Revelation 4:3
1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.
2 And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.
And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.
4 And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.
5 And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.
Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- The One seated there looked like jasper and carnelian, and a rainbow that gleamed like an emerald encircled the throne.
- KJV
- And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.
- WEB
- that looked like a jasper stone and a sardius. There was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald to look at.
- ASV
- and he that sat [was] to look upon like a jasper stone and a sardius: and [there was] a rainbow round about the throne, like an emerald to look upon.
- DARBY
- and he [that was] sitting like in appearance to a stone [of] jasper and a sardius, and a rainbow round the throne like in appearance to an emerald.
- BLB
- and the One sitting, in appearance [was] like jasper and carnelian stone. And a rainbow [was] around the throne, in appearance like an emerald.
- ÅB
- Og han som satt der, var å se til slik som jaspis og sarder-stein, og det var en regnbue rundt omkring tronen, å se til slik som en smaragd.
- OTB
- Han som satt der, hadde utseende som jaspis og sardius, og en regnbue som lignet en smaragd omkranset tronen.
- B1930
- Og han som satt der, var å se til likesom jaspis og sarder-sten, og det var en regnbue rundt omkring tronen, å se til likesom en smaragd.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Ezekiel 1:28
As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.
Read in contextRevelation 21:11
Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;
Read in contextGenesis 9:13–16
I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.
Read in contextRevelation 10:1
And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire:
Read in contextEzekiel 28:13
Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.
Read in contextEzekiel 1:26
And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it.
Read in contextRevelation 21:19–20
And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;
Read in contextExodus 24:10
And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness.
Read in context