Devine Scripture

Revelation 6:15

What does Revelation 6:15 mean?

A plain-English look at Revelation 6:15 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.

What Revelation 6:15 means

From the top layers of society to the bottom—kings, princes, chief captains, the rich and strong, bondman and freeman—all hide themselves among rocks and caves. The list emphasizes that rank, wealth, and power offer no shelter from divine judgment. Fear grips every class equally. Those who once commanded others now seek refuge in the earth’s cracks. The verse strips away illusions about human importance; before God’s appearing, all stand on level ground. Hiding in caves recalls ancient instincts for safety, but the point is that natural defenses are useless when the Creator Himself shakes heaven and earth.

Parallel translations

WEB

World English Bible · 2000

And the kings of the earth, and the princes, and the chief captains, and the rich, and the strong, and every bondman and freeman, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains;

KJV

King James Version · 1611

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;

ASV

American Standard Version · 1901

And the kings of the earth, and the princes, and the chief captains, and the rich, and the strong, and every bondman and freeman, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains;

BBE

Bible in Basic English · 1949

And the kings of the earth, and the rulers, and the chief captains, and the men of wealth, and the strong, and every servant and free man, took cover in the holes and the rocks of the mountains;

YLT

Young's Literal Translation · 1862

and the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich, and the chiefs of thousands, and the mighty, and every servant, and every freeman, hid themselves in the dens, and in the rocks of the mountains,

DRA

Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752

And the kings of the earth and the princes and tribunes and the rich and the strong and every bondman and every freeman hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of mountains:

DBY

Darby Bible · 1890

And the kings of the earth, and the great, and the chiliarchs, and the rich, and the strong, and every bondman and freeman, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains;

Context

After the cosmic upheavals of verses 12–14, the narrative turns to the human response. Verse 15 catalogs social categories to show the universality of terror and helplessness. The next verse will record their desperate plea to the inanimate creation to cover them from God’s presence, identifying both the One on the throne and the Lamb as the source of wrath. This sets up the climactic question of verse 17.

v.14And the heaven was removed as a scroll when it is rolled up; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.

v.15This passage

v.16and they say to the mountains and to the rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:

Cross references

Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

  • Revelation 18:9

    And the kings of the earth, who committed fornication and lived wantonly with her, shall weep and wail over her, when they look upon the smoke of her burning,

  • Psalms 76:12

    He will cut off the spirit of princes: He is terrible to the kings of the earth.

  • 1 Samuel 13:6

    When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait (for the people were distressed), then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in coverts, and in pits.

  • Psalms 110:5

    The Lord at thy right hand Will strike through kings in the day of his wrath.

  • Job 34:19

    That respecteth not the persons of princes, Nor regardeth the rich more than the poor; For they all are the work of his hands.

  • Judges 6:2

    And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel; and because of Midian the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and the caves, and the strongholds.

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