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REV 6:12-17

The Sixth Seal: Terror

12And I watched when he opened the sixth seal, and a great earthquake occurred. The sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood.

13And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its unripe fruit when shaken by a great wind.

14And the sky was split apart like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.

15And the kings of the earth and the magnates and the commanders and the rich and the powerful and every slave and every free person hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains.

16And they say to the mountains and to the rocks: 'Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one seated on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb —

17for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?'

In the world it was spoken into

In the first century, earthquakes were understood as both natural phenomena and divine portents, often interpreted as signs of cosmic upheaval or divine judgment. The imagery of the sun turning black and the moon becoming like blood draws on apocalyptic traditions found in Jewish texts like Joel 2:31, where celestial disturbances signify the Day of the Lord. The falling stars and the heavens rolling up like a scroll evoke Isaiah 34:4, reinforcing the theme of cosmic collapse. The shaking of mountains and islands reflects the destabilization of the natural order, a common motif in apocalyptic literature. The mention of kings, magnates, commanders, the rich, and slaves highlights the universal scope of this judgment, transcending social hierarchies. In a society deeply structured by honor-shame dynamics and Roman imperial power, this vision subverts earthly authority, portraying even the most powerful as powerless before divine wrath. The imagery of unripe figs falling prematurely underscores the sudden, violent, and unnatural nature of this cosmic event.

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How other translations render this

REV 6:12

KJV
And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;
BSB
And I watched as the Lamb opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black like sackcloth of goat hair, and the whole moon turned blood red,
Koinōnos
And I watched when he opened the sixth seal, and a great earthquake occurred. The sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood.

REV 6:13

KJV
And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.
BSB
and the stars of the sky fell to the earth like unripe figs dropping from a tree shaken by a great wind.
Koinōnos
And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its unripe fruit when shaken by a great wind.

REV 6:14

KJV
And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
BSB
The sky receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved from its place.
Koinōnos
And the sky was split apart like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.

REV 6:15

KJV
And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
BSB
Then the kings of the earth, the nobles, the commanders, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and free man hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains.
Koinōnos
And the kings of the earth and the magnates and the commanders and the rich and the powerful and every slave and every free person hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains.

REV 6:16

KJV
And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
BSB
And they said to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the One seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb.
Koinōnos
And they say to the mountains and to the rocks: 'Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one seated on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb —

REV 6:17

KJV
For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
BSB
For the great day of Their wrath has come, and who is able to withstand it?”
Koinōnos
for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?

Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.

Translator's notes

REV 6:12

  • behold:The word translated 'earthquake' here refers to a violent shaking or shock, not just of the ground, but also carrying a sense of general agitation or commotion.

REV 6:13

  • unripe figs:The term used here for 'unripe figs' specifically refers to the late-season, often sterile, fruit of the fig tree that would typically fall off before ripening.

REV 6:15

  • great ones:The word translated 'great ones' denotes powerful and influential men, grandees, or magnates, indicating their high social and political standing.
  • slave:The word translated 'slave' refers to a bondman, someone who is owned by another, emphasizing their complete lack of freedom and personal autonomy.