1After these things I heard something like a great voice of a vast multitude in heaven, saying: "Hallelujah! The salvation and the glory and the power of our God — the power to the Lord our God! [19:2] For true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great prostitute who was corrupting the earth with her sexual immorality, and He has avenged the blood of His bondservants out of her hand." [19:3] And a second time they have said: "Hallelujah! And her smoke goes up into the ages of the ages." [19:4] And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and prostrated themselves before God who is sitting on the throne, saying: "Amen, Hallelujah!" [19:5] And a voice from the throne came forth, saying: "Praise our God, all you bondservants of Him and you who are fearing Him, the small and the great!"
REV 19:1-5
Rejoicing in Heaven
In the world it was spoken into
In the first-century Mediterranean world, the imagery of a loud multitude in heaven crying 'Hallelujah' would evoke the Jewish liturgical practice of praising God, particularly in the context of communal worship. The term 'Hallelujah' is a Hebrew loanword meaning 'Praise Yahweh,' familiar to Jewish audiences from the Psalms. The proclamation of God's salvation, glory, honor, and power reflects the Jewish understanding of God's sovereignty and justice, themes central to Second Temple Jewish theology. The judgment of the 'great prostitute' would resonate with Jewish and early Christian audiences as a critique of idolatry and moral corruption, often symbolized by sexual immorality . The avenging of the blood of God's servants underscores the honor-shame dynamic, where God's justice restores honor to those who suffered unjustly. The elders falling in worship mirrors the Jewish and Greco-Roman practice of prostration before a deity, signifying submission and reverence. The smoke rising forever evokes the imagery of perpetual sacrifice and divine judgment, familiar from Jewish apocalyptic literature.
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How other translations render this
REV 19:1
- KJV
- And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:
- BSB
- After this I heard a sound like the roar of a great multitude in heaven, shouting: “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God!
- Koinōnos
- After these things I heard something like a great voice of a vast multitude in heaven, saying: "Hallelujah! The salvation and the glory and the power of our God — the power to the Lord our God!
REV 19:2
- KJV
- For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.
- BSB
- For His judgments are true and just. He has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality. He has avenged the blood of His servants that was poured out by her hand.”
- Koinōnos
- For true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great prostitute who was corrupting the earth with her sexual immorality, and He has avenged the blood of His bondservants out of her hand.
REV 19:3
- KJV
- And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.
- BSB
- And a second time they called out: “Hallelujah! Her smoke rises forever and ever.”
- Koinōnos
- And a second time they have said: "Hallelujah! And her smoke goes up into the ages of the ages.
REV 19:4
- KJV
- And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.
- BSB
- And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne, saying: “Amen, Hallelujah!”
- Koinōnos
- And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and prostrated themselves before God who is sitting on the throne, saying: "Amen, Hallelujah!
REV 19:5
- KJV
- And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.
- BSB
- Then a voice came from the throne, saying: “Praise our God, all you who serve Him, and those who fear Him, small and great alike!”
- Koinōnos
- And a voice from the throne came forth, saying: "Praise our God, all you bondservants of Him and you who are fearing Him, the small and the great!
Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.
Translator's notes
REV 19:1
- loud:The word translated 'loud' here refers to a large, undifferentiated crowd or multitude, emphasizing the sheer number of voices rather than just their volume.
REV 19:2
- sexual immorality:The term translated 'sexual immorality' was a broad category encompassing various illicit sexual acts, including prostitution and fornication, and could even be used metaphorically for idolatry.
- servants:The word translated 'servants' here specifically denotes a 'slave' or 'bondservant' — someone who is the property of another and completely subject to their will, not merely an employee.
REV 19:4
- and:The word translated 'and' is actually a verb meaning 'to worship' or 'to prostrate oneself in homage,' indicating an act of reverence and submission.