Revelation 9:9

Contemporary English Version

On their chests they wore armor made of iron. Their wings roared like an army of horse-drawn chariots rushing into battle.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
they had chests like iron breastplates; the sound of their wings was like the sound of many chariots with horses rushing into battle;

King James Version (1611)
And they had brestplates, as it were brestplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was as the sound of charets of many horses running to battell.

King James Version
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 running to battle.

New American Standard Bible
They had breastplates like breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots, of many horses rushing to battle.

New Century Version
Their chests looked like iron breastplates, and the sound of their wings was like the noise of many horses and chariots hurrying into battle.

English Standard Version
they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the noise of their wings was like the noise of many chariots with horses rushing into battle.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
They had breastplates like breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots, of many horses rushing to battle.

Berean Standard Bible
They also had thoraxes like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the roar of many horses and chariots rushing into battle.

Complete Jewish Bible
Their chests were like iron breastplates, and the sound their wings made was like the roar of many horses and chariots rushing into battle.

Darby Translation
and they had breastplates as breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings [was] as the sound of chariots of many horses running to war;

Easy-to-Read Version
Their chests looked like iron breastplates. The sound their wings made was like the noise of many horses and chariots hurrying into battle.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And they had habbergions, like to habbergions of yron: and the soud of their wings was like the sound of charets whe many horses runne vnto battel.

George Lamsa Translation
And they had breastplates, as though they were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle.

Good News Translation
Their chests were covered with what looked like iron breastplates, and the sound made by their wings was like the noise of many horse-drawn chariots rushing into battle.

Lexham English Bible
and they had breastplates like iron breastplates, and the sound of their wings was like the sound of many horse-drawn chariots running into battle.

Literal Translation
And they had breastplates like iron breastplates; and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots with many horses running to war.

Amplified Bible
They had breastplates (scales) like breastplates made of iron; and the [whirring] noise of their wings was like the [thunderous] noise of countless horse-drawn chariots charging [at full speed] into battle.

American Standard Version
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.

Bible in Basic English
And they had breastplates like iron, and the sound of their wings was as the sound of carriages, like an army of horses rushing to the fight.

Hebrew Names Version
They had breastplates, like breastplates of iron. The sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots, or of many horses rushing to war.

International Standard Version
They had breastplates like iron, and the noise of their wings was like the roar of chariots with many horses rushing into battle.Joel 2:5-7;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
and they had breast-plates as breast-plates of iron, and the sound of their wings was as the sound of the chariots of many horses running to battle.

Murdock Translation
And they had breastplates, like breastplates of iron: and the sound of their wings, was like the sound of the chariots of many horses rushing into battle.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And they had habbergions as it were habbergions of iron, and the sounde of their wynges was as ye sounde of charrettes when many horses runne together to batayle.

English Revised Version
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.

World English Bible
They had breastplates, like breastplates of iron. The sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots, or of many horses rushing to war.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And they had breast-plates as it were breast-plates of iron, and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle.

Weymouth's New Testament
They had breast-plates which seemed to be made of steel; and the noise caused by their wings was like that of a vast number of horses and chariots hurrying into battle.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And thei hadden haburiouns, as yren haburiouns, and the vois of her wengis as the vois of charis of many horsis rennynge `in to batel.

Update Bible Version
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.

Webster's Bible Translation
And they had breast-plates, as it were breast-plates of iron; and the sound of their wings [was] as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle.

New English Translation
They had breastplates like iron breastplates, and the sound of their wings was like the noise of many horse-drawn chariots charging into battle.

New King James Version
And they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots with many horses running into battle.

New Living Translation
They wore armor made of iron, and their wings roared like an army of chariots rushing into battle.

New Life Bible
Their chests were covered with what looked like pieces of iron. The sound their wings made was like the sound of many wagons rushing to war.

New Revised Standard
they had scales like iron breastplates, and the noise of their wings was like the noise of many chariots with horses rushing into battle.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
and they had breastplates as breastplates of iron, and, the sound of their wings, was as the sound of chariots of many horses, running into battle;

Douay-Rheims Bible
And they had breastplates as breastplates of iron: and the noise of their wings was as the noise of chariots and many horses running to battle.

Revised Standard Version
they had scales like iron breastplates, and the noise of their wings was like the noise of many chariots with horses rushing into battle.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And they had habbergions as it were habbergions of yron. And the sounde of their wynges was as the sounde of charettes when many horsses runne to gedder to battayle.

Young's Literal Translation
and they had breastplates as breastplates of iron, and the noise of their wings [is] as the noise of chariots of many horses running to battle;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And they had habbergions, as it were habbergions of yron. And the sounde of their wynges, was as ye sounde of charettes whe many horsses runne together to battayle.

Mace New Testament (1729)
they were vested with breast-plates, as it were of iron; and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots and many horses running to battle.

Simplified Cowboy Version
They had iron breastplates of armor and their wings sounded like chariots racing across the battlefield in pursuit of another victim.

Contextual Overview

¹ When the fifth angel blew his trumpet, I saw a star fall from the sky to earth. It was given the key to the tunnel that leads down to the deep pit. ² As it opened the tunnel, smoke poured out like the smoke of a great furnace. The sun and the air turned dark because of the smoke. ³ Locusts came out of the smoke and covered the earth. They were given the same power that scorpions have. ⁴ The locusts were told not to harm the grass on the earth or any plant or any tree. They were to punish only those people who did not have God's mark on their foreheads. ⁵ The locusts were allowed to make them suffer for five months, but not to kill them. The suffering they caused was like the sting of a scorpion. ⁶ In those days people will want to die, but they will not be able to. They will hope for death, but it will escape from them. ⁷ These locusts looked like horses ready for battle. On their heads they wore something like gold crowns, and they had human faces. ⁸ Their hair was like a woman's long hair, and their teeth were like those of a lion. ⁹ On their chests they wore armor made of iron. Their wings roared like an army of horse-drawn chariots rushing into battle. ¹⁰ Their tails were like a scorpion's tail with a stinger that had the power to hurt someone for five months.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

they had: Revelation 9:17, Job 40:18, Job 41:23-30, Joel 2:8

and the: Job 39:25, Isaiah 9:5, Joel 2:5-7, Nahum 2:4, Nahum 2:5

Reciprocal: 1 Kings 22:34 - joints of the harness 2 Kings 7:6 - the Lord Ephesians 6:14 - the breastplate

Cross-References

Genesis 6:18
But I solemnly promise that you, your wife, your sons, and your daughters-in-law will be kept safe in the boat.

Genesis 9:7
I want you and your descendants to have many children, so people will live everywhere on earth.

Genesis 9:8
Again, God said to Noah and his sons:

Genesis 9:9
I am going to make a solemn promise to you and to everyone who will live after you.

Genesis 9:10
This includes the birds and the animals that came out of the boat.

Genesis 9:11
I promise every living creature that the earth and those living on it will never again be destroyed by a flood.

Genesis 9:17
The rainbow will be the sign of that solemn promise.

Genesis 22:17
"I will bless you and give you such a large family, that someday your descendants will be more numerous than the stars in the sky or the grains of sand along the beach. They will defeat their enemies and take over the cities where their enemies live.

Jeremiah 33:20
I, the Lord , have an agreement with day and night, so they always come at the right time. You can't break the agreement I made with them,

Romans 1:3
This good news is about his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ! As a human, he was from the family of David. But the Holy Spirit proved that Jesus is the powerful Son of God, because he was raised from death.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron,.... Alluding to the hard skin of the locusts, with which nature has fenced it q; see Joel 2:8; and denotes the armour with which the Saracens were accoutred: and if to be understood of the western locusts, the hardness of their hearts, their seared consciences, or their protection by the princes of the earth, the many privileges they are possessed of, the laws made in their favour, and for their security; their breastplates were not breastplates of righteousness, faith, and love, nor in defence of truth, but against it. And some think the iron colour may denote the colour of their habit, their black garments:

and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle; see Joel 2:5. The sound of locusts, when they fly or march in large companies, is very great. Pliny says r, they make such a noise with their wings, when they fly, that they have been thought to have been other winged creatures; hence a locust, in Hebrew, is sometimes called צלצל, the same name that is given to the high sounding cymbal. The sound of them is said to have been heard six miles s. Aristotle t ascribes it to the rubbing of their legs or thighs one against another; and so the Ethiopic version here renders it, "the sound of their feet": this may be expressive of the swift and rapid incursions of the Saracens, and of the dreadful alarms to the nations which their invasions made; and may be applied to the noisy declamations, anathemas, excommunications, and interdicts of the Romish clergy.

q Claudian. Epigram. 13. r Plin. l. 11. c. 29, 51. s Altissiodorensis in Joel ii. 5. t Hist. Animal. l. 4. c. 9. Vid. Plin. l. 11. c. 51.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron - Hard, horny, impenetrable, as if they were made of iron. The locust has a firm and hard cuticle on the forepart of the breast, which serves for a shield or defense while it moves in the thorny and furzy vegetation. On those which John saw this was especially hard and horny, and would thus be well adapted to be an emblem of the breastplates of iron commonly worn by ancient warriors. The meaning is, that the warriors referred to would be well clad with defensive armor.

And the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle - The noise made by locusts is often spoken of by travelers, and the comparison of that noise with that of chariots rushing to battle, is not only appropriate, but also indicates clearly what was symbolized. It was an army that was symbolized, and everything about them served to represent hosts of men well armed, rushing to conflict. The same thing here referred to is noticed by Joel Joel 2:4-5, Joel 2:7;

“The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses;

And as horsemen so shall they run.

Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains, shall they leap;

Like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble;

As a strong people set in battle array.

They shall run like mighty men;

They shall climb the wall like men of war;

And they shall march every one his ways,

And shall not break their ranks,” etc.

It is remarkable that Volney, who had no intention of illustrating the truth of Scripture, has given a description of locusts, as if he meant to confirm the truth of what is here said. “Syria,” says he, “as well as Egypt, Persia, and almost all the south of Asia, is subject to another calamity no less dreadful (than earthquakes); I mean those clouds of locusts so often mentioned by travelers. The quantity of these insects is incredible to all who have not themselves witnessed their astounding numbers; the whole earth is covered with them for the space of several leagues. The noise they make in browsing on the trees and herbage may be heard to a great distance, and resembles that of an army foraging in secret” (Travels in Egypt and Syria, vol. i. pp. 283, 284).

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Revelation 9:9. They had breastplates-of iron — They seemed to be invulnerable, for no force availed against them.

The sound of their wings — Their hanging weapons and military trappings, with the clang of their shields and swords when they make their fierce onsets. This simile is borrowed from Joel 2:5-7.