Back to Revelation 9

Revelation 9:17-19

Thus I saw the horses in the vision, and those who sat on them, having breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow; and the horses’ heads resembled lions’ heads. Out of their mouths proceed fire, smoke, and sulfur. By these three plagues were one third of mankind killed: by the fire, the smoke, and the sulfur, which proceeded out of their mouths. For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails. For their tails are like serpents, and have heads, and with them they harm.

World English Bible · Public Domain
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Revelation 9:17-19 sits inside this longer paragraph.

The four angels were freed who had been prepared for that hour and day and month and year, so that they might kill one third of mankind. The number of the armies of the horsemen was two hundred million. I heard the number of them. Thus I saw the horses in the vision, and those who sat on them, having breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow; and the horses’ heads resembled lions’ heads. Out of their mouths proceed fire, smoke, and sulfur. By these three plagues were one third of mankind killed: by the fire, the smoke, and the sulfur, which proceeded out of their mouths. For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails. For their tails are like serpents, and have heads, and with them they harm. The rest of mankind, who were not killed with these plagues, didn’t repent of the works of their hands, that they wouldn’t worship demons, and the idols of gold, and of silver, and of brass, and of stone, and of wood; which can’t see, hear, or walk. They didn’t repent of their murders, their sorceries, their sexual immorality, or their thefts.

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Parallel Translations

  • WEB World English Bible

    Thus I saw the horses in the vision, and those who sat on them, having breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow; and the horses’ heads resembled lions’ heads. Out of their mouths proceed fire, smoke, and sulfur.

    By these three plagues were one third of mankind killed: by the fire, the smoke, and the sulfur, which proceeded out of their mouths.

    For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails. For their tails are like serpents, and have heads, and with them they harm.

  • TYNDALE Tyndale New Testament (1534)

    And thus I sawe the horses in a vision and them that sate on the havynge fyry habbergions of a Iacyncte coloure and brymstony and the heeddes of the horses werre as the heeddes of lyons. And out of their mouthes went forth fyre and smoke and brymstone.

    And of these iii. was the thyrde parte of men kylled: that is to saye of fyre smoke and brymstone which proceded out of the mouthes of them:

    For their power was in their mouthes and in their tayles: for their tayles were lyke vnto serpetes and had heedes and with them they dyd hurt:

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  • GNV Geneva Bible (1599)

    And thus I saw the horses in a vision, and them that sate on them, hauing firie habbergions, and of Iacinth, and of brimstone, and the heads of the horses were as the heades of lyons: and out of their mouthes went foorth fire and smoke and brimstone.

    Of these three was the thirde part of men killed, that is, of the fire, and of the smoke, and of the brimstone, which came out of their mouthes.

    For their power is in their mouths, and in their tailes: for their tailes were like vnto serpents, and had heades, wherewith they hurt.

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Cross-references (19)

  • Revelation 9:18 (v17) By these three plagues were one third of mankind killed: by the fire, the smoke, and the sulfur, which proceeded out of their mouths.
  • Revelation 9:17 (v18) Thus I saw the horses in the vision, and those who sat on them, having breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow; and the…
  • Revelation 9:15 (v18) The four angels were freed who had been prepared for that hour and day and month and year, so that they might kill one third of mankind.
  • 1 Chronicles 12:8 (v17) Some Gadites joined David in the stronghold in the wilderness, mighty men of valor, men trained for war, who could handle shield and spear;…
  • Revelation 14:10 (v17) he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is prepared unmixed in the cup of his anger. He will be tormented with fire and…
Show all 19 cross-references
  • Revelation 21:8 (v17) But for the cowardly, unbelieving, sinners, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their part is in…
  • Revelation 19:20 (v17) The beast was taken, and with him the false prophet who worked the signs in his sight, with which he deceived those who had received the…
  • Genesis 19:24 (v17) Then Yahweh rained on Sodom and on Gomorrah sulfur and fire from Yahweh out of the sky.
  • Psalms 11:6 (v17) On the wicked he will rain blazing coals; fire, sulfur, and scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup.
  • Isaiah 5:28-29 (v17) whose arrows are sharp, and all their bows bent. Their horses’ hoofs will be like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind. Their roaring…
  • Isaiah 9:15 (v19) The elder and the honorable man is the head, and the prophet who teaches lies is the tail.
  • Isaiah 30:33 (v17) For his burning place has long been ready. Yes, for the king it is prepared. He has made its pyre deep and large with fire and much wood.…
  • Revelation 9:10 (v19) They have tails like those of scorpions, and stings. In their tails they have power to harm men for five months.
  • Revelation 20:10 (v17) The devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet are also. They will be…
  • Ezekiel 33:22 (v17) Now Yahweh’s hand had been on me in the evening, before he who had escaped came; and he had opened my mouth, until he came to me in the…
  • Ephesians 4:14 (v19) that we may no longer be children, tossed back and forth and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in…
  • Revelation 9:9 (v17) They had breastplates, like breastplates of iron. The sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots, or of many horses rushing to war.
  • Revelation 11:5 (v17) If anyone desires to harm them, fire proceeds out of their mouth and devours their enemies. If anyone desires to harm them, he must be…
  • Revelation 21:20 (v17) the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprase; the…

Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)

Explain this passage (18 sources)

Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.

Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On v19 That is, they [are] harmful every way: on what…

That is, they [are] harmful every way: on what part soever thou put thine hand unto them or they touch thee, they do hurt. So the former are called Scorpions, Verse 3.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.

John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv17–19 17 And thus I saw the horses in the…
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv17–19 We have no such description or representation as this…
William Burkitt 1703 · Public Domain On v17 St. John proceeds here in describing this vast army…
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv17–19 And thus I saw the horses in the vision,…
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On vv17–19 And thus I saw the horses and them that…
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On vv17–19 Verse 17. Breastplates of fire-jacinth, and brimstone] That is,…
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On vv17–19 And thus I saw the horses in the vision…
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On vv17, 19 And thus I saw the horses in the vision.…
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On vv17–19 thus--as follows.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv17, 19 17. I saw—The forms of the horses; he could…
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv17–19 17. having breastplates] This must be understood of the…
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv17–18 (17) And thus I saw . . .—Better, And…
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv17–19 And thus I saw the horses in the vision,…
B. W. Johnson 1891 · Public Domain On vv17–18 17. Having breastplates as of fire, and of hyacinth,…
Paul E. Kretzmann 1924 · Public Domain On v17 The further description of the seer confirms this interpretation:
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v18 Connecting Statement:
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v17 9:17-19 The riders had armor in colors that matched…
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