Revelation 5:9
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The song's focus on Christ being "slain" highlights that His bloody sacrifice, not His power or majesty alone, is the ultimate reason for His worthiness. This wasn't just a powerful act, but a costly purchase, buying people for God "in His blood" from every corner of humanity.
And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation,
English Standard Version (ESV)
The scene is set in heaven with a scroll, sealed with seven seals, held by God on His throne. No one is found worthy to open it until a Lamb, who appears to have been slain, steps forward. This leads to an explosion of worship from the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders surrounding the throne, praising the Lamb for His sacrificial death.
Why is the song sung in heaven 'new'? It's not just about a fresh melody; it celebrates a reality that couldn't be sung before.
The elders and living creatures sing a 'new song' because the redemption of humanity by Christ's blood is a unique event that brings about a new relationship between God and humanity. This song is 'new' not because it's unheard of, but because it celebrates the accomplished work of Christ on the cross, something that could only be fully sung after His sacrifice. It's a song of victory and a testament to God's redemptive plan finally being realized through Jesus' death and resurrection.
Who is included in this redeemed people? The verse uses a powerful, comprehensive list. What does this tell us about God's plan?
The praise directed to Jesus is not for a limited group but for a redeemed humanity drawn 'from every tribe and language and people and nation.' This highlights the radical, inclusive nature of God's redemptive plan through Christ.
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Understand the original words
ōdē · Greek Noun
A theme describing a fresh revelation of God's redemptive work. It signifies the response of the redeemed to a new act of salvation or manifestation of God's glory.
axios · Greek Adjective
Deserving of honor, glory, and worship due to one's character and deeds. In Scripture, God and the Lamb are the only ones worthy of supreme exaltation.
haima · Greek Noun
The life-force of an organism. Biblically, blood is the necessary price for the atonement of sins, signifying the sacrifice of a life to secure salvation.
agorazō · Greek Verb
To liberate or rescue someone from captivity or debt through the payment of a price. It is the act of purchasing freedom for those enslaved to sin.
The 'new song' of Revelation 5:9 isn't just a beautiful hymn; it's a powerful declaration that the Lamb's sacrifice, a specific event around 30 AD, achieved a redemption so complete it encompasses all peoples, a truth amplified by the global spread of the gospel in the decades that followed.
c. 1446 BC
Exodus from Egypt
The liberation of Israelites from slavery in Egypt, marking a foundational moment of redemption and establishing Israel as a distinct nation with its own covenant and laws.
c. 1000 BC
Davidic Kingdom Established
The establishment of a unified kingdom under King David, a significant period of Israel's prominence and a foreshadowing of a future king from David's line.
586 BC
Babylonian Exile Begins
The destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple by the Babylonians, leading to the exile of many Jews. This event profoundly impacted Jewish identity and their understanding of God's promises.
c. 30 AD— this verse
Crucifixion of Jesus
Jesus is crucified in Jerusalem. This act is understood as the ultimate sacrificial atonement for the sins of humanity, the pivotal event of redemption.
c. 40-60 AD
Apostle Paul's Missionary Journeys
Paul travels extensively, spreading the gospel to Gentile (non-Jewish) communities across the Roman Empire and establishing churches. This effort highlights the universal reach of Christ's redemption.
c. 95 AD
Book of Revelation Written
The Apostle John writes the Book of Revelation, likely while exiled on the island of Patmos, during a period of intense persecution of Christians under the Roman Empire. The vision includes the heavenly worship described in chapter 5.
This passage calls for a 'new song' of praise to God, echoing the theme of a new song in Revelation that celebrates God's redemptive work.
1 Peter 1:18-19This passage explicitly states believers were 'ransomed' not with perishable things, but with the precious blood of Christ, mirroring the language and concept of redemption in Revelation 5:9.
Galatians 3:13-14This passage explains Christ became a curse for us, 'redeeming' us from the curse of the law so that the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, paralleling the idea of Christ's sacrificial death bringing universal blessing.
Colossians 1:20This verse speaks of reconciliation through Christ's blood on the cross, making peace and bringing all things, whether on earth or in heaven, back to God, which aligns with the universal scope of Christ's redemptive work mentioned in Revelation.
John 3:16This well-known verse highlights God's immense love in giving His Son, so that whoever believes in Him might not perish but have eternal life, reflecting the foundational truth of God's plan for salvation through Christ's sacrifice for all.
pulpitRevelation 5:9: "And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;"
Verse 9. - And they sung a new song, saying. They sing; the worship is unceasing. The song is new because it is only now, subsequent to the accomplishment of Christ's work of redemption, that the song can be sung. It is not" Thou art worthy, for thou wilt redeem…
ellicottRevelation 5:9: "And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;"
(9, 10) And they sung a new song, saying . . .— Better, And they sing a new song, saying. The use of the present (“sing”) is another example of that intensity of interest of which the change of tense in the last verse afforded an instance. As he records his visi…
The song's focus on Christ being "slain" highlights that His bloody sacrifice, not His power or majesty alone, is the ultimate reason for His worthiness. This wasn't just a powerful act, but a costly purchase, buying people for God "in His blood" from every corner of humanity.
The scene is set in heaven with a scroll, sealed with seven seals, held by God on His throne. No one is found worthy to open it until a Lamb, who appears to have been slain, steps forward. This leads to an explosion of worship from the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders surrounding the throne, praising the Lamb for His sacrificial death.
The scene is set in heaven with a scroll, sealed with seven seals, held by God on His throne. No one is found worthy to open it until a Lamb, who appears to have been slain, steps forward. This leads to an explosion of worship from the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders surrounding the throne, praising the Lamb for His sacrificial death.
"And they sang a new song, saying,
“Worthy are you to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation," — The song's focus on Christ being "slain" highlights that His bloody sacrifice, not His power or majesty alone, is the ultimate reason for His worthiness. This wasn't just a powerful act, but a costly…
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Last reviewed October 2026