Word Studies¶
G4537 — salpizo (to trumpet)¶
Greek: σαλπίζω Transliteration: salpizo Pronunciation: sal-pid-zo Part of Speech: Verb Definition: From G4536; to trumpet, i.e., sound a blast (literally or figuratively)
Translations (13 total occurrences)¶
| Translation | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| sounded | 7 | 53.8% |
| to sound | 2 | 15.4% |
| do | 1 | 7.7% |
| sound a trumpet | 1 | 7.7% |
| the trumpet shall sound | 1 | 7.7% |
| sound | 1 | 7.7% |
NT Occurrences¶
Mat 6:2; 1 Cor 15:52; Rev 8:6; 8:7; 8:8; 8:10 (v.9 is continuation of v.8 sounding); 8:12; 9:1; 9:13; 10:7; 11:15
The esalpisen Formula (7-fold pattern)¶
The aorist active indicative 3rd singular form esalpisen (ἐσάλπισεν) occurs identically in Rev 8:7, 8:8, 8:10, 8:12, 9:1, 9:13, 11:15, forming a formulaic pattern: "ho [ordinal] aggelos esalpisen" (the [Nth] angel sounded). This 7-fold repetition structurally unifies the entire trumpet sequence.
In Rev 8:6, the verb appears as aorist active subjunctive 3rd plural: hina salpisosin (that they might sound) — preparatory. In Rev 8:13, the present active infinitive salpizein appears with mellonton (about to sound) — anticipatory.
G4536 — salpinx (trumpet)¶
Greek: σάλπιγξ Transliteration: salpinx Pronunciation: sal-pinx Part of Speech: Feminine noun Definition: Perhaps from G4535 (through the idea of quavering or reverberation); a trumpet
Translations (11 total occurrences)¶
| Translation | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| of a trumpet | 3 | 27.3% |
| trumpets | 2 | 18.2% |
| trumpet | 2 | 18.2% |
| the trumpet | 1 | 9.1% |
| trump | 1 | 9.1% |
| the trump | 1 | 9.1% |
| a trumpet | 1 | 9.1% |
NT Occurrences¶
Mat 24:31; 1 Cor 14:8; 15:52; 1 Thess 4:16; Heb 12:19; Rev 1:10; 4:1; 8:2; 8:6; 8:13; 9:14
LXX Bridge¶
G4536 salpinx translates Hebrew H8643 teruah and H7782 shophar in the LXX, creating a direct lexical bridge from OT trumpet theology into the NT. Paul's "last trump" (1 Cor 15:52, 1 Thess 4:16) thus carries the full OT teruah theology of warning, alarm, and assembly.
G894 — apsinthos (wormwood)¶
Greek: ἄψινθος Transliteration: apsinthos Pronunciation: ap-sin-thos Part of Speech: Feminine noun Definition: Of uncertain derivation; wormwood (as a type of bitterness)
Translations (2 total occurrences — NT hapax by passage)¶
| Translation | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Wormwood | 1 | 50% |
| wormwood | 1 | 50% |
Both Occurrences in Rev 8:11¶
- Ho Apsinthos (Ὁ Ἄψινθος) — with masculine article, used as a proper name for the star. Parsed: Nom Sg M.
- eis apsinthon (εἰς ἄψινθον) — without article, as accusative of substance ("became into wormwood"). Parsed: Acc Sg F.
The article variation is significant: the first use names the star as a personified entity ("The Wormwood"), the second describes the effect on the waters as a substance. This NT hapax pair concentrates all NT wormwood vocabulary in a single verse.
H3939 — la'anah (wormwood)¶
Hebrew: לַעֲנָה Transliteration: la'anah Pronunciation: lah-an-aw Part of Speech: Feminine noun Definition: From an unused root supposed to mean to curse; wormwood (regarded as poisonous, and therefore accursed): hemlock, wormwood
Translations (8 total occurrences)¶
| Translation | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| with wormwood | 3 | 37.5% |
| and wormwood | 1 | 12.5% |
| as wormwood | 1 | 12.5% |
| the wormwood | 1 | 12.5% |
| to wormwood | 1 | 12.5% |
| into hemlock | 1 | 12.5% |
All 8 OT Occurrences — The Wormwood-Judgment Tradition¶
| Verse | Context | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Deu 29:18 (Heb v.17) | Root of idolatry bearing gall and wormwood | "a root that beareth gall and wormwood" |
| Pro 5:4 | The adulteress/strange woman | "her end is bitter as wormwood" |
| Jer 9:15 (Heb v.14) | Judgment for forsaking God's law, following Baalim | "I will feed them with wormwood" |
| Jer 23:15 | Judgment on false prophets of Jerusalem | "I will feed them with wormwood" |
| Lam 3:15 | Jeremiah's personal affliction | "he hath made me drunken with wormwood" |
| Lam 3:19 | Remembering affliction | "the wormwood and the gall" |
| Amo 5:7 | Perverting justice | "turn judgment to wormwood" |
| Amo 6:12 | Perverting justice | "turned judgment into gall" (hemlock = la'anah) |
Theological Pattern¶
All 8 occurrences involve judgment for apostasy or moral corruption: - Deu 29:18 — idolatry (root of apostasy) - Jer 9:15; 23:15 — forsaking law / false prophecy (explicit judgment formula: "I will feed them with wormwood") - Lam 3:15,19 — consequence of judgment experienced - Pro 5:4 — moral corruption (adultery) - Amo 5:7; 6:12 — injustice (perverting judgment)
The Jeremiah uses are most directly parallel to Rev 8:11, sharing three elements: (1) wormwood, (2) waters made bitter/undrinkable, (3) death as consequence.
G5154 — tritos (third)¶
Greek: τρίτος Transliteration: tritos Pronunciation: tree-tos Part of Speech: Adjective (ordinal numeral) Definition: From G5140; third
Translations (53 total occurrences)¶
| Translation | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| third | 27 | 50.9% |
| third part | 14 | 26.4% |
| the third | 6 | 11.3% |
| the third time | 3 | 5.7% |
| other | 3 | 5.7% |
Distribution in Rev 8:7-12 (11 occurrences — "the third part" as fraction marker)¶
| Verse | Occurrence | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Rev 8:7 | to triton tes ges | the third part of the earth |
| Rev 8:7 | to triton ton dendron | the third part of trees |
| Rev 8:8 | to triton tes thalasses | the third part of the sea |
| Rev 8:9 | to triton ton ktismaton | the third part of the creatures |
| Rev 8:9 | to triton ton ploion | the third part of the ships |
| Rev 8:10 | to triton ton potamon | the third part of the rivers |
| Rev 8:11 | to triton ton hydaton | the third part of the waters |
| Rev 8:12a | to triton tou heliou | the third part of the sun |
| Rev 8:12b | to triton tes selenes | the third part of the moon |
| Rev 8:12c | to triton ton asteron | the third part of the stars |
| Rev 8:12d | to triton auton (+ hina skotisthe) | the third part of them... darkened |
Note: Rev 8:12 contains 5 occurrences of tritos in a single verse — the rhetorical climax of the fraction pattern.
Additional Trumpet Occurrences¶
| Verse | Usage |
|---|---|
| Rev 9:15 | "to slay the third part of men" |
| Rev 9:18 | "the third part of men killed" |
| Rev 12:4 | "his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven" (different context — dragon/cosmic) |
Fraction Escalation Pattern (SP036)¶
- Rev 6:8: tetarton (G5067) — "the fourth part of the earth" (seals)
- Rev 8:7-12: to triton — 11 occurrences (trumpets)
- Rev 16:2-21: NO tritos — zero occurrences; universalizing language replaces fraction (bowls)
G105 — aetos (eagle)¶
Greek: ἀετός Transliteration: aetos Pronunciation: ah-et-os Part of Speech: Masculine noun Definition: From the same as G109; an eagle (from its wind-like flight)
Translations (4 total occurrences)¶
| Translation | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| eagles | 2 | 50% |
| eagle | 2 | 50% |
All 4 NT Occurrences¶
| Verse | Text/Context |
|---|---|
| Mat 24:28 | "For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together" |
| Luk 17:37 | "Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together" |
| Rev 4:7 | "the fourth beast was like a flying eagle" (throne-room creature) |
| Rev 8:13 | "I heard one eagle flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe" |
Rev 8:13 Textual Note¶
Some manuscripts read angelos (angel) instead of aetos (eagle). The Greek text (N1904) reads aetou (genitive singular of aetos). The eagle reading is significant because: - It connects to the fourth living creature (Rev 4:7) - It evokes OT imagery of eagle as swift judgment messenger (Deu 28:49; Hos 8:1; Hab 1:8; Jer 48:40; 49:22) - H5404 nesher (eagle) occurs 26 times in OT, frequently in invasion/judgment imagery
G4127 — plege (plague/wound/stripe)¶
Greek: πληγή Transliteration: plege Pronunciation: play-gay Part of Speech: Feminine noun Definition: From G4141; a stroke; by implication, a wound; figuratively, a calamity
Translations (21 total occurrences)¶
| Translation | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| plagues | 10 | 47.6% |
| stripes | 4 | 19.0% |
| wound | 3 | 14.3% |
| plague | 2 | 9.5% |
| wounded | 1 | 4.8% |
| of stripes | 1 | 4.8% |
Distribution in Revelation (plague vocabulary)¶
| Verse | Usage |
|---|---|
| Rev 9:18 | "By these three was the third part of men killed" (plege implied by 9:20) |
| Rev 9:20 | "the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues" — RETROACTIVELY labels trumpets as plagai |
| Rev 11:6 | "power... to smite the earth with all plagues" |
| Rev 13:3,12,14 | "deadly wound" of the beast |
| Rev 15:1 | "seven angels having the seven last plagues" |
| Rev 15:6 | "seven angels came out... having the seven plagues" |
| Rev 15:8 | "till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled" |
| Rev 16:9 | "God, which hath power over these plagues" |
| Rev 16:21 | "the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great" |
| Rev 18:4,8 | Babylon's plagues |
| Rev 21:9 | "the seven last plagues" |
| Rev 22:18 | "God shall add unto him the plagues" |
Key Observation¶
Rev 9:20 is the critical bridge verse: it retroactively labels the trumpet judgments as "plagues" (plagai, plural). This creates an explicit textual connection between the trumpet sequence and the plague tradition of the Exodus.
H7782 — shophar (trumpet/horn)¶
Hebrew: שׁוֹפָר Transliteration: shophar Pronunciation: sho-far Part of Speech: Masculine noun Definition: From an unused root in the original sense of incising; a cornet (as giving a clear sound) or curved horn
Translations (73 total occurrences)¶
| Translation | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| of the trumpet | 19 | 26.0% |
| the trumpet | 16 | 21.9% |
| with the trumpets | 8 | 11.0% |
| a trumpet | 8 | 11.0% |
| the trumpets | 6 | 8.2% |
| trumpets | 4 | 5.5% |
| other | 12 | 16.4% |
Key OT Warning Uses¶
- Exo 19:16,19; 20:18 — Sinai theophany
- Lev 25:9 — Jubilee announcement (4 occurrences)
- Jos 6:4-20 — Jericho conquest (14 occurrences)
- Jdg 3:27; 6:34; 7:8,16,20,22 — Military rallying
- Isa 27:13; 58:1 — Prophetic trumpet call
- Jer 4:5 — Warning of invasion
- Hos 5:8; 8:1 — Warning of judgment
- Joel 2:1,15 — Day of LORD alarm
- Amo 2:2; 3:6 — Judgment announcement
- Zep 1:16 — Day of trumpet and alarm
- Zec 9:14 — LORD blows the trumpet
H8643 — teruah (alarm/blowing)¶
Hebrew: תְּרוּעָה Transliteration: teruah Pronunciation: ter-oo-aw Part of Speech: Feminine noun Definition: From H7321; clamor, acclamation of joy or a battle-cry; especially clangor of trumpets as an alarum
Translations (43 total occurrences)¶
| Translation | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| shout | 6 | 14.0% |
| with a / with shouting | 10 | 23.3% |
| an alarm / the alarm | 5 | 11.6% |
| of blowing of trumpets | 2 | 4.7% |
| other (joy, jubile, sound) | 20 | 46.5% |
Key Occurrence: Leviticus 23:24¶
"a memorial of blowing of trumpets" = zikron teruah — "memorial of alarm-blast." This construct chain combines zikron (memorial, H2146) with teruah (alarm-blast), creating the theological concept: a sound that brings God's people to His attention.
Semantic Range¶
Teruah spans three domains simultaneously: 1. Alarm — war cry, battle signal (Num 10:5-6; Jos 6:5,20) 2. Acclamation — joyful worship shout (1 Sam 4:5-6; 2 Sam 6:15; Ezr 3:11-13) 3. Liturgical blast — formal trumpet signal (Lev 23:24; Num 29:1)
H2690 — chatsar (to blow trumpet)¶
Hebrew: חָצַר Transliteration: chatsar Part of Speech: Verb Occurrences: 6 total Translations: sounded (2), did blow (1), sounding (1), as the trumpeters (1), sounded trumpets (1)
Used specifically for the silver trumpets of Numbers 10 — the priestly instrument, distinct from the shophar. The silver trumpets (chatsotsroth, H2689) were prescribed by Moses and blown by priests.
H3104 — yobel (jubilee/trumpet)¶
Hebrew: יוֹבֵל Transliteration: yobel Part of Speech: Masculine noun Occurrences: 35 total Key Uses: jubile (6), the jubile (4), of rams' horns (4), of the jubile (3)
Connection to Jericho and Jubilee¶
- Jos 6:4-5: "seven trumpets of rams' horns" (shophrot hayobelim) — Jericho conquest
- Lev 25:9-10: "cause the trumpet of the jubile to sound... proclaim liberty" — Jubilee release
- The word connects trumpet-blowing with liberation, conquest, and new beginning.