Devine Scripture

Revelation 9:17

What does Revelation 9:17 mean?

A plain-English look at Revelation 9:17 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.

What Revelation 9:17 means

John sees the horses and riders: breastplates gleam like fire, hyacinth, and brimstone; the horses’ heads resemble lions; and from their mouths come fire, smoke, and brimstone. The picture combines color, power, and predatory imagery. The source of destruction is the horses’ mouths, portraying a deadly outbreathing that consumes. The scene recalls past judgments associated with fire and sulfur, but here multiplied and mobile. The vision communicates an instrument of death that is both terrifying and unstoppable. The emphasis is on the potency and ferocity of the judgment unleashed, not on matching details to earthly weaponry.

Parallel translations

WEB

World English Bible · 2000

And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates as of fire and of hyacinth and of brimstone: and the heads of the horses are as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths proceedeth fire and smoke and brimstone.

KJV

King James Version · 1611

And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.

ASV

American Standard Version · 1901

And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates as of fire and of hyacinth and of brimstone: and the heads of the horses are as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths proceedeth fire and smoke and brimstone.

BBE

Bible in Basic English · 1949

And so I saw the horses in the vision, and those who were seated on them, having breastplates of fire and glass and of burning stone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths came fire and smoke and a smell of burning.

YLT

Young's Literal Translation · 1862

And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and those sitting upon them, having breastplates of fire, and jacinth, and brimstone; and the heads of the horses <FI>are<Fi> as heads of lions, and out of their mouths proceedeth fire, and smoke, and brimstone;

DRA

Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752

And thus I saw the horses in the vision. And they that sat on them had breastplates of fire and of hyacinth and of brimstone. And the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions: and from their mouths proceeded fire and smoke and brimstone.

DBY

Darby Bible · 1890

And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and those that sat upon them, having breastplates of fire and jacinth and brimstone; and the heads of the horses [were] as heads of lions, and out of their mouths goes out fire and smoke and brimstone.

Context

This verse begins the detailed description following the numbering of the army in verse 16. It focuses attention on the horses as primary agents, with riders present but secondary. Verse 18 will state the effect—mass death by three plagues—while verse 19 adds that the horses have power at both mouth and tail. The flow maintains the pattern of Revelation’s visions: symbolic imagery first, then interpretive consequence.

v.16And the number of the armies of the horsemen was twice ten thousand times ten thousand: I heard the number of them.

v.17This passage

v.18By these three plagues was the third part of men killed, by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone, which proceeded out of their mouths.

Cross references

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

  • Revelation 14:10

    he also shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is prepared unmixed in the cup of his anger; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:

  • Revelation 9:9

    And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots, of many horses rushing to war.

  • Revelation 21:8

    But for the fearful, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, their part shall be in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone; which is the second death.

  • Revelation 11:5

    And if any man desireth to hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth and devoureth their enemies; and if any man shall desire to hurt them, in this manner must he be killed.

  • Isaiah 5:28

    whose arrows are sharp, and all their bows bent; their horses’ hoofs shall be accounted as flint, and their wheels as a whirlwind:

  • Revelation 21:20

    the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprase; the eleventh, jacinth; the twelfth, amethyst.

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