Revelation 6 · Verse 10

Revelation 6:10

And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
Revelation 6:10, King James Version

Revelation 6:10 in other translations

BSBAnd they cried out in a loud voice, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You avenge our blood and judge those who dwell upon the earth?”
WEBThey cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, Master, the holy and true, until you judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”
ASVand they cried with a great voice, saying, How long, O Master, the holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
YLTand they were crying with a great voice, saying, ‘Till when, O Master, the Holy and the True, dost Thou not judge and take vengeance of our blood from those dwelling upon the land?'
DARBYand they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O sovereign Ruler, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell upon the earth?
BBEAnd they gave a great cry, saying, How long will it be, O Ruler, holy and true, before you take your place as judge and give punishment for our blood to those on the earth?
WebsterAnd they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?

What does Revelation 6:10 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
10. How long--Greek, "Until when?" As in the parable the woman (symbol of the Church) cries day and night to the unjust judge for justice against her adversary who is always oppressing her (compare below, Re 12:10); so the elect (not only on earth, but under Christ's covering, and in His presence in Paradise) cry day and night to God, who will assuredly, in His own time, avenge His and their cause, "though He bear long with them." These passages need not be restricted to some particular martyrdoms, but have been, and are receiving, and shall receive partial fulfilments, until their last exhaustive fulfilment before Christ's coming. So as to the other events foretold here. The glory even of those in Paradise will only be complete when Christ's and the Church's foes are cast out, and the earth will become Christ's kingdom at His coming to raise the sleeping saints. Lord--Greek, "Master"; implying that He has them and their foes and all His creatures as absolutely at His disposal, as a master has his slaves; hence, in Re 6:11, "fellow servants," or fellow slaves follows. holy--Greek, "the Holy one." avenge--"exact vengeance for our blood." on--Greek, "from them." that dwell on the earth--the ungodly, of earth, earthly, as distinguished from the Church, whose home and heart are even now in heavenly places.

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

Barnes' Notes
Verse 10. Rev 6:9

(d) "how long" Zech 1:12 (e) "avenge" Rev 11:18, De 32:41-43

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 10 And they cried with a loud voice - That is, their blood, like that of Abel, cried for vengeance; for we are not to suppose that there was any thing like a vindictive spirit in those happy and holy souls who had shed their blood for the testimony of Jesus. We sometimes say Blood cries for blood; that is, in the order of Divine justice, every murderer, and every murdering persecutor, shall be punished. O Lord - Ὁ Δεσποτης· Sovereign Lord, supreme Ruler; one having and exercising unlimited and uncontrolled authority. Holy - In thy own nature, hating iniquity; And true - In all thy promises and threatenings; Dost thou not judge - The persecutors; And avenge our blood - Inflict signal punishment; On them that dwell on the earth? - Probably meaning the persecuting Jews; they dwelt επι της γης, upon that land, a form of speech by which Judea is often signified in the New Testament.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Revelation 6:9-11

The sight the apostle beheld at the opening the fifth seal was very affecting. He saw the souls of the martyrs under the altar; at the foot of the altar in heaven, at the feet of Christ. Persecutors can only kill the body; after that there is no more they can do; the soul lives. God has provided a good place in the better world, for those who are faithful unto death. It is not their own death, but the sacrifice of…

Read the full comment on Revelation 6:9-11 →

Revelation 6:10 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
ἔκραξανekraxanthey were cryingG2896
φωνῇphōnēain a voiceG5456
μεγάλῃmegalēloudG3173
λέγοντες·legontessaying;G3004
ἕωςhe'ōsUntilG2193
πότε,potewhen,G4219
ὁhoOG3588
δεσπότηςdespotēsLordG1203
ὁho<the>G3588
ἅγιοςhagiosholyG40
καὶkaiandG2532
ἀληθινός,alēthinostrue,G228
οὐounotG3756
κρίνειςkrineisdo You judgeG2919
καὶkaiandG2532
ἐκδικεῖςekdikeisyou avengeG1556
τὸtotheG3588
αἷμαhaimabloodG129
ἡμῶνhēmōnof usG3165
ἐκekfromG1537
τῶνtōnthoseG3588
κατοικούντωνkatoikountōndwellingG2730
ἐπὶepiuponG1909
τῆςtēstheG3588
γῆς;gēsearth?G1093

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

Cross references for Revelation 6:10

  • Revelation 19:2

    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.

  • Revelation 11:18

    And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.

  • Psalms 9:12

    When he maketh inquisition for blood, he remembereth them: he forgetteth not the cry of the humble.

  • Revelation 16:5-7

    And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy. And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.

  • Romans 12:19

    Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

  • 2 Thessalonians 1:6-8

    Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:

  • Luke 18:7-8

    And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

  • Luke 21:22

    For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.

  • Revelation 3:7

    And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;

  • Zechariah 1:12

    Then the angel of the Lord answered and said, O Lord of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years?

  • Revelation 18:20

    Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.

  • Deuteronomy 32:36-43

    For the Lord shall judge his people, and repent himself for his servants, when he seeth that their power is gone, and there is none shut up, or left. And he shall say, Where are their gods, their rock in whom they trusted, Which did eat the fat of their sacrifices, and drank the wine of their drink offerings? let them rise up and help you, and be your protection. See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand. …

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
they cried.
Ge 4:10; Ps 9:12; Lu 18:7,8; Heb 12:24
How.
Ps 13:1; 35:17; 74:9,10; 94:3,4; Da 8:13; 12:6; Zec 1:12
holy.
3:7; 15:3,4
dost.
11:18; 16:5-7; 18:20,24; 19:2; De 32:36-43; Jud 16:28; 1Sa 24:12
Ps 58:10,11; Isa 61:2; 63:1-6; Lu 21:22; Ro 12:19; 2Th 1:6-8
avenge.This seal seems a prediction of the terrible persecution of the church under Dioclesian and Maximian, from A.D. 270 to 304, which lasted longer, and was far more bloody, than any or all by which it was preceded, whence it was called "the æra of the martyrs."

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

Context

  • Revelation 6:9

    And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:

  • Revelation 6:10

    And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?

  • Revelation 6:11

    And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

Read all of Revelation 6

Revelation 6:10 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y clamaban en alta voz diciendo: ¿Hasta cuándo, Señor, santo y verdadero, no juzgas y vengas nuestra sangre de los que moran en la tierra?
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et elles criaient à haute voix, disant: Jusques à quand, ô Souverain, saint et véritable, ne juges-tu pas et ne venges-tu pas notre sang sur ceux qui habitent sur la terre?
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und sie riefen mit lauter Stimme und sprachen: Bis wann, o Herrscher, der du heilig und wahrhaftig bist, richtest und rächst du nicht unser Blut an denen, die auf der Erde wohnen?
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
et clamabant voce magna, dicentes: Usquequo Domine (sanctus et verus), non judicas, et non vindicas sanguinem nostrum de iis qui habitant in terra?