I heard something like the voice of a great multitude, and like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of mighty thunders, saying, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns!
Parallel Translations
-
I heard something like the voice of a great multitude, and like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of mighty thunders, saying, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns!
-
And I herde the voyce of moche people even as the voyce of many waters and as the voyce of stronge thondrynges sayinge: Alleluya for god omnipotent raigneth.
-
And I heard like a voyce of a great multitude, and as the voyce of many waters, and as the voyce of strong thundrings, saying, Hallelu-iah: for the Lord that God that almightie God hath reigned.
Cross-references (23)
Passages linked to Revelation 19:6 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Psalms 97:1 Yahweh reigns! Let the earth rejoice! Let the multitude of islands be glad!
- Revelation 14:2 I heard a sound from heaven, like the sound of many waters, and like the sound of a great thunder. The sound which I heard was like that of harpists playing on their harps.
- Psalms 29:3-9 Yahweh’s voice is on the waters. The God of glory thunders, even Yahweh on many waters. Yahweh’s voice is powerful. Yahweh’s voice is full of majesty. Yahweh’s voice breaks the cedars. Yes, Yahweh breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon. He makes them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young, wild ox. Yahweh’s voice strikes with flashes of lightning. Yahweh’s voice shakes the wilderness. Yahweh shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. Yahweh’s voice makes the deer calve, and strips the forests bare. In his temple everything says, “Glory!”
- Psalms 93:1 Yahweh reigns! He is clothed with majesty! Yahweh is armed with strength. The world also is established. It can’t be moved.
- Psalms 99:1 Yahweh reigns! Let the peoples tremble. He sits enthroned among the cherubim. Let the earth be moved.
- Ezekiel 1:24 When they went, I heard the noise of their wings like the noise of great waters, like the voice of the Almighty, a noise of tumult like the noise of an army. When they stood, they let down their wings.
- Revelation 1:15 His feet were like burnished brass, as if it had been refined in a furnace. His voice was like the voice of many waters.
- Revelation 6:1 I saw that the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying, as with a voice of thunder, “Come and see!”
- Revelation 19:1 After these things I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Hallelujah! Salvation, power, and glory belong to our God;
- Psalms 97:12 Be glad in Yahweh, you righteous people! Give thanks to his holy Name.
- Revelation 11:15-18 The seventh angel sounded, and great voices in heaven followed, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the Kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ. He will reign forever and ever!” The twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God’s throne, fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying: “We give you thanks, Lord God, the Almighty, the one who is and who was; because you have taken your great power and reigned. The nations were angry, and your wrath came, as did the time for the dead to be judged, and to give your bondservants the prophets, their reward, as well as to the saints, and those who fear your name, to the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth.”
- Job 40:9 Or do you have an arm like God? Can you thunder with a voice like him?
- Psalms 77:18 The voice of your thunder was in the whirlwind. The lightnings lit up the world. The earth trembled and shook.
- Isaiah 52:7 How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”
- Ezekiel 43:2 Behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east. His voice was like the sound of many waters; and the earth was illuminated with his glory.
- Revelation 4:5 Out of the throne proceed lightnings, sounds, and thunders. There were seven lamps of fire burning before his throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.
- Revelation 8:5 The angel took the censer, and he filled it with the fire of the altar, then threw it on the earth. Thunders, sounds, lightnings, and an earthquake followed.
- Revelation 12:10 I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, the power, and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ has come; for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them before our God day and night.
- Revelation 21:22 I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God, the Almighty, and the Lamb, are its temple.
- Psalms 47:2 For Yahweh Most High is awesome. He is a great King over all the earth.
- Psalms 47:7 For God is the King of all the earth. Sing praises with understanding.
- Jeremiah 51:48 Then the heavens and the earth, and all that is therein, will sing for joy over Babylon; for the destroyers will come to her from the north,” says Yahweh.
- Matthew 6:13 Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.’
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (17 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
Private notes
Saved on this device only — never synced or sent anywhere.
Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain Without the Temple in heaven.
Without the Temple in heaven.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain 6 And I heard as it were the voice…
6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
Ver. 6. And I heard as it were the voice] See how morigerous the saints are, and ready-hearted to obey God. No sooner are they bidden to praise God, but they are at it, dicto citius. See the like Psa 27:8.
Read full note →
Saying, Alleluia] This was the Hosanna Rabba, as the Jews call it; the victoria Halleluiatica, as the old Britons called their victory over the Saxons. The story is this. Under the conduct of Germanus (here in Britain), who came over from France to subdue the Pelagian heresy (which then prevailed among us), against a mighty army of Saxons and Picts, the Britons prevailed only by the three times pronouncing the word Hallelujah; which voice echoing and redoubling from the acclamation of his followers among the mountains, near to which the enemy had encamped, frightened them and won the conquest, upon which it was called victoria Halleluiatica. (Dr Ussier, de Brit. Eccles. Primord. p. 332.)
Reigneth] i.e. He now maketh it appear that he reigneth, which Averroes and some other of the world’s wizards doubted, yea, denied; because they saw bad men prosper, good men suffer.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain By this multitude most understand the church. Some understand…
By this multitude most understand the church. Some understand the Jews as well as the Gentiles, supposing that they shall be before this time converted and added to the church. Others think their conversion is the marriage spoken of in the next verse. The saints do not rejoice in the ruin of their adversaries, but in the glory of God advanced by it, and as his kingdom is by it promoted.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
William Burkitt 1703 · Public Domain In the former verses an exhortation was given to…
In the former verses an exhortation was given to all the saints to abound in the duty of thanksgiving; here we find them unanimously addressing themselves to the practice and peformance of that duty; and accordingly they are called here a great multitiude, their voice like many waters for unity, and like mighty thunderings, denoting that zeal and fervour which is in their thanksgivings.
Where note, How exceedingly the church doth rejoice and triumph, not so much in Babylon’s ruin, as in the glory of God advanced, and as his own kingdom is promoted by it.
Read full note →
Observe, 2. A superadded ground and reason for this extraordinary joy and rejoicing, For the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
By the marriage of the Lamb, Mr. Mede and Dr. More do understand the conversion of the Jews; by the Lamb’s wife, the nation of the Jews, so called in regard of that relation which they stand in to God, by virtue of the covenant; and she is said to have made herself ready, namely, by the wedding-garment of faith, to accept of her formerly despised Bridegroom.
Note, That it is probably conjectured by some, that the conversion of the Jews shall soon follow the destruction of antichrist, for his idolatry and persecution are great scandals to the Jews, and mighty stumbling-blocks in the way of their conversion.
And whereas it is added, That it was granted to her to be arrayed in fine linen, the words do seem to import, that the Jews shall in due time be brought in to be clothed with it, and that an holy emulation shall be found between the Gentiles and them, which shall most and best adorn the profession of the gospel.
From the whole note, How the church is called Christ’s wife. Christ and she are here betrothed to each other, but at the great day the marriage will be consummated.
Note farther, The church’s spiritual nakedness in herself considered, It was granted to her to be arrayed in fine linen; she had it not of herself, but it was put on by Christ; he decks and dresses his own bride with the ornaments of grace here, and glory hereafter, that he may present it to himself a glorious church, without spot or wrinkle, holy, and without blemish.
William Burkitt's Expository Notes on the New Testament (1700–1703) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain And I heard, as it were, the voice of…
And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude,.... Even of all the servants of the Lord, and them that fear him, small and great; a vast multitude of converted Jews and Gentiles, in the several parts of the world, who in answer to the voice out of the throne, which came with great power and energy, lift up their voices in praise to God, both for their own conversion, and for the downfall of Babylon:
and as the voice of many waters: falling down in a descent, or in rough and rocky places, which make a great noise, and is heard afar off; and such must be the united voice of so great a multitude of converts as will be gathered together everywhere at this time: the same metaphor is used of the voice of Christ in Rev 1:15
Read full note →
and as the voice of mighty thunderings; violent claps of it, which are sometimes so loud that they rend the very heavens, and strike the inhabitants of the earth with the utmost consternation: these are the same voices which will be heard in the church when the seventh angel sounds his trumpet, Rev 11:15
saying, Alleluia; or praise ye the Lord; they will call upon one another to celebrate the praises of God, on account of the above things, in the same manner, and using the same word the people in heaven, and the four and twenty elders and four living creatures, do; and this is the fourth time the word is used in this context, and confirms the observation that has been made, that this vision refers to the conversion of the Jews, which will quickly follow the destruction of Rome: and the Jews themselves have a notion, that when Rome is destroyed the Messiah will come; and so he will in his spiritual reign. They say (o),
"our redemption will be immediately upon the destruction of Rome.''
And again (p),
"the root of our redemption depends upon the destruction of Rome.''
The reason for their saying "hallelujah" follows,
for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth; by whom is meant the Lord Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all, and God over all, blessed for ever, and is the Almighty; and though he was set up as King over the holy hill of Zion, and has reigned over the church in every age, and came as King into this world, though his kingdom was not of it, and at his resurrection was declared Lord and Christ, and his kingdom was then more manifest, and he has ever since displayed his kingly power in defending his church, and defeating the enemies of it; yet now will he reign more visibly and gloriously, his kingdom will be enlarged from one end of the earth to the other, and he will be King over all the earth, which will occasion great joy to Jews and Gentiles; see Psa 47:1 and See Gill on Rev 11:17.
(o) Tzeror Hammor, fol. 148. 1. (p) Tzeror Hammor, fol. 163. 4.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain And I heard the voice of a great multitude.…
And I heard the voice of a great multitude. So all his servants did praise him. The Almighty reigneth - More eminently and gloriously than ever before.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 6. The voice of a great multitude] This…
Verse 6. The voice of a great multitude] This is the catholic or universal Church of God gathered from among the Gentiles.
The Lord God Omnipotent reigneth.] Εβασιλευσε Κυριος ὁ Θεος ὁ παντοκρατωρ. Many excellent MSS., most of the versions, with Andreas and Arethas, the two most ancient commentators on this book, add ημων, our, after ο θεος and according to this the text reads emphatically thus: OUR Lord God, the Almighty, reigneth. What consolation to every genuine Christian that HIS Lord and God is the Almighty, and that this Almighty never trusts the reins of the government of the universe out of his hands! What therefore has his Church to fear?
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain Rev 19:6-8. And I heard, &c. — Upon this…
Rev 19:6-8. And I heard, &c. — Upon this order from the oracle, the whole church, in obedience to it, began to praise God with loud voices; which might be compared to the sound of many waters, or of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia, for the Lord God omnipotent — The Almighty Maker and Upholder of universal nature; reigneth — Among men, more eminently and gloriously than ever before. Let us be glad, &c. — Χαιρωμεν και αγαλλιωμεθα, let us rejoice and exult with transport, and ascribe to him the glory which is so justly due; for the marriage of the Lamb is come — Is near at hand, and will be speedily solemnized. His true church, his faithful servants, are now about to receive public and peculiar marks of his affection in a state of happiness and dignity suitable to their relation to him. The ancient prophets frequently express the favour of God to his people by the affection of a bridegroom to his spouse. See Isa 62:5; Hos 2:19-20; Zep 3:17. And the Church of Christ in the New Testament is often represented under the same similitude of a bride. See Rom 7:4; 2Co 11:2; Eph 5:25, &c. And as marriages used to be celebrated with great joy, this is a proper emblem to show the state of prosperity and happiness to which God will raise his church, after all its sufferings for the sake of truth and righteousness. And his wife hath made herself ready — Even while upon earth, being acquitted from all guilt, purified from all pollution, and adorned with all those graces and virtues which are most excellent in themselves, and most agreeable to him. As if he had said, She is not a harlot tainted with idolatry, but a spouse prepared for her heavenly husband. And to her was granted — By God, from whom all her good qualities proceed; that she should be arrayed in fine linen — Expressive of her purity and holiness; for the fine linen is an emblem of the righteousness of the saints — Including both their justification and sanctification. Thus St. Paul, (Ephesians 5.,) Christ gave himself for his church, that he might sanctify and cleanse it, and present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain And I heard as it were the voice of…
And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude - In Rev 19:1 he says that he “heard a great voice of much people”; here he says he “heard as it were a voice of a great multitude.” That is, in the former case he heard a shout that he at once recognized as the voice of a great multitude of persons; here he says that he heard a sound not distinctly recognized at first as such, but which resembled such a shout of a multitude. In the former case it was distinct; here it was confused - bearing a resemblance to the sound of roaring waters, or to muttering thunder, but less distinct than the former. This phrase would imply:
(a)A louder sound; and,
Read full note →
(b)That the sound was more remote, and therefore less clear and distinct.
And as the voice of many waters - The comparison of the voices of a host of people with the roar of mighty waters is not uncommon in the Scriptures. See the notes on Isa 17:12-13. So in Homer:
“The monarch spoke, and straight a murmur rose,
Loud as the surges when the tempest blows;
That dash’d on broken rocks tumultuous roar,
And foam and thunder on the stony shore.”
And as the voice of mighty thunderings - The loud, deep, heavy voice of thunder. The distant shouts of a multitude may properly be represented by the sound of heavy thunder.
Saying, Alleluia - See the notes on Rev 19:1. This is the fourth time in which this is uttered as expressive of the joy of the heavenly hosts in view of the overthrow of the enemies of the church. The occasion will be worthy of this emphatic expression of joy.
For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth - Yahweh - God Almighty - the true God. The meaning is, that as the last enemy of the church is destroyed, he now truly reigns. This is the result of his power, and therefore it is proper that he should be praised as the “omnipotent” or “Almighty God” - for he has shown that he can overcome all his enemies, and bring the world to his feet.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain The voice of a great multitude. Menochius applies this…
The voice of a great multitude. Menochius applies this voice to the multitude of Angels and saints, which from its strength may be compared to the voice of rushing waters, and because of the terror with which it strikes the wicked. Pastorini understands by this voice of many waters, the voices of many Angels that preside over the nations, denoted by waters, which had all before groaned under the tyranny of antichrist; and the voice of great thunders, that of the Angel who presides over fire, which, as employed in military engines, by its explosion resembles thunder. It must be observed that the latter author refers it to the last stage of the world.
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain many waters--Contrast the "many waters" on which the whore…
many waters--Contrast the "many waters" on which the whore sitteth (Rev 17:1). This verse is the hearty response to the stirring call, "Alleluia! Praise our God" (Rev 19:4-5).
the Lord God omnipotent--Greek, "the Omnipotent."
Read full note →
reigneth--literally, "reigned": hence reigneth once for all. His reign is a fact already established. Babylon, the harlot, was one great hindrance to His reign being recognized. Her overthrow now clears the way for His advent to reign; therefore, not merely Rome, but the whole of Christendom in so far as it is carnal and compromised Christ for the world, is comprehended in the term "harlot." The beast hardly arises when he at once "goeth into perdition": so that Christ is prophetically considered as already reigning, so soon does His advent follow the judgment on the harlot.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 6. The responsive song has now come to a…
6. The responsive song has now come to a climax. First, there was a great voice from heaven; then, a repeat; third, a response from the elders; fourth, a response from the throne; and last, this universal voice as of waters and thunderings, in which the seer is drowned.
Reigneth—Aorist, has reigned. That is, has acted the king—has decisively ruled in destroying the harlot; for that is the theme of all these responsive chants.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 6. great multitude] Rev_19:1, where the words rendered “much…
6. great multitude] Rev_19:1, where the words rendered “much people” are the same.
many waters] Rev_1:15, Rev_14:2.
Read full note →
mighty thunderings] Rev_6:1, Rev_14:2.
the Lord God Omnipotent] Read, the Lord our God: and the last word is that usually rendered “Almighty”—rather a name “the Almighty” than an epithet—see on Rev_1:8.
reigneth] The only translation that will give the sense without cumbrousness; though “hath taken the kingdom” might express the tense of the original more accurately.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain And I heard as it were the voice of…
And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude. This is the response to the invitation just uttered in ver. 5. Again "the voice of a multitude," as in ver. 1. And as the voice of many waters. That is, in its suggestiveness of great power and magnitude. (cf. Rev_1:15 Rev_14:2 Psa_93:3 Jer_51:16) And as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying. A repetition of the idea contained in the preceding clause. The case of the participle is doubtful; A, P, and others have legontwn ; many cursives a has legontav ; legouswn ; the nominative legontev is found in B and others. Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. (On "Hallelujah," see ver. 1) These words connect the present passage with Rev_17:14. They exhibit, as it were, the culminating reason for this adoration of God. He has exhibited his almighty power in the overthrow of Babylon, who said, "I sit a queen;" and in the overthrow (which has yet to be narrated more fully) of the kings of the earth.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
B. W. Johnson 1891 · Public Domain 6, 7. I heard … a great multitude. This…
6, 7. I heard … a great multitude. This is in response to the call from the throne. The Lord God omnipotent reigneth. This is demonstrated in the overthrow of the wicked.
B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 Then I heard what sounded like the voice of…
Then I heard what sounded like the voice of a great number of people, like the roar of many waters, and like loud crashes of thunder
John speaks of what he is hearing as if it were like the sound made by a very large crowd of people, a large body of rushing water, and very loud thunder. (See: Simile)
Read full note →
Hallelujah
This word means "Praise God" or "Let us praise God." See how you translated this in Revelation 19:1.
For the Lord
"Because the Lord"
translationWords
voice
water
lord
reign
God
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 19:6-8 The focus of the final thunderous Praise the…
19:6-8 The focus of the final thunderous Praise the Lord! is that God reigns as the Almighty in complete supremacy (see 1:8; 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7, 14; 19:15; 21:22).
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.