Revelation 9:9

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;

Parallel Translations

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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;

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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
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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

Contextual Overview

¹ And, the fifth messenger, sounded; and I saw a star, out of heaven, fallen unto the earth, and there was given unto him the key of the shaft of the abyss. ² And he opened the shaft of the abyss; and there came up a smoke out of the shaft, as the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened, by reason of the smoke of the shaft. ³ And, out of the smoke, came forth, locusts, upon the earth; and there was given unto them licence, as the scorpions of the earth have licence. ⁴ And it was bidden them that they should not injure the herbage of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, - but only the men who have not the seal of God upon their foreheads. ⁵ And it was given unto them, that they should not slay them, but that they should be tormented five months; and, the torture of them, was as of a scorpion's torture, whensoever it smiteth a man. ⁶ And, in those days, shall men seek death, and in nowise shall find it, and shall covet to die, and death fleeth from them. ⁷ And, the likenesses of the locusts, were like unto horses prepared for battle; and, upon their heads, as it were crowns, like unto gold, and, their faces, were as the faces of men, ⁸ and, they had hair, as the hair of women, and, their teeth, were, as of lions, ⁹ 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; ¹⁰ and they have tails like unto scorpions, and stings, and, in their tails, is their licence to injure men 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
therefore will I establish my covenant with thee, - and thou shalt enter into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons wives, with thee.

Genesis 9:7
Ye, therefore, be fruitful and multiply, swarm in the earth and multiply therein.

Genesis 9:8
And God spake unto Noah, and unto his sons with him saying:

Genesis 9:9
I, therefore, behold me! establishing my covenant with you, - and with your seed after you;

Genesis 9:10
and with every living soul that is with you, of birds, of tame-beasts and of all wild-beasts of the earth that are with you, - of all coming forth out of the ark, even to all wild-beasts of the earth;

Genesis 9:11
yea, I will establish my covenant with you, so that all flesh shall not be cut off any more, by reason of the waters of a flood, - neither shall there he any more a flood to destroy the earth.

Genesis 9:17
And God said unto Noah, This is the sign of the covenant which have established, between me and all flesh that is on the earth.

Genesis 22:17
That I will, richly bless, thee, and, abundantly multiply, thy seed, as the stars of the heavens, and as the sand which is on the lip of the sea, - that thy seed may take possession of the gate of his foes:

Jeremiah 33:20
Thus, saith Yahweh, If ye can break, My covenant of the day, and My covenant of the night, That there be not day and night in their season,

Romans 1:3
Concerning his Son, - who came to be of the seed of David, according to flesh,

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.