Revelation 6:10
New International Version
They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?”

New Living Translation
They shouted to the Lord and said, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you judge the people who belong to this world and avenge our blood for what they have done to us?”

English Standard Version
They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”

Berean Standard Bible
And they cried out in a loud voice, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You avenge our blood and judge those who dwell upon the earth?”

Berean Literal Bible
And they were crying in a loud voice, saying, "Until when, O Lord, holy and true, do You not judge and avenge our blood from those dwelling upon the earth?"

King James Bible
And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?

New King James Version
And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”

New American Standard Bible
and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who live on the earth?”

NASB 1995
and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”

NASB 1977
and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, wilt Thou refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”

Legacy Standard Bible
and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Master, holy and true? Will You not judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”

Amplified Bible
They cried in a loud voice, saying, “O Lord, holy and true, how long now before You will sit in judgment and avenge our blood on those [unregenerate ones] who dwell on the earth?”

Christian Standard Bible
They cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, the one who is holy and true, how long until you judge those who live on the earth and avenge our blood? ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
They cried out with a loud voice: “Lord, the One who is holy and true, how long until You judge and avenge our blood from those who live on the earth?”

American Standard Version
and they cried with a great voice, saying, How long, O Master, the holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?

Contemporary English Version
They shouted, "Master, you are holy and faithful! How long will it be before you judge and punish the people of this earth who killed us?"

English Revised Version
and they cried with a great voice, saying, How long, O Master, the holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
They cried out in a loud voice, "Holy and true Master, how long before you judge and take revenge on those living on earth who shed our blood?"

Good News Translation
They shouted in a loud voice, "Almighty Lord, holy and true! How long will it be until you judge the people on earth and punish them for killing us?"

International Standard Version
They cried out in a loud voice, "Holy and true Sovereign, how long will it be before you judge and take revenge on those living on the earth who shed our blood?"

Majority Standard Bible
And they cried out in a loud voice, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You avenge our blood and judge those who dwell upon the earth?”

NET Bible
They cried out with a loud voice, "How long, Sovereign Master, holy and true, before you judge those who live on the earth and avenge our blood?"

New Heart English Bible
They called out with a loud voice, saying, "How long, Master, the holy and true, until you judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?"

Webster's Bible Translation
And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?

Weymouth New Testament
And now in loud voices they cried out, saying, "How long, O Sovereign Lord, the holy One and the true, dost Thou delay judgment and the taking of vengeance upon the inhabitants of the earth for our blood?"

World English Bible
They cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, Master, the holy and true, until you judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and they were crying with a great voice, saying, “Until when, O Master, the Holy and the True, do You not judge and take vengeance of our blood from those dwelling on the earth?”

Berean Literal Bible
And they were crying in a loud voice, saying, "Until when, O Lord, holy and true, do You not judge and avenge our blood from those dwelling upon the earth?"

Young's Literal Translation
and they were crying with a great voice, saying, 'Till when, O Master, the Holy and the True, dost Thou not judge and take vengeance of our blood from those dwelling upon the land?'

Smith's Literal Translation
And they cried with a great voice, saying, Till when, Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood of them dwelling upon earth
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And they cried with a loud voice, saying: How long, O Lord (holy and true) dost thou not judge and revenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?

Catholic Public Domain Version
And they were crying out with a loud voice, saying: “How long, O Holy and True Lord, will you not judge and not vindicate our blood against those who dwell upon the earth?”

New American Bible
They cried out in a loud voice, “How long will it be, holy and true master, before you sit in judgment and avenge our blood on the inhabitants of the earth?”

New Revised Standard Version
they cried out with a loud voice, “Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long will it be before you judge and avenge our blood on the inhabitants of the earth?”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And they cried with a loud voice saying, How long, O LORD, holy and true, do you not judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And they cried with a great voice, and they were saying, “How long, LORD JEHOVAH, holy and true, do you not judge and avenge our blood upon the inhabitants of The Earth?”
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
and they cried with a loud voice, saying: How long, Sovereign, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?

Godbey New Testament
And they cried with a great voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, do you not judge and avenge our blood from those who dwell upon the earth?

Haweis New Testament
And they cried with a loud voice, How long will it be, O sovereign, the holy one and the true, ere thou judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?

Mace New Testament
and they cried with a loud voice, saying, "how long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou defer doing justice, and avenging our blood on those that dwell on the earth?"

Weymouth New Testament
And now in loud voices they cried out, saying, "How long, O Sovereign Lord, the holy One and the true, dost Thou delay judgment and the taking of vengeance upon the inhabitants of the earth for our blood?"

Worrell New Testament
And they cried with a great voice, saying, "How long, O Master, the Holy, and the True, dost Thou not judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell upon the earth?"

Worsley New Testament
And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on those that dwell upon the earth?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Fifth Seal: The Martyrs
9And when the Lamb opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony they had upheld. 10And they cried out in a loud voice, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You avenge our blood and judge those who dwell upon the earth?” 11Then each of them was given a white robe and told to rest a little while longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers, were killed, just as they had been killed.…

Cross References
Genesis 4:10
“What have you done?” replied the LORD. “The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground.

Luke 18:7-8
Will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry out to Him day and night? Will He delay in helping them? / I tell you, He will promptly carry out justice on their behalf. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?”

Psalm 79:10
Why should the nations ask, “Where is their God?” Before our eyes, make known among the nations Your vengeance for the bloodshed of Your servants.

Psalm 94:3-4
How long will the wicked, O LORD, how long will the wicked exult? / They pour out arrogant words; all workers of iniquity boast.

Zechariah 1:12
Then the angel of the LORD said, “How long, O LORD of Hosts, will You withhold mercy from Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, with which You have been angry these seventy years?”

Habakkuk 1:2-3
How long, O LORD, must I call for help but You do not hear, or cry out to You, “Violence!” but You do not save? / Why do You make me see iniquity? Why do You tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me. Strife is ongoing, and conflict abounds.

Deuteronomy 32:43
Rejoice, O heavens, with Him, and let all God’s angels worship Him. Rejoice, O nations, with His people; for He will avenge the blood of His children. He will take vengeance on His adversaries and repay those who hate Him; He will cleanse His land and His people.

2 Kings 9:7
And you are to strike down the house of your master Ahab, so that I may avenge the blood of My servants the prophets and the blood of all the servants of the LORD shed by the hand of Jezebel.

Isaiah 26:21
For behold, the LORD is coming out of His dwelling to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity. The earth will reveal her bloodshed and will no longer conceal her slain.

Jeremiah 51:35-36
May the violence done to me and to my flesh be upon Babylon,” says the dweller of Zion. “May my blood be on the dwellers of Chaldea,” says Jerusalem. / Therefore this is what the LORD says: “Behold, I will plead your case and take vengeance on your behalf; I will dry up her sea and make her springs run dry.

Matthew 23:35
And so upon you will come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.

Romans 12:19
Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.”

Hebrews 10:30
For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge His people.”

2 Thessalonians 1:6-7
After all, it is only right for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, / and to grant relief to you who are oppressed and to us as well. This will take place when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels

Luke 11:50-51
As a result, this generation will be charged with the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the foundation of the world, / from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, all of it will be charged to this generation.


Treasury of Scripture

And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, do you not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?

they cried.

Genesis 4:10
And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.

Psalm 9:12
When he maketh inquisition for blood, he remembereth them: he forgetteth not the cry of the humble.

Luke 18:7,8
And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? …

How.

Psalm 13:1
To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?

Psalm 35:17
Lord, how long wilt thou look on? rescue my soul from their destructions, my darling from the lions.

Psalm 74:9,10
We see not our signs: there is no more any prophet: neither is there among us any that knoweth how long…

holy.

Revelation 3:7
And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;

Revelation 15:3,4
And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints…

dost.

Revelation 11:18
And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.

Revelation 16:5-7
And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus…

Revelation 18:20,24
Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her…

avenge.

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Revelation 6
1. The First Seal: Rider on White Horse
3. The Second Seal: War
5. The Third Seal: Famine
7. The Fourth Seal: Death
9. The Fifth Seal: Martyrs
12. The Sixth Seal: Terror














And they cried out with a loud voice
The phrase "cried out" in the original Greek is "ekraxan," which conveys a sense of urgent, passionate pleading. This is not a mere whisper or quiet prayer; it is a loud, desperate cry that echoes the deep anguish and longing for justice. The "loud voice" signifies the intensity and unity of their plea, emphasizing the collective suffering and earnestness of the martyrs. Historically, this reflects the cries of the persecuted church throughout the ages, who have sought divine intervention and justice.

How long, O Lord
The question "How long" is a poignant expression found throughout Scripture, particularly in the Psalms, where the faithful cry out for God's intervention in times of distress. It reflects a deep yearning for God's righteous judgment and the fulfillment of His promises. The use of "O Lord" here is significant, as it acknowledges God's sovereignty and authority. The Greek word "Despotes" used for "Lord" implies a master or ruler, highlighting the martyrs' recognition of God's ultimate control over history and justice.

holy and true
These attributes of God, "holy and true," are central to His character. "Holy" denotes God's absolute purity and separation from sin, while "true" underscores His faithfulness and reliability. In the context of Revelation, these attributes assure the martyrs that God is both morally perfect and trustworthy. Historically, this assurance would have been a source of comfort to early Christians facing persecution, reminding them that God's nature guarantees the eventual triumph of justice.

until You avenge our blood
The plea for God to "avenge our blood" is a call for divine justice. In the ancient world, blood was seen as the life force, and the shedding of innocent blood cried out for retribution. The Greek word "ekdikeo" implies a legal vindication, a setting right of wrongs. This reflects the biblical principle that vengeance belongs to God (Deuteronomy 32:35, Romans 12:19). The martyrs' request is not for personal revenge but for God's righteous judgment to be enacted, affirming His justice and the moral order of the universe.

on those who dwell on the earth?
The phrase "those who dwell on the earth" is often used in Revelation to describe those who are opposed to God and His people. It signifies a worldly, rebellious mindset that stands in contrast to the heavenly citizenship of believers. This distinction highlights the tension between the kingdom of God and the kingdoms of this world. Historically, this would resonate with early Christians who faced hostility from earthly powers, reinforcing the hope that God's justice will ultimately prevail over all earthly opposition.

(10) How long . . .?--Better. Until when. O Master (the word is the correlative of "servant," see Revelation 6:10) the Holy and True, dost Thou not judge and avenge our blood from (on) those who dwell on the earth? By a dramatic figure the persecuted and slain ones are represented as crying for retribution on their oppressors. It is not the Christians themselves (Luke 23:34; and Acts 7:60) who cry for vengeance, any more than it was Abel himself who cried from the ground to God: it was the blood of Abel (Genesis 4:10), the earth disclosed her blood, and refused to cover her slain. The forgotten or ignored wrongs of generations come forth from oblivion and cry for vengeance. It is a poetical description, but it is not fiction. The righteous blood shed does fall upon the world in retribution: the laws of God avenge themselves, though the victims do not live to behold the reward of the ungodly. On the epithets Holy and True, see Notes on Revelation 3:7.

Verse 10. - And they cried with a loud voice, saying; i.e. the souls cried. Ebrard, Dusterdieck, Hengstenberg, make "the slain" nominative, in contradistinction to the "souls," which is both unnecessary and unnatural. Zullig compares Genesis 4:10, "The voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground." How long? (comp. Zechariah 1:12, 13, "How long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem? And the Lord answered with good words and comfortable words"). No doubt the souls waiting in Paradise are answered by "comfortable words," yet, not having lost their interest in earthly struggles, nor their longing for the triumphant vindication of God's glory, they cry, "How long?," not as needing the time to be shortened for their own sakes, for they rest, though not yet entered into the fulness of God's glory. O Lord, holy and true; O Master, the holy and true (Revised Version). "Master" (δεσπότης) is the correlative of "servant" (δοῦλος). This is the only instance of its occurrence in the Apocalypse. (On "true," see previous passages.) Deal thou not judge and avenge our blood. The cry is not a petition for personal revenge, but a request for the termination of those ills which for a time afflict man, and the termination of which must, by virtue of God's eternal justice, be accompanied by visible retribution on the wicked. (Cf. Bede, "Those souls which offered themselves a living sacrifice to God pray eternally for his coming to judgment, not from any vindictive feeling against their enemies, but in a spirit of zeal and love for God's glory and justice, mid for the coming of that day when sin, which is rebellion against him, will be destroyed, and their own bodies will be raised. And so in that prayer wherein Christ teaches us to forgive our enemies, we are also taught to say, 'Thy kingdom come.'") The passage has given rise to varying interpretations, which are thought to be more consonant with the spirit of the gospel. Thus I. Williams would understand the souls to represent only the Old Testament saints, especially as it is not explicitly said that they died for the witness of Jesus, as in Revelation 20:4. On them that dwell on the earth. That is, on the worldly, those who have taken the side of the world in its conflict with Christianity.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
And
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

they cried out
ἔκραξαν (ekraxan)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 2896: To cry aloud, shriek. A primary verb; properly, to 'croak' or scream, i.e. to call aloud.

in a loud voice,
φωνῇ (phōnē)
Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 5456: Probably akin to phaino through the idea of disclosure; a tone; by implication, an address, saying or language.

“How long,
πότε (pote)
Conjunction
Strong's 4219: When, at what time. From the base of pou and te; interrogative adverb, at what time.

O
(ho)
Article - Vocative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

Lord,
Δεσπότης (Despotēs)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 1203: A lord, master, or prince. Perhaps from deo and posis; an absolute ruler.

holy
ἅγιος (hagios)
Adjective - Vocative Masculine Singular
Strong's 40: Set apart by (or for) God, holy, sacred. From hagos; sacred.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

true,
ἀληθινός (alēthinos)
Adjective - Vocative Masculine Singular
Strong's 228: True (lit: made of truth), real, genuine. From alethes; truthful.

until
Ἕως (Heōs)
Preposition
Strong's 2193: A conjunction, preposition and adverb of continuance, until.

You judge
κρίνεις (krineis)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 2919: Properly, to distinguish, i.e. Decide; by implication, to try, condemn, punish.

those who
τῶν (tōn)
Article - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

live
κατοικούντων (katoikountōn)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 2730: To dwell in, settle in, be established in (permanently), inhabit. From kata and oikeo; to house permanently, i.e. Reside.

on
ἐπὶ (epi)
Preposition
Strong's 1909: On, to, against, on the basis of, at.

the
τῆς (tēs)
Article - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

earth
γῆς (gēs)
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 1093: Contracted from a primary word; soil; by extension a region, or the solid part or the whole of the terrene globe.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

avenge
ἐκδικεῖς (ekdikeis)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 1556: To give justice over, defend, avenge, vindicate. From ekdikos; to vindicate, retaliate, punish.

our
ἡμῶν (hēmōn)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Plural
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

blood?”
αἷμα (haima)
Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 129: Blood, literally, figuratively or specially; by implication, bloodshed, also kindred.


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NT Prophecy: Revelation 6:10 They cried with a loud voice saying (Rev. Re Apocalypse)
Revelation 6:9
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