The Throne in Heaven

Revelation 4:3

In 9 translations

BSB: The One seated there looked like jasper and carnelian, and a rainbow that gleamed like an emerald encircled the throne.
KJV: And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.
WEB: that looked like a jasper stone and a sardius. There was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald to look at.
ASV: and he that sat was to look upon like a jasper stone and a sardius: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, like an emerald to look upon.
LSV: and He who is sitting was in appearance like a stone, jasper and sardine: and a rainbow was around the throne in appearance like an emerald.
YLT: and He who is sitting was in sight like a stone, jasper and sardine: and a rainbow was round the throne in sight like an emerald.
DBY: and he [that was] sitting like in appearance to a stone [of] jasper and a sardius, and a rainbow round the throne like in appearance to an emerald.
DRC: And he that sat, was to the sight like the jasper and the sardine stone; and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.
GNV: And he that sate, was to looke vpon, like vnto a iasper stone, and a sardine, and there was a rainbowe rounde about the throne, in sight like to an emeraude.

Word by word Greek · tap a word

Words in brackets are English the glossers added; the Greek has no word for them, and they can carry a choice of tense or meaning.

Where the editions differ

Editions are published forms of the Hebrew and Greek texts. Meet the editions and sources →

In STEPBible’s comparison, NA28, NA27, Tyndale House, SBLGNT (2010), Westcott–Hort, Tregelles, Textus Receptus include καὶ ὁ καθήμενος (“and the [One] sitting”); Byzantine text do not include this wording.
NA28, NA27, Tyndale House, SBLGNT (2010), Westcott–Hort, Tregelles, Textus Receptus read ὅμοιος (“like”); Byzantine text read ὁμοίως (“likewise”).
NA28, NA27, Tyndale House, SBLGNT (2010), Westcott–Hort, Tregelles, Textus Receptus read ὁράσει (“in appearance”); Byzantine text read ὅρασις (“in appearance”).
NA28, NA27, Tyndale House, SBLGNT (2010), Westcott–Hort, Tregelles, Greek reading followed by the King James Version read σμαραγδίνῳ (“an emerald”); Textus Receptus, Byzantine text read σμαραγδίνων (“emeralds”).

Spelling, punctuation and minor wording (2)

In STEPBible’s comparison, Textus Receptus include ἦν (“was”); NA28, NA27, Tyndale House, SBLGNT (2010), Westcott–Hort, Tregelles, Byzantine text do not include this wording.
Spelling of σαρδίῳ: Textus Receptus: σαρδίνῳ.

SBLGNT apparatus (2)

A comparison of published Greek editions. “Add” means after the SBLGNT wording; “omit” refers to that wording.

SBLGNT: καὶ ὁ καθήμενος. Westcott and Hort (1881), Tregelles, Nestle–Aland 28th edition read καὶ ὁ καθήμενος; Robinson–Pierpont omit this wording.
SBLGNT: ὅμοιος ὁράσει σμαραγδίνῳ. Westcott and Hort (1881), Tregelles, Nestle–Aland 28th edition read ὅμοιος ὁράσει σμαραγδίνῳ; Robinson–Pierpont read ὁμοίως ὅρασις σμαραγδίνων.

Edition differences: STEP Bible, based on work at Tyndale House Cambridge (CC BY 4.0). Names and codes expanded; consecutive words grouped. Comparisons follow the editions used by the source; see version details.

Original-language editions

SBLGNT: καὶ ὁ καθήμενος ὅμοιος ὁράσει λίθῳ ἰάσπιδι καὶ σαρδίῳ, καὶ ἶρις κυκλόθεν τοῦ θρόνου ὅμοιος ὁράσει σμαραγδίνῳ.
RP2018: ὅμοιος ὁράσει λίθῳ ἰάσπιδι καὶ σαρδίῳ· καὶ ἶρις κυκλόθεν τοῦ θρόνου ὁμοίως ὅρασις σμαραγδίνων.
TR-Boyd: καὶ ὁ καθήμενος ἦν ὅμοιος ὁράσει λίθῳ ἰάσπιδι καὶ σαρδίνῳ· καὶ ἶρις κυκλόθεν τοῦ θρόνου ὁμοία ὁράσει σμαραγδίνῳ.ὁμοία ¦ ὁμοίος ST
SCR1894: και ο καθημενος ην ομοιος ορασει λιθω ιασπιδι και σαρδινω και ιρις κυκλοθεν του θρονου ομοια ορασει σμαραγδινω

In the reference works topics that cite this verse

Rainbow Emerald Stones, Precious Sardites, The Sardine stone Seraphim Jasper Sardius Living creatures Bow

From public-domain Bible dictionaries and topical indexes (1884–1915).

Cross-references most cited first

Ezekiel 1:28The appearance of the brilliant light all around Him was like that of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell facedown and heard…
Genesis 9:13–16I have set My rainbow in the clouds, and it will be a sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. Whenever I form clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember My covenant between Me…
Revelation 10:1Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head. His face was like the sun, and his legs were like pillars of fire.
Revelation 21:11shining with the glory of God. Its radiance was like a most precious jewel, like a jasper, as clear as crystal.
Ezekiel 28:13You were in Eden, the garden of God. Every kind of precious stone adorned you: ruby, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and emerald. Your mountings and settings were crafted in gold,…
Ezekiel 1:26Above the expanse over their heads was the likeness of a throne with the appearance of sapphire, and on the throne high above was a figure like that of a man.
Revelation 21:19–20The foundations of the city walls were adorned with every kind of precious stone: The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian,…
Exodus 24:10and they saw the God of Israel. Under His feet was a work like a pavement made of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself.
Exodus 39:11the second row had a turquoise, a sapphire, and a diamond;
Exodus 28:18in the second row a turquoise, a sapphire, and a diamond;
Isaiah 54:9–10“For to Me this is like the days of Noah, when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth. So I have sworn that I will not be angry with you or rebuke you. Though the mountains may be removed and…

From the OpenBible.info cross-reference set (votes from readers; not every link is a quotation or allusion).