Revelation 9 · Verse 13

Revelation 9:13

And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,
Revelation 9:13, King James Version

Revelation 9:13 in other translations

BSBThen the sixth angel sounded his trumpet, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar before God
WEBThe sixth angel sounded. I heard a voice from the horns of the golden altar which is before God,
ASVAnd the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the horns of the golden altar which is before God,
YLTAnd the sixth messenger did sound, and I heard a voice out of the four horns of the altar of gold that is before God,
DARBYAnd the sixth angel sounded his trumpet: and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,
BBEAnd at the sounding of the sixth angel a voice came to my ears from the horns of the gold altar which is before God,
WebsterAnd the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,

What does Revelation 9:13 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
13. a voice--literally, "one voice." from--Greek, "out of." the four horns--A, Vulgate (Amiatinus manuscript), Coptic, and Syriac omit "four." B and Cyprian support it. The four horns together gave forth their voice, not diverse, but one. God's revelation (for example, the Gospel), though in its aspects fourfold (four expressing world-wide extension: whence four is the number of the Evangelists), still has but one and the same voice. However, from the parallelism of this sixth trumpet to the fifth seal (Re 6:9, 10), the martyrs' cry for the avenging of their blood from the altar reaching its consummation under the sixth seal and sixth trumpet, I prefer understanding this cry from the four corners of the altar to refer to the saints' prayerful cry from the four quarters of the world, incensed by the angel, and ascending to God from the golden altar of incense, and bringing down in consequence fiery judgments. Aleph omits the whole clause, "one from the four horns."

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

Barnes' Notes
Verse 13. And the sixth angel sounded. Rev 8:2-7, seq.

And I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God. In the language here used there is an allusion to the temple, but the scene is evidently laid in heaven. The temple in its arrangements was designed, undoubtedly, to be in important respects a symbol of heaven, and this idea constantly occurs in the Scriptures. Compare the Epistle to the Hebrews passim. The golden altar stood in the holy place, between the table of shew-bread and the golden candlestick. Heb 9:1-2. This altar, made of shittim or acacia wood, was ornamented at the four corners, and overlaid throughout with laminee of gold. Hence it was called "the golden altar," in contradistinction from the altar for sacrifice, which was made of stone. Compare Mt 21:12, seq. On its four corners it had projections which are called horns, (Ex 30:2-3,) which seem to have been intended mainly for ornaments. See Jahn, Arch. % 332; Josephus Ant. iii. 6, 8. When it is said that this was "before God," the meaning is, that it was directly before or in front of the symbol of the Divine presence in the most holy place. This image, in the vision of John, is transformed to heaven. The voice seemed to come from the very presence of the Deity; from the place where offerings are made to God.

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 13 The four horns of the golden altar - This is another not very obscure indication that the Jewish temple was yet standing.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Revelation 9:13-21
The sixth angel sounded, and here the power of the Turks seems the subject. Their time is limited. They not only slew in war, but brought a poisonous and ruinous religion. The antichristian generation repented not under these dreadful judgments. From this sixth trumpet learn that God can make one enemy of the church a scourge and a plague to another. The idolatry in the remains of the eastern church and elsewhere, and the sins of professed Christians, render this prophecy and its fulfilment more wonderful. And the attentive reader of Scripture and history, may find his faith and hope strengthened by events, which in other respects fill his heart with anguish and his eyes with tears, while he sees that men who escape these plagues, repent not of their evil works, but go on with idolatries, wickedness, and cruelty, till wrath comes upon them to the utmost.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Revelation 9:13 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
ὁhotheG3588
ἕκτοςhektossixthG1623
ἄγγελοςangelosangelG32
ἐσάλπισεν,esalpisensounded [his] trumpet,G4537
καὶkaiandG2532
ἤκουσαēkousaI heardG191
φωνὴνphōnēnvoiceG5456
μίανmianoneG1520
ἐκekfromG1537
τῶνtōntheG3588
τεσσάρωνtessarōnfourG5064
κεράτωνkeratōnhornsG2768
τοῦtouof theG3588
θυσιαστηρίουthusiastērioualtarG2379
τοῦtou<the>G3588
χρυσοῦchrusougoldenG5552
τοῦtou<the>G3588
ἐνώπιονenōpionbeforeG1799
τοῦtou<the>G3588
θεοῦtheouGodG2316

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

Cross references for Revelation 9:13

  • Revelation 8:3-5

    And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand. And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.

  • Exodus 30:2-3

    A cubit shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof; foursquare shall it be: and two cubits shall be the height thereof: the horns thereof shall be of the same. And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, the top thereof, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns thereof; and thou shalt make unto it a crown of gold round about.

  • Revelation 9:1

    And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.

  • Hebrews 9:24

    For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:

  • Hebrews 10:21

    And having an high priest over the house of God;

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
the sixth.
1
a voice.
8:3-5; Heb 9:24; 10:21

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

Context

  • Revelation 9:12

    One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.

  • Revelation 9:13

    And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,

  • Revelation 9:14

    Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.

Read all of Revelation 9

Revelation 9:13 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y el sexto ángel tocó la trompeta; y oí una voz de los cuatro cuernos del altar de oro que estaba delante de Dios,
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et le sixième ange sonna de la trompette: et j’entendis une voix sortant des quatre cornes de l’autel d’or qui était devant Dieu,
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und der sechste Engel posaunte: und ich hörte eine Stimme aus den vier Hörnern des goldenen Altars, der vor Gott ist,
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et sextus angelus tuba cecinit: et audivi vocem unam ex quatuor cornibus altaris aurei, quod est ante oculos Dei,