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Selected Verse: Revelation 5:13 - King James
| Verse |
Translation |
Text |
| Re 5:13 |
King James |
And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. |
Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse
| A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882] |
The universal chorus of creation, including the outermost circles as well as the inner (of saints and angels), winds up the doxology. The full accomplishment of this is to be when Christ takes His great power and reigns visibly.
every creature--"all His works in all places of His dominion" (Psa 103:22).
under the earth--the departed spirits in Hades.
such as are--So B and Vulgate. But A omits this.
in the sea--Greek, "upon the sea": the sea animals which are regarded as being on the surface [ALFORD].
all that are in them--So Vulgate reads. A omits "all (things)" here (Greek, "panta"), and reads, "I heard all (Greek, "pantas") saying": implying the harmonious concert of all in the four quarters of the universe.
Blessing, &c.--Greek, "the blessing, the honor, and the glory, and the might to the ages of the ages." The fourfold ascription indicates world-wide universality. |
| Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834] |
And every creature which is in heaven - The meaning of this verse is, that all created things seemed to unite in rendering honor to Him who sat on the throne, and to the Lamb. in the previous verse a certain number - a vast host - of angels are designated as rendering praise as they stood round the area occupied by the throne, the elders, and the living creatures; here it is added that all who were in heaven united in this ascription of praise.
And on the earth - All the universe was heard by John ascribing praise to God. A voice was heard from the heavens, from all parts of the earth, from under the earth, and from the depths of the sea, as if the entire universe joined in the adoration. It is not necessary to press the language literally, and still less, is it necessary to understand by it, as Prof. Stuart does, that the angels who presided over the earth, over the under-world, and over the sea, are intended. It is evidently popular language; and the sense is, that John heard a universal ascription of praise. All worlds seemed to join in it; all the dwellers on the earth, and under the earth, and in the sea, partook of the spirit of heaven in rendering honor to the Redeemer.
Under the earth - Supposed to be inhabited by the shades of the dead. See the Job 10:21-22 notes; Isa 14:9 note.
And such as are in the sea - All that dwell in the ocean. In Psa 148:7-10, "dragons, and all deeps; beasts, and all cattle; creeping things, and flying fowl," are called on to praise the Lord; and there is no more incongruity or impropriety in one description than in the other. In the Psalm, the universe is called on to render praise; in the passage before us it is described as actually doing it. The hills, the streams, the floods; the fowls of the air, the dwellers in the deep, and the beasts that roam over the earth; the songsters in the grove, and the insects that play in the sunbeam, in fact, declare the glory of their Creator; and it requires no very strong effort of the fancy to imagine the universe as sending up a constant voice of thanksgiving.
Blessing, and honour, ... - There is a slight change here from Rev 5:12, but it is the same thing substantially. It is an ascription of all glory to God and to the Lamb. |
| Vincent's Word Studies, by Marvin R. Vincent [1886] |
Creature (κτίσμα)
See Ti1 4:4; Jam 1:18. From κτίζω to found. A thing founded or created Rev., created thing. See on Joh 1:3.
In the sea (ἐπὶ τῆς θαλάσσης)
More accurately, "on the sea," as Rev. Not ships, but creatures of the sea which have come up from its depths to the surface.
Blessing (ἡ εὐλογία)
Rev. rightly "the blessing." All the particulars of the following ascription have the article.
Honor (τιμή)
Originally a valuing by which the price is fixed, hence the price itself, the thing priced, and so, generally, honor. See on Act 28:10.
Power (τὸ κράτος)
Rev., the dominion. For the different words for power, see on Pe2 2:11. |
| Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65] |
And every creature - In the whole universe, good or bad. In the heaven, on the earth, under the earth, on the sea - With these four regions of the world, agrees the fourfold word of praise. What is in heaven, says blessing; what is on earth, honour; what is under the earth, glory: what is on the sea, strength; is unto him. This praise from all creatures begins before the opening of the first seal; but it continues from that time to eternity, according to the capacity of each. His enemies must acknowledge his glory; but those in heaven say, Blessed be God and the Lamb.
This royal manifesto is, as it were, a proclamation, showing how Christ fulfils all things, and "every knee bows to him," not only on earth, but also in heaven, and under the earth. This book exhausts all things, Co1 15:27-28, and is suitable to an heart enlarged as the sand of the sea. It inspires the attentive and intelligent reader with such a magnanimity, that he accounts nothing in this world great; no, not the whole frame of visible nature, compared to the immense greatness of what he is here called to behold, yea, and in part, to inherit.
St. John has in view, through the whole following vision, what he has been now describing, namely, the four living creatures, the elders, the angels, and all creatures, looking together at the opening of the seven seals. |
| Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826 |
| Every creature - All parts of the creation, animate and inanimate, are represented here, by that figure of speech called prosopopaeia or personification, as giving praise to the Lord Jesus, because by him all things were created. We find the whole creation gives precisely the same praise, and in the same terms, to Jesus Christ, who is undoubtedly meant here by the Lamb just slain as they give to God who sits upon the throne. Now if Jesus Christ were not properly God this would be idolatry, as it would be giving to the creature what belongs to the Creator. |
22 Bless the LORD, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul.
12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.
7 Praise the LORD from the earth, ye dragons, and all deeps:
8 Fire, and hail; snow, and vapour; stormy wind fulfilling his word:
9 Mountains, and all hills; fruitful trees, and all cedars:
10 Beasts, and all cattle; creeping things, and flying fowl:
9 Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming: it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations.
21 Before I go whence I shall not return, even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death;
22 A land of darkness, as darkness itself; and of the shadow of death, without any order, and where the light is as darkness.
11 Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord.
10 Who also honoured us with many honours; and when we departed, they laded us with such things as were necessary.
3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:
27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.
28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.