Apocalypse 4:8

Louis Segond

Les quatre êtres vivants ont chacun six ailes, et ils sont remplis d'yeux tout autour et au dedans. Ils ne cessent de dire jour et nuit: Saint, saint, saint est le Seigneur Dieu, le Tout-Puissant, qui était, qui est, et qui vient!

Parallel Translations

La Bible David Martin (1744)
Et les quatre animaux avaient chacun six ailes � l'entour; et par dedans ils [�taient] pleins d'yeux; et ils ne cessent point de dire jour et nuit : Saint! Saint! Saint! le Seigneur Dieu Tout-puissant, QUI �TAIT, QUI EST, et QUI EST A VENIR.

La Bible Ostervald (1996)
Et les quatre animaux avaient chacun six ailes, et � l'entour et au-dedans ils �taient pleins d'yeux; et ils ne cessaient, jour et nuit, de dire: Saint, saint, saint est le Seigneur Dieu tout-puissant, QUI �TAIT, QUI EST, et QUI SERA!

Darby's French Translation
Et les quatre animaux, chacun d'eux ayant six ailes, sont, tout autour et au dedans, pleins d'yeux; et ils ne cessent jour et nuit, disant: Saint, saint, saint, *Seigneur, Dieu, Tout-puissant, celui qui �tait, et qui est, et qui vient.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

six: Isaiah 6:2-13, Ezekiel 1:6, Ezekiel 10:21, Ezekiel 10:22, 2 Timothy 4:2

full: Revelation 4:6, 1 Timothy 4:16

and they: Revelation 7:15, Isaiah 62:1, Isaiah 62:6, Isaiah 62:7, Acts 20:31, 1 Thessalonians 2:9, 2 Thessalonians 3:8, 2 Thessalonians 3:9

rest not: Gr. have no rest

Holy: Revelation 3:7, Exodus 15:11, Isaiah 6:3

Lord God Almighty: Revelation 1:8, Revelation 11:17, Revelation 15:3, Revelation 16:7, Revelation 16:14, Revelation 19:15, Revelation 21:22, Genesis 17:1, Psalms 91:1, Isaiah 13:6, Joel 1:15, 2 Corinthians 6:18

which: Revelation 4:4, Hebrews 13:8

Reciprocal: Exodus 3:14 - I AM hath Leviticus 20:26 - the Lord Job 4:17 - shall a man Job 6:10 - the Holy One Psalms 22:3 - But Psalms 30:4 - holiness Psalms 30:12 - I will Psalms 33:21 - his Psalms 41:13 - Blessed Psalms 66:2 - General Psalms 92:1 - for Psalms 99:3 - for it Psalms 99:9 - for the Psalms 103:1 - holy name Psalms 111:9 - holy Psalms 145:17 - righteous Proverbs 30:3 - the holy Song of Solomon 2:14 - for sweet Isaiah 5:16 - God that is holy Isaiah 57:15 - whose Ezekiel 1:18 - full Ezekiel 10:12 - were Daniel 4:17 - the holy Luke 1:49 - and John 17:11 - Holy 2 Corinthians 4:15 - the abundant Ephesians 4:6 - who 1 Thessalonians 3:10 - Night 1 Timothy 1:17 - be Hebrews 13:15 - the sacrifice 1 Peter 1:15 - is 1 John 2:20 - the Holy Revelation 5:8 - the four Revelation 15:4 - thou only Revelation 16:5 - which art

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the four beasts had each of them six wings about [him],.... As the seraphim in Isaiah 6:2 with two of which they might cover their faces as they did, testifying thereby their reverence of God, when in his presence; and with the other two cover their feet, signifying their sense of their sinfulness, weakness, and imperfection, in their conversation, even in their best works, and in the ministry of the word; and with the other two fly about, as denoting their readiness to minister the word and ordinances, to visit the members of the church, and do all good offices of love and service to them that lie in their power:

[and they were] full of eyes within; to look into the sin and corruption of their own hearts, which is a means of keeping them humble amidst all their attainments, gifts, and graces, and of qualifying them to speak aptly of the cases of others; and they have eyes within, to look into and consult their own experience; for besides the word of God, which lies before them, they have a testimony in themselves of the truth of the doctrines of the Gospel, which they do well to attend unto; and they have these inward eyes to look into that treasure which God has put into their earthen vessels, in order to bring out of it things new and old.

And they rest not day and night; they give up themselves to the ministry of the word, and prayer; are wholly in these things, meditate on the word continually, and preach the Gospel in season, and out of season:

saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come; living under a continual sense of the holiness of God, Father, Son, and Spirit; and how necessary holiness is in themselves, who bear the vessels of the Lord, and in the churches and house of God; taking care that all their doctrines are according to godliness, and serve to promote holiness of life and conversation; and also under a sense of the power of God, and of their need of it, to carry them through their work, and make their ministry successful; and of the eternity and immutability of God, which is a wonderful support unto them amidst all the difficulties and troubles that attend them. The word "holy" is three times used here, as by the seraphim in Isaiah 6:3; and in some copies it is repeated six times, and in others nine times, as in the Complutensian edition.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him - An emblem common to them all, denoting that, in reference to each and all the things here symbolized, there was one common characteristic - that in heaven there is the utmost promptness in executing the divine commands. Compare Isaiah 6:2; Psalms 18:10; Psalms 104:3; Jeremiah 48:40. No mention is made of the manner in which these wings were arranged, and conjecture in regard to that is vain. The seraphim, as seen by Isaiah, had each one six wings, with two of which the face was covered, to denote profound reverence; with two the feet, or lower parts - emblematic of modesty; and with two they flew - emblematic of their celerity in executing the commands of God, Isaiah 6:2. Perhaps without impropriety we may suppose that, in regard to these living beings seen by John, two of the wings of each were employed, as in Isaiah, to cover the face - token of profound reverence; and that the remainder were employed in flight denoting the rapidity with which the divine commands are executed. Mercury, the messenger of Jupiter among the pagan, was represented with wings, and nothing is more common in the paintings and basreliefs of antiquity than such representations.

And they were full of eyes within - Prof. Stuart more correctly renders this, “around and within are full of eyes”; connecting the word “around” (“about”), not with the wings, as in our version, but with the eyes. The meaning is, that the portions of the beasts that were visible from the outside of the throne, and the portions under or within the throne, were covered with eyes. The obvious design of this is to mark the universal vigilance of divine providence.

And they rest not - Margin, have no rest. That is, they are constantly employed; there is no intermission. The meaning, as above explained, is, that the works and ways of God are constantly bringing praise to him.

Day and night - Continually. They who are employed day and night fill up the whole time - for this is all.

Saying, Holy, holy, holy - For the meaning of this, see the notes on Isaiah 6:3.

Lord God Almighty - Isaiah Isaiah 6:3 expresses it, “Yahweh of hosts.” The reference is to the true God, and the epithet Almighty is one that is often given him. It is especially appropriate here, as there were to be, as the sequel shows, remarkable exhibitions of power in executing the purposes described in this book.

Which was, and is, and is to come - Who is eternal - existing in all past time; existing now; and to continue to exist forever. See the notes on Revelation 1:4.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Revelation 4:8. The four beasts had each of them six wings — I have already observed, in the preface to this book, that the phraseology is rabbinical; I might have added, and the imagery also. We have almost a counterpart of this description in Pirkey Elieser. chap. Revelation 4:0. I shall give the substance of this from Schoettgen. "Four troops of ministering angels praise the holy blessed God: the first is Michael, at the right hand; the next is Gabriel, at the left; the third is Uriel, before; and the fourth is Raphael, behind him. The shechinah of the holy, blessed God is in the midst, and he himself sits upon a throne high and elevated, hanging in the air; and his magnificence is as amber חשמל , (chashmal,) in the midst of the fire, Ezekiel 1:4, On his head is placed a crown and a diadem, with the incommunicable name (יהוה Yehovah) inscribed on the front of it. His eyes go throughout the whole earth; a part of them is fire, and a part of them hail. At his right hand stands Life, and at his left hand Death; and he has a fiery sceptre in his hand. Before him is the veil spread, that veil which is between the temple and the holy of holies; and seven angels minister before him within that veil: the veil and his footstool are like fire and lightning; and under the throne of glory there is a shining like fire and sapphire, and about his throne are justice and judgment.

"The place of the throne are the seven clouds of glory; and the chariot wheels, and the cherub, and the living creatures which give glory before his face. The throne is in similitude like sapphire; and at the four feet of it are four living creatures, each of which has four faces and four wings. When God speaks from the east, then it is from between the two cherubim with the face of a MAN; when he speaks from the south, then it is from between the two cherubim with the face of a LION; when from the west, then it is from between the two cherubim with the face of an OX; and when from the north, then it is from between the two cherubim with the face of an EAGLE.

"And the living creatures stand before the throne of glory; and they stand in fear, in trembling, in horror, and in great agitation; and from this agitation a stream of fire flows before them. Of the two seraphim one stands at the right hand of the holy blessed God, and one stands at the left; and each has six wings: with two they cover their face lest they should see the face of the shechina; with two they cover their feet lest they should find out the footstool of the shechinah; and with two they fly, and sanctify his great name. And they answer each other, saying Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory. And the living creatures stand near his glory, yet they do not know the place of his glory; but wheresoever his glory is, they cry out and say, Blessed be the glory of the Lord in his place."

In Shemoth Rabba, sec. 23, fol. 122, 4, Rabbi Abin says: "There are four which have principality in this world: among intellectual creatures, MAN; among birds, the EAGLE; among cattle, the OX; and among wild beasts, the LION: each of these has a kingdom and a certain magnificence, and they are placed under the throne of glory, Ezekiel 1:10, to show that no creature is to exalt itself in this world, and that the kingdom of God is over all." These creatures may be considered the representatives of the whole creation.