The appearance of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle; and on their heads appeared to be crowns like gold, and their faces were like human faces.
Parallel translations
- WEB The shapes of the locusts were like horses prepared for war. On their heads were something like golden crowns, and their faces were like people’s faces.
- KJV And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men.
- BSB And the locusts looked like horses prepared for battle, with something like crowns of gold on their heads, and faces like the faces of men.
- NKJV The shape of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle. On their heads were crowns of something like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men.
- NLT The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. They had what looked like gold crowns on their heads, and their faces looked like human faces.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The locusts look like war-horses with crowns and human faces. The vivid imagery portrays an organized, intelligent, and seemingly invincible demonic force.
Overview
Drawing on Joel 2:4, John piles up symbols: horses for power and war, golden crowns for apparent authority and conquest, human faces for malevolent intelligence. The point is not literal description but overwhelming menace. This is no ordinary plague but a fearsome spiritual army arrayed against humanity. Yet "like" crowns hints their authority is counterfeit, for true and final victory belongs to the Lamb.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 4
- Dan 7:8I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots: and behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things.
- Nah 3:17Your guards are like the locusts, and your officials like the swarms of locusts, which settle on the walls on a cold day, but when the sun appears, they flee away, and their place is not known where they are.
- Joel 2:4–5Their appearance is as the appearance of horses, and as horsemen, so do they run.
- Dan 7:4The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings: I saw until its wings were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made to stand on two feet as a man; and a man’s heart was given to it.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Revelation ends the story with the slain-yet-standing Lamb who is worthy, the Lion of Judah, the Alpha and Omega, the returning King who makes all things new and dwells with his people forever.
How Revelation 9:7 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.