What Does Revelation 19:5 Mean in the King James?
And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The voice from the throne calls the small and the great into one shared praise, with no status threshold.
THE MEANING
This call reaches you whether you feel small or great; your place in praise does not depend on your standing. To fear God here carries the weight of awe, and praise is the shared response of those who belong to God. The throne’s voice makes that response public and inclusive.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
It dissolves the belief that praise belongs only to the important or spiritually impressive; the verse names both small and great.
THE ROOT
φοβούμενοι
phoboumenoi
GROWS FROM
φοβ-
phob-
To fear or be afraid; in a religious address, to regard with reverent awe.
The same root names the felt response and what can provoke it: fear and what is fearsome. Here, with God as its object and praise as its setting, it carries awe; the call gathers every rank under that shared response.
ALSO GROWS
phobos: Fear or awe.
φόβος
It names the response shared by those addressed in the verse.
phoberos: Fearsome; inspiring fear.
φοβερός
It shows the same root can describe what gives rise to the response.
δοῦλοι
douloi
GROWS FROM
δουλ-
doul-
A person bound to service under another’s authority.
“servants” in this verse is douloi. The word points to an ongoing relation of service, not just a task in this moment. The throne’s voice addresses all who stand in that relation together, whether small or great.
ALSO GROWS
douleuō: To serve under another’s authority.
δουλεύω
It carries the same service relation into an action.
douleia: Service or bondage.
δουλεία
It names the condition associated with serving under another’s authority.
αἰνεῖτε
aineite
GROWS FROM
αἰν-
ain-
Praise or commendation.
The plural command addresses the whole assembly: praise is voiced as shared acclaim, not held as a private measure of importance. Here the voice from the throne makes that shared response audible.
ALSO GROWS
ainos: Praise or commendation.
αἶνος
It names the praise expressed by the command.
epainos: Praise, approval, or commendation.
ἔπαινος
It extends the same root into the language of acclaim.
THE PATTERN
Praise and reverence gather people across every measure of status and reach across all creation.
Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.He will bless them that fear the LORD, both small and great.And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.THE THREAD
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.The same fear-root and the same small-and-great pair appear there, where those who fear God’s name stand within a scene of reward and judgment. Here, that shared range is gathered by the voice from the throne into praise.
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