BibleWord.ai› Bible› Revelation› Chapter 9› Verse 16

Revelation 9:16

New Testament Apocalyptic ASV (1901)

What does Revelation 9:16 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “And the number of the armies of the horsemen was twice ten thousand times ten thousand: I heard the number of them.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

And the number of the armies of the horsemen was twice ten thousand times ten thousand: I heard the number of them.
Revelation 9:16 — American Standard Version

Context — Revelation 9

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
13And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the horns of the golden altar which is before God,
14one saying to the sixth angel that had one trumpet, Loose the four angels that are bound at the great river Euphrates.
15And the four angels were loosed, that had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, that they should kill the third part of men.
16And the number of the armies of the horsemen was twice ten thousand times ten thousand: I heard the number of them.
17And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates [as] of fire and of hyacinth and of brimstone: and the heads of lions; and out of their mouths proceedeth fire and smoke and brimstone.
18By these three plagues was the third part of men killed, by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone, which proceeded out of their mouths.
19For the power of the horses is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails are like unto serpents, and have heads; and with them they hurt.
← Revelation 9:15Revelation 9:17 →
← Full Chapter 9 Revelation Overview

What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“And the number of the army of the horsemen, etc.] This shows that the four angels before mentioned were men, and design generals of armies, or armies of men, even of horsemen; and manifestly point at the Turks, who were not only originally Persians, and had their name, as some say f293, from Turca in Persia, and çrp, from whence the Persians have their name, signifies an horseman; but the armies of the Turks chiefly consisted of horse, and what for show and for use, they had generally double the number of horses and mules as of men f294; and they are very good horsemen, and very dextrous at leaping on and off f295; and the horse's tail is still carried before the general, and principal…”
Read attributed excerpt →
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“Compare with these two hundred million, Psa 68:17; Dan 7:10. The hosts here are evidently, from their numbers and their appearance (Rev 9:17), not merely human hosts, but probably infernal, though constrained to work out God's will (compare Rev 9:1-2). and I heard--A, B, Aleph, Vulgate, Syriac, Coptic, and CYPRIAN omit "and."”
Read attributed excerpt →
Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“And the number of the army of the horsemen - It is to be observed here that the strength of the army seemed to be cavalry. In the former plagues there is no distinct mention of horsemen; but here what struck the beholder was the immense and unparalleled number of horsemen. Were two hundred thousand thousand - A thousand thousand is one million, and consequently the number here referred to would be 200 million. This would be a larger army than was ever assembled, and it cannot be supposed that it is to be taken literally. That it would be a very large host - so large that it would not be readily numbered - is clear. The expression in the original, while it naturally conveys the idea of an…”
Read attributed excerpt →
Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · Modern study notes
“9:16 The relationship of the four angels to their army is not clear. • 200 million: This figure represents an innumerable multitude. Even at its greatest strength, the ancient Roman army with twenty-one legions numbered only about 126,000 soldiers. It is unproductive to use this number in attempting to identify any specific country with such an overwhelming destructive force.”
Read attributed excerpt →
Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“the number: Psa 68:17; Dan 7:10 horsemen: Eze 23:6, Eze 38:4; Dan 11:40 I heard: Rev 7:4 Revelation 9:17”
Read attributed excerpt →

Related study paths

Read Revelation 9 in contextBrowse Greek word studiesOpen this verse in the study reader

Sources and verification