 1:18 — As for their rings, they were so high that they were dreadful; and their rings were full of eyes round about them four.
  • Ezek 10:12 — And their whole body, and their backs, and their hands, and their wings, and the wheels, were full of eyes round about, even the wheels that they four had.
  • Ezek 10:21 — Every one had four faces apiece, and every one four wings; and the likeness of the hands of a man was under their wings.
  • Gen 17:1 — And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.
  • Heb 13:8 — Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
  • Isa 5:16 — But the LORD of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness.
  • Isa 6:2 — Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.
  • Isa 6:2 — Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.
  • Isa 6:3 — And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
  • Isa 13:6 — Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.
  • Isa 57:15 — For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of t
  • Isa 62:1 — For Zion’s sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth.
  • Isa 62:6 — I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the LORD, keep not silence,
  • Job 4:17 — Shall mortal man be more just than God? shall a man be more pure than his maker?
  • Lev 20:26 — And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the LORD am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine.
  • Luke 1:49 — For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.
  • Ps 22:3 — But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.
  • Ps 30:4 — Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.
  • Ps 30:12 — To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.
  • Ps 33:21 — For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name.
  • Ps 41:13 — Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting, and to everlasting. Amen, and Amen.
  • Ps 66:2 — Sing forth the honour of his name: make his praise glorious.
  • Ps 91:1 — He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
  • Ps 92:1 — IT IS A GOOD THING TO GIVE THANKS UNTO THE LORD, AND TO SING PRAISES UNTO THY NAME, O MOST HIGH:
  • Ps 99:3 — Let them praise thy great and terrible name; for it is holy.
  • Ps 99:9 — Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at his holy hill; for the LORD our God is holy.
  • Ps 103:1 — Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
  • Ps 111:9 — He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name.
  • Rev 1:4 — John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;
  • Rev 1:4 — John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;
  • Rev 1:8 — I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.