Revelation 5 · Verse 10

Revelation 5:10

And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
Revelation 5:10, King James Version

Revelation 5:10 in other translations

BSBYou have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign upon the earth.”
WEBand made us kings and priests to our God; and we will reign on the earth.”
ASVand madest them to be unto our God a kingdom and priests; and they reign upon the earth.
YLTand didst make us to our God kings and priests, and we shall reign upon the earth.'
DARBYand made them to our God kings and priests; and they shall reign over the earth.
BBEAnd have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they are ruling on the earth.
WebsterAnd hast made us to our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

What does Revelation 5:10 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
10. made us--A, B, Aleph, Vulgate, Syriac, and Coptic read, "them." The Hebrew construction of the third person for the first, has a graphic relation to the redeemed, and also has a more modest sound than us, priests [Bengel]. unto our God--So B and Aleph read. But A omits the clause. kings--So B reads. But A, Aleph, Vulgate, Coptic, and Cyprian, read, "A kingdom." Aleph reads also "a priesthood" for priests. They who cast their crowns before the throne, do not call themselves kings in the sight of the great King (Re 4:10, 11); though their priestly access has such dignity that their reigning on earth cannot exceed it. So in Re 20:6 they are not called "kings" [Bengel]. we shall reign on the earth--This is a new feature added to Re 1:6. Aleph, Vulgate, and Coptic read, "They shall reign." A and B read, "They reign." Alford takes this reading and explains it of the Church EVEN NOW, in Christ her Head, reigning on the earth: "all things are being put under her feet, as under His; her kingly office and rank are asserted, even in the midst of persecution." But even if we read (I think the weightiest authority is against it), "They reign," still it is the prophetical present for the future: the seer being transported into the future when the full number of the redeemed (represented by the four living creatures) shall be complete and the visible kingdom begins. The saints do spiritually reign now; but certainly not as they shall when the prince of this world shall be bound (see on Re 20:2-6). So far from reigning on the earth now, they are "made as the filth of the world and the offscouring of all things." In Re 11:15, 18, the locality and time of the kingdom are marked. Kelly translates, "reign over the earth" (Greek, "epi tees gees"), which is justified by the Greek (Septuagint, Jud 9:8; Mt 2:22). The elders, though ruling over the earth, shall not necessarily (according to this passage) remain on the earth. But English Version is justified by Re 3:10. "The elders were meek, but the flock of the meek independently is much larger" [Bengel].

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 10. And hast made us unto our God kings and priests. Rev 1:6.

And we shall reign on the earth. The redeemed, of whom we are the representatives. The idea clearly is, in accordance with what is so frequently said in the Scriptures, that the dominion on the earth will be given to the saints; that is, that there will be such a prevalence of true religion, and the redeemed will be so much in the ascendency, that the affairs of the nations will be in their hands. Righteous men will hold the offices; will fill places of trust and responsibility; will have a controlling voice in all that pertains to human affairs. Dan 7:27; Rev 20:1, seq. To such a prevalence of religion all things are tending; and to is this, in all the disorder and sin which now exist, are we permitted to look forward. It not said that this will be a reign under the Saviour in a literal kingdom on the earth; nor is it said that the saints will descend from heaven, and occupy thrones of power under Christ as a visible king. The simple affirmation is, that they will reign on the earth; and as this seems to be spoken in the name of the redeemed, all that is necessary to be understood is, that there will be such a prevalence of true religion on the earth that it will become a vast kingdom of holiness, and that, instead of being in the minority, the saints will everywhere have the ascendency.

(e) "kings" re 1:6 (f) "reign" Rev 22:5

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 10 Kings and priests - See Exo 19:6 (note); 1Pet 2:5 (note), 1Pet 2:9 (note), and the notes there.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Revelation 5:8-14

It is matter of joy to all the world, to see that God deals with men in grace and mercy through the Redeemer. He governs the world, not merely as a Creator, but as our Saviour. The harps were instruments of praise; the vials were full of odours, or incense, which signify the prayers of the saints: prayer and praise should always go together. Christ has redeemed his people from the bondage of sin, guilt, and Satan…

Read the full comment on Revelation 5:8-14 →

Revelation 5:10 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

καὶkaiandG2532
ἐποίησαςepoiēsasYou have madeG4160
αὐτοὺςautousthemG846
τῷtōto theG3588
θεῷtheōGodG2316
ἡμῶνhēmōnof usG3165
βασιλείανbasileiana kingdomG932
καὶkaiandG2532
ἱερεῖς,hi'ereispriests,G2409
καὶkaiandG2532
βασιλεύσουσινbasileusousinthey will reignG936
ἐπὶepiuponG1909
τῆςtēstheG3588
γῆς.¶gēsearth.G1093

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Revelation 5:10

  • Revelation 1:6

    And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

  • Daniel 7:27

    And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.

  • Daniel 7:18

    But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.

  • Revelation 20:6

    Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

  • Revelation 22:5

    And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.

  • 1 Peter 2:5-9

    Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. …

  • Exodus 19:6

    And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
kings.
1:6; 20:6; 22:5; Ex 19:6; 1Pe 2:5-9
we.
20:6; Da 7:18,27

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Revelation 5:9

    And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;

  • Revelation 5:10

    And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

  • Revelation 5:11

    And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;

Read all of Revelation 5

Revelation 5:10 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y nos has hecho para nuestro Dios reyes y sacerdotes, y reinaremos sobre la tierra.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		et tu les as faits rois et sacrificateurs pour notre Dieu, et ils régneront sur la terre.
German
Elberfelder 1871		und hast sie unserem Gott zu Königen und Priestern gemacht, und sie werden über die Erde herrschen!
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		et fecisti nos Deo nostro regnum, et sacerdotes: et regnabimus super terram.