Revelation 10:2
New International Version
He was holding a little scroll, which lay open in his hand. He planted his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land,

New Living Translation
And in his hand was a small scroll that had been opened. He stood with his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land.

English Standard Version
He had a little scroll open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea, and his left foot on the land,

Berean Standard Bible
He held in his hand a small scroll, which lay open. He placed his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land.

Berean Literal Bible
and having in his hand a little scroll being open. And he placed his right foot upon the sea, and the left upon the earth.

King James Bible
And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth,

New King James Version
He had a little book open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land,

New American Standard Bible
and he had in his hand a little scroll, which was open. He placed his right foot on the sea and his left on the land;

NASB 1995
and he had in his hand a little book which was open. He placed his right foot on the sea and his left on the land;

NASB 1977
and he had in his hand a little book which was open. And he placed his right foot on the sea and his left on the land;

Legacy Standard Bible
and he had in his hand a little scroll which was open. He placed his right foot on the sea and his left on the earth,

Amplified Bible
and he had a little book (scroll) open in his hand. He set his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land;

Christian Standard Bible
and he held a little scroll opened in his hand. He put his right foot on the sea, his left on the land,

Holman Christian Standard Bible
and he had a little scroll opened in his hand. He put his right foot on the sea, his left on the land,

American Standard Version
and he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left upon the earth;

Contemporary English Version
and with his hand he held a little scroll that had been unrolled. He stood there with his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land.

English Revised Version
and he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left upon the earth;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
He held a small, opened scroll in his hand. He set his right foot on the sea and his left on the land.

Good News Translation
He had a small scroll open in his hand. He put his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land,

International Standard Version
He held a small, opened scroll in his hand. Setting his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land,

Majority Standard Bible
He held in his hand a scroll, which lay open. He placed his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land.

NET Bible
He held in his hand a little scroll that was open, and he put his right foot on the sea and his left on the land.

New Heart English Bible
He had in his hand a little open scroll. He set his right foot on the sea, and his left on the land.

Webster's Bible Translation
And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth,

Weymouth New Testament
In his hand he held a small scroll unrolled; and, planting his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land,

World English Bible
He had in his hand a little open book. He set his right foot on the sea, and his left on the land.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and he had in his hand a little scroll opened, and he placed his right foot on the sea, and the left on the land,

Berean Literal Bible
and having in his hand a little scroll being open. And he placed his right foot upon the sea, and the left upon the earth.

Young's Literal Translation
and he had in his hand a little scroll opened, and he did place his right foot upon the sea, and the left upon the land,

Smith's Literal Translation
And he had in his hand a small book opened: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and the left upon the earth,
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot upon the earth.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And he held in his hand a small open book. And he stationed his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot upon the land.

New American Bible
In his hand he held a small scroll that had been opened. He placed his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land,

New Revised Standard Version
He held a little scroll open in his hand. Setting his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land,
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the land,

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And he had a small scroll opened in his hand and he placed his right foot on the Sea, but the left on The Earth;
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
And he had in his hand a little book opened; and he placed his right foot on the sea, and his left foot on the land;

Godbey New Testament
and having in his hand a little open book. And he placed his right foot upon the sea, and his left upon the earth,

Haweis New Testament
and he held in his hand a little book open; and he placed his right foot on the sea, and his left on the land,

Mace New Testament
he held in his hand a little book open: his right foot was upon the sea, and his left foot on the land.

Weymouth New Testament
In his hand he held a small scroll unrolled; and, planting his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land,

Worrell New Testament
And he had in his hand a little book opened; and he set his right foot on the sea, and his left on the land;

Worsley New Testament
And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left upon the earth.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Angel and the Small Scroll
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. 2 He held in his hand a small scroll, which lay open. He placed his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land. 3Then he cried out in a loud voice like the roar of a lion. And when he cried out, the seven thunders sounded their voices.…

Cross References
Daniel 12:7
And the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, raised his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and I heard him swear by Him who lives forever, saying, “It will be for a time, and times, and half a time. When the power of the holy people has finally been shattered, all these things will be completed.”

Ezekiel 2:9-10
Then I looked and saw a hand reaching out to me, and in it was a scroll, / which He unrolled before me. And written on the front and back of it were words of lamentation, mourning, and woe.

Ezekiel 3:1-3
“Son of man,” He said to me, “eat what you find here. Eat this scroll, then go and speak to the house of Israel.” / So I opened my mouth, and He fed me the scroll. / “Son of man,” He said to me, “eat and fill your stomach with this scroll I am giving you.” So I ate, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth.

Daniel 8:26
The vision of the evenings and the mornings that has been spoken is true. Now you must seal up the vision, for it concerns the distant future.”

Daniel 10:5-6
I lifted up my eyes, and behold, there was a certain man dressed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. / His body was like beryl, his face like the brilliance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of polished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude.

Zechariah 5:1-2
Again I lifted up my eyes and saw before me a flying scroll. / “What do you see?” asked the angel. “I see a flying scroll,” I replied, “twenty cubits long and ten cubits wide.”

Matthew 24:14
And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

Revelation 5:1
Then I saw a scroll in the right hand of the One seated on the throne. It had writing on both sides and was sealed with seven seals.

Revelation 8:3-5
Then another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, along with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne. / And the smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, rose up before God from the hand of the angel. / Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it to the earth; and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.

Revelation 11:1-2
Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff and was told, “Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count the number of worshipers there. / But exclude the courtyard outside the temple. Do not measure it, because it has been given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for 42 months.

Revelation 11:15
Then the seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and loud voices called out in heaven: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever.”

Revelation 12:6
And the woman fled into the wilderness, where God had prepared a place for her to be nourished for 1,260 days.

Revelation 14:6-7
Then I saw another angel flying overhead, with the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation and tribe and tongue and people. / And he said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come. Worship the One who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and the springs of waters.”

Revelation 19:11-16
Then I saw heaven standing open, and there before me was a white horse. And its rider is called Faithful and True. With righteousness He judges and wages war. / He has eyes like blazing fire, and many royal crowns on His head. He has a name written on Him that only He Himself knows. / He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is The Word of God. ...

Isaiah 29:11
And the entire vision will be to you like the words sealed in a scroll. If it is handed to someone to read, he will say, “I cannot, because it is sealed.”


Treasury of Scripture

And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot on the sea, and his left foot on the earth,

a little.

Revelation 10:10
And I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.

Revelation 5:1-5
And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals…

Revelation 6:1,3
And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see…

he set.

Revelation 10:5,8
And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, …

Psalm 2:8
Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.

Psalm 65:5
By terrible things in righteousness wilt thou answer us, O God of our salvation; who art the confidence of all the ends of the earth, and of them that are afar off upon the sea:

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Revelation 10
1. A mighty strong angel appears with a book open in his hand.
6. He swears by him who lives forever, that there shall be no more time.
9. John is commanded to take and eat the book.














He held in his hand
The phrase signifies possession and control. In the Greek, the word for "held" (ἔχων, echōn) implies a firm grasp, indicating authority and intentionality. The hand, often symbolic of power and action in biblical literature, suggests that the figure has the authority to execute what is written in the scroll. This imagery evokes the sovereignty of God, who holds the future and the unfolding of His divine plan.

a small scroll
The "small scroll" (βιβλαρίδιον, biblaridion) is distinct from the larger scrolls mentioned elsewhere in Revelation. Its diminutive size may imply a specific, focused message or revelation. Historically, scrolls were used to record important decrees or prophecies, and this scroll being "small" could suggest a particular aspect of God's plan that is being revealed. The scroll's presence in the angel's hand underscores its divine origin and the importance of its contents.

which lay open
The openness of the scroll (ἀνεῳγμένον, aneōgmenon) indicates that its contents are ready to be revealed and understood. In the context of Revelation, this openness contrasts with the sealed scrolls earlier in the book, symbolizing that the time for this revelation has come. Theologically, it suggests God's willingness to disclose His mysteries to humanity, inviting believers to seek understanding and wisdom.

He placed his right foot on the sea
The act of placing the right foot on the sea symbolizes dominion and authority over the chaotic and unpredictable forces of nature. In biblical symbolism, the sea often represents chaos and evil. The right foot, traditionally associated with strength and favor, signifies the angel's power to subdue and control these forces. This imagery reassures believers of God's ultimate sovereignty over all creation, including the tumultuous aspects of life.

and his left foot on the land
Placing the left foot on the land signifies authority over the earth and its inhabitants. The land, in biblical terms, often represents stability and the realm of human activity. By standing on both the sea and the land, the angel demonstrates comprehensive dominion over the entire world. This dual placement emphasizes the universality of God's reign and the encompassing nature of His plan, offering hope and assurance to believers that nothing is beyond His control.

Verse 2. - And he had in his hand a little book open. Ἔχων, "having," is read in א, A, B, C, P; εἴχεν, "he had," in a few cursives, the Vulgate, Andreas, Arethas, Primasius. The meaning is the same. The word βιβλαρίδιον, "little book," is a diminutive of βιβλίον (Revelation 5:1), which is itself a diminutive of βίβλος. This form of the word is found nowhere else; the corresponding usual form is βιβλιδαρίον. The book is probably little in comparison with that in Revelation 5:1. The latter contained all God's purposes, and the seer was not permitted to read it - only part was indicated to him. This book contains only a small portion of God's methods of dealing with man, and St. John is commanded to receive the whole. The contents are indicated in ver. 11 and the following chapter. The book is open, as a sign that what is contained therein is to be revealed. Bede thinks the New Testament is signified by it; Wordsworth sees in it the spiritual power of Rome; Hengstenberg considers that it contains the judgment of the degenerate Church. And he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth. Thus it is indicated that the revelation which is to follow affects the whole world, and is not partial in its operation, as were the judgments set forth under the earlier trumpets. Wordsworth (following Hengstenberg) sees in the earth an emblem of worldly power, and in the sea a symbol of the agitation and turbulence of nations.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
He held
ἔχων (echōn)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2192: To have, hold, possess. Including an alternate form scheo skheh'-o; a primary verb; to hold.

in
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

his
αὐτοῦ (autou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

hand
χειρὶ (cheiri)
Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 5495: A hand.

a small scroll,
βιβλαρίδιον (biblaridion)
Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 974: A little papyrus roll. A diminutive of biblion; a booklet.

which lay open.
ἠνεῳγμένον (ēneōgmenon)
Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 455: To open. From ana and oigo; to open up.

He placed
ἔθηκεν (ethēken)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 5087: To put, place, lay, set, fix, establish. A prolonged form of a primary theo to place.

his
αὐτοῦ (autou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

right
δεξιὸν (dexion)
Adjective - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 1188: On the right hand, right hand, right. From dechomai; the right side or hand.

foot
πόδα (poda)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 4228: The foot. A primary word; a 'foot'.

on
ἐπὶ (epi)
Preposition
Strong's 1909: On, to, against, on the basis of, at.

the
τῆς (tēs)
Article - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

sea
θαλάσσης (thalassēs)
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 2281: Probably prolonged from hals; the sea.

and
δὲ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

[his]
τὸν (ton)
Article - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

left [foot]
εὐώνυμον (euōnymon)
Adjective - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2176: From eu and onoma; properly, well-named, i.e. The left; neuter as adverbial, at the left hand.

on
ἐπὶ (epi)
Preposition
Strong's 1909: On, to, against, on the basis of, at.

the
τῆς (tēs)
Article - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

land.
γῆς (gēs)
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 1093: Contracted from a primary word; soil; by extension a region, or the solid part or the whole of the terrene globe.


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NT Prophecy: Revelation 10:2 He had in his hand a little (Rev. Re Apocalypse)
Revelation 10:1
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