Revelation 8:1
Greek (Tischendorf 8th ed.) Revelation 8:1 appears in the Greek New Testament. The text above is from the Tischendorf 8th edition. Each word links to its Strong’s number and a concise gloss. Click any word for its full Thayer’s Greek Lexicon entry.When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.
- 1 hapax legomenon — only here in the Greek New Testament
- 1 first appearance in the Greek New Testament
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Compare translations 3
The same verse in 3 English versions, stacked beneath the original-language interlinear above. Click any original word for its lexicon entry.
Each is an independent rendering of the whole verse — the interlinear is not word-aligned to these translations.
Highlighted words mark where these versions differ — a whole-verse word diff, not a word-by-word alignment.
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World English Bible Public Domain
When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.
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King James Version Public Domain
And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.
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unfoldingWord Literal Text CC BY-SA 4.0
And when he opened the seventh seal, silence happened in heaven for about half an hour.
unfoldingWord Literal Text — © unfoldingWord, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Word-aligned USFM3 via Door43 (git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ult).
Show all 19 translations
Every available English version of this verse, each an independent rendering of the whole verse.
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World English Bible Public Domain
When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.
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Berean Standard Bible Public Domain
When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.
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Majority Standard Bible Public Domain
When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.
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King James Version Public Domain
And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.
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American Standard Version (1901) Public Domain
And when he opened the seventh seal, there followed a silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.
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Revised Version (1885) Public Domain
And when he opened the seventh seal, there followed a silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.
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Geneva Bible (1599) Public Domain
And when he had opened the seuenth seale, there was silence in heauen about halfe an houre.
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Douay-Rheims (1899) Public Domain
And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven, as it were for half an hour.
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Young's Literal Translation Public Domain
And when he openeth the seventh seal, there came silence in the heaven about half-an-hour,
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Literal Standard Version CC BY-SA 4.0
And when He opens the seventh seal, there came silence in Heaven about half an hour,
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Unlocked Literal Bible CC BY-SA 4.0
When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was a silence in heaven for about half an hour.
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unfoldingWord Literal Text CC BY-SA 4.0
And when he opened the seventh seal, silence happened in heaven for about half an hour.
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Darby Bible Public Domain
And when it opened the seventh seal, there was silence in the heaven about half an hour.
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World Messianic Bible Public Domain
When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.
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Webster's Bible Public Domain
And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.
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Free Bible Version CC BY-SA 4.0
When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for around half an hour.
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Bible in Basic English Public Domain
And when the seventh stamp was undone there was quiet in heaven for about half an hour.
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Text-Critical English NT CC BY 4.0
When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.
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Tyndale New Testament (1534) Public Domain
And when he had opened the seventh seale there was silence in heven aboute the space of halfe an houre.
Literal Standard Version (2020), Covenant Press — licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API (eBible.org). Unlocked Literal Bible (unfoldingWord) — licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API (eBible.org). unfoldingWord Literal Text — © unfoldingWord, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Word-aligned USFM3 via Door43 (git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ult). Free Bible Version, Dr. Jonathan Gallagher — licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API (eBible.org).
Word by word
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- Appears 1× in the Greek New Testament
- First appears here
- Part of Speech
- Noun
- Case
- Accusative
- Number
- Singular
- Gender
- Neuter
Full Thayer's Definition
- Καὶ kaí G2532 “and” Conjunction
- ὅταν hótan G3752 “when” Conjunction
- ἤνοιξεν anoígō G455 “to open” Verb, Aorist, Active, Indicative, 3rd person, Singular
- τὴν ho G3588 “the” Article, Accusative, Singular, Feminine
- σφραγῖδα sphragís G4973 “seal” Noun, Accusative, Singular, Feminine
- τὴν ho G3588 “the” Article, Accusative, Singular, Feminine
- ἑβδόμην hébdomos G1442 “seventh” Adjective, Accusative, Singular, Feminine
- ἐγένετο gínomai G1096 “to become” Verb, Aorist, Middle deponent, Indicative, 3rd person, Singular
- σιγὴ sigḗ G4602 “silence” Noun, Nominative, Singular, Feminine
- ἐν en G1722 “in” Preposition
- τῷ ho G3588 “the” Article, Dative, Singular, Masculine
- οὐρανῷ ouranós G3772 “heaven” Noun, Dative, Singular, Masculine
- ὡς hōs G5613 “as” Adverb
- ἡμιώριον hēmiṓrion G2256 “half hour” Noun, Accusative, Singular, Neuter
About this verse
These counts appear in no published source. They are computed here, from the morphology-tagged text and Lemma’s own curated glosses. What Lemma adds →
- 14
- words
- 12
- distinct lemmas
- Revelation
- section
Notable vocabulary
1 hapax legomenon — a word that appears only here in the entire Greek New Testament:
- ἡμιώριον half hour G2256
First appearance in Scripture
This word makes its first canonical appearance in the Greek New Testament here:
- ἡμιώριον half hour G2256
Shared distinctive vocabulary
σιγὴ silence G4602 occurs in 2 verses of the Greek New Testament. Also found in:
Repetition
A word recurs within this verse:
- τὴν the G3588 ×3
Cross-references
13Topical passages linked to Revelation 8:1 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — connected by theme and wording, ordered by reader-vote popularity; previews shown in the World English Bible.
- Zechariah 2:13 Be silent, all flesh, before Yahweh; for he has roused himself from his holy habitation!"
- Habakkuk 2:20 But Yahweh is in his holy temple. Let all the earth be silent before him!"
- Revelation 6:1 I saw that the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying, as with a voice of thunder, "Come and see!"
- Psalms 62:1 My soul rests in God alone. My salvation is from him.
- Job 4:16 It stood still, but I couldn't discern the appearance of it; A form was before my eyes. Silence, then I heard a voice, saying,
- Psalms 37:7 Rest in Yahweh, and wait patiently for him. Don't fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who makes wicked plots happen.
- Revelation 5:1 I saw, in the right hand of him who sat on the throne, a book written inside and outside, sealed shut with seven seals.
- Revelation 6:9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been killed for the Word of God, and for the testimony of the Lamb which they had.
- Revelation 6:12 I saw when he opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake. The sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became as blood.
- Revelation 6:3 When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, "Come!"
- Revelation 6:5 When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, "Come and see!" And behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a balance in his hand.
- Revelation 6:7 When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the fourth living creature saying, "Come and see!"
- Revelation 5:9 They sang a new song, saying, "You are worthy to take the book, And to open its seals: For you were killed, And bought us for God with your blood, Out of every tribe, language, people, and nation,
Cross-references courtesy of OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0).
Lesson kit
Teaching starters — assembled from the data on this page, not authored interpretation. Every prompt links to the verse data it draws on. Edit before teaching.
Revelation, in the Revelation, opens this verse with 14 words (12 distinct Greek lemmas). Its most distinctive word is hēmiṓrion (“half hour”). A historical commentator’s framing appears above. Read the whole chapter for the surrounding context.
Discussion questions
- The word hēmiṓrion carries the sense “half hour.” How does it shape the verse?
- This verse holds 1 word here found nowhere else in the Greek New Testament. What might the rare word draw attention to?
- The word “half hour” first appears here in Scripture. What is being introduced at this debut?
- Acts 21:40 shares the word «silence» with this verse. How do the two illuminate each other?
- “the” occurs 3× in this one verse. What is the effect of the repetition?
- These translations render this verse differently. What is at stake in choosing one wording over another?
- Reading how The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges and The Biblical Illustrator read this verse, where do the two commentators agree and where do they part?
Things to notice
- 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in the Greek New Testament.
- 1 word makes its first canonical appearance in Scripture here.
- These translations choose different wording for 4 words in this verse.
- “the” occurs 3× in this single verse.
- 12 distinct Greek lemmas span 14 words in this verse.
Commentary
Notes on Revelation 8:1 from classic Christian and Jewish commentators (each source and its license shown beneath its notes). The classic Christian expositions comment on the surrounding passage and are grouped to its opening verse, so a note may address several verses; the Jewish commentaries on the Tanakh (Rashi and others) are per-verse, so they appear only where the commentator wrote on this verse.
Lemma curates 59 commentaries, every one of them public domain or Creative Commons licensed, each selected and text-cleaned for this edition rather than reprinted as found. About our sources →
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Biblical Illustrator
Joseph S. Exell
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Joseph Benson's Commentary
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Dummelow's Commentary on the Holy Bible
J. R. Dummelow
J. R. Dummelow, A Commentary on the Holy Bible (Macmillan, 1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Whedon's Commentary on the Bible
Daniel D. Whedon
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary
Joseph S. Exell (gen. ed.)
The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary (gen. ed. Joseph S. Exell; Funk & Wagnalls, c. 1892) — public domain (pre-1929). A full-Bible homiletical/sermon-outline anthology covering 65 of 66 books (2 John is absent from the source module). Text from a community e-Sword module.
Lange's Commentary on the Holy Scriptures
Lange's Commentary on the Holy Scriptures (Critical, Doctrinal, and Homiletical), ed. John Peter Lange, English translation edited by Philip Schaff (1864–1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Annotated Bible
Arno C. Gaebelein
Arno C. Gaebelein, The Annotated Bible (1913–1922) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Expositor's Bible
William Robertson Nicoll, ed., The Expositor's Bible (London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1887–1910) — public domain. 65 of 66 books (1 Corinthians is not separately keyed, as that volume carries no machine-parseable verse references); section-level commentary keyed to the opening verse. Introductory and overview sections not keyed to a specific passage are excluded.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale Open Resources
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Bengel's Gnomon
Johann Albrecht Bengel
Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Meyer's Critical & Exegetical Commentary
Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer
Meyer — Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament — English translation by Peter Christie, edited by Frederick Crombie (T&T Clark, 1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Expositor's Greek Testament
ed. W. Robertson Nicoll
The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges
Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Alford’s Greek Testament
Henry Alford
Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Geneva Bible (1599)
Geneva Bible translators
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.
Matthew Henry's Commentary
Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible (1708–1710) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Adam Clarke's Commentary
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
John Gill's Exposition
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Trapp's Complete Commentary
John Trapp
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Matthew Poole's English Annotations
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
The Pulpit Commentary
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
John Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Scofield Reference Notes
C. I. Scofield
The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Kretzmann's Popular Commentary
Paul E. Kretzmann
Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Sermon Bible
William Robertson Nicoll (ed.)
The Sermon Bible, ed. William Robertson Nicoll (1888–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Burkitt's Expository Notes on the New Testament
William Burkitt
William Burkitt's Expository Notes on the New Testament (1700–1703) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Godbey's Commentary on the New Testament
William B. Godbey
William B. Godbey, Commentary on the New Testament (1896–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Darby's Synopsis of the New Testament
John Nelson Darby
John Nelson Darby — Synopsis of the Books of the Bible: the New Testament (c. 1857–1862) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The People's New Testament
B. W. Johnson
B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.
unfoldingWord translationNotes
Door43 World Missions Community
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Vincent's Word Studies in the New Testament
Marvin R. Vincent
Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.